destiny moved slowly, carefully positioning herself as she examined every inch of her surroundings. the wind was kicking up paper and small leaves and whirling the debris down the street. her wary gaze slipped over the buildings, took in every detail, every shadow. she had come looking for a fight; she was in for an all-out war.

she needed room to maneuver. smiling sweetly at the little rat, destiny glided swiftly into the open, out from between the towering buildings into the middle of the street. "i see you are in your true form, pater. ever the nasty little rat. and you have all your little friends with you this time, running in packs the way ratty little creatures tend to do. what is it? a reunion? old home week? a vampire's seminar and no invitation for me? i feel left out." she used her most compelling voice, so that those listening would reveal themselves, if only for a moment.

at once she saw them in their true form. tall, gaunt figures with jagged, stained teeth and gray skin stretched tight over their skulls. the illusion of physical beauty was projected by their minds, while their bodies had decayed to match their rotted spirits. there were two beside the trash cans. one on the roof of the nearest building. one in the shadows of the alley itself. and the last one clinging to the side of the building looming just above her, hidden as a dark splotch, a spider waiting at the center of the web, to attack when the net was drawn tight.

destiny's heart thudded wildly, then settled into her normal rhythm. she moved easily, casually, saluting the macabre figure crawling up the side of the building. he bared his teeth at her, his fetid breath fouling the cool air, so that she was grateful for the fine rain dispersing the odor of corruption.

pater folded his arms, calmly regaining his illusion of beauty. "indeed, my dear, we have an invitation for you. we have come to ask you to join us. what is the sense of fighting amongst ourselves?" his voice was soft and persuasive so that deep in her heart she cringed, remembering another voice calling to her, summoning her. and she had followed him. her gravest sin. why hadn't she confessed to the priest? told him the truth while she had the chance?

destiny shook her head to rid herself of guilt. she needed absolute concentration now if she were to have a chance of defeating the undead. "why would i want to serve you when i can choose my own path?"

the vampire on the roof began a low chant, his feet pattering a rhythmic dance. the vampire beside the trash can to the right of pater took up the singsong refrain, and the flash of his feet moving in the silver threads of rain was mesmerizing. destiny gritted her teeth and resolutely pulled her fascinated gaze away, blocking out the sounds of the chant as she did so. it was an old trick, but one that often worked on the unwary.

"do you think me such a fledging to be caught so easily?" her eyes flashed at pater, a glinting promise of retribution.

he bowed low, in no way perturbed. a simple hand motion stopped the refrain and the dancing pattern. once again the vampires were still and watchful. waiting their chance. watching for an opening, a mistake on her part. just one moment of inattention. "you are a curiosity. you know much for one so young. you are a woman, yet you combat us successfully. you share our blood, yet you are a hunter. how have you not heard the news spreading throughout the world? we are emissaries of the strong one. i am one of his most trusted commanders. we are at war with the hunters, and yet you do not know this. we have entered a new era in which we band together and fight our enemy."

there was movement within the fog. she sensed it more than saw it. nicolae. of course he would come. and his brother would be guarding his back. she felt herself relax a little. "fight for whom? for what? you make no sense, old one. why would i fight to bring power to an evil one? my death is nothing to him. your deaths are nothing to him. we are cannon fodder while he hides and gloats and waits for us to bring the hunters to their knees. i see no sense in dying for someone else."

"but we will defeat the hunters, attack in packs. he is wise, our leader. he will make the world ours." the voice held compulsion. she could feel it working on her mind, undermining her confidence, dragging her closer to the net of outlaws. there was something different in the compulsion, something elusive she could not quite assess. the cadence should have been recognizable, yet it wasn't; it was almost as if his voice were tuning itself to her personally, finding what tone would be the most pleasing.

destiny lifted her hands, palms out, wiping away the intriguing sound of pater's voice. tilting her head to one side, she smiled again, a slow, sexy come-on, her small white teeth perfect and gleaming. "why would anyone as powerful as you follow another?" her tone was flirtatious, flattering, admiring. her hands fluttered gracefully as she talked. destiny noted pater's chest swell visibly. like all vampires, he was susceptible to flattery. "you look like a leader to me. you survived three hunters the other day. how many others could accomplish such a feat? could your leader? he's hiding behind you, cowering, afraid, while you face the hunters."

