Carpathian 22 - Dark Predator

son?”
    Zacarias first thought to shake his head. As a rule he avoided contact with the workers, knowing he made them every bit as uneasy as he did the livestock, but maybe he needed to spend some time with Julio. Zacarias knew he was far too much of a predator to allow his woman to be with a man she felt genuine affection for, so to keep Cesaro’s son safe, it was best to ascertain his intentions toward Marguarita.
    “Yes. We want to make certain there is no place on the ranch that this plant grows. Your son spends a good amount of time in the saddle and he covers a good deal of territory.”
    “I’ll just be a moment.” Cesaro disappeared into the house.
    The dog was annoying. Zacarias put up with the irritating snarling a couple more minutes and then he waved his hand and the noise ended abruptly. The dog continued to stare out the window, but when he opened his mouth to bark or growl, no sound emerged.
    Cesaro hurried out followed by Julio. The boy looked younger than Zacarias remembered. In truth, he’d barely glanced at the kid when he’d yanked him through the window, intending to kill him for daring to put his hands on Marguarita. Julio touched his neck and then straightened his shoulders.
    “We won’t take the horses,” Cesaro told his son, shooting a quick glance toward Zacarias. “Not until we’ve seen everything Señor De La Cruz needs to show us.”
    Zacarias led the way toward the back field. Already, the vines had circled the fencing and had grown thick along the back corner. He waved his hand toward the plant. “That is deadly to anything living that comes near it. I will incinerate it, but you will have to be very vigilant. All of you. It will continue to return as long as I am in residence.”
    “How long do you plan to stay?” Cesaro asked.
    Zacarias pinned him with a cool gaze. “Indefinitely.” The man paled beneath his bronzed skin, so Zacarias took pity on him. It had to be said eventually. “There is an unforeseen complication.”
    Cesaro glanced at Julio.
    Zacarias sighed. “I do not like it any more than you do. As much as you are disturbed by my presence, I am disturbed by yours.”
    “You misunderstand, señor. This is your home and certainly you should stay as long as you wish,” Cesaro corrected hastily. “It is just that Marguarita is needed with the animals and our regular routine is important to keep to. We have a couple of mares ready to give birth any day now and with you present, the cattle have to be watched continually. She’s good at soothing all the animals.”
    “I am afraid you will have to get along without her.”
    Julio glanced at him sharply. He pulled his hat down closer over his eyes. “Is she all right?”
    “Why would she not be all right?” Zacarias challenged.
    “She is always out with the horses,” Cesaro explained. “It is worrisome that she hasn’t gone to the stable and at least checked the mares.”
    “She is fine.” That wasn’t altogether the truth. He had thrown her across the room and hadn’t even checked her out. He was always forgetting how fragile humans were.
    “I’d like to see her,” Julio said.
    Zacarias halted abruptly. He felt the familiar cold sweep through his body. His gaze focused on the younger man, a direct, predatory stare. He felt the need to kill building, that raw desire to remove every obstacle from his path. “Why?”
    Cesaro edged closer to his son but Zacarias stopped him with a flick of his gaze. Tension stretched. Julio refused to be intimidated, ignoring his father’s restraining hand.
    “Marguarita is like a sister to me. I love her and I need to know she is safe and well and happy. She would never willingly avoid checking the horses. The horses are her passion and the fact that she hasn’t come out to the stables is not a good sign.”
    “Marguarita is my lifemate.”
    Cesaro drew in his breath, shaking his head in denial, his shock plain. Julio frowned and looked to his father for an explanation.
    “That can’t be, señor ,” Cesaro protested. “She is one of us, not Carpathian. There is some mistake.”
    “What does that mean?” Julio demanded. “I don’t understand what that means.”
    “It means she belongs to me. She is my woman. My wife. And that puts her in more danger than you can possibly imagine. If it becomes known that she is my lifemate, every vampire and his puppet the world over will be looking to kill her. It is far safer for her to be inside the dwelling until