Christine Feehan - Dark Demon 16

She pressed her lips to his chest and straightened her spine. «We need to get inside where you can lie down.» She felt his hesitation and a dark dread began to take hold of her. She looked up at him. «What is it, Vikirnoff?»

«My injuries are very severe, Natalya. You still have to access the scenes from the past and complete your task, whatever that task may be. The prince and Falcon are both wounded. I need to be at full strength with a master vampire in the area. I have no choice but to go to ground this rising to heal.» His voice was grim.

There was a small silence. Her fingers curled tighter in his hair. She couldn't breathe, couldn't find enough air to drag into her lungs. The thought of being separated from him was terrifying. Her emotions swirled up violent and chaotic and totally without sense, so unexpected she couldn't hide it from him. «Why can't you stay here? I can watch over you while you sleep. You know I will.» Was that really Natalya Shonski? Pleading with a man to stay with her? Not just any man, but a hunter who had bound her to him by reciting an ancient spell? It didn't bear thinking about.

A part of her wanted to take back the plea, to say something flip and make them both laugh, but the dread was too close and too overwhelming. He was going to leave her and she was going to be alone again.

«Only Mother Earth can heal these wounds, Natalya,» he said, regret in his voice.

«Well, let's not forget good old Mother Earth also gives the Troll King a nice little hideaway. What if he decides to come burrowing up under the ground to your resting place and I'm not there to save your butt again?» Her nails dug into his arm. She was pathetic, trying to hold him to her.

«I do not want to leave you, ainaak enyem, but you cannot yet come with me and sleep our rejuvenating sleep.»

«How can I be forever yours if the Troll King is going to drag you into his lair while you're sleeping?» She would not beg him to stay. She wouldn't. «I'll go with you and just sit on top of your resting place.»

Vikirnoff shook his head. «You cannot and you know it. I do not want to leave you to face the separation of lifemates, but I have no other choice.» One hand slid to the nape of her neck, his thumb brushing over her chin in a small caress as he bent his head even closer.

«I am capable of looking out for myself,» Natalya reminded him, squaring her shoulders. His mouth was so close to hers. A temptation. She knew he wanted her. That his body was full and aching. It was in every beat of his heart. It was in the hardness of his muscles and fullness of his groin. Most of all, in his eyes, diamond hard, glittering with such intensity as he stared down into her face. The erotic images she'd glimpsed in his mind took her breath away. He was no shy lover, but everything the tigress in her craved-needed-dreamt of and fantasized about. It wouldn't be difficult to change his mind, to keep him with her. The thought was there, unbidden, but strong in her mind. She didn't want him to leave her.

Vikirnoff lowered his head to kiss her. A small taste to get him through the separation, a mere brush of his lips against hers, but his will melted away as unexpected fire raged in his veins and his heavy erection pressed painfully against the material of his jeans. He heard a strange roaring in his head and every injury his body had suffered, every pinpoint of pain came together at the point of his groin. He needed. He hungered. He couldn't think anymore, only feel, pleasure and pain mixed together until he couldn't tell them apart. Until he knew this woman in his arms had to belong to him, did belong to him in spite of her denials. Not anyone else, only Natalya.

His mouth crushed hers, rough and demanding, teeth tugging on her lower lip, tongue sliding on the seam to thrust deep with his own claim. She realized he didn't want the separation any more than she did. He was more than willing to succumb to seduction. Wounded, in pain, it didn't matter, he would give everything up to claim her body, to be a part of her. Hunger seemed insatiable, hers, his, she couldn't even tell the difference, only that her fingers fisted in his hair and her head tilted back to give him a better angle while her mouth fed at his.

He dragged her closer and her arm knocked against his neck. He tensed, his body shuddering, breaking out immediately in a blood-beaded sweat. Natalya pushed away from him, shrinking back against the wall, pressing the back of her hand to her swollen lips. «This is crazy. You're making me crazy. Go away, right now. The sun is climbing, your

eyes are burning, the next thing I know your skin will burst into flames.»

A reluctant smile tugged at Vikirnoff's mouth. It felt like flames were already dancing over his skin, but she was right. He was weak, needed blood and healing soil. It was only the fact that he was an ancient, well experienced with grave injuries that allowed him to stay on his feet. His strength couldn't last forever and she would have need of him in coming battles.

«Go, Vikirnoff, I mean it.»

«I will see you safe first. Remove the safeguards and enter your room.»

She couldn't think straight, her blood so hot and her body tight and uncomfortable, begging for release. She took a breath and forced her scattered mind to work again. If she concentrated on the safeguards and not on the fact that he was going away, she would be all right again.

The room was just as they'd left it. She flung her pack into a corner and sat down in the small chair just in front of the television set. She'd paid extra for the television set and it was covered with the same colorful tapestries as the walls and bed, so much so that she could barely see the screen. «I'll be fine. You can see no one is in here or has been here.»

«It will not be easy. Being separated from a lifemate is extremely difficult. I, of course, have not experienced it, but am told grief is overwhelming because our minds need to touch. I will be asleep and you will not have access to me.»

«Don't flatter yourself, Vik.» She crossed her arms over her churning stomach and managed a smile. «I've been without you for a century or two, I think I can manage.»

«The doubt will creep in, Natalya. You will think I am dead. Emotionally you have already been through a storm. It will be difficult not to give into wild grief.»

Her eyebrow shot up. «Grief? Not just grief but wild grief? I think I'll manage just fine. The sun is climbing and you're wasting time. Just go now before…» Her voice trailed off. She wanted him to go.

«Do not try to access the past by touching the ceremonial knife, Natalya,» Vikirnoff cautioned.

«I do have a perfectly good mind and I've been able to use it all this time by my little old self,» she answered. «You're stalling.»

«Give me your word.»

She was beginning to feel desperate. «I give you my word, but you tell me the first line again.»

His eyebrow shot up. «The first line?»

«Of the binding spell. I want you to say it again in your language.» Her chin shot up. «You aren't the only linguist. I can speak several languages and I'm very good at figuring things out.»

«So you are still determined to undo what I wrought.»

«Yes.» She didn't know how true that was anymore, but damn him to hell, he was leaving her and she was already acting out of character, a whiny baby ready to cry for him. She'd tried to seduce him into staying and she'd pleaded with him. She had no shame and that just wasn't okay with her.

His eyes went diamond hard again. «Te avio palafertiilam.»

«That one isn't so difficult. When languages regress words are often dropped. There would be no 'are'. Literally it would be, «you wedded wife-my».» She looked at him triumphantly. «You literally married me, bonded with me, tied us together in the way of your people.»