"he has vision," pater told her.

"have you even seen him? has he dared to show himself to you?" she sounded curious, feminine. filled with admiration. her hands were flowing as she spoke, a graceful swaying that matched the beautiful allure of her voice. she smiled, a conspirator's smile, lowering her pitch. her voice was husky. sexy. tempting. " you join with me . we don't need an alliance with others. this is my territory. all of it. share it with me. we can defeat the others."

at once the snarls and rumbling began; the vampires shifted tensely, fangs exposed, talons curling in anger. it didn't take much to drive a wedge between unholy allies. they were deceivers, betrayers, preying on each other as well as on human victims.

pater again waved the others to silence, a sign of his leadership among the worst of abominations. he held out his hand to destiny. "come to me now, join us. you are weak with hunger. you cannot possibly defeat us all. let me give you my blood to sustain your life. join our family."

his words cracked open a door in her mind, spilled out a memory. a small, dark-haired girl crawling in the dirt, dragging herself along a damp cave floor, weeping useless tears and trying to drown out the sounds of begging, pleading. the horrible screams, the river of blood. the monster dropping his latest victim and turning to look at her in slow motion. he always turned in slow motion, his teeth still black from his victim's blood. a dark shadow looming over her. maniacal laughter.

take my blood to sustain your life.

hands roughly squeezing and probing her small body. the slaps, the fetid smell, the teeth tearing at her tender skin. a brutish savage pounding into her, ripping her body in two, while burning, coppery-flavored acid poured down her throat.

destiny couldn't think. couldn't breathe. her throat closed, her lungs seized. she began to choke. the violation of that child was more than she could endure. sweat broke out on her body, a terrible trembling took over, one she couldn't control. she was no longer standing in the streets of seattle, a full-grown adult, a powerful hunter; she was trapped back in that cave, mindlessly dragging her little torn body along the damp, blood-covered floor.

i am here with you. the voice came out of nowhere, was simply there in her mind. calm. steady. a rock that always anchored her. when there was nothing left, when there was no sanity and no reason, there was always that voice.

i will always be with you. you are hunted, destiny. they are closing in from above and below. come back to this time and place. come with me now.

she followed him out of the labyrinth of her nightmares. out of memories that would never go away.

nicolae.

her sanity. her life. when had it happened? why hadn't she known? the wind hit her face. the clean rain was soaking her clothes and hair. she became instantly aware of her surroundings, of the vampires facing her, moving swiftly toward her.

knowing how vulnerable she was at that moment, destiny dissolved into mist, abandoning her attempts to weave a holding spell on pater. she was certain he was the strongest of the band. he would orchestrate the battle. he was the one she must defeat if she were to succeed in ridding her neighborhood of the undead. at once she became part of the weather, mixing with the gray fog.

pater snarled as he grasped empty air, his talons scraping at the mist all around him. at once he began chanting a spell to lure human victims to him. his voice was powerful, a call for blood. his followers took up the words, sending their call into the buildings and along the narrow streets. a retaliation for losing the female they had been so certain they would acquire.

do not panic, destiny. nicolae's council was gentle and calm.

he is using this to draw you out. it shows he has studied you. he knows you will protect the populace here. i am not going to trade their lives for mine. vikirnoff will go in first. the two in the shadows are mine. you must remove the vampire from the side of the building. do not worry about pater. he is smoke. we are not going to get him unless we are incredibly lucky. if possible, keep vikirnoff from having to kill any of the beasts. he has reached his limit and will only kill to save our lives.

