Carpathian 17 - Dark Celebration

moved closer to Raven, as if by her close presence she could reduce the sadness. "I guess we all do that, don't we?" She looked to Mikhail for confirmation.
    Mikhail touched Raven's hair, his fingers gentle. Raven, my love . His voice in her mind was infinitely tender. Every Carpathian male knows when his mate can conceive. You are everything I have ever wanted. When you are ready — only when you are ready — do we try again . He smiled at Skyler even as his gaze caressed his lifemate. "You are a very wise young lady."
    Dark clouds crossed the moon, momentarily darkening the skies and casting macabre shadows into the large kitchen. The silhouette of a large wolf passed in front of the window, as if a large creature had crept onto the wraparound deck and paced just outside.
    Instinctively, Mikhail, Raven and Skyler turned toward the second window just over the sink. Skyler gave a muffled cry as a great shaggy head, fur black and eyes glowing nearly red, stared at them through the glass.
    "Stay inside," Mikhail commanded as he shimmered—first into transparency—and then dissolved into vapor, streaming across the kitchen to slide under the door out into the night.
    The wolf abruptly disappeared leaving the two women staring into the darkness.
    "It could have been Gabriel or Lucian checking up on me," Skyler ventured. "They often take the form of a wolf."
    Raven shook her head. "They would have come to the house, talked with Mikhail, let you know they were worried."
    Skyler put a comforting hand on Raven's arm, a difficult thing for Skyler to do when she disliked being touched or touching. "There are a dozen Carpathian males within hearing distance. If the prince needs help, he has only to call out."
    Raven smiled at her, one hand to her throat. "Of course he can. Whatever is out there doesn't really feel like a threat to me." In the form of an animal, it would be easy enough for a skilled Carpathian—or vampire—to hide his intentions, but Raven wasn't going to acknowledge that to Skyler. "Mikhail will let us know if something is wrong. In the meantime, I have this turkey in the oven. Have you ever cooked before? It's been such a long time for me and I could use a hand."
    Skyler laughed. "We have a housekeeper. She does the cooking and lets me into the kitchen once in a while, but doesn't really like anyone underfoot. She pretends it doesn't bother her, but I know it does."
    "Of course you'd know. You're an empath, you can feel what she's feeling. That must be uncomfortable for you."
    Skyler shrugged. "Gabriel and Francesca are helping me to learn how to shut myself off.

    So far I haven't mastered it yet, but I think eventually I'll be fairly good at it. Francesca helps to guard me during the time she's awake."
    "Why do you want them to convert you?"
    "They're my family. I want to be with them."
    "And they've both exchanged blood with you?"
    Skyler nodded. "It will only take one blood exchange for the conversion. Gabriel explained it to me, but he wants me to wait until I'm older. He thinks I need more time to think about it, but I know what I want. As long as the prince doesn't insist on me taking a Carpathian male as a lifemate, then I'm going to try to get Gabriel to do it as soon as possible."
    "It's difficult on your body, Skyler," Raven warned. "There's a great deal of pain they can't protect you from."
    "I can feel that you're uneasy, Raven. There's something you aren't telling me."
    Raven had been completely human, just as Skyler had been, and she was a strong psychic talent. She could feel that the Carpathian blood had already heightened Skyler's awareness and senses. The girl was intelligent and powerful, with well-developed psychic talents. Raven still remembered those days, the sensation of someone else's emotions creeping over her, sharp and terrible. There was a scent to evil and depravity, and an empath as sensitive as Skyler needed to be sheltered from the continual assault on her. It was no wonder Gabriel and Francesca had both given her blood to help shield her.
    "I think you already know what I'm not telling you, Skyler. You came here not to ask Mikhail for assurances, but to make him aware of your strong objections. Francesca and Gabriel would never try to hide the truth from you—that your true lifemate can bind you to him whether you are human or Carpathian. If you are the other half of his soul, he can seal you together. You know that, don't you?"
    Skyler blushed as she nodded her head.