Carpathian 16 - Dark Demon

tell me the truth, silence is better than a lie .
    Natalya appreciated the sincerity in his voice. She didn't know what was wrong with her and she had no way to explain it. She resorted to teasing in an effort to bring back the fragile camaraderie between them. Oh, great, so if I take a few lovers, you'd know. That's what you're telling me .
    If you decide to take lovers , ainaak enyém, be very certain they are men you consider enemies and wish destroyed . He sounded very calm, but she felt the bite of his teeth as they snapped together.
    I'm going to have to really work at understanding the concept of lifemates and how you were able to bind us together. I really am very good at turning spells around. The ritual words have to be a type of binding spell. There must be a way to undo what you did. I'm fairly confident I'll be able to figure it out.
    Vikirnoff winced inwardly. It was evident that Natalya intended to be rid of him as quickly as possible, anyway that she could. She regarded him as an enemy of her family.
    Most of all she didn't like him. And that hurt.
    He turned that piece of information over and over in his mind. He couldn't remember anything hurting him emotionally. Not a single incident. There must have been moments in his childhood, in his youth as a fledgling, yet this moment, this realization hurt deeper than anything he remembered.
    What is it?
    So she was tuned to him whether she wanted to be or not. She wasn't touching his mind, yet she felt his sudden wrenching heartache.
    I cannot lie to you either and I would prefer not to discuss it . He would prefer to do the things necessary for their survival. For Natalya's survival. He didn't need to turn into a pathetic romantic who expected his lifemate to be enamored of him. It didn't matter whether she was or not. They were joined, two halves of the same whole. That was all that mattered.
    Natalya nibbled on her lower lip, trying to puzzle out what was wrong. In the short time she'd known him, she'd come to realize Vikirnoff rarely showed emotion. Not in his tone, not in his expression, not even in what he said. Only his eyes were alive, raw power, hunger, desire, an intensity that overwhelmed her. She was grateful she couldn't see them now. She didn't want to see hurt or sorrow. Her stomach was tied into knots at the thought of it.
    Neither one of us is very good at talking things out, are we ? she asked. Her hands smoothed the feathers at the back of his neck.
    I guess that is so. I never had much need to discuss feelings when I had none. I relied on my own judgment in battle, in every decision, in every way. Who was there to discuss things with and what would I discuss ? If it was an apology, he knew it was a poor one. He honestly didn't know what people talked about or how they did it.
    You've spent a long time alone, haven't you?
    There was a small silence. Natalya feared he wouldn't answer. She found she was holding her breath waiting.
    Centuries. I have been cut off from my homeland and my people, sent out long ago to battle the vampire. When the darkness crouched too close, I found my brother and remained with him to ensure he did not succumb before I made the choice to end my life.
    That wait was long and the darkness spread until I was no longer certain who I was.
    It was the simple truth. She heard it in his voice. A lifetime of honor and service told in three sentences. It did not convey the stark isolation, the emptiness of emotion and color, yet she felt it as surely as if she'd been there and she found herself weeping for him.
    Do not think of something that will cause you sorrow , ainaak enyém, look beneath us to the world below and enjoy this time .
    Natalya lifted her chin, allowing the wind to carry her tears away. You'd better not be calling me a "little slip of a girl."

    His laughter was low and sensual. She felt it in the pit of her stomach, lower still, a curling heat that spread throughout her body and pooled into a throbbing ache. I will certainly never make that mistake again .
    She looked beneath her to the wild countryside they were circling. There were deep gorges cut into the mountain and she could see several entrances to caves. The meadows were a vivid green even in the gathering darkness. Wildflowers bloomed everywhere, in the valleys, clinging to the sides of the rock and valiantly decorating the plateaus. As Vikirnoff swooped lower she could see in the deeper depressions where water filled the basins forming a