Carpathian 23 - Dark Storm

feeling her delight in soaring so high.
    This is how you make me feel whenever I look at you, he confessed.
    She snuggled tight against him, her face turned toward the wind and the soft drops
     of rain still falling. I’m glad then, because I absolutely love flying. I can’t wait until I can do it by
     myself, although— she rubbed her head against his chest— there are certain perks to flying with you.
    He laughed, unable to contain the joy he felt when he was alone with her.
    I can already feel the effects of your blood , she added. My hearing and vision are much more acute. It’s becoming harder to be away from you.
     Is that normal?
    He tightened his arms around her, feeling slightly guilty. He’d read things in Gary’s
     mind he wished he hadn’t. Like the present prince of his people who had been the one
     to inadvertently discover psychic human women could be converted without the danger
     of insanity; he wished he could be without the knowledge of what the woman went through
     before he’d started the process. The facts and images in Gary’s mind were very disturbing.
    I asked to come into your world , Riley assured him. It’s been my choice from the first time I laid eyes on you. I felt your soul and the
     Old One’s soul. I felt as if I’d come home. You’re my home, Dax. I want to be with
     you in your world. You never said it would be easy.
    He dropped his chin on top of her head, her silky hair weaving strands into his shadowy
     jaw as if tying them together. He was in her mind enough to know she took responsibility
     for her decisions. She had made a choice, and it was important to her that he saw
     it as her decision.
    You’re a courageous woman, Riley. I’m proud that you’re mine. I’ll live my life making
     certain you never regret giving yourself to me, or making the resolution to join me
     in my world.
    Riley sent him the impression of a warm smile. Her hands tightened on his forearms
     and she turned her head a little to try to catch raindrops on her tongue. Laughing
     when she managed it, she bent her head to brush a kiss along his arm.
    I know I can be of some use to you now. I was worried I might be a burden. I get afraid,
     but I know I can help you. Not fighting. Well, I can shoot a gun, but I don’t want
     to get close to anything like those people we saw from the village. But I can be an
     asset to you in other ways.
    Dax spotted the small entrance he’d been looking for. He’d seen the cave earlier and
     thought it had potential.
    I have to take you back to Jubal and Gary in about an hour, but we’ve got this time.
     I want to tell you what to expect with the conversion and allow you to decide the
     when and where.
    She took a deep breath. Now? Why don’t we just get it over with?
    He nuzzled the top of her head again and dropped down to the entrance of the cave,
     scanning automatically for traps and any living creature that might be occupying it.
    “Not here, not now. Somewhere much safer.” He sighed. “So it isn’t entirely up to
     you, the when and where, but I’ll get it as close as possible, I promise.”
    Very carefully, he set her down in the thick vegetation in front of the cave, waving
     his hand to the interior, preparing it for their entrance.
    “I have no worries that I won’t be safe with you,” Riley said.
    The ring of honesty in her voice humbled him. “You will need to rest and heal for
     several days, päläfertiilam . We have a vampire to catch.”
    Riley smiled up at him. “I like when you refer to me as your lifemate in your language.
     And beloved as well. I feel beloved, when I never thought love would come my way.”
    He took her hand, ducked to gain entrance through the narrow opening and led the way.
     The ground curved down and around, dropping several feet as they walked until the
     hallway began to widen.
    “My language is still very natural to me. I have to try to think of a proper translation
     in your language, but I’m getting better at it,” he said.
    “You speak with a perfect accent.”
    “I still don’t always choose the correct sentence structure,” he pointed out. “Correct
     me if I get something wrong.”
    “I think it’s cute.”
    He turned back to look at her, knowing she wore that teasing smile he loved so much.
     He stopped abruptly so that she ran into him, his arms sweeping around her, holding
     her tight against him. The feel of her soft body melting into his astonished him.
    “I’m crazy in love