she woke to the scent of flowers. she was no longer in the earth but lying on a bed with silken sheets. she could feel the silk on her bare skin, already arousing her body as the silk rubbed against her with every movement. her hair was unbound and fell in a mass around her on the pillows. destiny inhaled deeply, drawing the fragrance of flowers and her lifemate's masculine scent into her lungs. a small smile curved her mouth.

"nicolae. you're here with me." she opened her eyes, turned her head to look at him. drank in the hard angles and planes of his face. the sensuality of his mouth. the beauty of his eyes.

"where else would i be but with my lifemate?" he was sitting on the edge of the bed, his gaze drifting lovingly over her face like the touch of fingers. his voice was a caress, a velvet stroke that reached deep within her and sent every nerve ending into overdrive.

with an effort, destiny tore her eyes from his, her amazed stare moving around the chamber to take in what he had done for her. there was no chance for the stench of evil to enter their hidden world. roses were everywhere. climbing up the walls of the cavern. forming an overhead canopy of flowers. some floated on the surface of the coolest pool. others sprang up among the rocks. roses of all colors with soft, inviting petals and beautiful fragrance to please her.

destiny's smile widened and she turned back to nicolae. "you took velda and inez seriously, didn't you? should i expect chocolate and the interesting things that can be done with it?"

his fingertip traced her soft skin from her throat, down the valley between her breasts, to her flat stomach. the small caress sent a curling heat spiraling through her body. "i was very afraid to ask inez for the details of what exactly to do with the chocolate, so i skipped that part. i liked their idea of flowers, though."

there was a note in his voice that turned her heart over. "i like it too." she was very much aware of lying naked on the bed, her body soft and open to his inspection. a part of her wanted to cover up, feeling suddenly shy, but there was another, much stronger side that whispered of seduction. that reveled in the way his eyes were dark and hungry as his gaze moved possessively over her. she loved to see his body, so hard and aggressive, reacting to the sight of her. and she loved knowing that he liked what he saw.

nicolae picked up her arm and turned it over as if inspecting the thin white scars marring her skin. the scars shouldn't have been there after her body had been repaired by carpathian blood, but she had been converted by a vampire and those scars would remain for all time. her heart accelerated in reaction. he bent his dark head and placed his lips gently against the scars, feathering kisses along her sensitive inner arm and wrist.

destiny felt her stomach somersault in reaction. his lips traveled to her fingers, drawing first one, than another into the searing heat of his mouth. her mouth went dry. his gaze suddenly locked with hers and she caught a glimpse of the flames burning in his belly, tightening his groin, hardening every muscle in his body. at once she caught fire, her own body restless and hot and needy. without meaning to, she moved her hips against the silken sheets, her legs shifting in invitation.

it was shocking to her that she could catch fire so quickly, need him so much, want him in every way. a part of her would always hesitate, remain linked to her violent past, but looking into his eyes, destiny was willing to be lost in him. in his fantasies. in his possession. she was willing to trust him with her body because she could feel the depth of his love.

he bent his head to hers. his hair caressed her skin with thousands of silky strands. tiny flames seemed to leap over her skin. electricity arced and sizzled between them. his mouth found hers. hot. hard. totally possessive. while his hands were gentle and his movement slow and leisurely, his mouth was wildly possessive. taking hers. devouring hungrily. feeding on her as if he would never get enough.

his kiss ignited a like storm of need and urgency in her. her temperature rose several degrees. her mouth took his just as hungrily, matching him kiss for kiss. she arched into him, her breasts thrusting upward invitingly. she felt tight and swollen and ached desperately for his touch.

his hand found her throat, slid lower to capture her breast. a soft sound of contentment escaped her; the sensations were so strong, so right. her hips lifted in blatant invitation. he raised his head to look at her. "have i told you that i love you?" he asked softly in his beautiful voice. the one that always melted her insides.

