of hunters, and second-in-command to our prince. he guards our prince and is a renowned healer. he holds power in his mind and hands. i believe he is the one who will be able to help us. he is called gregori."

destiny couldn't prevent the involuntary shiver of fear at the dreaded name. she had heard of gregori. every vampire feared him, feared his judgment. she had grown up with the whispered curses of the undead if the name was spoken aloud. she squared her shoulders. "what if he can't help us and he tells his prince we're vampire, nicolae? he'll hunt us, and he's said to be very powerful."

nicolae shrugged his shoulders casually. "i am an ancient, destiny, older than gregori. he cannot defeat me. i live by the code of the carpathian people. he would not condemn me for tainted blood."

"you're always so sure of yourself, nicolae. this was your decision, and because you took such a chance with your life, i have no choice but to agree. i would never have called this man into my life." comprehension blossomed. "you took my blood so i would be forced to accept this healer. you knew i wouldn't otherwise."

nicolae looked unrepentant. destiny glared at him. "i have things to do tonight. i want to see sam, and i'm hoping to talk to velda and inez about what's going on in the neighborhood. you might undo the safeguards for me." she didn't want to talk to him anymore. or look at him. delivering a swift kick might have eased some of her frustration, but she doubted it. he had outmaneuvered her and she knew it.

she had no choice but to accept gregori's ministrations, although she feared him. she cared nothing about herself, but nicolae was everything to her. she didn't want the tainted blood to begin its ugly work on him. he might have only a small amount, but eventually the blood would start its corruption, burning like acid. the pain would begin at every rising. he would grow to hate her. he would hold her in contempt. how could he not?

"because it was my choice, destiny," nicolae assured her, easily reading her thoughts. he had not considered that she would think such a thing.

"it won't matter, nicolae. as time goes on and your people do not accept you, as the pain spreads and the corruption grows so you have to fight it every single moment of your existence, you will forget the why and how of it and only remember you did it because of me."

"i fought the growing darkness, an evil far stronger than this tainted blood, every moment of my life from my two hundredth year. it crouched in me, waiting for one moment of weakness. why would you think, now, when i have you, that i would succumb to such an abomination?"

she paced across the floor, caught between tears and anger. "i don't know, nicolae. you shouldn't have done it; you shouldn't have taken such a chance with your life. with your soul. i lived

with such a monster. i feel like he's reaching for us from his grave, reaching to rip us apart."

"nothing, no one, will take you away from me," nicolae stated in his perfectly calm voice. there was no bragging note or false bravado; it was simply a statement of fact.

destiny looked up at the hard planes of his face. she saw his raw power and complete confidence, and some of her tension melted away. she allowed her breath to escape in a little rush. "i hope you're as good as you think you are, hotshot, because if this gregori person is coming to pay us a visit, you might need to be." she held up her hand. "i have things to do, places to go, people to see."

"are you dismissing me?"

"you have trouble with separation issues too, don't you? i think you should go visit mary ann. i'm going to see inez and velda. i suppose you could come if you really insist. they'll love the roses."

he groaned aloud, caught her firmly and kissed her until she was breathless and kissing him back.