Carpathian 23 - Dark Storm

around the nape of her neck. “You can, you know. You can take
     from me whatever you want, sivamet . I give myself to you willingly.” His eyes drank her in, and his hot gaze dropped
     to her lips.
    On some level, Riley knew the fear drove her more than passion. She needed comfort.
     She needed to feel him alive, hear his heart beat strong and steady after watching
     him so calmly facing the enemy. The thought of him dying had all but shattered her.
     She told herself it was because she’d just lost her mother, but . . . it would be
     a lie. It was him. Dax. She stepped closer to him, captured by the small flames burning
     in his eyes.
    “I thought you were dead. For just one terrible, unimaginable moment, I thought you
     were dead,” she murmured, sliding her hands up his chest, over his heart.
    Dax seemed to know exactly what she needed. His arms moved around her body. Hard.
     Strong. Comforting. He pulled her tight against his chest. She rested her head there,
     just for a moment, just to listen to his rock-steady heartbeat. His hand beneath her
     chin urged her head up. His eyes met hers. The small red-gold flame leapt and burned,
     robbing her of breath. She watched his mouth move toward hers, inch by slow inch.
    Everything feminine in her reached for him, her stomach doing a slow somersault. A
     thousand butterflies took wing. His lips were warm and firm, but soft. She felt as
     if she just melted into him. His tongue teased the seam of her mouth, demanding she
     open to him. She did so, and he swept inside. There was no breathing—he did it for
     her. There was refuge, sanctuary, a world of sensation with the ground moving beneath
     her feet, sweeping her away from death and madness. She all but crawled up his body
     and wrapped her legs around his waist.
    The sound of Gary and Jubal climbing down from the nearby trees was barely enough
     to break the moment.
    “What now, Dax?” Gary asked when he reached the ground. “Is there anything here still
     left to be done?”
    Dax shook his head, sweeping her behind him with one arm protectively, giving her
     time to collect herself. “I believe Mitro has already left this area, or he wouldn’t
     have sent his ghouls out on such a useless attack. He is far too cunning to have sent
     them alone if he were still here. This was nothing more than a delaying tactic, something
     to hold my attention while he escaped to somewhere else.”
    Without thinking, Riley laid a hand on his arm, still needing their bond. He gave
     her a warm glance and covered her hand with his own. She could feel a portion of her
     own, earth-born strength pouring into his body, renewing his depleted energies.
    Through that connection, Riley realized that even as Dax was standing here, talking
     to them, his mind was scouring the surrounding countryside for some sign of his ancient
     foe. She could almost feel the death and destruction that Dax had to search in order
     to find Mitro. It pained him to witness Mitro’s evil, she realized. He might have
     lost his emotions centuries ago, if what Gary told her about Carpathians was true,
     but that didn’t stop him from feeling responsible for the lost lives and the destruction
     Mitro had wreaked. He considered Mitro’s escape his failure, not hers.
    “So what’s the plan?” she asked, trying to bring his attention back to her, away from
     Mitro’s trail of carnage. The attempt to distract him worked. “You think I have a
     plan?” Male amusement lightened his eyes.
    “Men like you always think you have a plan.” She laid a hand on the tree wall. The
     branches and vines parted, re-creating a wider tunnel that led back to the clearing.
     She ducked through, Dax close on her heels. Jubal and Gary brought up the rear.
    “Men like me?” Dax murmured as they exited the tunnel. “Just how many men like me have you met?” He was showing off his teeth in a way that made her want to cover
     her neck.
    “Not the point. So, what’s the plan?” She looked back toward Jubal and Gary to include
     them in their conversation.
    “We should find out what happened to Marty and Pedro first,” Jubal said. “Unless they
     were in the group . . .” His words died off, and everyone looked to Dax.
    “They were not. Though I doubt you will find them alive. Mitro’s stench is very thick
     in this part of the jungle.”
    “So how do we go about finding them?” Riley asked. “Even if you think they’re dead,
     we can’t be sure. And