she went boneless. helpless under his spell of enchantment. "if you haven't, you've certainly shown me." he had shown her what love was supposed to be. unconditional. loving without reservation, with total acceptance. "i feel very lucky at this moment," she confessed.

it was a great concession for her, an admission not made lightly. she wanted him with every bone in her body. every nerve ending screamed for his possession.

he had other ideas. "i want to get to know you the way a lifemate should." his tongue swirled around her nipple, his breath warmed her. "i have a need to explore every inch of you."

his mouth closed over her breast, hot and moist and unbelievably possessive. she cried out, unable to contain the blossoming fire exploding in her belly. she could feel her body tighten relentlessly, mercilessly. she had never felt such a buildup of pressure so quickly, so fast. "exploring should wait."

he smiled against her soft skin. "leisurely exploring. did i mention leisurely? i want to take my time."

she closed her eyes as wave after wave of sensation rocked her. "how much time?" she gasped out the words. "i don't know if i can take it."

there was silence as his mouth pulled strongly at her breast. his tongue laved and lavished attention on her nipples until she cried out again, circling his head with her arms to cradle him to her. there was no room for anything other than joy. need. sheer physical pleasure. the sensations rushed through her, filled her with fire and left her breathless and craving more.

nicolae's hands began a slow, intimate search of her body. the pads of his fingers smoothed over her skin like a blind man memorizing texture and shape. it was the most shattering experience she'd ever had. her body fragmented beneath his caresses, came apart, the sensations so powerful she couldn't hold still beneath his seeking hands. if he had not managed to tie them completely together before, he was doing so now. she would never be able to be apart from him, never be free of the craving for his touch.

she felt as if she were bound to him for all eternity, body and soul. there was not a place on or in her body that did not crave him. her mind sought his. her body throbbed for his possession. he was everywhere, finding every shadow, every hollow. taking his time almost reverently, committing her to memory.

his mouth followed his hands. tiny little kisses designed to drive her out of her mind. he paid particular attention to every trigger spot that made her gasp and writhe on the silken sheets. every soft hidden shadow that brought her hips up off the bed. his tongue dipped into her intriguing belly button, one of the many places that fascinated him, even while his hands found the tight thatch of curls, the tiny triangle guarding her treasure.

he felt the first ripple of unease from her. nicolae was prepared this time, knowing she felt intensely vulnerable and open to him. he stroked her gently, his hand cupping her dampness. "this is for me, destiny, your body welcoming mine to you. can you imagine how this makes me feel? the sight and scent of your welcome when i have been alone for so long? the way you make me feel that you really want me, that you have to have my body in the same way i need yours?" he whispered the words, bending his head to the junction between her legs as if seeking nectar.

destiny could feel his breath warm on her moist feminine channel. he blew softy, and her body rippled with pleasure instead of fear. nicolae parted her thighs, his finger pushing slowly, gently, into the hot, wet core of her. at once her small muscle clamped around him, gripped with hot, slick velvet. she shuddered in reaction and pushed against his hand, needing him deeper inside her. his tongue tasted her. it was the smallest of caresses, but she nearly jumped out of her skin, her cry one of pleading more than of objection.

then his tongue probed boldly, a strong, demanding stroke that sent her skyrocketing. she screamed, catching fistfuls of his hair to anchor herself as her body burst into a firestorm without end. there was no way to quench the fire. she could only hang on to him as he drove her ever higher, a little ruthlessly, without mercy. claiming her, branding her, taking her for his own.

she let go, she had no choice, allowing him the intense satisfaction of driving her over the edge. her orgasm was so strong she shuddered with it, writhing beneath him, keening his name in an inarticulate sound.

destiny was barely aware of his knees pushing hers further apart, of his thighs settling between hers.

she felt him, large and thick and hot, pulsing with life and need, pushing into her body. he was bigger than she remembered, filling her as he invaded, pressing tightly into her as he slowly began to settle his weight over her. the feel of him inside her was beyond pleasure, beyond her previous experience with him. he belonged. she knew it. she knew she was made for him alone. they fit. no matter that there was some slight stretching and adjusting, no matter that he had to tilt her hips to accommodate him. they fit together as if one single body.

