Carpathian 17 - Dark Celebration

hand to him, allowing him to pull her up, to pull her into the shelter of his arms. She framed his face with her hands. She was tall, but he was taller, forcing her to look up in order to meet his burning gaze. His eyes had gone from amber to burnished gold, the hunger there taking her breath away. "You are my beloved, Julian, always my beloved."
    "I hold you like this, safe in my arms, your body fitting so perfectly into mine." He turned his head away, ashamed of the welling emotion he could never control in spite of all his centuries of discipline. "And you sing to me as we lie together and there is no other peace in the world like the peace you bring to me."
    She took a deep breath, love shaking her with its strength. "Do you want a child, Julian?
    Do you want to try when we know the heartache that most likely lies ahead for us? Are you willing to take a chance that the greatest sorrow—losing our son or daughter—will take from us what we have?" She had to know the truth before making a decision. There was a part of her that wanted a child, a boy with bright blond hair and gold for eyes—a child who would play pranks on her and tease her, reminding her all too much of the man who was her other half. But the price was so high. So very high.
    "Is that what you think, Desari? That if we lost our child, we would lose what we have between us?" He shook his head. "Never. It is impossible."
    "Our love is so strong, Julian, the emotions we feel so intense, the sorrow of losing a child would be devastating." The lump in her throat threatened to choke her.
    "Any parent knows losing a child is devastating," he replied gently. "The sorrow would be great, yes, but if you're asking me would the risk of that sorrow be worth the chance of having a son or daughter with your eyes and your smile—then I have to say it would be worth it to me. But the decision is yours to make. You are enough for my happiness. A child is a miracle, but I will always survive as long as I have you."
    "I'm not a coward, Julian," Desari said, her fingers tangling in his hair. She rested her body against his, laying her head over his heart, listening to the steady rhythm. "I'm not hesitating because I'm a coward."
    He stroked a caress down the length of shining black hair. "I could never, for one moment, think of you as a coward, honey. We will have a child when we're ready, not one second before. I have done my duty for my people—a thousand times over—and I will not have a child out of duty. Our child will be conceived in love and wanted more than any other by both of us."
    Her heart matched the rhythm of his. Her blood heated in her veins. She lifted her face to press kisses along the column of his neck, nipping gently, her tongue tasting his skin.
    "Well, then, since I would love to have a baby, I say let's go for it. Let's try, Julian, and enjoy every moment of conception and pregnancy and not let worry rule us. Our child will be our Christmas present to one another."
    His body was already stirring, his blood heating to match the fire in hers. "You're certain, Desari?"

    Her mouth took his, pouring love into him along with her sweet, addicting taste. Every cell in his body responded. He lifted her into his arms without breaking the kiss. Christmas may really bring miracles .
    Her loving laughter teased his senses. Don't think this will get you out of helping me come up with something else to cook for tonight's celebration .
    Tonight's celebration is happening right now , he told her.

Chapter 6
    Darius Daratrazanoff glared at his lifemate as she very accurately threw several rounds of snowballs, peppering him in the face and chest. "Tempest, I am giving you a direct order.
    Come back here now!"
    Tempest packed the next snowball tight and launched it at his face. "You and your silly direct orders." She tossed her snowflake-covered red hair and gave a sniff of disdain.
    "Honestly, Darius, I'm not one of your brothers or sisters who do whatever you tell them.
    You made fun of me, you snake. Just because I blew up the oven doesn't mean I can't cook." She threw another tightly packed missile, running backward as she did so. "Take it back."
    "You cannot cook, and who cares? Certainly not me. The oven, however, blew a rather large hole in the house and I need to repair it, so come back here where I can keep an eye on you."
    "Take it back."
    "For heaven sake, baby, you set the house on fire. The entire kitchen is black. What did you think you were