Carpathian 15 - Dark Secret

survive the passing of their mate. Her captor must have found a way to keep her alive for a time."
    "Natalya claims Rhiannon had triplets, two daughters and a son, before she died. Natalya said that Rhiannon's son was her grandfather. Natalya also suspected that her own brother must be my father."
    "What of Rhiannon's two female children?"
    "She didn't know what happened to them. It was her father that taught her a hunter would immediately kill anyone bearing our birthmark. She also said the birthmark hid itself from you, that it would hide from hunters and vampires."
    "Of course he would say that." Rafael pressed small kisses against the birthmark. "They would poison their children against us. What better revenge than to keep the line from the Carpathian people, when we need them so much?"

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    "Why would the birthmark hide from you?"
    "I suspect it knew how strong the beast in me really was and reacted to that. Most of the times I have spent with you, I have barely managed to control the darkness in me. It would seek to protect you from me as long as I was near embracing the temptation of our darker side, but there is no longer need."
    Colby's stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch. Her skin felt oversensitized and something fiery hot swept through her insides, searing every organ in her body. Rafael lifted his head alertly. She could see knowledge in his eyes. Colby pushed at him to get him off of her, the strange wave of heat scaring her. "It hurts to have you touching me." Her insides were suddenly on fire and she felt sick. She pushed at him harder, as the air left her lungs in a rush of flames.
    Colby's eyes went wide with shock. Rafael felt the first wash of guilt. It wasn't a comfortable feeling and one he'd only experienced since meeting her. He rolled over, settling next to her, his arm caging her without touching her, his eyes watchful.
    "What's happening to me?" Knowledge mixed with her pain. "You know, don't you? What have you done this time?" The breath left her body and she nearly convulsed, her body going rigid as pain gripped her. Nails bit deep into his arm.
    "Just breathe, Colby." He hadn't expected the conversion to be so violent. His heart twisted. What if something went wrong?
    "Answer me! God, at least you can tell me what you've done to me."
    "You are beginning to go through the conversion." Her pain swirled inside of him, mixing with guilt and terror for her.
    "I trusted you." Her eyes were accusing, ravaged with pain and betrayal. She gasped the words, half sitting, attempting to twist away from him as she made the accusation. "How could you ever tell me you loved me? Do you think this is love? You wouldn't know love if it slapped you in the face. Love isn't betrayal and it isn't domination, robbing me of free will. I was trying to get to you in my own way and you took even that from me." The pain twisted like a knife inside of her and her eyes clouded. "I trusted you,"
    she whispered again, her voice breaking.
    Rafael stiffened. It hadn't been like that. He knew he had to convert her for all their sakes. He wouldn't carry dominance that far. Was he such a monster after all? The next wave was already building, rushing through her like a fireball, scorching skin and organs. She broke into a sweat and blood beaded on her pores. He whispered her name, brought cooling water from the waterfall to bathe her face. She turned her face away from him, clearly not wanting his help as her body went rigid with the next terrible blossoming pain. It swept through her, searing everything in its path.
    Fear lived and breathed inside of her. She pushed herself up, tried to crawl away from him, a hurt, wounded animal. He caught her in firm hands, his insides churning with bile. He had done this to her, in his own arrogance believing he had the right to her. He had no idea of the suffering the conversion would cause and it sickened him.
    The pain was excruciating. Colby's eyes were glazed and her body writhed. "Did you do this to me so you could take Paul and Ginny?" She made the accusation hysterically. "You really aren't any different from the vampire controlling Paul."

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    The hurt in her eyes, the suggestion of betrayal shattered his soul. Did she see him like that? Did she honestly believe he could do this to her to get the children from her? His soul