Carpathian 17 - Dark Celebration

them when she is in between our sleep and waking. Joshua no longer remembers, but she doesn't want to hide what we are from him. And that means he has to know we are hunted. It was courageous of her to come here—to put aside her fears and meet the other women."
    "Have you discussed having children?"
    Aidan shook his head. "Not yet. She is well aware of the mortality rate of our infants and she lost so much so young."
    Mikhail nodded. "Gary has mentioned that it is possible that the closer the birth of the baby is to conversion, the less likely it is that we will lose it. He thinks the longer the women are Carpathian, the more likely miscarriages will occur and the less likely there will be female children, but why that would be we have no answers, especially as Francesca had a daughter."
    "At least we have Joshua, who is more of a son than a sibling to Alexandria. So far she has been unable to conceive, so there has been no choice for us one way or the other."
    Mikhail continued to look at him, straight in the eye, a relentless, driving command.
    Aidan sighed. "I will discuss it with her."
    "You do that. Our people need every child, every female we can possibly get at this point. Our hunters are desperate, Aidan."
    "I was one of the desperate hunters, Mikhail," Aidan said quietly. "I know my duty to our people."
    "Aidan!" Joshua come up behind him and tugged at his arm. "Aren't you going to play with us? Josef put the game on pause so we could wait for you."
    Aidan affectionately ruffled the boy's hair. "In a minute, Josh. Alexandria hasn't met Mikhail yet. He is the leader of our people, a very important man."
    Josh's eyes widened and he stared up at the prince.
    Mikhail looked down at the boy with his slight build and head of curls, at Aidan's hand tugging at a curl, and he felt a sudden ache in his chest. He wanted another child. One that looked at him the way the boy was looking at Aidan. He wanted a village filled with children, with their laughter and their bright eyes and hope shining on their faces.
    His gaze rested on Josef who had followed Joshua, and for the first time he felt kindly toward the boy. Josef had gained a few inches in height, taking on more of the look of the Carpathian male with broad shoulders, but he was still gangly, as thin as a rail, and with his black hair cut into spiky sticks with the tips dyed blue, he looked like a bizarre scarecrow.

    "Hello, Josef. It is good to see you again."
    The boy looked scared for a moment, and then he flashed a cocky grin. "You too, Your Royal Highness. Are we supposed to bow?"
    Aidan smacked him on the back of his head with a low warning growl, and Mikhail scowled, his black eyes glittering with sudden menace. The house pulsed with sudden energy and the walls undulated.
    Josh pushed open the kitchen door and ran. "Alex! There's someone here."
    At the fear in her younger brother's voice and the danger shimmering in the room, Alexandria whirled around with preternatural speed, her body a blur. The high-speed, souped-up mixer was in her hands, still on. Garlic-cheese mashed potatoes splattered onto the walls and ceiling. One glob hit Mikhail squarely on his left cheekbone. Alexandria gasped aloud and stood frozen, holding the mixer upright—sending more potatoes flying around the room. Her horrified gaze remained fixed on the prince.
    For a long moment there was only the sound of the mixer and the potatoes striking surfaces all over the room—and the prince's wide chest. Josh giggled. Josef let out a strangled cough, and both boys grabbed their midsections and doubled over laughing. The sound galvanized Aidan into action. He waved to knock the power out of the mixer, and moved across the room with dizzying speed to remove the appliance from Alexandria's hands, placing himself between his lifemate and his prince.
    For a moment there was only the sound of the boys' laughter. Alexandria twisted her fingers in the back pocket of Aidan's jeans. I cannot believe I did that. Whatever is he going to think of me ?
    It was obvious she was trying to hold back her own laughter even though she was mortified.
    Aidan turned slightly to brush his knuckles down the side of her face gently, all the while keeping a wary eye on the prince. It was a small accident, nothing more , he assured her. He could feel his own laughter bubbling up. It was difficult to stand still and keep a straight face with gobs of cheesy garlic potatoes speckling the prince's clothes and his left