The second circle of bats took to the air to escape the intense heat. Natalya blinked rapidly as she watched the battle unfolding, feeling as if she were climbing out of a strange trance. Her mind refused to comprehend what happened at first, but then she was back to
herself and she realized Vikirnoff's movements were hypnotic. He was able to enthrall his enemy with his flowing movements and dull the mind of his opponent enough to slow them down.
Valentine and Gene shifted shape a second time, working in unison, flying at Vikirnoff, directing the bats to attack him as well. Vikirnoff threw off the illusion of the prince and met them in the air, a force of power and skill unlike anything the two had ever encountered before. He burst through the flapping wings of the bats, knocking several out of the sky in his pursuit of the two vampires.
Gene broke off and turned tail, streaking through the trees in a run for his life. Valentine chose to stand and fight, dropping back to the ground and facing the hunter. Natalya tried to keep Gene in sight, not trusting that he would leave when they had so clearly been following the instructions of another, most likely Maxim. Gene had been swallowed up by the thick grove of trees, but Natalya drew her sword anyway, holding it at the ready should the vampire be attempting to ambush Vikirnoff.
«You are not the prince,» Valentine snarled. He repeated it, shouting. «He is not the prince!»
If he was asking for permission to get away, it was far too late. Vikirnoff whirled around, catching the vampire by the nape of the neck and hurtling him to the ground. He was on him immediately, driving his fist into the chest to extract the heart.
Natalya felt the burn of the dragon and looked frantically around, scanning the trees, the bushes, everything near Vikirnoff. A small rock rolled just inches from his leg and her breath caught in her throat. She burst out of concealment as Gene rose up behind Vikirnoff, triumph on his face as he lifted the knife in his hand.
Natalya somersaulted across the distance, wielding her sword as she flew past, slicing through the vampire's legs as she did so. He screamed horribly, over and over as he fell backward. Vikirnoff was already turning, striking as he did so, his speed so fast, he had the heart before Gene hit the ground. Lightning flashed and flames raced from the blackened hearts to the two bodies. Vikirnoff lifted his head and looked at her.
Chapter 14
«What the hell were you thinking, following me like that, Natalya? You could have been killed.» He knew the moment he uttered the words, how ridiculous he sounded. Natalya might easily have taken care of the vampires and that just upset him more. He wasn't even certain why he was so distressed. Maybe it was the smear of blood along her shoulder and the bruise on her face from the earlier battles. He swore under his breath and rubbed a hand
over his face.
Natalya smirked at him. «Just say thank you and we'll call it good.»
He looked at his hands, held them up for her to see. «Look at this. I itch, actually itch to shake some sense into you.» His palm slid over the top of her head, down her hair to the nape of her neck. He pulled her closer, bent his head and kissed her. It was brief, electric and not at all satisfying to either of them. «You terrify me. You make me feel things I do not want to feel. You are so courageous you terrify me.» He took her mouth again. Hard. Possessive. A little brutal.
She tasted his terror. She tasted his need. There was so much hunger. So much resolve. Vikirnoff could be gentle, but he wasn't feeling gentle. She had scared him and that wasn't a good thing. «Let's get out of here, Vikirnoff. This place gives me the creeps. Can't we go somewhere and talk?»
«I do not feel much like talking.»
She took a deep breath, let it out slowly and looked him directly in the eye. «Neither do I.»
His body tightened at her words, but more than that, his heart turned over. He reached for her without preamble, gathered her close and took to the air. Deliberately, Natalya wound one leg around his thigh, allowing the damp heat of her body to tease him as he took them across the night sky.
«Are you afraid?»
«No.» She tugged at his earlobe with her teeth. «Yes. I don't know. Maybe a little.»
«You know what you are doing?» His hand was low on her spine, fingers spread wide, palm burning her right through her clothing. His voice was harsh with hunger. So much hunger. Her womb clenched and her nipples hardened into tight peaks.
«You're asking me if I'm committing to you.» Her body ached. Felt empty. She turned up her face to his, her arm circling his neck and kissed him, tongue licking his lips, her hand sliding down his chest to brush the thick bulge pressed so tightly against her.
«Be very certain. Because once you do, I will not let you go, Natalya. Even if you somehow managed to undo an ancient binding ritual as old as time itself, I will not let you go once you are mine.» His beast was roaring for his lifemate. Save me. Choose me. Be forever to my heart connected. She was his. His.
She liked that he didn't close his mind to her. She wanted to feel the possessiveness of his thoughts. She wanted to be swept away so the small scared part of her wouldn't be able to think too much and she could just take what she wanted. Do what she wanted. Have someone for herself. Someone to talk with, share laughter, be angry, be frightened for. She
wanted it all. Vikirnoff was offering all of those things.
«I am not an easy man to be with-«
She kissed him again, stopping him in midsentence. He tasted hot. Carnal. He tasted sweet and close to love. «I'm not an easy woman to be with either-« She broke off to kiss him a third time, her fingers sliding beneath his shirt to feel his chest. She was careful to avoid his still tender wounds, not quite healed from his earlier battles. «I think I'm going to be addicted to kissing you.»
She circled his neck with her arms as he made the descent with dizzying speed into a small chimney in the mountain, closing her eyes and hiding her face against his shoulder. The entrance was narrow and long. They plummeted straight down into a wide chamber with cathedral-like ceilings. He set her on her feet, holding her steady until he was certain she wouldn't fall after their flight.
Natalya tossed her pack into a corner and surveyed the large chamber as Vikirnoff waved his hands to light the candles. Instantly the air was filled with the scent of soothing lavender. «Wow. This is wonderful. Our own hot tub.» She pointed toward the natural pool surrounded by flat rocks.
«I used to come here when I was a fledgling. I spent a lot of time here studying. I covered the entrance before I left, but never expected it to still be intact.»
She nudged him with her shoulder. «So you said, you have to see to my happiness. Didn't I hear that when you so rudely married us without my consent?»
He groaned softly. «I can see this is going to be one of those difficult days.»
She tossed her head so that her tawny hair fell around her face in waves doing things to his heart he didn't want to examine too closely. Even her rude noises were becoming endearing and that was just plain frightening.
«I think you're going to have a lot of those.»
«Difficult days? I think you are right.»
«So answer the question. You have to make me happy, right?»
«I can do no other,» he agreed.
A slow, wicked grin curved her mouth and set her eyes sparkling. «I need lots of things to make me happy. And keep me happy. I'm that kind of girl.»