Carpathian 08 - Dark Legend

place, the funny way he twisted his words. Mostly she loved the conviction in him, the way he made her believe him. "I don't think the doctor is really good. Something's wrong with him."
    Gabriel nodded. "He was very much in love with Francesca and he was not happy when I returned. You see, Francesca thought I was dead. I think the doctor is having difficulty overcoming his jealousy."

    Skyler stared at him a long while, then shook her head. "It is more than that. I feel it when he touches me."
    For a moment, the red flame of the monster danced in Gabriel's eyes and inside him, claws unsheathed. He took a moment to breathe before he responded. "What do you mean, little one?" His voice was quieter and more beautiful than ever.
    Skyler felt the air in the room grow still, as if the earth itself were waiting for her answer. Her long lashes swept down, concealing her expressive eyes. "When he comes in to examine me, he tries to hide it, but I know something's wrong with him. He's twisted. It's more than jealousy, Gabriel."
    "I am going to secure your release for tomorrow evening. Francesca and I will need to set things up at home so we can give you adequate care while you recover. In the meantime, Francesca has hired a bodyguard for you. He is your guard, not a hospital employee, and he will ensure you are safe in our absence. If you feel threatened, you tell him to get you out of this place and take you to our home." He pulled the key to the front door of Francesca's house from his pocket. Taking a thin chain of gold from around his neck, he secured it. "This is the house key, little one." He placed the chain around her neck. "If you need to come home, you have the key."
    He felt her relief. She was lifting the key, turning it over, and holding it to her as if he had given her something precious. Gabriel stood up, towering over her. "Your room is ready and Francesca has outdone herself." He wrote the address on a slip of paper and tucked that into her hand also.
    A small smile shaped Skyler's soft mouth. "I knew she would go crazy." The smile faded from her face, leaving her wan and pale. "Do you believe me about the doctor?"
    There was an anxious note in her voice she couldn't conceal.
    Gabriel regarded her gravely, his black eyes serious. "I believe you, Skyler. I have felt the same uneasiness around him. Do not fear for Francesca. I will do all within my very considerable power to keep her safe."
    Skyler searched his face for a long while before her lashes drifted down and she subsided quietly in her bed, obviously satisfied with his reassurance.
    Gabriel automatically scanned during his waking hours, and now he felt Brice entering the hospital. He glided away from the bed toward the door. A small gasp of alarm spun him around. "What is it?" he asked softly.
    Skyler was staring at him as if he were a ghost. Self consciously she forced a laugh. "Just now you reminded me of…" She trailed off.
    He deliberately grinned, a boyish, mischievous grin. "A rock star?" he asked hopefully. Skyler's astuteness was far more than he had given her credit for.
    She managed a nervous laugh. "Not hardly, Gabriel. A wolf. A big bad wolf." She held up the stuffed animal, "lust like him."
    He laughed with her but took great care to appear more human as he left the room with a reassuring wave.

Chapter Fourteen
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    "The couple will arrive today, Gabriel," Francesca said. She was sitting at her desk, rather absently weaving together abstract designs.
    They looked a jumble of materials to Gabriel, but he could see how her fingers traced each swatch lovingly, even though her mind didn't seem to be on what she was doing.
    Gabriel crossed the room to stand behind her, wanting the closeness of her slender body. "I am well aware of their arrival, Francesca. What is it you are trying not to say to me?" There was a hint of laughter in the richness of his voice. He was her lifemate, he had only to share her mind to uncover her worry.
    Francesca took a deep breath. Her fingers sought a piece of cloth and unconsciously began to rub her thumb over it. "Aidan has requested we do not take their blood."
    There was a small telling silence. The air was heavy with the weight of his disapproval. Francesca understood completely. There were only a handful of humans who knew of the existence of the Carpathian people. Gabriel was an ancient, a hunter unsurpassed by any, other than his twin. He had remained alive by concealing his sleeping