ike a blanket.

he lay beneath her, feeling the imprint of her body over his, the soft mounds of her breasts, her nipples pressing into his chest. she was soft, wet flesh, silky smooth with her lush curves. he could feel her heart beating, feel the heat between her legs, hear the sound of her blood rushing hotly in her veins. her fingers settled in his hair. she was perfect. the moment was perfect.

"i dreamt of you last night," she murmured, lifting her face to nuzzle his throat. her tongue teased his pulse point, her teeth nipping at his skin. "i dreamt of your body in mine and screaming your name. it was such a beautiful dream for a while." she licked at his skin again, her tongue lingering on that small spot. "but then the wolves came..." she trailed off and kissed his throat, pressing her lips to that spot, wanting more, much more, hungry for the taste of him. her jaw ached with the need, her teeth feeling longer and sharper as her tongue slid over the edges. she nuzzled his shoulder, nipped again.

beneath her, manolito went still. his hands settled around her arms like vises, and he jerked her up. his black eyes held such danger, such menace, she turned, searching the canopies of the trees for a reason. his stillness brought her attention back to him.

"what?"

very slowly he put her from him and sat up, shoving his hands through the wealth of black hair. his gaze went back to her, cold and hard and utterly menacing. his mind was gone from hers, leaving her shivering, rubbing her hands up and down her arms.

"manolito, what is it?"

"i dreamt of you last night," he said softly in a tone that raised goose bumps up and down her flesh. "i dreamt of my body buried deep in yours, of things i did to you and you crying out with pleasure. and then the wolves came..." just as she had done, he trailed off.

she sat up as he had done, drew up her knees, wishing she could don clothes as easily as he was doing now. "sharing a dream bothers you? why? don't you think it can happen, especially as we're so connected?"

"carpathians do not dream." he pulled his hair back and secured it with a leather tie. "we sleep the sleep of the dead. our hearts and lungs shut down to rejuvenate. our brains do the same. we cannot dream."

she wasn't certain what he was telling her, but her mouth went dry and her heart picked up a harder, faster rhythm. "you probably dreamt it as you awakened, or went to sleep."

"how do you explain my tolerance to the sun? i have been unable to walk in the early morning light for

centuries. even with clouds and severe storms, the sun hurt my eyes, and my body grew leaden. yet i stayed with you until almost noon. explain that to me." his voice was low and harsh, whipping at her with some unspoken accusation. "i rose with the sun out, yet my skin did not burn or blister."

"how can i explain such a thing? i know little of carpathians and lifemates. perhaps once you have your lifemate, that too is restored to you." she dragged her blouse to her and slid it on. "you ruined the buttons."

impatient, he waved his hand, and she found herself, not in her own clothes, but a cotton t-shirt and jeans. jeans. not the dress he'd asked her to wear for him, but the trousers he didn't like. she swallowed fear, trying not to cry as she began to braid the long, thick mane of hair, needing something to do to escape his cold gaze. they'd just shared something few, if any, would ever experience in a lifetime, and he was rejecting her, pushing her away. it felt like a slap in the face.

"you were going to bite me," he said. "i saw it in your mind."

she pushed back away from him until her back was against the railing. "was i? i wanted to, yes. but then, i saw that you intended the same. you took my blood and wanted me to take yours. you wanted to bring me fully into your world, and you wouldn't have asked me. you were going to make the decision without my consent."

"you are my lifemate. i do not need your consent." there was dark emotion flickering in his eyes. little amber lights began to glitter through the pure black obsidian.

anger pulsed through her. "you know what? i don't need your consent to leave, and i'm going back to the house." she stood up, and her hands gripped the rail when he stood up, too. he towered over her, looking every inch a predator.

"actually, you do need my permission. and you will stay here and hear what i have to say. i want to know the truth, maryann."

she narrowed her gaze on him. "you wouldn't know the truth if it bit you in the butt."

"you did bite me. and i took your blood on several occasions."

she tilted her head at him. "is that my fault? i didn't ask you to. in fact i didn't even know the first time you did it."

"what are you?"

"a very pissed-off woman."

he stepped closer to her, so close she could feel the heat of his anger. "you are werewolf. and you are infecting me with your blood."