Carpathian 17 - Dark Celebration

to let him know that—not with his bossy ways.
    "I am relaxed. Being vigilant does not mean I cannot relax. I want to examine you, Tempest. Not because I think anything is wrong, but just so neither of us is worried."
    A slow smile drove away the tears. "You mean you're worried. Go ahead then. I don't like it when you get upset on my account." He was the most protective being she'd ever run across in her life. Darius could hardly bear for her to be out of his sight. If she did have some kind of strange illness, she'd never have a moment without Darius at her side. Even when the band performed onstage and he was working security, he kept Tempest beside him. If he needed to ease his mind by examining her, she was all for it.
    Darius wasted no time, his body simply dropping away from his spirit so that he moved in complete freedom, a white hot light of pure energy entering her easily. Darius took his time, looking at her blood, her heart and lungs, moving lower… For the first time in his life he lost his focus and found himself back in his own body, sweat breaking out, his heart pounding. He stared down at her, panic in his eyes.
    "What is it? What's wrong?"
    His heart thundered in his ears. She looked so anxious, her eyes enormous, but holding such trust it steadied him as nothing else could. "Nothing is wrong. In fact everything is right." He stole another deep, calming breath, gripping her wrists, pinning her tightly against his chest. "What do you know about babies?"
    "Babies?" Tempest drew back, shaking her head in adamant denial. "Absolutely nothing and it's going to stay that way. I've never even held a baby. I didn't exactly have parents, Darius, to show me what to do, so if you have a sudden yearning for children, you're going to have to think about finding another lifemate. Of course, then I'd begin immediately taking body parts off of you, but what the heck? You wouldn't need everything for another woman, now would you?"
    "Our women always know when they can get pregnant."
    Her eyebrow shot up. "How?"
    He shrugged, looking confused. "I do not know. I suppose they check. I should have been aware of your breeding cycle."
    "Breeding cycle?" There was horror in her tone. "I don't have a breeding cycle. That's just disgusting. Do Carpathians have birth control? I thought you could control that. You control everything else."
    "If we are paying attention."
    "Well, start paying attention. If you can control the weather and call down lightning, you can certainly keep us from having babies. I'm a mechanic. I fix things. Every time Corrine comes in with her baby, I go out the back door, or hadn't you noticed."
    Darius managed another long breath of ice cold air. He tightened his hold on Tempest. "I have been alive for centuries, and in all that time, I never thought once of birth or babies.
    Once I found you, all I could think of was what a miracle you are to me, not checking for cycles."

    Tempest shrugged. "I didn't think about it either. So now we'll just be careful."
    "It is a little too late to be careful."
    There was a small silence. Tempest pulled back slightly to stare into his dark eyes.
    "What are you saying?"
    "You are pregnant with our child," Darius announced.
    She shoved him hard, throwing herself out of his lap to scramble away, struggling to her feet, hands on hips, glaring at him. "Okay. That's just not funny. I don't do babies, Darius.
    And I'm not in the mood to have you joke with me about it." She pointed a shaky finger at him. "You never once said you wanted children."
    "Tempest, I would not even consider joking about such an important thing. You are carrying our child. I saw it in your body, nestled safe and sound, growing every day. I should have been instantly aware, but I have been more concerned with our safety and did not consider that such an event could happen."
    She backed up, looking frightened. "I can't have a baby, Darius. Really. I can't be a parent. I'm a mess." She shook her head. "You're mistaken. You have to be mistaken, that's all."
    Darius sat in the snow regarding her with a raised eyebrow. "I very seldom make mistakes, Tempest, and certainly not of this magnitude. It is shocking to me that I never noticed the heartbeat. It is very strong. I obviously need to be far more vigilant where you are concerned."
    "Is that all you have to say? Darius! Carpathian women are not supposed to be able to get pregnant very easily. I'd better be Carpathian after going through the