Carpathian 17 - Dark Celebration

wolves. But if you really want to do this, child, I'll climb one of those trees over there and watch you do it."
    Nicolae slung one arm around Skyler and the other around MaryAnn. "We were thinking more of you riding on the back of one of the wolves."
    Lightning edged the sky, turned the darker clouds to a fiery orange. A whip lashed out and slammed to the ground, rocking the earth and scorching a long streak in the snow.
    Thunder clapped directly overhead. In the deafening roar, a beast growled a distinct warning, sending the hair on the back of their necks up.
    Skyler stepped away from Nicolae looking anxious. "Was that Dimitri? He doesn't like it if anyone touches me."
    Vikirnoff and Nicolae exchanged a long look. "I don't know, honey. We'll talk to him later about it. I can't see him angry over one of us being affectionate. We have lifemates."
    "He knows it bothers me to be touched," she admitted.
    "Well, if it was him, then he's within his rights to protect you. He would want to keep you safe and happy and if it was bothering you that one of us made you uncomfortable, then he would send a reminder."
    MaryAnn moved closer to Destiny, one hand going to a spot just over her breast where it throbbed and burned. She pressed hard with her palm, holding the ache to her. She hated being afraid all the time, and here, in these mountains, she seemed to have lost her usual confidence. In a city she would walk into the worst parts of town and feel in complete control, but here, in this world, nothing was as it seemed. And she wanted no part of wild animals or men who could reprimand others with violent storms.
    "Let's just get Skyler to her house and get back home," she said.

Chapter 16
    The sound of music filled the small house Dayan, of the Dark Troubadours, occupied with his family. Two guitars played softly as Dayan's voice rose in a lullaby. Abruptly, Corinne put down her guitar, leaned over the crib and shook her head. "She's not going to sleep, Dayan, not even with that beautiful song you wrote for her. She knows we re having Christmas tonight and she wants to go."

    Dayan put his own guitar aside and tried to look stern as he stood beside his lifemate over their infant daughter. She was tiny, barely fifteen pounds now, yet she looked back at them with far too much intelligence, and he was very much afraid she ruled their lives. She was just such a miracle to them both, and they had fought so hard for her—were still fighting. Her little body was fragile, although her will was strong.
    "Young lady, you are supposed to be taking a nap."
    One small hand waved toward his face. His heart lurched in his chest the way it always did when he looked at his child. She didn't look in the least bit sleepy as she cooed at him, coaxing him with her wide open eyes to pick her up. "She takes after you," he murmured.
    "With that little stubborn streak. Too beautiful for words, and wanting her own way, even when it isn't good for her."
    Corinne nudged him with her hip, but it was too late; the smile had slipped out and the baby saw it. She smiled back at Dayan and he was lost. He reached down and picked her up, cuddling her close.
    "Little Miss Jen, you are so naughty," Corinne said. "I was just about to go for a run too, before all the madness starts. Now what am I going to do with you?"
    "She likes to go. We can put her in the pack," Dayan said.
    "It's too cold."
    Dayan leaned down to nuzzle his daughter's face. "She's getting good at regulating her body temperature and we can dress her warm. Were taking her to the inn later, and that's not much different. She wants to go, Corinne. She loves it when you run with her."
    Corinne loved to run. She'd had a bad heart all of her life, preventing her from doing anything physical, and now that she was Carpathian, she couldn't run enough. It made her feel free and whole and so very happy. Back home in the States, she ran with a stroller, so Baby Jennifer could feel the same happiness flowing through her, but here, in the mountains of Romania, the trails were too rough for the stroller and she was afraid of jarring the baby if she used the front-pack.
    "I need to run and I do love taking her with me. Running clears my mind and after all this cooking and helping Sara with the children, sewing costumes and rehearsals, I definitely could use some exercise," Corinne explained.
    "Baby," he said, one hand curling around the nape of her neck to bring her head to his.
    He kissed her, a slow gentle