to destiny's horror, doors began to open as human prey answered the collective call of the vampire. she could see the red flames blazing in the sunken eyes of the undead, the grimaces of joy at the prospect of a blood feast. the humans' adrenaline-rich blood would give the vampires a rush of power and a tremendous high. the creatures were leaping at victims, determined to kill as many as possible and gather strength for the coming battle.

overhead the storm clouds were roiling, spinning a witch's cauldron of black threads. veins of lightning lit the edges of the brew, momentarily lighting up the grim scene on the ground.

below her, vikirnoff cut off one of the undead, a large, bulky monster who was growling continually. vikirnoff glided in with such grace and elegance, the vampire appeared clumsy and stiff in comparison. the two seemed to explode into action, one moment performing a ritual ballet of shadowing steps, the next moment erupting into violence, lethal and ugly.

nicolae waved his hand to calm the screams of the victims as they became aware of the imminent danger, immediately removing the chance of a false high for the vampires. the vampires might be able to get the blood they sought, but not the high of adrenaline. two vampires rushed a couple of people standing in the doorway of an apartment. nicolae was there before the vampires, thrusting the couple inside, out of harm's way, and turning to face the snarling undead. the two monsters closed in on him, eager to finish off the hunter and claim their prize. nicolae exploded into action, a blur moving so fast that destiny couldn't follow him, fluid and powerful and extraordinarily dangerous.

destiny caught a glimpse of pater as he slipped into the shadows, retreating to allow his minions to fight the hunters while he waited for an opportunity to attack without risk. it was the tactic of a smarter, more experienced vampire. she would have followed him, but there was movement on the second story. a young woman wandered out onto the fire escape just above where a vampire clung to the side of the building. in answer to the creature's summons, her face was lit with rapture, her arms outstretched as if embracing death.

destiny saw the eagerness on the vampire's face, the triumph as it slithered up the building rapidly, a dark spider bloated with power and the need to inflict pain. destiny was already attacking, shooting out of the fog like an arrow, dropping down from above as the vampire reached the fire escape, certain of his victim. the creature turned at the last moment to face destiny, his face hideous, his teeth bared, his eyes red-rimmed and blazing with hatred. he leapt at her, talons digging deep into her skin as he attached his reptilian body to her, raking with claws and sinking his teeth into her throat.

they tumbled through space, raking and clawing, the vampire sinking his teeth deeper and deeper and tearing at her body with his claws. he was much stronger than he looked, ripping through her skin to weaken her. destiny proceeded without faltering, driving her fist deep through muscle and bone, her hand clenching the blackened organ that provided life for the creature. his scream was horrible, even muffled by her own throat as he gnawed off a great chunk of her flesh. they fell together, bounced off a projection of the building and hit the pavement. destiny held on grimly to her prize.

nicolae!

she tossed the heart out onto the street so the jagged bolt of lightning nicolae was conducting could incinerate it into black, foul-smelling ash. the creature gripping her went limp, talons still dug deeply into her side and arm. teeth still sunk into her throat. destiny threw him off her and with her remaining strength staggered out of the alley toward the open street. her legs went out from under her and she sat abruptly on the pavement.

destiny tilted her head to look up at the sky at the white lightning and the clouds spinning madly above her. it really was beautiful. but cold. surprisingly, she was very cold. for some reason, she couldn't regulate her body temperature, and she was shaking. she attempted to focus on nicolae, to see if he needed help, but it was too much trouble to turn her head. she was shocked when she found herself lying flat on her back, her body heavy and feeling strange. she should have been afraid, but she was only mildly curious. mostly she worried about nicolae.

far off, or maybe in her own head, she heard his voice.

do not let go, destiny. do not let go!

she was unclear what he meant. she wasn't holding on to anything, but there was desperation in his voice, a tone she'd never heard him use, so she tried to stay focused on him.

pater loomed over her, his gray features grim, a hint of his terrible anger showing in his red-rimmed eyes. "you should have joined with us. you are going to die a hideous death." he hissed the words at her, spittle ruining his civilized facade.

