Carpathian 17 - Dark Curse

respect, let alone love. Nicolae had a treasure, a gift, something so precious-a life mate was beyond comprehension-but with being so gifted, he should never be foolish enough to risk her.
    Mikhail faced his warriors. \"We have much to discuss before this night\'s end. Nicolas has brought us news of our enemies and their plans. He will speak this night. A young woman has arrived in our village and she is Nicolas\'s life mate. He has made his claim and bound them together although the ritual is not complete.\" His gaze rested on Natalya. \"We believe his life mate, Lara, is the daughter of Razvan.\"
    Natalya let out a single, small sound. Her twin brother had been lost to her for many years. She had believed she killed him in a recent battle, but he had returned, possessing an elderly woman\'s body to attack Shea and her unborn child.
    \"There is reason to believe that Razvan has been used for experiments, that possibly he was a prisoner for some time before he succumbed,\" Nicolas added.
    \"I want to talk to her,\" Natalya said.
    Nicolas shook his head. \"We have not completed the ritual. She does not trust us and has bad memories of her father. I do not want her distressed. She needs time.\"
    Natalya\'s eyes went from deep green to ice blue. \"She would want to talk to me.\"
    Page 55

    Christine Feehan: Dark Curse
    Nicolas shrugged his shoulders, a casual ripple of muscle that put Vikirnoff just a little in front of his life mate. \"It matters little to me at this point. She does not know about you and I am not going to tell her until we have sorted out our lives. I have a very tenuous hold on her at the moment, only through our soul bond, and I will not risk it.\"
    Natalya opened her mouth to protest, but Mikhail suddenly whirled around, his entire demeanor changing, his expression stricken as he stared for one heartbeat at Gregori, and then his brother. Without a word, his body shimmered and he leapt into the air, shifting as he did so.
    Gregori\'s face went pale. \"We will discuss the things we have gathered to talk about as soon as possible.
    Hopefully we can reconvene this meeting on the next rising. I must go with Mikhail to Raven now.\" He was gone nearly as fast as the prince.
    Lucian and Gabriel stepped forward, facing the other warriors. \"Go with honor. We will meet when the prince summons us.\"
    Nicolas didn\'t wait for Natalya or Vikirnoff to corner him, he simply shifted into the body of an owl immediately and took flight for home-and Lara.

Chapter 6
    Lara opened her eyes, savoring the heat and soothing bubbles in the mineral pool against her body. She had drifted off to sleep in the warmth. The water lapped at her skin, the sensation like tongues rasping at her breasts and throat. She blushed. She didn\'t have sexual thoughts or fantasies. She wasn\'t made that way, yet all she could think about was the width of Nicolas\'s shoulders, the black silk of his hair and how it felt against her skin. His breath was warm, drawing her like a magnet. She felt... unsettled... uneasy... restless. Her body felt tight and unfamiliar.
    If this was what he did to her, he could stay away. On the heels of that thought came instant protest. Despite the soothing sound of water falling into the pool, or the heat enveloping her body, her mind emphatically rejected the thought of never seeing him again, reaching for him-rushing to him. He had been gone so long and an unfamiliar part of her, that was growing stronger by the moment, longed for his presence.
    She took a deep breath needing...Nicolas . She sought the connection before she could stop herself.
    I am here.
    The relief of his touch was immediate. She didn\'t want to need the reassurance of the touch of his mind.If this is what you do to me, I don\'t want any part of it. She had learned to be alone. Never be different. Blend. Try not to stand out. Andnever need anyone.
    It is the pull between life mates, Lara. It is natural. When your aunts told the story did they not tell you about the needs burning between a bonded pair?
    She couldn\'t help but laugh softly, mostly with relief at hearing the steady sound of his voice.They probably thought I was a little young for that sort of revelation .
    You have a point. But consider that Carpathians are nearly immortal. If we did not have such a need for one another., life might get boring.
    She found herself with a genuine smile. She doubted life would be boring with someone like Nicolas, although Page 56

    Christine Feehan: