“Yes, binding them ensures the hunter does not turn vampire. Guarding the soul of a Carpathian hunter is an enormous task, even if one isn’t aware she is doing so. Should our enemies find out, they would do anything to acquire her in order to take the soul of the warrior. More than one of our women are legendary for the lengths they had to go to in order to keep their lifemate’s soul safe.”
She ran her hand over the smooth surface of the table made of vines. She felt Luiz in the wood. He had been the one to construct the table. How did he manage to get the wood so smooth? She looked around her. “You did all of this?”
He nodded. “It was my home before I became Carpathian. I come here often.”
“Why?”
“It is close to my lifemate. I am better able to appear more human to Maureen.”
“You said Riley was human at one time. Doesn’t that mean she’s Carpathian? Wouldn’t she understand your need of a lifemate? Surely, her husband, or lifemate, whatever you want to call him, claimed her.” She didn’t know why she felt a little indignant for Luiz. She didn’t believe a man should be able to claim a woman without her consent.
“Dax. We call him Dax. Riley thinks like a human. How could she not? I’m grateful she’s protective over little Maureen.”
She caught a brief smile in his mind, but his expressionless mask didn’t change.
“She was born in a rainstorm. Dax wanted to call her Stormy, but Riley objected strenuously. They settled on Maureen.”
“You were there when she was born?”
“Riley had no one close when she went into labor, and there were complications. I have a reputation as a healer, so Dax called for me.”
“Is that when you found out the baby was your lifemate?”
“I knew before she was born. I had been given the information, and several times during Riley’s pregnancy there was a problem. I spoke to the baby often, convincing her to fight to live. She’s strong-willed.”
“Something she’ll need to be if she’s with you,” Sarika said.
That earned her another small smile in his mind. “No doubt.”
“Are the Carpathian women raised to believe they only have one lifemate? Do they accept them easily?”
“From all the knowledge I acquired when I was reborn, the answer is yes. I also have observed Carpathian women accepting a lifemate. Although I don’t believe it is always as easy as it appears on the outside, because the hunters have survived hundreds of years and can be set in their ways. Often the women have also survived hundreds of years, and they, too, can be set in their ways. I would imagine that would make it extremely difficult in the beginning of the relationship for either of them.”
She liked that he considered it wouldn’t be easy. She suspected many of the Carpathian males might believe they had the right to impose their will on the woman.
“If a woman says no, what can she do if he still says the words to bind them?”
“Learn to live with her partner.”
There was absolute in his voice. Luiz wasn’t about to give hislifemate a way out. That was obvious. She told herself not to judge. She had no idea what kind of bleak existence these men endured. A short discussion that included a tiny portion of the culture of Carpathian life didn’t make her an expert. Fortunately, she wasn’t a Carpathian woman.
“I cannot stay much longer and will be gone during daylight hours. When close to you, I can use telepathy, but I will be beneath the ground in the paralyzing state of our kind. The only way I will be able to hear you is if you allow me to take your blood.”
Sarika’s fingers curled into two tight fists as her breath caught in her lungs until they felt raw and burning. It took a minute to compose herself. “Take my blood?” she echoed. “As in, bite me? Like a vampire?”
“More like a Carpathian. We need blood to survive, but we never kill when feeding.”
“That’s quite nice of you.”
Again, she felt that small flash of amusement in his mind. It didn’t show on his face. “I believe that is known as sarcasm.”
She wasn’t going to allow her cousin to lull her into a false sense of security. “How do Carpathians become vampires exactly?” It took great restraint not to cover her neck with both hands. Just the thought of having someone tear into her neck or throat made her stomach turn.
“You’ve seen too many movies,” he said.
She glared at him. “Stop reading my mind. Especially now. I’m becoming nervous around you, and I don’t particularly like letting on. I have a reputation for being calm, cool and collected.”
“You just made that up.”
