Carpathian 17 - Dark Curse

refuse to take all the heat on this. If we are getting into it, all of you are voicing your opinions loud and clear. The women would rise up like my worst nightmare.\"
    \"I am serious,\" Gregori insisted. \"If we are going to bring in the full counsel, then we should address all issues.\"
    Mikhail nodded his head. \"I know it must be discussed, Gregori, but you and I both know the old ways are long gone. Even then we had a few women warriors.\"
    \"Not life mates,\" Nicolas interjected. \"Never women who could bear us children, or that when lost would take their mate with them.\"
    Mikhail shrugged. \"In the old days very few life mates were warriors. Times are different. Our species is on the brink of extinction.\"
    \"All the more reason to protect the few women we have,\" Nicolas said. \"Sometimes old ways are good, Mikhail. Our women did not take up arms just to show they could.\"
    \"These women did not start out as Carpathians. Our species looks human and when we bind a human woman to us, although she is converted by blood, she thinks like a human. Through the centuries human women have had to fight for their rights...\"
    \"That is a weak argument,\" Gregori broke in. \"What do we do here in this chamber? We swear our loyalty to our people. We swear to serve them, whatever the sacrifice calls for. Our life mates have never done that.
    They do not understand that in order to save our species from extinction, they must sacrifice, too. We have a handful of couples, less than thirty, Mikhail. Our children do not mature for a good fifty years. Do you really believe that we can afford to lose one woman? One pair?\"
    \"No, but I also know that we are in a war with enemies surrounding us from all sides. We cannot afford to be divided either.\"
    \"We are not divided,\" Gregori said. \"No man wants his woman fighting.\"
    Mikhail shook his head, a slow smile touching his mouth. \"So you think we should tell our women to be quiet and let us make decisions for them? It is not the men who will be divided, it is our women. From us. Free will.
    Have you forgotten that small little detail? We take that away when we bind them to us, do we continue to do so after they are our life mates? I suppose we can reduce them to little more than puppets who do our bidding at our will. But I know both Raven and Savannah would walk into the sun before submitting to such enslavement.\"
    Page 48

    Christine Feehan: Dark Curse
    \"O jelä peje terád. Sun scorch you, Mikhail,\" Gregori growled. \"You have become modern and liberal in your old age.\"
    Nicolas turned away from the prince as another couple entered. Nicolae, Vikirnoff\'s brother, with his life mate, Destiny, hurried in. Nicolas wanted to get a good look at the woman who had been captured by a vampire when she was just a young child. She had endured the torture of a vampires blood, riddled with cell-eating parasites, for years. Medium height, very curvy, with sculpted muscle, thick dark hair and enormous blue-green eyes, she flowed with grace and the fluid step of a trained fighter. He noted her eyes were restless, moving around the cavern, taking in every detail, noting exits and entrances, the chimney and labyrinth of tunnels.
    Destiny was best friends with Manolito\'s life mate, MaryAnn. She saw each person in the room, sizing them up, her gaze resting on him just a little longer. Nicolae, her life mate, was very tuned to her, Nicolas noted with approval, placing himself between her and the men without life mates in the room. Like most Carpathian males, Nicolae was tall and muscular with long black hair and cool dark eyes.
    \"You are Nicolas, brother to Manolito.\" Destiny greeted, moving toward him, forcing her life mate to keep pace in order to protect her.
    It was a classic mistake women made, forgetting that anyone could be a danger, even here, in this sacred place of power. Nicolas sighed and shook his head. His woman would learn her place and every security measure he could think of for her.
    \"How is MaryAnn?\" Destiny asked.
    \"She is happy,\" Nicolas answered. \"I have news to share, but want to wait until we have all gathered. I brought you a letter from MaryAnn.\" He slipped his hand inside his shirt.
    Destiny\'s eyes narrowed, became cool and watchful. She shifted slightly onto the balls of her feet, turning just slightly, a subtle movement that put her in a good position to defend herself and attack if necessary. As if choreographed, her partner shifted at the same