Carpathian 13 - Dark Destiny

the laceration in his brother's wrist. "Thank you for your help in this difficult situation."
    "It is easier to continue when I see your lifemate and I know there is hope for our race. That there is hope my brother will live on and continue our line."
    "Perhaps Prince Vladimer knew that some of us would find our lifemates in this century rather than in our own. He did have precognition. If there is hope for me, surely there is reason for you to continue your existence, Vikirnoff."
    "Perhaps that is why he chose certain ones to stay and others to go. Our Prince was a great man and saw far into the future. I thought at first he was wrong not to tell his son of our existence, but Vlad was right. Mikhail drew our people together as no other could have. They were few, and they fought hard for the preservation of our race."
    Nicolae nodded his agreement. "Our people would have become divided had we not remained hidden.
    Vlad foresaw much, and that is why it is so important that all of our males continue to hold on."
    "How is it that one who is so strong, so skilled a hunter and so intuitive, did not know the child he communicated with was his lifemate?" The question was casual, but Nicolae's gaze immediately sharpened, focused on his brother. There was a hidden significance to this question, but when Nicolae touched his brother's mind lightly, it was closed to him. He thought over his answer carefully, choosing his words.
    "I believe I could not know she was my lifemate," Nicolae replied candidly. "Had I had that knowledge, Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    I would have lost my sanity knowing she was being tortured and raped and forced to witness his murders. I tried, once or twice, to use her sight, to kill the vampire, but there was no blood bond between us and it was not possible. I was too far away to help her. The knowledge that I could not protect my lifemate would have sent me over the edge. Because I did not know for certain, I could still function, protecting her as best I could. It has occurred to me that on some level she knew the truth. Oh, not as we know, but still, she protected me in the only way she could, by not speaking. I might have found her sooner, but maybe not. She was so frightened that she kept moving all the time."
    "She is a strong woman and very courageous. But she is in constant danger fighting the undead. She does not value her life."
    "But she values my life. She has always valued my life, and she knows our lives are intertwined. She will not willingly give up her life in a fight, and she is not careless. I will not, I cannot force my will on her. She will find her way to me in her own time."
    "I am in your mind, Nicolae. The only emotion I can feel is yours. The battle for her weighs heavily on you. Take her to our homeland. You are far stronger than she is, far stronger than most ancients, most hunters. She would have no choice but to obey," Vikirnoff urged. "She might be upset for a while, but at least she will be safe."
    Nicolae shook his head. "She would not be safe. She would not tolerate such behavior on my part. In her eyes I would be no better than the vampire, forcing my will on her. My comfort is not important to me, only her life and her sanity."
    "You have bound her to you. You live or die together."
    "We lived or died together before I said the words. She agreed to the ritual to protect me, anchoring me to the world of light."
    Vikirnoff leaned his hip against a rock and studied his brother's face. "You insist, then, on remaining here in this place overrun with the undead?"
    "I know what is in your mind, although you are attempting to close it to me. You cannot sacrifice yourself by hunting the vampire here. We both know you are too close to turning to continue killing. Go to our homeland and we will follow as soon as we are able."
    Vikirnoff shrugged, the gesture very close to his brother's mannerism, a casual display of sheer strength.
    "One of us must continue our line."
    "I believe you have a lifemate somewhere, Vikirnoff. I think Vlad sent us into this century with the foreknowledge that we had a chance of finding our lifemates. Why it has taken so long, I do not know, but this is no time to choose the end. We had no hope, no belief that it was possible, yet we hung on.
    Now that there is hope, you cannot give up."
    Vikirnoff regarded Nicolae for a long moment in silence. He shook his head slightly. "She will eventually find out