Carpathian 17 - Dark Curse

address the warrior\'s council and demand that Mikhail forbid the women to hunt the vampire. If he allowed those blue-green eyes to sway him from what he knew to be the right path...
    He groaned. \"Do not do this to me, Lara.\"
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    Christine Feehan: Dark Curse
    \"I know it will be difficult for you. If I learned anything about you, merged together as we were, I know this is asking something huge of you-to put aside your need to keep me safe, but I have to ask you. In return,\" she moistened suddenly dry lips. Her body trembled and then she raised her chin. \"I don\'t expect you to be the only one sacrificing. In return, I\'ll try to accept your need of my blood.\"
    There it was. The offer. The life mate howled with absolute joy. The demon rose, hungry, insatiable, punching him hard with a fierce, possessive desire. Blood surged hotly in his veins and pulsed in his groin. If she said it and he accepted, she wouldn\'t-couldn\'t-go back on her word.
    The demon, the arrogant, dominant hunter rejoiced. The life mate stepped back and assessed the situation. She was pale, trembling, wringing her hands together. The price was far too high for both of them and finally, there was something he could do for her.
    He took a deep breath-let it out slowly. His hands framed her face and he shook his head. \"Not like this. Not a bargain between us when you are repulsed and frightened by the very thought. When I take your blood, Lara, it will be with love, an expression of love, a ritual between man and wife as old as time. If I cannot make you comfortable enough to trust me to accept the bond willingly, then I do not deserve you as a life mate.\" He held up his hand to stop her from answering. \"That is not to say I will not insist on you accepting my blood and if an exchange is necessary, I will tell you. You will have the option of my controlling you for those few moments so you do not fear.\"
    Lara\'s fingers wrapped around his wrist. \"What if I can\'t do it?\"
    \"Then I must help you.\"
    \"And the cave?\"
    This was his gift to her, the only one he had to give. Everything he was rebelled, hard knots twisted in his gut.
    \"I will take you.\"
    There was a small silence while she stared into his eyes, seeking the truth. He felt her moving in his mind. The music continued, the breeze moved through the trees and the dragon stars danced overhead.
    \"Do you mean it?\"
    \"I am your life mate. Seek your answer in my mind.\"
    She tilted her head to one side, her gaze locked with his. Just as he had lived her earlier life and finally understood what it was like to feel helpless, vulnerable and humiliated, she had been merged with him and was beginning to understand that Nicolas had spent centuries guarding everyone around him. It was inherent in his nature. And to allow her to put herself in danger was an enormous concession-more, it went against everything he had ever believed in or stood for.
    \"You\'re an amazing man, Nicolas.\"
    \"Do not call me amazing until I get you out of that cave in one piece. We will plan carefully for every emergency. And you will do as I tell you. I have long hunted our enemies and, although you know the caves, and have seen how brutal they are, you have never fought our enemies.\"
    She nodded. \"I have no intention of doing anything else,\" she assured. She lay back against the pillows, too tired to sit upright. \"Do it now, while the music is playing and I can look at the stars. If you don\'t, I\'m going Page 95

    Christine Feehan: Dark Curse
    to pass out.\"
    He had almost been waiting for her to lose consciousness, or at least to go back to a state of drifting. He didn\'t want her to fear him, not now when he had made a little progress. She was beginning to trust him a little, reaching toward him, maybe even taking a few small steps to meet him somewhere close to the middle.
    The problem, Nicolas knew, was there was no middle for him. He didn\'t know how to compromise. He could only hope that his desire to understand her and make her happy would help him overcome his need for complete dominance. He understood then why the ritual words were imposed on the male. She didn\'t promise to cherish and put his happiness first-he was already taking over her life, changing the course of it for all time.
    The male had to make the sacrifices to make the union work. After all, he was the one who benefited most.
    He reached for her without further preamble, pulling her tense body onto his lap and cradling her