“Few babies survive the first year.” Pain sliced through him at the thought of losing the infant. He felt fiercely protective of her.
“That is so,” Shea admitted, “but I have done a tremendous amount of research and I think I can keep her alive. Diet is important. A Carpathian infant’s body is different from an adult’s. We can no longer nurse them the way humans can, and they need a mixture of nutrients. Our blood is too rich for them. That is why it was important the baby didn’t convert before she was born. She is just too small to live through it.”
“It does not make sense that a mother cannot feed her own baby. Has this always been so? Nature provides for the young.”
Shea nodded. “Hundreds of years ago, according to Gabriel and Lucian, our people didn’t have this problem. Something has happened in the intervening years to cause this dilemma. The change took place sometime around the late thirteen hundreds or early fourteen hundreds. I’m almost certain of it. I’m very close to finding out.” She spoke confidently. “In the meantime, this baby has special needs. She is not fully human, nor is she fully Carpathian. Rather than try to bring her over, I believe we should allow her to grow as she is, at least until she is older. I was not fully Carpathian and I managed to survive. Gregori and I have worked on a diet we think will aid this little one in growing strong. And should there be any problems, we can monitor from a distance and immediately aid you. She has a good chance, Dayan.”
“Thank you for what you have done for us.”
Shea smiled at him. “I am glad I could get here in time. The journey was long, and we could travel only at night, covering many miles quickly. I feel your worry for Corinne. Darius and Gregori will heal her body completely. When she rises, it will be with a strong heart and a perfectly healed body. She won’t have any aftereffects of childbirth. They will see to it that she feels no discomfort. Allow her to rest for several risings beneath the healing soil. The baby will be fine with us. She knows us, and although she wants the comfort of her mother, we will do for her.”
“Who will care for her during the hours of daylight? She cannot go to ground as we must, and she is too weak to be unattended, commanded to sleep during our hours of sleep. We must bring Lisa here.” Suddenly Dayan was thinking like a father, not a Carpathian.
Shea smiled her reassurance. “We have dragged poor Gary Jansen with us. He has been a tremendous help in my research and is fully under the protection of all Carpathians. He will tend the baby while we are deep within the soil.”
Dayan looked skeptical.
Shea laughed at him. “Gary is perfectly capable of taking care of this baby. Trust me. I work with him all the time. And he was entrusted with the care of Falcon and Sara’s adopted children during daylight hours.”
Dayan nodded reluctantly and indicated the small enclosure. “What is that?”
“It is much like a human incubator. She is still too small to live entirely on her own, but with your blood and care, she will grow very fast.” Shea cleared her throat carefully, her eyes suddenly shifting back to the baby. “When Corinne rises, she will want to see the infant, Dayan. It is natural for a mother to feel this way.”
Dayan suddenly smiled, the flash of his white teeth dispelling the worn look from his sensual features. “Are you trying to tell me in your delicate way that my lifemate will not rise with the same appetite as I will have?”
Shea laughed softly. “I think she will have the same hunger, Dayan, but her instincts will demand she see her daughter.”
“Corinne wanted to name her Jennifer after John and Lisa’s mother. I read in her mind that she was afraid to give her daughter a name, afraid it would somehow jinx the baby.” Dayan leaned over to look into the transparent enclosure. He stared at the child, a horrified expression on his face. “She would fit into my hand.”
Shea laughed at him. “She weighs about four pounds. Don’t worry, she will gain weight fast enough.”
“Dayan — “ Julian clapped him on the shoulder. “Congratulations are in order. You have a lifemate and you are a father. It is cause for great celebration. However, we must postpone any festivities until after you have fed and have gone to ground. This has been a long ordeal, and you need to rejuvenate properly. Your lifemate will heal beneath the welcoming soil. Darius and I will guard your resting place and your child with our lives.” Even as he spoke, he was casually bringing his wrist to his mouth. Without so much as a wince, he tore a wound in his skin and pressed his hand to Dayan’s mouth. “Take what I offer freely so you might grow strong to protect your lifemate and child.”
Dayan gratefully accepted the ancient blood. It soaked into his cells and tissues, bringing a rush of power to his depleted body. Julian had offered freely, knowing Dayan wouldn’t leave Corinne. He had gone through far too many traumas with Corinne to entrust her to any other. Dayan would guard Corinne himself, and Darius would guard the entire family as he had done for centuries. Julian, Desari’s lifemate, had taken his position guarding Darius’s back.
Barack and Syndil sent their joy winging to Dayan through the night air, a shower of sparkling gems like fireworks in the sky above the vent in the chamber’s chimney. Dayan was grateful to his family for sharing in his happiness.
The band’s beloved Desari leaned close to brush a kiss on his cheek, happiness radiating from her. Her lifemate, Julian, grinned with his familiar teasing look. They watched the other Carpathians leave the chamber, their mission of mercy accomplished. They were now free to return to their homes.
Besides Dayan’s family members, only Gregori and Shea remained behind with their lifemates. The healers would be exhausted when they finished their work, desperately in need of blood. Their lifemates would supply them blood before they would hunt on their own this night.
Gregori emerged first, his body pale, exhaustion obvious on his face. Then Darius, stumbling so that Tempest and Julian both reached for him at the same time. His skin was almost gray. He circled his lifemate’s waist lovingly. “It is done, Dayan. She will live, whole and strong.”
Gregori nodded. “Allow her to rest beneath the earth for two or three risings. Shea and Darius and I will make sure the baby lives. Corinne’s body desperately needs time to heal fully. It was the most difficult work I have ever done. I advise caution before rising; check her before you awaken her. If in doubt, call to me or Darius. We will examine her for you and give you advice.”
Behind Dayan, Julian laughed softly. “So, Gregori, perhaps you will accept my dark embrace to replenish you, after all. Savannah is rather pint-sized.”
Savannah tossed her wealth of raven hair and thumped Julian on the chest as she pushed past his much larger frame to take Gregori’s hand. “I don’t know why the lot of you insist I’m short. I happen to think of myself as being
very
tall.”
Dayan found himself smiling at the tender expression on Gregori’s face as the healer looked down at his rather petite lifemate. He tried to recall all he had heard of the healer. Gregori. The dark one. He had a reputation as a renowned vampire hunter, an individual others walked carefully around. But Dayan doubted that Savannah was in the least intimidated by her chosen one; she seemed to be a woman very much in love and secure within her relationship.
Dayan knew Julian fairly well. As Desari’s lifemate, Julian traveled with the band. He was definitely a law unto himself, confident and certain of his own abilities after traveling the earth alone for centuries. He could needle both Darius and Gregori easily with his taunting sense of humor, almost as if he were secretly laughing at the two men over their downfall with their women. Dayan liked Julian’s sardonic, independent nature, although it had been difficult at first to allow him entrance into their family.