You stay put,
he ordered without looking at her, already moving out of the cabin and down the steps, determined to meet any intruder as far from Desari as he could safely get. He had been an arrogant idiot to take her from the protection of her family unit when she was hunted. The darkness in
him
provided an even brighter beacon for the undead, for his sworn enemy. Whatever was out there, stalking them in the night, was close. He felt it, sensed it, although he could not identify the threat.
He inhaled sharply, studied the sky, the woods, the very ground itself. He looked every inch of what he was, a dangerous predator.
Dam, if an attack comes, call to your brother to meet you, and go to him immediately.
Desari had no intention of doing any such thing. If anything threatened them, she was not going to run like a rabbit and leave him to face an attack alone.
What is it?
she asked.
Desari’s soft tones eased some of the tension in Julian.
What do
you
feel?
He demanded her answer, his demeanor reminiscent of her brother’s.
There was a moment of silence while Desari’s senses flared out into the night. She felt no threat. None at all. Crossing her arms protectively across her breasts, she went to the door to lean against the frame, inhaling the night air. Nothing.
Are you certain there is a threat to us? I detect nothing of the kind. I can assure you, Julian, I am not without my own power. I think I would know if danger were near.
If a Carpathian as powerful as Desari could not feel a threat, there was only one reason. She was not the one being threatened. Julian took several steps out into a clearing, circling cautiously, waiting to meet the menace. It was there. Somewhere close. He felt the oppressive channeling of energy directed at him. It was strong, much stronger than he had anticipated, beating at his mind with thoughts of defeat, an attempt to tear down his self-confidence. Julian had used such a mind trick himself on many occasions. It angered him that his adversary would think him such a rank amateur.
It was easy enough to reverse the apprehension, sending it winging back through the night air, reinforced with his own power and strength. There was a moment of complete silence. The very insects seemed to hold their breath, as if his retaliation had struck and the recipient was in a cold, killing fury. The attack came from his left, a blur of motion impossible to see. It was Julian’s heightened senses that saved him from the slashing, raking claws. The leopard materialized out of thin air, going straight for his belly with a terrible ferocity. The claws came within a hair’s width of nailing him. Julian actually had to hold his breath to prevent the cat from laying his belly wide open.
Cursing, Julian took to the air, shape-shifting as he did so, acquiring razor-sharp talons, a wicked, curved beak, and a six-foot wingspan. He dove straight at the muscular black leopard, talons outstretched.
The leopard somersaulted to avoid the lethal charge, heading toward the cover of the trees, knowing its huge, feathered opponent would not have easy maneuverability in the canopy of branches.
Desari stood perfectly still on the porch, her eyes fixed on the terrible battle.
Julian. Darius. Her worst nightmare come true.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then she lifted her hands toward the moon and began to weave an intricate pattern, even as she sang softly.
Notes sprang to life in front of her, notes of silver and gold, spilling toward the two combatants. Her voice swelled with purity, with beauty, took wing, and rose above the clearing, spreading outward into the forest. The song was a whisper of sound yet perfectly clear. The notes danced like whirling eddies of Stardust, spinning around and between the leopard and the owl.
Desari’s song carried far into the night, and everyone and everything within hearing had to stop and listen. The song was of peace and understanding among all species. Her voice was not of the earth but a blend of musical notes so in tune with the universe that even natural adversaries, anything within range of the music, could not possibly be at odds. Caught in the mystical enchantment, Darius was unable to hold the shape of a stalking leopard, and Julian nearly fell out of the sky as his body regained its original form. He landed rather heavily, quite close to Darius.
The men stared at one another, astonished at the power of Desari’s voice. It held them easily within its spell, two strong Carpathian males unable to find the aggression to continue their battle. Her voice continued, drawing the notes into a net of silver and gold shimmering brightly in the moonlight. The net enveloped the two men, weaving tiny radiant threads between them. They could only stare at her, captivated by the sheer magnificence and power of her incredible gift.
Darius could feel the depth of his sister’s emotions, her need of this man, her body’s demands for him, her uncertainties and fears. He could feel the fierce, protective nature, the possessive streak, the deep hunger and desire for Desari, the passion running so deeply in the Carpathian male. He felt the melding of their two souls into one solid unit, shared between two separate bodies.
Julian could see clearly into Darius’s heart. The demands of his very soul to protect his sister, to see to it that all within his family remained safe. The man feared that Julian was vampire, the undead, luring his sister to her doom. He would fight to the death, take anyone who threatened her with him. There was no peace for Darius. He fought the terrible darkness the males of their race were forced to battle toward the end of their existence. He fought it and with only the sheer force of his will survived each rising.
The silver and gold notes began to shimmer, their luminescence slowly fading with the whisper of her voice falling away. There was silence. It was loud, almost obscene after the beauty of her song. Darius continued to stare at his sister. Julian was frankly awed by her display of power. He, like most Carpathian males, generally thought of power as a destructive force. Desari had as much power as any male, but of a completely different kind.
“I did not take her away to harm her,” he offered, his voice low.
Desari’s dark eyes flashed. “No one could take me, Darius. I go where I desire, not where someone takes me.”
“I can see you have made your choice, little sister,” Darius replied evenly. “But this man will not be an easy companion.” He could smell the combined scent of their lovemaking, the male’s blood mingling with hers. However the golden-haired stranger had done it, Desari was locked to his side for all eternity. “I am Darius,” he introduced himself reluctantly. “Desari is my sister.”
“Julian Savage,” Julian returned, gliding to the porch to take up his position at Desari’s side. His very posture screamed possession, yet was protective, almost tender toward Desari. “Desari is my lifemate.”
“We have never before encountered another like us. All have been the undead and had to be destroyed.” Darius’s dark eyes, so like Desari’s yet so coldly lethal, measured Julian. Whether Darius found Julian lacking or not was hidden beneath the impassive mask he wore.
“There are a few of us left,” Julian said quietly. “We are often hunted by those who have turned vampire as aggressively as we hunt them.” His hand found the wealth of silken hair tumbling down Desari’s back and crashed a fistful of the ebony strands in his palm almost absently, his touch tender. “Did you know she could do that?”
“I do not even know what the hell she did,” Darius admitted.
“I am here.” Desari sniffed indignantly. “And I know exactly what I did. If the two of you were not so arrogant and conceited, you might have considered that the women of our race would have endowments equal to those of the men.”