Carpathian 01 - Dark Prince

human."

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    Raven's head came up, blue eyes wide with shock. "Can't you feel her? Margaret, I told you I have certain abilities. I wouldn't make up something like this. There's a woman trapped down there and she's having a baby. There are mines all through this area. She must have gotten trapped in one of them. I can feel her fear."
    "She's not human." Margaret walked carefully around the site toward her. "I'm like you, Raven. We are sisters. I know how painful it was for you to hunt the serial killers you brought to justice, because I have done the same thing."
    Raven swallowed a lump of fear. Margaret sounded so sweet and refined. But she reeked of the sour smell of fanaticism. The faded eyes blazed diabolically with it. Raven's stomach heaved. Maybe she could reach Jacques. "Margaret, you must feel her pain, her fear." Raven's mouth was dry, her heart pounding.
    "You know who I am, what I'm capable of. I would never make a mistake in something like this."
    Hans went back to work with the shovel, muttering a warning to the others. The wind tugged at their clothing, raked at their bodies. The clouds darkened to an ominous charcoal, began to roil as the wind shrieked through them. Lightning arced from cloud to cloud and thunder rumbled in warning.
    "This is undead. A vampiress. She feeds off the blood of our children." Margaret crept closer to Raven.
    Raven shook her head, pressed her hands into her stomach. "You can't believe that, Margaret.
    Vampires are pure fiction. This woman trapped down there is very real. Vampires don't have babies.
    Come on, Jacob! You can't believe this nonsense."
    "She's a vampire, Raven, and we're going to kill her." Jacob indicated the knapsack lying open with the sharpened stakes. His eyes were overbright with anticipation. He looked eager to do the task.
    She backpedaled. "You're all crazy."
    Please! Help me! Call him! The desperate cry was edged with terror and pain.
    Raven reacted immediately. Mikhail! Jacques! Help us .
    "The she devil is calling to her," Margaret reported.
    Please, call Mikhail. He will come for you , the woman wailed.
    "Stop her," Margaret screamed. "The vampiress speaks to her, begs her to call for help. Don't do it, Raven. She tricks you. Don't call Dubrinsky."
    Raven spun away from them, took off running, sending out a frantic call into the stormy air for Mikhail, for anyone. She made it into the trees before Jacob caught her, locking onto her legs just below the knees and slamming her hard into the ground.
    The fall knocked the wind out of her, her head spun, and for a moment she lay still, facedown on the forest floor wondering what had happened. Jacob flipped her over roughly, straddling her, his boyish good looks twisted with lust and the urge for domination. She caught the sickening chemical odor of cocaine emanating from his pores.
    Mikhail! She sent the call like a prayer, knowing what Jacob had in mind, knowing she wasn't strong enough to stop him.

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    The wind increased. Far off, a wolf howled, and another answered. Farther away, a bear growled irritably.
    "You think you're so damned smart, selling yourself to the highest bidder, so innocent and untouchable."
    Jacob gripped the front of her chambray shirt, jerked hard, and ripped the material right down to her small waist. Her full breasts spilled out, instantly drawing his attention. Roughly he grabbed her, bruising soft flesh.
    I'm sorry. The trapped woman's cry was edged with guilt. She had failed to guard her mental cries, had allowed Margaret Summers to hear her calls to Raven.
    Mikhail! Please! Raven's hopeless plea went out again. You must hear me. I need you. God, please help me. Help that poor woman.
    Jacob roared, slapped her once, twice. "He's marked you. My God, you're one of them." His hand closed over her throat, threatening to cut off her air. "He's impregnated you like the others. I knew it was him."
    He raised his hand above her and Raven caught the glint of shiny metal. Jacob stabbed down, his face a mask of fury and hate. Pain sliced low and wicked through her abdomen; blood gushed warm. Jacob pulled the dripping knife from her flesh and raised it again.

Chapter Nine
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    The earth rumbled, shook, rolled. Jacob's knife buried deep a second time. The wind unleashed its deadly power, sent leaves, twigs, and small