«Everything?»
«Your mood swings, the tears, the temper. I have heard it is easy to have accidents such as the ones in the kitchen.»
«Oh you have, have you?» Her teeth snapped together. «There's about to be another accident right here, Darius. I don't have mood swings. As for a temper, you're impossibly bossy and would make the easiest going person lose their mind.»
«Check for yourself.»
His calm, steady tone set her teeth on edge. Just once she'd like him to be wrong-and this was the perfect moment for it. She needed him to be wrong. Surely she'd know if she
was going to have a baby? And he would have known. He knew everything. Tempest took a deep breath and let go of the physical world around her.
There it was. A tiny heart beating, little more than that, but definitely a new life. Tempest observed in total amazement and awe. This tiny creature lived inside her. A part of her-a part of Darius. «How come I didn't know?»
She was barely aware of Darius standing beside her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. «I should have known,» he said gently. «It was my responsibility to watch over your health at all times. I was so busy worried about enemies, it did not occur to me to think about pregnancy, but I should have.»
She leaned into him, murmuring aloud, more to herself than to him. «What in the world are we going to do? I have no idea how to take care of a baby.» She looked up at him, afraid to be happy, afraid of the love and joy already growing. «You know me, Darius. Other than you, I've never really gotten attached to anyone.»
«That is not entirely true. You are very attached to the others in the band. I can feel your affection for them.»
«It isn't the same thing as having a child. I could drop it. And I have no idea how to be a Carpathian, let alone a Carpathian parent. This is so scary. What are we going to do?» She clutched his hand, feeling desperate.
«I guess we're having a baby.» He feathered kisses down her face to the corner of her mouth. «We can do anything together, Tempest. By the time the baby gets here, we can figure it out.»
«Aren't you terrified? Just a little, Darius?»
«I kept Desari and Syndil alive. We will do just fine.» Few things terrified him. The possibility of losing Tempest was the only thing he could think of offhand. He had never asked for a single thing in his long, difficult life, until she had come along. She was a miracle to him with her brightness. She was so alive-her moods mercurial, her laughter often and contagious. There was no existence for him without her and he wouldn't lose her, not to an enemy, not to accidents and certainly not in childbirth.
She was trembling. «I thought the conversion took care of all that. I mean, I didn't have a cycle anymore so I just stopped thinking about it. And it didn't seem like anyone ever got pregnant. Corrine was pregnant before she became Dayan's lifemate. And isn't there some kind of time-out for newbies?»
«It does not seem so.»
«You're not even upset,» she accused. «You're the man. The man always gets upset when the woman gets pregnant. It's practically tradition.»
His face always seemed carved in stone, a ruggedly sensual face with no expression and eyes that were flat and cold and held the promise of death-until he looked at her. Tempest loved the slow smile that occasionally curved his mouth and lit his black eyes. She especially loved the way he looked right now-with love heating the ice and flooding her with warmth.
Her lungs found the rhythm of his. Her heart beat in perfect time to his. «You're really not afraid, Darius?»
He shook his head. «This will be a good thing. Our child will grow up with Dayan's child. They will not ever be lonely. It is important, especially if they are male, that they have someone they can count on-have a strong bond with. As the years pass, sometimes it is only remembered friendship that holds us to our honor when we are without a lifemate.»
«Don't tell anyone I'm so afraid. There have to be books on parenting. I'll just sit around and read.»
He brought her hands to his mouth and pressed kisses along her knuckles. «You're shivering. We should get back to the house.»
«You mean before someone notices the great big hole in the wall?» She managed a small smile. She stepped away from him and took off with confidence, walking back in the direction of the house, shoulders straight, head up, determined to make up for all her shortcomings. If Darius could handle having a baby, then so could she. Of course, she wasn't touching it until it was at least three years old. She chewed nervously on her lower lip and glanced back at Darius. He just stood there shaking his head. «What? Are you reading my thoughts again? I told you never to do that. It's bad enough that I have to try to follow what I'm thinking. And it's only fair for you to handle the baby until he's three, and then I'll take over.»
«Really?» He caught the back of her jacket and tugged her around. «The house is in the opposite direction. That way leads into deep forest.»
«I knew that. I was just making sure you were on top of things.» She grinned at him. «The snow's a little disorienting.»
He took her hand and led her in the right direction. «I noticed you said 'he.' You think we're having a boy?»
«If we're going to do this, Darius, it has to be a boy. I definitely wouldn't know what to do with a girl. And the poor thing would be a prisoner. You'd never let her out of your sight and you'd scare any young man who came near her.»
He growled low in his throat, and Tempest burst out laughing. «See? Just the thought gets you riled up.»
«I never get riled up. It is a complete waste of energy.»
Tempest stepped in front of him, stopping so abruptly his body bumped up against hers. One slender arm circled his neck and she leaned close, pressing her soft breasts into his chest, and lifted her mouth to his. Her long hair spilled over his arm as he instantly responded, fingers curling around the nape of her neck to hold her to him, deepening the kiss until she thought she might melt the snow all around them. She broke it off, her eyes sparkling at him. «You get riled.»
His heart slammed hard in his chest, a sensation only Tempest seemed to create. «Around you maybe.»
She waited this time, taking his hand again so they could stroll back through the gently falling snow to the house.
«Someone is close by,» Darius announced as they emerged from the trees into the clearing where the house stood. He inhaled sharply. «It is the prince. Stay behind me, Tempest.»
Tempest dropped back a foot, rolling her eyes at what she considered unnecessary protection. She slipped her hand into Darius's back pocket. I thought the prince was the leader of the Carpathians. Are we supposed to fear him?
Darius's warning growl met with soft laughter. He glanced back at her. I do not know him as the others do and I prefer to ensure your safety. He turned back to greet the prince, who seemed to be inspecting the damaged wall. «Mikhail, I was just about to fix the house.»
The prince arched a black brow. «Should I inquire as to what happened?»
«Better not,» Darius advised. «Some things are best left mysteries. Give me a minute to repair the damage and we can go inside, out of the weather, to visit.»
«The hole appears larger than I remember.» Tempest peered around Darius to scowl at the blackened ruin of a kitchen. «I think someone's been here adding to the wreckage. It didn't look like this when we left it.» She flashed a tentative smile at the prince. «The house is really nice. Thank you for lending it to us.»
Mikhail turned away to keep the couple from seeing the laughter in his eyes. Raven's idea of having the Carpathians cook dinner for the guests at the inn was turning out to be more fun than he had anticipated. «Raven and I are more than happy to lend you one of our houses. We hope you are able to stay for a long visit and maybe look upon this place as your home when you are not traveling.»