Fen sent him a little grin and inclined his head very subtly. They wouldn’t miss the party.
“At the risk of offending Dimitri,” Arno began, “I believe very strongly that the things we’ve been taught since practically the very beginning of our existence, that mixed blood is far too dangerous to be tolerated, are sacred. We can’t abandon the very code we live by because a few of the Sange rau have not yet turned rogue.”
Mikhail leaned forward, his eyes meeting Arno’s. “We’ve come together to discuss this subject and we want to hear all opinions. This sacred code is something that has been in your culture for centuries and shouldn’t be so easily discarded. We have to examine what we know now, versus what those who put the code into existence knew in their time. Knowledge is power, and hopefully, over the centuries, we’ve managed to gain more awareness, understanding, comprehension and information.”
“Our experience with this issue clearly has been different than yours,” Rolf said. “Our packs were destroyed. No one was spared. We nearly were extinct thanks to the Sange rau.”
Mikhail nodded. “It is easy to understand why your ancestors laid down such extreme rules, but you are sitting at this table with one of our most skilled ancient hunters. Dimitri has defended Lycan, Carpathian and humans alike for centuries. He has hunted and killed both the vampire and rogue wolves and has done so with honor for centuries. Clearly, he is no threat to the Lycans, and in fact, is an asset.”
Arno shook his head. “There is no guarantee that he will continue to be so. Again, Dimitri, I must apologize for speaking as if you aren’t sitting right here, but these things must be said.”
Beneath the table, Skyler put her hand on his thigh. He felt her trembling. Keeping his face expressionless, he placed his hand gently over hers. The things he is saying have no impact on me one way or the other, he assured her. Fen and Zev are also as I am, of mixed blood. This council member isn’t stupid. He knows that because we’re lifemates, we exchange blood, and eventually you will become like me.
He might not know that.
He knows. Just as Randall knew not to touch you earlier. Zev would have given them every detail about our culture possibly before they ever came here. They would have researched carefully and consulted with those who have known Carpathians. These council members have been around a long time, Skyler. Believe me, they act as ambassadors and they don’t make mistakes in protocol. Zev took the blame by pretending he hadn’t passed on the information about lifemates, but Randall knew.
“I have no problem with you speaking your mind, sir,” Dimitri said politely. “Hearing truth is always preferable to lies.”
Are you saying that shaggy old bear of a Lycan deliberately made me feel like a schoolgirl in front of all the Lycans?
Dimitri didn’t dare answer that, not when Skyler had a bit of a fiery temper. He took another look around the room just to assure himself there was no beehive clinging to the rafters.
Randall reached for his glass of water, and raised it to his mouth. Without warning the glass slipped out of his hands, dumping the water down the front of him. The amount of liquid pouring into his lap seemed to exceed the size of the glass.
At once Randall’s bodyguards sprang to help, handing him napkins and small towels from the table of food. The council members were not as polite, laughing and teasing Randall good-naturedly about his big hands and how he couldn’t even hold a glass of water. Randall took it all in stride, grinning at his friends and shrugging his shoulders.
Lycans can detect energy when Carpathians use spells, Zev warned, frowning at Skyler. These men are used to deference.
Skyler raised her eyebrow, looking more innocent than ever. Dimitri kept his face impassive, controlling his amusement.
Are you accusing me of causing an accident? Did you feel energy coming from me? She managed to sound as blameless as she appeared.
Dimitri waited for the merriment to die down. “I have a lifemate. It is impossible for me to turn vampire. In order for me to become the Sange rau you fear I would have to choose to give up my soul. There is no way for that to happen.”
Mikhail nodded. “Carpathian males who have lived too long and have not found a lifemate are in danger of turning vampire, but no man with a lifemate could do that,” he reiterated. “There is a difference between a Hän ku pesäk kaikak and the Sange rau. All Lycans do not become rogues. All Carpathians do not become vampire. All mixed bloods do not become Sange rau.”
Arno frowned back at them. “Carpathian hunters can kill the vampire. Elite hunters can kill the rogue packs. Neither can kill the Sange rau. Better to exterminate them than to take the chance that they will wipe out all of us.”
Skyler’s fingernails dug into his thigh, but she didn’t speak or retaliate. It was the first truly insulting thing Arno had said. Up to that point he had been polite and even friendly. Dimitri suspected his beliefs ran as deep as did his prejudice.
“I would prefer not to be exterminated,” Dimitri said. “I am a man, not an insect.”
“A very dangerous man,” Arno pointed out. “Your lifemate nearly died. I know because we were in this room when your prince and her mother believed her dead. It nearly started a war right here. Suppose she had died?” he challenged. “Without a lifemate, you could turn, isn’t that correct?”
Dimitri shrugged his shoulders. “Lifemates follow one another into the next life.”
“In every case? Always?” Arno continued to push his point.
“Not always,” Dimitri conceded, “but it is rare not to do so.”
“We’ve studied your culture.” Lyall took up the argument. “We know that when a mate dies, madness grips the male. How would this affect the mixed blood? Wouldn’t he be more likely to choose the way of the vampire rather than lose his life?”
“It isn’t about losing one’s life,” Dimitri answered. “As a Carpathian, as a lifemate, our first duty is to see to the health and happiness of our mate. She wouldn’t die of sickness. That would be impossible. She wouldn’t die in an accident. She would have to be targeted—murdered.” His eyes met Lyall’s. “Then choosing life over death would be about revenge.”
The word revenge hung in the air between them.
Mikhail sighed. You could have chosen your words more carefully, Dimitri.
I am no politician, Mikhail. If they have studied our culture, they know that by sentencing me to death, they would also be sentencing my lifemate as well. They sit across from Skyler and calmly discuss exterminating us. Both of us. Do you think I will allow any of these men to harm my lifemate?
For the first time he felt the impact of Mikhail’s rage. It hit like a solid body blow, mean and wicked. Do you think that I would? That any Carpathian would? There is no chance that we would ever agree to what they are proposing. There is, however, a small chance that they will see things our way.
Dimitri took a deep breath. Mikhail was right. It wasn’t that Dimitri couldn’t be objective, he just thought sitting there was a waste of time. Trying to change centuries of prejudice seemed impossible to him. Arno had almost a religious fervor to him when he forgot to be a polite council member and began to heat up over a subject that clearly he felt passionate about.
Forgive me, Mikhail. I see that you have had to walk a fine line in spite of what you would like to say to these people.