"that's no surprise. i lived a hideous life." she tried to say the words to him, but her throat was torn and raw, and no real words emerged. when she blinked to clear the haze from her eyes, pater was gone, perhaps never really there.

nicolae and vikirnoff materialized on either side of her. nicolae had a red streak down the left side of his face and an angry-looking wound on his chest. he lifted her into his arms as vikirnoff guarded his back. she wished she could wipe away the anxiety on nicolae's face, but no sound would come out of her throat and she couldn't find the strength to lift her hand to smooth away the lines of worry. she sighed softly, recognizing that something was terribly wrong, but it didn't matter to her. destiny simply closed her eyes and let nicolae take her away as he had always done, soaring high above the city into a dream world where there were no more monsters.

nicolae kept his mind numb, blank, streaking through the sky toward their lair. if the undead gave chase, vikirnoff would protect destiny and him, guarding their back-trail as they hurried to safety. he should have known she would do such a thing. he should have known she would not be able to deal with the idea of being responsible for his life... or his death.

she had no such thought in her head. vikirnoff was the voice of reason.

anger flooded nicolae's body, took over his heart and head.

how would you know? why do you think you know her better than i do? because i do not think of her day and night, my every waking minute. i saw her defend the human. she was hunting as she believed she should. nothing more. nothing less.

vikirnoff was not in the least disturbed by nicolae's outburst. nothing seemed to provoke him these days.

do not take that away from her.

nicolae was immediately ashamed that he had taken out his fear on his brother.

i am sorry i was harsh. were you? i had not noticed.

nicolae glanced at his brother's impassive face as they settled to ground deep within the earth. there was no humor, nor hint of reprimand; vikirnoff really hadn't noticed his momentary anger. and that worried nicolae. he packed destiny's wounds with his own saliva and the healing earth, chanting softly as he worked. "she's lost far too much blood." he examined the wounds, nasty rips and bite marks, great gaping holes. the vampire had sought to destroy her as painfully as possible.

"that is good for our purposes, nicolae," vikirnoff said. "instead of killing her outright, they tried to prolong her death, to torment her." he was collecting herbs from a small cache they had stored in the underground chamber. it took only seconds to light the flames of aromatic candles.

"her enemies do not know her." nicolae's voice was soft, filled with emotion held tightly in check. "she has lived with pain every moment of her existence. this is nothing to her." he blinked back unexpected tears as he carefully wiped her face clean. the wounds on her throat and shoulder were horrible to see. "this is nothing to her," he repeated. his hands were gentle on the gaping wounds in her throat. he leaned close to her, put his lips to her ear. "stay with me, destiny. i will follow where you lead this time. let it be here, in this time and place. stay in this world."

nicolae allowed his body to drop away from him, transforming himself into an immaterial instrument of light and energy. it was much more difficult to shed the emotional storm that whirled within him. he needed to be calm and steady to save her. to heal her wounds. this was the most important task of his life. her torn, mangled flesh was a mess, and, as always, the vampire had left behind a poison that would quickly destroy the cells around the area of the bites. the decay was spreading quickly.

nicolae was meticulous in his work, fast and efficient but steady as he repaired the damage to her arteries and muscles and tissue. he paid attention to the smallest detail, ferreting out every drop of the vampire's poison. it wasn't an easy task. her tainted blood made his job especially difficult because of the damage it had already done to the inside of her body, damage that tormented her continually.

twice nicolae thought something moved in her bloodstream, something microscopic, a shadow darting away from his healing energy, but when he went back to inspect, he could find no more of the bacteria.

he came to himself swaying slightly, his face pale from concentration and from expending so much energy. pale with the knowledge of what she endured on a nightly basis. his eyes met vikirnoff's. "i do not know how she has survived," he said softly.

vikirnoff held out his wrist to his brother. "we are carpathian. we endure. she is carpathian and has honor and instincts as old as time. it matters little that a vampire converted her. he could not have done so successfully if she were not of the light. you think with your heart, nicolae."

