Carpathian 06 - Dark Fire

blood loss beating at him, yet when she touched his mind, she found only thoughts for her, for her safety.
    "You just think you're indispensable," she scolded him, deliberately sarcastic. "I'm perfectly capable of finding my way to the resort and the campsite where they plan to settle tonight. Now go to sleep, and I'll wake you if I need a wounded warrior."
    "Do not ever attempt to leave me again, Tempest," he murmured so softly that she barely caught the words. There was an unguarded ache in his voice that brought a fresh flood of tears to her eyes.
    In her life, no one had ever wanted her. No one had ever needed her. Certainly no one had ever been so loving and caring toward her. For all his overbearing, dominating ways, she couldn't ever say he didn't put her first. She couldn't say her heart wasn't totally captivated. He had woven a spell around her so strong, she didn't think the tie could ever be broken.
    As she drove down the highway, the rain began to lessen to a drizzle. She made every attempt to keep her mind from what had happened. The idea of all those men throwing their lives away, attacking people they really knew nothing about, was devastating to her. She had no idea just how many adversaries there had been, but she knew the cats had managed to kill two humans apiece. She had caught the images in their minds. Darius had killed the others, but she had no idea how many, and she didn't want to know. It was better not to know, not to allow herself to think too much about insanity of what was happening in her life.
    Carpathians. Vampires. Vampire-hunters. It was all too bizarre.

Chapter Fifteen
    Tempest drove the bus onto the shoulder of the road, parked, and rested her head against the steering wheel. She felt as if she had been driving forever, but it was the road conditions and driving rain that finally defeated her waning strength, not the hour of night. Exhausted, she struggled to keep her eyes open. In any case, she had stayed on the main highway until there was a confusing fork in the road. She had gone right around the bend, hoping she wasn't supposed to take the road branching to the left. She nibbed her eyes, feeling faint.
    Her heart nearly stopped when a cloud of vapor streamed in through the window she had cracked open, hoping the cold air would revive her. Julian Savage shimmered into a solid state beside her, then went at once to Darius, concern etched on his handsome face. Tempest laid her head back against the seat, too tired to question him.
    "How long has he been like this?" Julian demanded.

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    "He was shot," Tempest said without opening her eyes. "I told him to sleep, that I would find the rest of you."
    Julian bent close to Darius, tore at his own wrist with his teeth, and pressed the wound firmly over Darius's mouth. "Take what is freely offered that you might live both for your lifemate and yourself." He was unexpectedly gentle, his voice a blend of concern and hypnotic compulsion.
    Darius moved then, for the first time in hours, his hand rising weakly to grip Julian's wrist and hold it to his mouth. Julian began the ritual healing chant, and from several miles away, the rest of the Carpathians, linked as they were with their unique telepathy, joined in. All of them felt Darius's weakness and pain. All of them knew he would not go to ground as he needed.
    Tempest pushed herself from the driver's seat and staggered down the trailer until she could drop to her knees beside Darius. "Is he going to be okay, Julian?"
    "He is weak. He went into battle already drained of his strength. He used mental energy to focus the storm and hide the bus." Julian looked worried, his eyes filled with concern. "He must go to ground and heal. He needs to sleep the sleep of our people."
    Darius roused himself, the blood of the ancients flowing strong in his veins. "She was lost again, was she not?"
    "I wasn't lost," Tempest protested, her voice drowsy. "I was simply looking for a good place to rest."
    Julian shrugged. "She took a wrong turn a few miles ago. I will drive both of you to the others. You must sleep, Darius."
    "I must protect Tempest." It was an implacable statement, an order given by a being used to being obeyed.
    Tempest leaned her head against his leg. "You're about as much protection as a wet noodle right now, Darius. I'm protecting you." She would have glared at him, but she didn't have the energy to lift her