once deep inside her, he stopped moving, to look down at her, to assure himself that she was unafraid. he was pinning her down with the weight of his body, his hands curled around her hips. she felt his power and strength, knew in that precise heartbeat that he could dominate her will, take over her life. that she would fade to nothing without him.

fear clouded her eyes. she blinked it away. she had the same power over him. she would not allow fear to keep her from what she wanted. this man. this one man. her dark and wonderful hunter. it was destiny who moved first, committing her body to his. pushing into him, setting a rhythm, inviting him to take her as he wanted.

nicolae sensed the wildness rising in him. his body was hot and far too tight, his belly and groin burning with urgent need. he moved, surging forward, burying himself deep inside her. a long, hard stroke that shook both of them. she lifted her hips to meet him, unafraid of the strength of his body as he picked up the rhythm, driving hard and fast, needing to empty himself. she was everything. her body so lush and soft and inviting. he could feel the ebb and flow of her blood, calling him, enticing him.

her breasts rocked with each hard stroke, drawing his attention so that twice he had to dip his head to lap at her nipples. he was rewarded with her muscles clenching even tighter. her sheath was fiery hot, so tight he could barely breathe with the intensity of his pleasure.

he'd known from the moment he awakened what he was going to do, and the excitement of it, the anticipation, had been unbearable. now she was his. he was going to make her completely his. destiny was made for him alone, and he wanted her, body and soul. without reservation. he built the exquisite fire between them, taking them up to the edge over and over until she whimpered for mercy.

"i want my blood flowing in your veins." he whispered the temptation. "i will not give us release until you have all of me. i want to be here, buried deep in your body. i want my mind merged deeply with yours and i want my blood in your veins."

there was no way to resist. the craving was already on her, lengthening her incisors so that she lifted her head toward the broad expanse of chest he was offering her. his scent enveloped her. his body was swelling more. the friction was scalding, searing her to her soul. she stroked his skin with her tongue and without further preamble sank her teeth deep, connecting them in the way they were meant to be.

he cried out, his voice strained with the pleasure-pain, the white-hot ecstasy pouring into both of them like molten lava. the flames danced over skin and muscles. her body tightened around his, her muscles clenching strongly, demandingly. his life force, his ancient gift, filled her as his body filled her.

his hips drove harder, plunged deeper. he knew the moment she reached the pinnacle. the moment her body clutched his, taking him with her over the edge. her tongue swept the pinpricks to close the tiny holes, to allow her to breathe, to cry out her pleasure to the roses, to the gods. he went willingly, pouring into her, allowing her to take the last drop of his essence.

nicolae lay pinning her to the silken sheets with his larger, stronger body, his arms tightly around her. their hearts were pounding together, her body rippling around his, still tightly gripping him. he moved the thick mass of her hair from her shoulder, baring her skin, her breast to his gaze. very slowly, as if afraid of frightening her, he lowered his weight more fully, burying his face in the soft column of her throat.

he cupped her breast in his palm possessively, his breath hot on her skin. they were locked together, his body unbelievably as hard as ever. as thick as ever. as in need as ever. "hold me, destiny." the words were whispered against her ear. he nuzzled her neck, his lips feathering over her skin.

her arms circled his neck immediately. her body was still alive with aftershocks. when he moved she could feel her muscles clenching and unclenching, making her gasp each time with renewed pleasure. she drifted in the pleasure, the complete harmony between them, holding him close to her, loving the feel of his masculine body against the softness of hers.

without warning his arms became hard and immovable, his teeth sank deep into her pulsing neck. lightning struck, arcing and sizzling through her body, through his. pain and pleasure mingled, gave way to ecstasy, a dazzling fire that consumed them both. he drank deeply, his body once more moving in hers. hard. insistent. thrusting deep as if he were attempting to reach her very soul.

