Carpathian 09 - Dark Guardian

made the denial, Lucian was not resisting as Gabriel's lifemate began to work on his savage wound. Gabriel filled the room with beneficial herbs and began the ancient healing chant as old as time itself.
    "I will heal you now, my brother," she said softly. "A monster such as you think you have become will be able to protect the woman from the monsters who would otherwise destroy one such as she."
    Gabriel cut his wrist and pressed the wound to his twin's mouth. "I offer my life freely for yours. Take what you need to heal. We will put you deep within the soil and guard you until you are at full strength."
    "Your first duty is to your lifemate, Lucian," Francesca reminded him softly. "You can do no other than find her and remove her from danger."

    *****
Jaxon, Five years old
    Florida, USA
    "Look at me, Uncle Tyler," Jaxon Montgomery called proudly, waving from the top of the high wooden tower she had just climbed.
    "You're crazy, Matt." Russell Andrews shook his head, shading his eyes against the sun as he stared up at the replica of the high platform used for training Navy SEALS recruits. "Jaxx could break her neck if she fell." He glanced away toward the fragile woman lying on the chaise longue, cuddling her newborn son. "What about it, Rebecca? Jaxx isn't even five yet, and Matt has her training for Special Forces,"
    Russell said.
    Rebecca Montgomery smiled absently and looked up at her husband as if asking his opinion.
    "Jaxon's great," Matt said immediately, reaching to capture his wife's hand and bringing her knuckles to his lips. "She loves this stuff. She was doing it practically before she could walk."
    Tyler Drake waved to the tiny girl calling to him. "I don't know, Matt. Maybe Russell's right. She's so small. She takes after Rebecca in looks and build." He grinned. "Of course, we were lucky in that department. The rest of her is all you. She's a daredevil, a little fighter, just like her daddy."
    "I'm not so certain that's a good thing," Russell said, frowning. He couldn't take his eyes off the child. His heart was in his throat. His own little girl was seven years old, and he would never allow her near the tower his compatriots, Matt Montgomery and Tyler Drake, had constructed in Matt's backyard. "You know, Matt, it's possible to force a child to grow up too fast. Jaxon is still a baby."

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    Matt laughed. "That 'baby' can cook breakfast for her mother and serve it to her in bed and change diapers for the little one. She's been reading since she was three. I mean, really reading. She loves physical challenges. There's not much on the training course she can't do. I've been teaching her martial arts, and Tyler has been working on survival training with her. She loves it."
    Russell scowled. "I can't believe you're encouraging Matt, Tyler. He never listens to anyone but you.
    That child adores both of you, and neither of you has any sense where she's concerned." He manfully refrained from adding that Rebecca was a washout as a mother. "I hope to hell you don't have her swimming in the ocean."
    "Maybe Russell's right, Matt." Tyler sounded a bit worried. "Jaxon's a little trouper with the heart of a lion, but maybe we push her too much. And I had no idea you were allowing her to cook for Rebecca.
    That could be dangerous."
    "Someone has to do it." Matt shrugged his wide shoulders. "Jaxon knows what she's doing. When I'm not home, she knows very well she's responsible for Rebecca's care. And now we have little Mathew Jr.
    And just for your information, Jaxx is a good swimmer already."
    "Are you listening to yourself, Matt?" Russell demanded. "Jaxon is a child, a five-year-old—a baby.
    Rebecca! For God's sake, you're her mother." As usual, neither parent responded to anything they didn't want to hear. Matt treated Rebecca like a porcelain doll. Neither paid much attention to their daughter.
    Exasperated, Russell appealed to Matt's best friend. "Tyler, tell them."
    Tyler nodded slowly in agreement. "You shouldn't put so much pressure on her, Matt. Jaxon is an exceptional child, but she's still a child." His eyes were on the small girl waving and smiling. Without another word he got up and began striding toward the tower where the little girl was calling to him persistently.

    *****
Jaxon, Seven years old
    Florida, USA
    The screams coming from her mother's room were horrible to hear. Rebecca was inconsolable. Bernice, Russell