Carpathian 05 - Dark Challenge

cover the distance between them this night. As it was, she had missed her last stop.
    He wished they could miss all of them. But her concerts were advertised far in advance, and she hated to disappoint her audience. Still, it made Julian uneasy that anyone could know where they were going to be at almost any given time.
    Julian glanced skyward. The night was gleaming with stars, clear and welcoming. Water lapped at his body, creating sound in the quiet. A slight breeze rustled the leaves of the trees; bats dipped and wheeled overhead. His world. The night. He glanced at Desari as she paced herself, swimming strongly across the lake. He did a lazy crawl after her, keeping within easy reaching distance of her. She was determined to do this next concert, to put herself in danger, just to entertain humans.
    His fist hit the water hard, sending a geyser shooting into the air. It brought her attention back to him. He felt her in his mind before he could censor his thoughts.
    "Not just to entertain, Julian. For myself, for my family. For Darius. He needs to keep busy. There has been such a change in him over the centuries. I cannot take the chance of quitting now, when he needs me the most. I told you I felt that way."
    Julian had already told her they would stay with her family so she would not have to worry about Darius.
    "I am not changing my mind, piccola . I am simply considering what a pushover I have been with you.
    You could help me out a bit by learning what obedience is all about." In truth he was ashamed of himself for putting her in danger, for not being man enough to leave her. Was it not a matter of honor? He had lived for honor, yet now, when it counted most…

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    Desari's soft laughter added to the beauty of the night. "I would not hold my breath if I were you. This will be good for you, learning to deal with my family, interacting with the human race. It will improve your social skills significantly."
    "You are saying my social skills need improvement?" There was a threat in his voice, and he began swimming toward her, his body gliding silently through the water like a shark, like the predator he was.
    Desari splashed water at his face and dove deep to escape the arm snaking out for her. She felt his fingers brush her ankle. She kicked strongly, hoping to put distance between them before she surfaced.
    But the laughter welling up was making it difficult to hold her breath beneath the water, and she was forced to head for the top. At once strong arms captured her.
    "I can always find you, cara mia ," Julian reminded her, his mouth warm against her neck. "You cannot escape me."
    "Do not count too heavily on that," Desari told him sweetly, and very innocently she began to sing.
    Julian was enthralled by the notes skipping across the water, little silvery notes like leaping fish. He stared, intrigued by the display of power. Did all Carpathian women have special gifts? The few women he had known were far too young by Carpathian standards to have learned the more difficult skills. The notes rose into the air, silver slivers that danced and swayed as if alive. He felt peace stealing into him, surrounding him, so that his body relaxed and for a moment his mind refused to function beyond drinking in the soothing, peaceful lapping of the water and the purity of her voice. He had never known such peace, not since he was a child.
    Julian deliberately ducked beneath the water to clear his head. He was furious with himself. Once again, he was so intrigued with everything about Desari, he had allowed himself to become distracted by the vivid new colors and the overwhelming emotions crowding in. It was much like being reborn. But he needed to be always alert, even when he thought they were alone. He could never forget they were hunted. She was hunted. His lifemate. Desari.
    "Julian?" Desari swam back to him, her arms curling lovingly around his neck. "What is wrong?" She was scanning the skies, the area all around them. His stillness, the glittering gold of his eyes, made her shiver.
    "You distract me too much, cara mia . I cannot forget what is most important. That is, above all else, your safety. I will not allow you to be placed in danger again."
    His voice was quiet, that soft, black-velvet voice that was menace personified. Desari could see that he meant what he said. She had been playing with him, teasing him, and just like that, he turned