Her arms circled his neck and she moved against him, restless and in need.
Syndil said his name softly as she slowly began to unbutton his shirt, her fingertips smoothing over the heavy muscles of his chest. She felt his body clench in answer, in anticipation. As always, she wondered anew at the beautiful mystery of their union. Barack. Her lifemate. She had known him throughout her long existence, and yet had not known the wonders of a true union until recently. The simple act of feeding was no longer just that. It was erotic and filled her with pleasure, with needs far beyond satiating hunger. She nuzzled his chest, smiled when his hands gripped her hair and his body moved aggressively against hers. Teasingly she nipped his chest, swirled her tongue over his jumping pulse, allowing the movement to trigger her incisors.
Barack groaned and pulled her tightly against him, wrapping her close while she fed. In the midst of the danger, with Cullen at the top of the society’s hit list, Barack still felt the jolt of urgent need riding him hard. Syndil was careful — he could feel the hunger in her, sharp and fierce — but she took only enough to sustain her so Barack could give Cullen necessary blood as well. Afterward, Barack would always have a connection to Cullen, and Cullen to Barack, but they had no choice. If the mortal was to survive, he needed their healing blood to aid in repairing his damaged organs. Very carefully she closed the tiny pinpricks with the healing agent in her saliva and lifted her head, her eyes drowsy and slumberous. Barack bent his head at once to find her mouth, kissing her hard. “I am very proud of you, Syndil,” he said softly.
“He is brave,” Syndil replied, “and a good friend to us. He has risked his life many times. I wish Gregori or Darius had come to do this.”
“You did fine.” Barack reluctantly released her and sat on the edge of the bed. “I will give him blood, Syndil, and then we must take both of them out of here. Do not allow the woman to give you any trouble. Take control of her at once. No chances.”
Syndil ruffled his hair as if he were a mere boy instead of the enormously strong man that he was. “Stop with the woman bit, Barack. Have you not touched her mind?”
“Who would want to except to command?”
“She was terribly traumatized. She does not see things she is afraid of because her mind does not allow it. She is merely protecting herself. It is the only way her mind could remain sane. Lisa is reliant on Corinne and clings to her as a safety net. Corinne is much stronger and must have realized it at an early age. She protects Lisa from the outside world, and Lisa knows she cannot get along without her. I have looked into her mind. She knows she needs a buffer.”
Barack ducked his head, ashamed. “I do not deserve you. I never have.”
“Very true,” Syndil said complacently, “but I think I will keep you around anyway.” She watched as he bent and lifted Cullen into his arms. Observing the expression on his face, her heart skipped a beat. Barack felt strong affection for the human, something few of their kind ever experienced. It was always necessary to keep a distance from humans so that no one ever found evidence their species existed. It was becoming more difficult as computers and travel made the world a much smaller place.
Barack murmured the ritual healing chant softly as he forced his blood into Cullen. A small amount only to aid in the healing of his broken and torn body. By their laws they should not have done so. They should have allowed him to die naturally, but Darius ruled their family, and to them he was a higher authority than the Prince of the Carpathians. It was Darius who had decreed Cullen was to be saved if possible. To Barack and Syndil, that meant they could use any means possible.
Syndil brushed back Cullen’s hair with gentle fingers. “I am happy he is the one who found Lisa. He will always care for her and appreciate her goodness, where another man might see only her weakness.”
Barack’s black eyes fixed on her face. “I have apologized for my error.”
She smiled at him. “It was an idle comment, not directed toward you, Barack, but I am glad you feel remorse for prejudging Cullen’s choice so harshly before you touched her mind to find out if she was worthy of him. She will love him and be faithful. She will want only to please him and make him happy. Theirs is a good match. He needs to be needed, Barack.”
Barack stopped the flow of blood from his wrist with a casual stroke of his tongue. “I am certain you are right, Syndil.” He touched Cullen’s mind to be sure that he was breathing easier, that his body had accepted the small amount of blood and was utilizing it to heal the terrible wounds. “We must take him out of here quickly, Syndil, to the safe house where we can better protect him. Call Lisa back to us.”
Syndil took a step toward the closed door, then stopped abruptly, her alarmed gaze going to Barack’s. “They are here. They have come for Cullen. We should have known they would move quickly to eliminate him. They consider him a threat and a traitor. Of course they would want to finish the job.”
Barack could feel the vibrations of violence in the air, coming toward the room. “Four of them.” He said it unnecessarily, tersely; Syndil could pick up the thoughts of violence as easily as he. “I will take Cullen, while you remove Lisa from danger. Call me if you have need of my aid to shield the two of you.” He was already scooping Cullen easily into his arms, creating the illusion that Cullen remained lying helpless and still in the bed alone.
Syndil gave a very feminine cough of derision. She was an ancient, capable of walking unseen among humans and keeping Lisa from being seen as well. She dissolved instantly into mist and streamed from the room as the four human assassins shoved open the door. They stood a distance from the bed, pointing weapons at the motionless body they perceived to be there. The sound of the guns was muted, like a soft spitting that no one would hear beyond the door. Barack dulled it even further, directing the security guards and nurses away from the area to keep the humans as safe as possible.
Barack, waiting in the corner with Cullen in his arms, watched as the assassins repeatedly shot into the bed. None of them saw Barack — he had cloaked his presence — but they could feel the unusual coldness permeating the room. One of the society members moved forward to check the body, and as the others watched, Barack slipped past them. He heard their shouts of consternation and angry frustration that they had been so easily tricked, and once again Cullen had escaped their vengeance.
Hurrying down the long hall away from the assassins, Barack called out to warn Darius of the plot.
They are here,
he communicated simply. With Darius, there was no need for embellishing. Darius protected his own, and he considered Cullen part of their extended family. Darius would come in all haste and bring justice to the assassins.
There was no need for Barack to inform Syndil of what was happening since he was always a shadow in her mind. He was well aware of her taking control of Lisa and shielding both of them from prying eyes as they made their way out of the hospital. Syndil put Lisa in a hypnotic trance in order to transport her in the fastest way possible, through the air, just as Barack was doing with Cullen. The two humans would be taken to a safe house deep within the mountains where they could be more adequately guarded.
Corinne sat in her bed regarding Dayan steadily. The healers were chanting softly, she could hear them in her mind. The atmosphere was soothing, tranquil even, but she was on the verge of a discovery. What was it she was thinking? That Dayan wasn’t human? Not of this world? What, then? An alien being? She shoved at the hair tumbling around her face as she studied Dayan’s mesmerizing features. Did it matter so very much one way or the other? How had they taken her to a cave deep within the earth and performed an exotic healing ritual that had actually worked? Was all of it real, or only parts of it? She pushed the idea of a blood exchange out of her mind.