nicolae! no! she wailed the words, fought to stay focused on the danger. the pleasure was so intense, it was difficult to think straight. to remember that what was happening was wrong.

she didn't want the fever again, the desire that was fast becoming obsession. she didn't want the urgency that was already taking hold of her. one of them had to be sane in the world of erotic pleasure. destiny needed to protect him more than she needed her own pleasure. she tried to pry his head away from where it was clamped to her neck.

nicolae! stop! you don't know what you're doing. you must stop. what you're doing is dangerous.

she tried to be the cool voice of reason in the midst of the leaping flames. it was impossible to penetrate the sweeping ecstasy overcoming his senses. destiny fisted her hands in his hair and tugged hard, but his mouth pulled strongly at her neck. her body reacted wildly to his, spiraling out of control before she could prevent it. every nerve ending was alive. her skin was on fire, her insides erupting with pleasure, shaking her as he took them over the edge so fast and hard she could barely catch her breath.

"nicolae! please. please listen to me." he was too strong. she couldn't prevent the disaster, and her body betrayed her, caught in the fiery tango with his. tears beaded on her lashes as she pleaded with him. "do this for me. stop and think."

it is already too late. your blood flows in my veins. we are the same. his voice was completely calm. completely accepting. his tongue swept across her throat, and he lifted his head so that his gaze glittered down into hers.

black obsidian. the words were in her mind as she stared up at his eyes. the rush took them both, a tremendous, mind-shattering orgasm that shook them, yet they stared at each other without blinking. the release rocked them both; they allowed it to slide away. neither moved. neither spoke.

very slowly the terrible hardness of his arms melted away and he reluctantly released her so that she could move her head. her neck throbbed. "you knew what you were doing." she said the words aloud. tested them. even thinking the words made her feel guilty. she had been so caught up in making love, she was certain he must have been overcome by the temptation of the moment.

"of course. you are my lifemate. we belong together as one. where you are, so am i. you fear the prince will not accept you. now i share your fate. what happens to one happens to the other."

her stomach rolled. she pushed hard at the wall of his chest. "get off of me! get off now!" when he rolled off of her, she scrambled up from the bed and glared down at him. "how could you do that? how could you deliberately take what we had and twist it into something so wrong?"

he sat up, watching her calmly with dark, thoughtful eyes. "what is it you think i have done, destiny?"

"you took him inside you!" she yelled at him. "you invited his entry. if you really knew me, really knew how i felt, you could never have done such a thing. the loathing. the sickness. he lives in me. i can't make him go away. you let him win." she stumbled against the cave wall, mindless of the roses, and slid down to the floor. "nicolae, you let him win." she began to weep quietly, her knees drawn up, her head in her hands.

nicolae sighed softly. he could have taken anything but her tears. he had expected anger. he could easily deal with her anger, had been prepared to deal with it. but not her tears. and not just any tears.

she wept as if her heart were breaking. as if there were no hope. how was a man supposed to handle such a thing without his heart shattering into pieces?

he glided across the distance between them to sit carefully beside her. close. but not touching. she didn't look up at him. "destiny, i had to find a way to make you understand how much you matter to me."

she made a small sound, shook her head and looked up. "this is your answer? this is what you thought you'd do to show me you care? are you crazy or just stupid?"

"i thought about it a long time. there is no other way. you do not see anything but the difference in your blood."

she swept the cloud of hair from her face and glared at him. "it's no small thing, nicolae. it isn't as if we're talking about my family tree here. we're talking about tainted blood. don't you get it? it calls the undead to me. you cannot ever creep up on them and surprise them. not ever again. they will always know when you are in the vicinity. you're a hunter, and you just lost your edge and put yourself in terrible danger." she rubbed her hands over her face again. "oh, nicolae, how could you do something so ridiculous?" there was despair in her voice.

"destiny." his voice whispered over- her skin. "look at me, little one. i have only bound us together more tightly. our blood bond will not harm me. i am strong, able to fight any darkness. i have you as an anchor to hold me."

