with mine, so that there is nothing of you he can find.”
She tried to jerk out of his arms. “No! I cannot.”
That infuriating smile was curving his mouth, taunting her. “What are you afraid of,
picccola
? My resolve? I have made no attempt to hide my intentions from you. I want you in every way. I am relentless when something is important to me, and you are the most important thing in my life, in all the centuries of my existence. Mergewith me. We will fly far from here and talk of important things.”
It was a dare of sorts. He was making no secret of his amusement. Desari’s dark eyes flashed at him. “I do not fear you,” she snapped. “I am powerful in my own right. You cannot seduce me if I do not give my consent. I will go with you to learn from you.” She sounded like a princess bestowing a favor on a peasant.
Julian knew better than to allow his triumph to show on his face. He caught both her hands in his. “Now,
cara mia
, come with me, merge with me.” His voice was a caress that sent flames moving through her, flames she had no way of dousing.
His blood ran in her veins. She reached out with her mind and immersed it completely, decisively into his so that she could not panic and change her mind. At once she knew she was lost. He had enticed her into an erotic world of heat and hunger and fierce need. And he was every bit as ruthless as Darius. A loner. A great warrior with centuries of battles behind him. He appeared to hide nothing from her. Nothing, not even the terrible, relentless darkness. He had always been alone, even in his own world. Always alone. Until now. Desari moved into that darkness, suddenly uneasy.
Shape-shift
, piccola.
Use the image I give you
. His words held an urgency she couldn’t ignore. Darius was close.
They launched themselves skyward simultaneously, their hearts beating as one, feathers iridescent even in the night sky. Wings beat strongly, lifting them quickly up and away. They wheeled in the air in perfect synchronization, flying toward the distant mountains.
Julian shared the beauty of the night with her. He had not seen color in centuries, so it was all new and wonderful to him. The silvery leaves of the trees glitteringbelow them, the sheen of water from the large lake nearby, the haunting shriek of an owl as it missed its prey, and the rustle of gray mice scurrying through vegetation on the forest floor.
Darius would be unable to track Desari while they were merged so fully together. The moment they were apart again, he could find her. The trick was to take her far away, set up as many blinds as time would allow, so that Darius would have no choice but to turn back, seeking safety before the dawn broke upon them.
Desari faltered for a moment when she read Julian’s intentions. She had not considered being away from her family during the day, when she would be completely vulnerable. At once Julian sent her waves of warmth and reassurance, the implacable resolve of the Carpathian male to protect his mate above all else. While she was with him, nothing would happen to her; he would never allow it.
And what of you? Am I safe from you?
She asked it softly, well aware of the fierce needs of his body, her body. The terrible, insatiable hunger he had for her alone. No one else would ever be able to fulfill the demands his body was making on him. No one else could ever assuage the fire burning deep within him. The knowledge only served to weaken her resistance to him. His need was a terrible thing.
Always, Desari. I would protect you with my life. You feel it, I know you do. I can do nothing other than ensure your safety
.
Julian felt the disturbance in the air, waves of power echoing through the sky, seeking the prey the hunter was determined to find. In the raptor’s body he smiled. Darius was very dangerous, a true ancient with a will of iron. Merged as she was with Julian, Desari was masked from her brother. Still, Darius was a brilliant adversary,and he
She tried to jerk out of his arms. “No! I cannot.”
That infuriating smile was curving his mouth, taunting her. “What are you afraid of,
picccola
? My resolve? I have made no attempt to hide my intentions from you. I want you in every way. I am relentless when something is important to me, and you are the most important thing in my life, in all the centuries of my existence. Mergewith me. We will fly far from here and talk of important things.”
It was a dare of sorts. He was making no secret of his amusement. Desari’s dark eyes flashed at him. “I do not fear you,” she snapped. “I am powerful in my own right. You cannot seduce me if I do not give my consent. I will go with you to learn from you.” She sounded like a princess bestowing a favor on a peasant.
Julian knew better than to allow his triumph to show on his face. He caught both her hands in his. “Now,
cara mia
, come with me, merge with me.” His voice was a caress that sent flames moving through her, flames she had no way of dousing.
His blood ran in her veins. She reached out with her mind and immersed it completely, decisively into his so that she could not panic and change her mind. At once she knew she was lost. He had enticed her into an erotic world of heat and hunger and fierce need. And he was every bit as ruthless as Darius. A loner. A great warrior with centuries of battles behind him. He appeared to hide nothing from her. Nothing, not even the terrible, relentless darkness. He had always been alone, even in his own world. Always alone. Until now. Desari moved into that darkness, suddenly uneasy.
Shape-shift
, piccola.
Use the image I give you
. His words held an urgency she couldn’t ignore. Darius was close.
They launched themselves skyward simultaneously, their hearts beating as one, feathers iridescent even in the night sky. Wings beat strongly, lifting them quickly up and away. They wheeled in the air in perfect synchronization, flying toward the distant mountains.
Julian shared the beauty of the night with her. He had not seen color in centuries, so it was all new and wonderful to him. The silvery leaves of the trees glitteringbelow them, the sheen of water from the large lake nearby, the haunting shriek of an owl as it missed its prey, and the rustle of gray mice scurrying through vegetation on the forest floor.
Darius would be unable to track Desari while they were merged so fully together. The moment they were apart again, he could find her. The trick was to take her far away, set up as many blinds as time would allow, so that Darius would have no choice but to turn back, seeking safety before the dawn broke upon them.
Desari faltered for a moment when she read Julian’s intentions. She had not considered being away from her family during the day, when she would be completely vulnerable. At once Julian sent her waves of warmth and reassurance, the implacable resolve of the Carpathian male to protect his mate above all else. While she was with him, nothing would happen to her; he would never allow it.
And what of you? Am I safe from you?
She asked it softly, well aware of the fierce needs of his body, her body. The terrible, insatiable hunger he had for her alone. No one else would ever be able to fulfill the demands his body was making on him. No one else could ever assuage the fire burning deep within him. The knowledge only served to weaken her resistance to him. His need was a terrible thing.
Always, Desari. I would protect you with my life. You feel it, I know you do. I can do nothing other than ensure your safety
.
Julian felt the disturbance in the air, waves of power echoing through the sky, seeking the prey the hunter was determined to find. In the raptor’s body he smiled. Darius was very dangerous, a true ancient with a will of iron. Merged as she was with Julian, Desari was masked from her brother. Still, Darius was a brilliant adversary,and he
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