Carpathian 05 - Dark Challenge

know what a cave-woman smells like."
    She opened her eyes at that, her long lashes fluttering in the sexy, flirty little way she had. "You'd better not want me smelling like any other, Julian, or you will find out what a real ancient woman can do when she is enraged."
    "You do not know what rage is, my love." He rubbed his face in her hair once more before lifting his head. "There is no rage in you—nothing that can be called upon to save your life should there be need."
    Desari immediately sat up, coming to her knees to face him, her long hair spilling around her, framing her slender body. "Where did that come from? Why would you worry about such a thing at this moment?"
    He is still out there. My sworn enemy, the one who resides in me. And whoever sent the human assassins after you is still out there, and you are still insisting on singing in front of crowds . He tried to censor the thought before she could read it, before it actually was in his mind, but it was too late.
    She was a shadow within him, just as he remained locked to her mind.

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    Desari smiled, her eyes loving and warm. "There is no need for this constant fear you are developing. I have survived centuries and will survive many more. I plan on having a family of my own someday, with my handsome lifemate. No one is going to take my future from me. I may not have what it takes to fight those who threaten us, but I am highly intelligent and have many gifts of my own to ensure my safety. And I can take care of you, too, should there be need. We are partners: I will lean on your strengths often, as I hope you will lean on mine."
    "I have more faith in you than you can know," Julian replied honestly. "I just never had anything to lose before." He rubbed the bridge of his nose and gave her a faint smile. "I used to watch some of the human men, the ones I knew really loved their women, go through the agonies of fearing something might happen to take away their happiness. I always wondered what was wrong with them that they couldn't just enjoy what they had right then. Now I am like they were."
    "If we were in your homeland and far from my people, would our life be so different?"
    "In some ways. Many ways," he admitted. "You will have to come there with me soon. It is so beautiful, and the soil there is amazing. Nothing can match it. Syndil would be astounded."
    "And what of your brother?" She rubbed her hand along his jaw, coaxing the shadows from his eyes, pleased that his invitation obviously included her family. "Aidan and his lifemate. We must go to see them very soon. I want to meet this man who looks as you do."
    Julian was silent for a moment. "I, too, want to see him. I owe him an explanation."
    "Then we will go." Desari pretended there was no vampire waiting to destroy her family. "Tell me what the people are like in the Carpathian Mountains."
    Julian thought about that for a moment. A slow smile softened the faintly harsh edge to his mouth. "You always come up with great questions, piccola . To be honest, I never thought much about what they are like. Mostly they are hardworking people. They pull together in times of crisis. Mikhail and Gregori are very much like Darius. Leaders, hunters, protectors, healers. It will be an experience meeting your older brother, for you and Darius." His smile deepened, reaching his glittering eyes. "Raven is Mikhail's lifemate. She is very much her own person and quite a handful, from what I understand. You would probably become great friends."
    "Try to sound like you might like that," Desari encouraged him, trying not to laugh at the pained expression on his face,
    "I think the only safe thing to do is lock you up somewhere far from the rest of the world and keep you to myself." For one moment he was half-serious, wondering if there was a possibility he could get away with it. "I might like that." Desari put her hands on his chest to push him back onto the bed. "We are never alone like this, and I think it is very necessary that couples have plenty of time for the things in life that they need. Like great conversation." Her hand moved through the golden hair on his chest to follow the path across his flat, hard stomach. "Do you hear me conversing with you?" she asked softly. Her nails were tracing patterns across his skin, moving dangerously low, tangling in golden hair, encountering the thick length of him.
    The breath jolted out of him,