"you were my anchor," she cried, looking up at him. it was a mistake. she was instantly caught and held in the dark depths of his eyes. he was looking at her with such love, she couldn't look away from him. she couldn't condemn him."i neededto know i could keep you safe."

he smiled at her, reached down to lace his fingers through hers. he brought her hand to the warmth of his mouth, brushing kisses along her knuckles. "i am safe. the moment i heard you cry out all those years ago, i was safe."

"you don't understand. i wanted to know we could be together and i wouldn't be the one to harm you. i wanted the vampire far away from you." there was a terrible sadness in her voice.

nicolae shifted closer to her, his bare thigh settling next to hers. "you must hear me in this. he was never far away from me. never. i was there with you from the moment you first merged with me. i felt the pain and the humiliation of what he did to you. i chose

to share all of it with you, so i would know firsthand what it was like to be so helpless and vulnerable to a powerful and evil being. all the while, i was ashamed i could not find you and protect you as i should have been able to do. that vampire walked in my thoughts and in my body and ate away at my soul. every time he put his filthy hands on you, he tore out my heart. he was never far from me."

destiny hung her head, shamed. "i couldn't let you go. i knew i should, i knew i should never have connected in the first place, but your voice saved me. even as a child i knew i should let you go. i needed you desperately."

"as i needed you. you do not seem to be able to comprehend that i needed you just as desperately. the beast was strong in me. i had come to the end of my days. you gave my life purpose and meaning. and you brought love into my world. i now see colors where there was only barren gray. i feel emotions, where my life was endless monotony. your need was no greater than mine."

"i still feel ashamed that i brought him into your life."

she had led a monster to her parents. and now she had allowed him to find nicolae.

nicolae tugged at her hand until she lifted her head. he brought their clasped hands to his heart. "i have seen this tragedy so often over the centuries. the things we think of as our sins as a child cannot be released even as adults. it is sad we cannot let go, because those things color our lives. think of that poor little boy who will always believe he was responsible for his mother's death simply because he didn't do the dishes. he will never feel worthy of love."

destiny leaned into the wall of flowers. she knew very well what he was saying to her. "where are the thorns?"

"thorns? what are you talking about?"

"on the roses. where are the thorns?"

nicolae looked puzzled as he nibbled on her fingers. "i would never leave thorns on the plants. you might be injured."

destiny burst out laughing. she couldn't help it. "nicolae, do you have any idea how absolutely silly that is? we hunt vampires. we have tainted blood flowing in our veins. i don't think getting scratched by a thorn is going to harm me."

he shrugged his shoulders. "i do not like your hunting vampires, and i hope to rid you of the tainted blood. it is unnecessary to risk your getting scratched by a thorn if i can prevent it." he sounded perfectly reasonable.

destiny groaned, trying not to notice the way her heart was melting at his words. trying not to notice the brush of butterfly wings fluttering in her stomach at the touch of his lips against her skin. "you're going to be one of those overprotective idiots who are always tripping over their own feet trying to rescue the fainting little woman, aren't you?"

he winced visibly. "i do not much care for the image you are conjuring up. i would put it in a much better way. i do feel it is my duty and right to protect you."

she rolled her eyes and heaved an exaggerated sigh. "you are one of those he-man kind of rescuers. something in your childhood maybe. perhaps we need to explore your psyche a bit."

his eyebrows shot up. "i do not think it is necessary. protecting one's lifemate is as necessary as breathing."

"really?" destiny stood up, pulled him up beside her. "next time you decide to make a decision like taking tainted blood, you might want to consult me first. i might hit you over the head if you pull something like that again."

he found himself grinning down at her exasperated expression. "you have problems with authority."

she tossed her head, her eyes sparkling with mischief. waves of dark hair spilled around her face and down her shoulders. "fortunately, i don't acknowledge anyone as an authority, so there's no problem whatsoever." she clothed herself in the manner of the carpathian people. she did so smoothly, naturally, without hesitation. she had been six years old when she'd been taken from her family. she knew more of the carpathian way than the human way. "if the prince doesn't like me all that much, well" - she shrugged - "it's perfectly fine with me."

he caught her chin, lifted her gaze to his. "you need to perfect the art of lying if you are going to be telling such tales."

she shrugged, unrepentant. "i'm going to have to figure out what to do with you, nicolae. i hadn't planned to let you in my life, and you've turned everything upside down. what exactly are we supposed to do? it isn't as if we can have any kind of a normal life. we certainly can't have those children you seemed to want."

