She unerringly found the path to her favorite place, turning down narrow twisting lanes until the paved streets gave way to old-fashioned cobblestone. She followed the pattern up a small hill to a bridge spanning a small lake. It was only a walking bridge and at this late hour, no one was on it. They had the large park and the lake to themselves. Francesca walked out to the center of the bridge and stopped to lean against the railing. “It seems as if I always have to thank you for something.” She said it quietly, without looking at him. Instead, she stared out over the lake.
The water was shimmering almost black in the moonlight. She could hear the fish jumping every now and then. The sounds of the water lapping at the banks and the fish leaping were somehow reassuring and soothing. Francesca smiled over her shoulder at Gabriel. “I come here quite often.”
“When you feel alone.” He said it softly.
She turned back to the water, her smile fading. “I guess you read that in my memories.”
He leaned down to find a round, flat rock and skipped it expertly across the surface of the water. “No, I have not had a great deal of time to read your memories; I am still attempting to get to know the woman you are now. As I am still a stranger to you and you have commitments in your heart elsewhere, I felt it would be wrong to invade your privacy more than absolutely necessary.”
Francesca found laughter inexplicably spilling out her lips. “Invading my privacy is sometimes a necessity?”
“I am, after all, a Carpathian male and your lifemate. I cannot change what I am; certain things are necessary for my peace of mind. But I am trying not to intrude where I am not wanted.” He stood tall and lonely with the wind blowing his long black hair around his broad shoulders. He was not asking for approval, only stating a fact.
Francesca studied his face, the way the moon bathed it in silvery light. He was very handsome, his angular face that of a man, not a boy—his mouth was sensual, his eyes by turns smoldering with passion or as cold as ice. His eyelashes made her smile. They were long and black and heavy. Any woman would envy him those incredible lashes. He held himself aloof, careful not to pressure her. She liked him for that. She felt pressure everywhere, from all directions, and she was glad that Gabriel simply wanted to keep her company.
“I needed a place that wasn’t exactly part of the city. I pretend I’m in the mountains. Sometimes I can hear the wolves calling to one another.” She brushed back her cascading hair but the wind tugged at it playfully. “I really miss home. Just once I would like to go back there, although I’ve lived in Paris for so long now, I’m not certain I would enjoy it as much as I remember it.”
He nodded. “I know what you mean. It has been centuries since I was there. The people were uneasy with my presence and once Lucian turned, I could do no other than follow where he led.”
“As you have done all your life,” Francesca pointed out without rancor. “I am proud of you, Gabriel. I know I have not behaved as well as I should have, but in my defense, your sudden appearance was quite a surprise and fit in with none of my plans. In my way I have always supported your fight for our people. I accepted your commitment and knew you incapable of shirking your responsibility. I tried to do something with my life that counted also. I never wanted you to think I had wasted my life.” She looked down at her hands. “There was so much time for me to be alone.”
“Were you afraid?” He asked it gently.
The tone of his voice turned her heart over. “Often, especially at first. I knew I had to disappear for the sake of the other males of our race. I did so during the terrible wars when so many of our people were lost to us. It took great planning. I was still quite young then, a mere fledgling. I was afraid Gregori would discover me and bring me to Mikhail. It was my greatest fear, yet sometimes I was so alone I prayed they would find me and then I was ashamed of my selfishness.”