"and it is breaking." nicolae bent his head to his brother's offering, drinking deeply to replenish his strength, to be able to pass the gift on to his lifemate.

vikirnoff shook his head. "one of you must be whole. she searches for a way to you. do not make the mistake of failing her because your compassion is too great."

nicolae allowed the rush of ancient blood to fill his being. what could one say to vikirnoff? his words were a double-edged sword. painful but logical. full of wisdom. as long as nicolae could remember, vikirnoff had spoken so. when he had carefully closed the wound on his brother's wrist, using his healing saliva, he gathered destiny to him.

cradling her on his lap, he opened his shirt and pressed her mouth to his skin.

you will take what is freely offered, that we both may live,

he commanded her, using the strength of an ancient, of a lifemate. and she obeyed. her lips nuzzled him. gently. almost sensuously. he closed his eyes as a white-hot pain sent lightning whipping through his bloodstream, tightened every muscle in his body. instinctively he held her closer, his arms protective.

nicolae glanced up at his brother. "how do we remove the taint of the vampire? in all your years, have you ever encountered this problem?"

vikirnoff shook his head slowly. "destiny is not vampire, so there must be a way. i can only think to dilute the blood as you are doing. she has lost more than she can afford. we will both give her ancient blood and call to the healers. perhaps the soil of our homeland would be of help."

nicolae rested his brow gently against destiny's. "she is a fighter, vikirnoff. if anyone can beat this, she is the one."

"you do not object to my giving her blood?" the question was put mildly.

nicolae shrugged his powerful shoulders as he looked down at the face of the woman he loved. "i will give her all i can; you will have to replace my blood as you have done so many times. it is one and the same. she has a need, and we can do no other than to meet it." his fingers flexed in destiny's hair, crushed the silken strands in his fist. he wanted to take her away from this place, back to his homeland, where the healers and the soil would have a chance to work their magic on her.

you have always been my magic. i have no need of others.

her voice came out of nowhere, brushed at the walls of his mind like gentle butterfly wings. his gut clenched in reaction. his heart rolled over in his chest.

it is about time you admitted it. well, don't get a big head or anything. i still think you're annoying.

that sounded so much more like his destiny that he breathed a sigh of relief. he felt the sweep of her tongue, closing the pinpricks on his chest.

you have not taken nearly enough to replace the blood you lost, destiny. i feel you growing weaker. go hunt. i can wait.

a ripple of pain went through her body, a certain sign that she was waking. her eyelashes fluttered, two thick crescents that lay like feathery fans against her pale skin.

nicolae bent over her, brushed his lips across her eyes. he trailed a series of kisses along her cheek-bone, down the line of her small nose, then lingered by the corner of her soft, curving mouth.

you're taking advantage. i'm too weak to resist. no, you are not. you do not wish to resist. maybe you're right. but if you are, it's because you mesmerized me while i was unconscious. it has nothing to do with the way you smell. or the sound of your voice. or the way your mouth is so perfect.

nicolae teased her lips with his, rubbing gently, persistently until her lips moved under his. softened. accepted. he took her breath. gave her his.

destiny gasped, muffled a groan of pain, buried her face against his chest and held herself very still. "i'm sorry, it slipped out. it isn't that bad." the weakness was almost worse than the pain.

his hand stroked gentle caresses through her hair. "i know it hurts, destiny. you need to go to ground and allow the earth to heal you. vikirnoff and i will take care of your people."

"you're not at full strength. you gave me too much of your blood." her voice was barely audible, even with his acute hearing. she opened her eyes to study his pale face. "go feed."

there was too much pain in the depths of her eyes. "i thought i would just hold you for a while. i am not certain i will ever get the chance again. for once in your life you are being cooperative."

a small smile lifted her mouth. "is that what i'm doing?" she winced as she shifted to get a better look at him. "i bet i look great."

his eyebrow shot up. "you look beautiful."

"i knew you'd say that. you're such a liar. please go feed, i don't want to have to fight any more vampires tonight, and you're not in any shape to kick butt."

"you could not fight your way out of a paper bag," he pointed out.

