Dark Lycan (Carpathian)

There’s Skyler.

There it was. Fen had wrestled with that very problem. Did one have the right to expose his lifemate to such a thing when there was no data on a Carpathian/Lycan cross? The more questions that had been brought up, the less of an answer he had. He’d been selfish giving in to Tatijana’s demands. He had wanted to be persuaded, and he’d let her seduce him into it.

On the other hand, Dimitri would not survive without Skyler. Now, more than ever, he needed her.

I’m sorry I got you into this, Dimitri. Centuries ago, he hadn’t a clue what caused the change, although even then he’d suspected. He should never have gone to Dimitri, but the fight to stay honorable had become nearly impossible.

I went into it with my eyes open. You explained even then what the danger was in exchanging blood. I have to talk to Skyler about this, but before I do, I have to figure a few things out.

Don’t make her decision for her. Tatijana was adamant that she had the right to make her own choice, and I have to believe that’s true.

Skyler’s young.

But she’s powerful. And intelligent. Your instinct is to protect her, but don’t just discount her because of her human age. She’s not yet Carpathian . . . Fen broke off.

There was the real dilemma. Fen hadn’t even considered the real problem. Skyler wasn’t Carpathian. She was human. She hadn’t been converted. If Dimitri converted her with his mixed blood, what would happen? Could he even convert her? Would it work? They didn’t have an answer to that question. As far as they knew, it hadn’t been done.

Now you see.

Still, there are ways around that. Gabriel or Francesca? Fen suggested her parents. He knew even as he made the suggestion that it wouldn’t work. If Gabriel was already insisting Dimitri couldn’t claim Skyler until she was much older, he would never aid Dimitri into bringing his daughter into an unknown, uncertain world. Okay, not either of them, but someone will help us. Perhaps Bronnie. She’s Dragonseeker and I know Skyler has Dragonseeker blood in her. Isn’t her birth father Razvan?

That would be a possibility. There was a grain of hope in Dimitri’s voice.

There’s always a solution, Dimitri. When you’re too close to the problem and it involves someone you care about . . .

Love, Dimitri corrected. I love her with everything in me. I’d rather meet the dawn then expose her to something dangerous.

I hate to be the one to tell you: she was exposed to danger long before you knew she was your lifemate. The moment Gabriel and Francesca adopted her, they brought her into our world. Fen frowned. How did you manage to hold silver with the wolf already in you?

I burned my palm the first time I tried to use it, so I just coated my hands. That way Zev and the others wouldn’t suspect anything.

That was Dimitri. Smart. No fuss.

We’re making the approach, Tatijana warned. Do you want to change shapes just in case? We’re very close to where I felt the warning.





17

Fen touched Tatijana’s mind. She didn’t know. Didn’t realize. The dragon had flown high into the misty clouds surrounding the upper part of the mountain. The dread was there, a feeling of revulsion, the need to leave. Tatijana had spent her life deep under this very mountain, in the ice caves of her father, Xavier, the high mage. She had never seen the outside of the mountain, only the inside. The mage spells were still intact and working to keep every species away from Xavier’s laboratories.

He signaled to her to take her dragon to the ground. Dimitri, you know what this place is, right? The ice caves where she was held are below.

I knew that, but how did you know?

In the old days, Xavier was considered a friend to the Carpathian people. We all studied with him. That was how we first began weaving safeguards. I studied with him for years. No one had any inkling he was plotting against us, Fen explained.

I’m only a century behind you. I studied with him as well, Dimitri said. It was shortly after that he kidnapped Rhiannon of the Dragonseekers and killed her lifemate. Of course we didn’t know Xavier had committed such treachery for some time.

Dimitri settled his dragon beside Tatijana’s and Fen leapt off, landing in a crouch.

I cannot imagine Abel choosing to set up a lair in the caves of Xavier.

What of Bardolf. Although . . . do you think Bardolf would have been affected by the warning emanating from the mist? He would have no idea just how dangerous that entire labyrinth of caves really is.

Dimitri shifted into his own form as did Tatijana. Fen went to her immediately and put his arm around her. He leaned in to brush a kiss over the top of her head.

“Did you feel it?” she asked.