Carpathian 21 - Dark Peril

Perhaps both of them were in that moment. Both dangerous beings. But then Solange had faced danger unflinchingly before. He took a breath and allowed one nail to slide over her skin, opening the vein.
    Bright ruby droplets welled up, small, beautiful gems, glittering like jewels.

    “Come, brother,” she said softly. “Feed and then go to ground. This will pass. It has happened before.
    You’re strong and we need you.”

    Zacarias couldn’t tear his eyes from the blood. “Not like this. Never like this. It is too dangerous, Dominic.
    Send her far from me.”

    “I will honor your wishes should you go too far,” Dominic promised, his heart in his throat along with the ball of unshed tears. “You are my brother. Our brother. Drink. You will stay in control.” He tried a little push to aid Zacarias, but ultimately, it was his choice. He had to fight the beast, find the last bit of strength to get him through this foul crisis.

    Solange stood her ground. Of all of them, she was the most calm. She held her wrist out to Zacarias. If he stepped forward to take the offering, he would be fully exposed to Dominic. She had placed herself as bait.
    All three knew it.

    Life or death.

    Choose life, Dominic pleaded silently.

    Zacarias glided across the space between them, taking the offered wrist, his chest and heart completely exposed and vulnerable to Dominic. Deliberately he kept one arm out away from his body while with the other hand he took Solange’s wrist.

    She couldn’t stop the shudder running through her mind—or her body—but she stood her ground as Zacarias’s mouth covered her wrist and he drank.

    10

    Let my soft arms caress you, let our songs blend together.
    Let me stand by your side—let me set your heart free!

    SOLANGE TO DOMINIC

    D ominic inched closer to Zacarias, knowing how fast the other Carpathian was. He’d fought beside Zacarias in countless battles and knew his every move. Like shadow dancers, they eyed one another, Zacarias bent over Solange’s wrist. Zacarias appeared vulnerable, but Dominic wasn’t deceived. Solange was Dominic’s lifemate, and she was the most vulnerable of all. Zacarias could kill her in seconds. That alone would shake Dominic enough to give Zacarias a little edge.

    The tension heightened. Solange stood very still, her eyes on Dominic’s face. She didn’t so much as glance at Zacarias as he drew the precious blood from her body. She pulled out of Dominic’s mind, but he slipped into hers, hearing her silent screams, seeing the fear amounting to terror. Yet astonishingly, none of it showed on her face, not even in her eyes. Had he not been connected with her, Dominic would never have known how frightened she was.

    His woman. His lifemate. Her courage terrifying to him. He wanted to jerk Zacarias away from her. He could see the greed there, the desperate need, the mounting danger. Time stretched out. The sound of Zacarias taking her blood was hideous, the sight intolerable—yet he forced himself to stand as still as Solange and endure. Sweat beaded on his body, trickled down his chest to mix with the ragged tears in his flesh. For a Carpathian to know his lifemate was not only in danger but was suffering was one of the worst things possible.

    Dominic started to stir, but he felt Solange’s resistance.

    Please give him time to recover. He’s trying to pull back.

    She would know. Zacarias’s mouth was sealed to her vein, drawing heavily on it. She was pale, clammy, but she didn’t resist. Dominic realized that was what kept Zacarias in check—her lack of resistance. She had offered her life. She was his family, under his protection, and Zacarias was all about honor. She made him remember. She forced him to choose honor. There would be no escape for Zacarias this night. His life would continue, barren and ugly and without hope.

    When I say enough, you do not argue, you run. His voice was implacable.

    If you believe it is too late, I’ll respect your decision, she agreed.

    The tension stretched to a breaking point. Dominic fought with his instincts, trying to give his friend the time he needed to pull back from the precipice himself, but seeing the mouth gulping at his lifemate’s blood was worse than just about anything he had ever endured. She was stoic, but she was frightened, and his own discipline was close to the edge.

    It seemed a lifetime before Zacarias managed to conquer the beast growing in him. He swept his tongue across