"hey! i destroyed my vampire," she said softly, her hand going to her raw throat as if it hurt her to speak. "what did you manage to do?"

"i bagged two of them. vikirnoff took out his, although he should not have done so." nicolae spared a quick glare for his brother.

"do you have to do that? is it a man thing or something? i'll admit i don't know much about men, but it's so annoying."

nicolae leaned closer, took her hand away from her throat because he couldn't bear to see her fingers fluttering helplessly there. she looked so vulnerable with her pale face and her torn body. "have to do what?"

"one-upmanship. i kill one, you have to kill two. the big bad hunter flexing his muscles. it's annoying."

"you are not going to whine simply because i have superior hunting skills, are you?" he rubbed her knuckles along his jaw, wanting the contact. needing to show her what he felt too deeply to say. "it did not occur to me you would whine."

"it's hardly whining to point out how annoying you are. and you aren't superior, just luckier." her voice was husky, sounding far away, but she was grateful she could talk.

"i hesitate to mention i am not the one in need of healing."

"you don't seem all that hesitant to me. you pointed it out just fine. i'm sure your brother heard you." her impossibly long lashes drifted down to cover her uniquely colored eyes. she turned her face toward him so that her lips brushed the back of his hand where he was holding hers. "did you know that there are laws against stalkers?"

he felt the jolt of her soft mouth through his entire body. it was an accidental brushing, nothing more, not even a real caress, but his heart did a somersault anyway. "i know you are not about to accuse me of stalking you. you came after me. i merely followed wherever you led." he sounded reasonable. his fingertip traced her sculpted mouth, her full lower lip, sending a shiver through her body. through his.

you have the most fascinating mouth i have ever seen. what's so fascinating? it's a mouth just like any other. i think it is your pouty lower lip. now i know you're crazy. i never pout and neither does my lip.

"i beg to differ." the sheer pleasure blossoming inside him spilled over into his voice. she was alive, his courageous destiny!

she opened her eyes again to look directly at him. "so what do we do now, nicolae? i did my best to protect you, but you just don't mind very well."

he brought her knuckles to his mouth, his teeth scraping back and forth, gently, insistently, over her skin. "is that where i went wrong? i should have been obeying?"

"at least listening." her fingers touched the shadow along his jaw, a weak, trembling movement that conveyed more to him than her words ever could. "i want you safe, nicolae. it's important to me."

"i am safe, destiny," he assured her. the lump in his throat was threatening to choke him. "as long as i have you, as long as we are together, i will be safe."

vikirnoff cleared his throat, drawing her attention to him. he was looking at his brother. "you are not bound together, nicolae. you will never be safe if you do not bind her to you in the way of our people."

swift impatience crossed nicolae's dark, sensual features. before he could react, destiny laid her hand across his mouth and looked up at his brother. "those words always beating around in his head - the 'you are my lifemate' words." secretly she thought the ritual words as beautiful as they were terrifying. "how would simple words bind us together or make nicolae safe?"

his strong teeth nipped at her palm so that she yelped and glared at him. "you are not to think about that, destiny. we have plenty of time."

"i don't believe i was speaking to you," she responded huffily. "there's no talking to you when you're in your ridiculous alpha male he-man mode. sheesh! all you think about is protecting the little woman. i'm talking to your brother right now." she attempted to lift her chin but it hurt too much, so she suppressed a squeak of pain and had to be content to challenge him with her eyes.

nicolae's heart melted beyond repair. she was so brave, so filled with courage. she lay in his arms, beaten, torn apart, her flesh shredded. pain coursed through her veins and the taint of the vampire stood between them, yet she met vikirnoff's gaze without flinching. it mattered to her that nicolae was safe. he read the determination in her mind, her complete resolve, even as he read her fear of what vikirnoff might say.

"he must bind you to him so that you will act as his anchor. once the words are said and the ritual is complete, he cannot turn vampire. unless you die. you will provide the light to his darkness."

destiny stared at vikirnoff for several heartbeats. a singe sound-->>

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