Dark Lycan (Carpathian)

Fen had to choose to follow him or go back to stop Abel. Every cell in his body wanted to follow Bardolf for daring to put a hand on his brother, but honor and duty demanded he protect the prince. With another snarl and curse, he streaked back to the tunnel. He could see the blood where Dimitri had chosen to go inside. He could get blood from Vikirnoff and Mikhail and yet still help to defend the prince. That was his brother. Always choosing the right path in spite of the danger to himself.

Dimitri paused as he swept past Abel. If he had been one hundred percent he would have tried to engage with the Sange rau, but he had lost too much blood and the silver netting clearly wasn’t going to hold Abel for much longer. Fen would have to take care of him. The best Dimitri could do to aid his brother was to clear the storm so the sun could break through and help to guard the prince.

He sent word ahead that he was coming in fast and would need blood. He didn’t want to get caught in any of the traps set for vampires as he rushed down the tunnel to the back of the cavern. Mikhail had the safeguards down and immediately he offered his wrist. Dimitri didn’t hesitate. Mikhail’s blood was powerful and would aid in healing him.

Both Vikirnoff and Natalya began attending his wounds, trying to stop the flow of precious blood. He hadn’t realized just how many deep lacerations Bardolf had managed to inflict in the few brief encounters when they came together.

“You’re a little crazy,” Vikirnoff told him. “You know that, don’t you?”

“He’s coming,” Mikhail announced.

Dimitri nearly stopped taking blood, but Mikhail indicated to continue. “We need you as strong as possible.”

Dimitri politely took a little more blood and then closed the wound on the prince’s wrist. He watched Abel approach. The vampire looked terrible. Bloody crystal covered his face, producing a grotesque mask. His eyes looked black, surrounded by flaming red rather than white. He was covered in blood. Veins stood out starkly on exposed skin. The netting strands, as fine as they were, had been burned into his skin so that he was crisscrossed in raised welts.

He walked right up to the sheet of amber that prevented him from reaching the prince, and slammed his fist against the plate. The mountain shook. Dirt and rock fell from the ceiling. Mikhail didn’t so much as blink. He stood straight and tall, his dark eyes staring straight into Abel’s. He appeared totally confident.

Vikirnoff and Natalya stepped up to the amber, as expressionless as their prince. Neither flinched when Abel began the complicated process of unraveling the safeguards. He did so with astonishing speed, proving he could see the coding. He made short work of the intricate guards that would have stopped even a master vampire. Next he began systematically tearing at the thick amber sheet. The amber stuck to his claws and muzzle when he leaned in to tear at it with his teeth. Still, he made steady progress.

Dimitri saw his brother materialize directly behind Abel, plunging his fist once more into the Sange rau’s back. Clearly Abel had been so focused on tearing down the amber guard that he hadn’t detected Fen’s approach. His mouth opened wide in a silent scream, blood trickled from his mouth. He shifted immediately, his body jerking and twisting as he did so, trying to dislodge the stake.

Fen streaked after him as Abel abandoned the tunnel and emerged out into the early morning sunlight. His high-pitched shrieks reverberated through the cavern, shaking loose more crystal, dirt and rocks. The debris fell on Fen, smashing him to the tunnel floor. Several larger boulders crashed down around him. He was pinned for just one moment before he dissolved the rocks and was up and after Abel. The scent of burning flesh was unmistakable. Abel had pushed his limit of being outside in the sun.

He’s gone, Fen, Mikhail said. You need blood and care. Dimitri needs the earth.

Both still live. Fen was deeply disappointed that he hadn’t killed at least one of them.

We’ve learned more than we ever could have expected. You and Dimitri took them both on and yet you still are alive. They are not invincible. Come back and let us attend your wounds. The sun rises and soon we’ll need to go to ground.

Fen sighed. He could feel Dimitri’s exhaustion and weakness. Dimitri’s lifemate Skyler was going to get angry with him soon if he didn’t take better care of his brother. Mikhail was correct, they both needed to go to ground and allow Mother Earth to heal them. He would gladly take ancient Carpathian blood to help heal his wounds. And he intended to give Dimitri more of his mixed blood. The Lycan would repair him at a much faster rate.

He frowned up at the sky for a few moments and then turned back to join the others.





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