"why not?"

her eyes glittered with sudden fire. "your blood, thanks to your being so stubborn and impetuous, is tainted.

or had you forgotten?" there was still a trace of accusation in her voice, and for a moment the flames leapt in her gaze.

he clothed himself in his usual elegant style, turning away from her to hide his amusement. she wouldn't be pleased that he thought her humorous when she was scolding. "i am stuck on the word impetuous. surely that does not describe my carefully thought-out action."

she did glare at him then. "don't remind me you weren't overcome with passion; it was the only excuse i had for you. what were you thinking, nicolae? we don't know what that blood might do to you. it burns and corrupts, and you have darkness lurking in you. i've seen glimpses of it more than once. i'd hate to have to rip out your heart in the early morning hours when you least expected it, but if you give me any trouble and start exhibiting any vamp behavior, you're gone." she said the last with more glee than reluctance.

nicolae couldn't help the laughter spilling out of him at her audacity. "i will be certain to watch myself."

"seriously, nicolae, if you thought about it ahead of time and planned it out so carefully, what good did you think would come of it?"

there was a sudden silence. he made no response, but all at once he seemed different, no longer the relaxed lifemate lounging in his lair. she could feel waves of power, of strength; she recognized the danger in him. and he was watching her with the unblinking stare of a predator. for a moment she stood blinking up at him, her heart jumping in her chest. she found herself taking a step backward, away from him.

nicolae reached out to recapture her hand. "do not look at me with fear in your eyes. you are my lifemate, bound to me for all time. i would never hurt you, destiny. it would be impossible to do such a thing."

"we're joking about tainted blood, but what if it's not a joke? what if you turn? i couldn't really kill you. i know i couldn't make myself do it."

his smile softened the hard angles of his face. "i am pleased to hear such a reluctant admission. never fear, vikirnoff would take care of such a matter should there be need. i am not worried. if i must live with tainted blood, so be it. i believe the healer can rid us of it, however."

her stomach somersaulted. there it was. out in the open at last. "the healer," she echoed. "you keep speaking of a healer. you tried to heal me, but the tainted blood is still there." nicolae was a miracle worker. she had seen firsthand what he could do. if he was unable to succeed in ridding her body of the vampire's contaminated blood, then no one could do such a thing.

"our people have healers much greater than i will ever be. they are born into a line of ancients who carry this talent. they are the true miracle workers for our people. there is one close to us. the call went out for healers to save a pregnant woman with heart disease. i believe the woman and the baby are alive and doing well. i summoned one of the healers to us."

her hand went to her throat defensively, as if she expected wolves to tear it out. "this is another one of your brilliant arbitrary decisions?"

"i thought it best. if he can heal us, we will have a normal life together." he ignored her disbelieving snort. "if he cannot, you will never feel alone in this world. if our people choose to condemn us, we will still be together."

she closed her eyes, turned away from him so he couldn't see the expression on her face. "you took the chance of living the rest of your immortal life as an outcast? just so i wouldn't feel alone?" she wanted to shake him until his teeth rattled. she wanted to kiss him until they both fell back on the bed senseless. she wanted to weep for the strength of his love and commitment.

"you are my life, my very soul, destiny. i could do no other."

his simple words shook her. could someone really love another that much? so selflessly? she let her breath out slowly, trying to regain a semblance of composure. "who is this paragon of virtue with such a talent?"

"he is called 'the dark one.' he is a descendant of a great line -->>

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