Dark Celebration (37 page)

Nicolae slid his arm along the back of her seat. "Destiny has not celebrated Christmas in years. We are going out to get a tree. Would you like to join us?"

Mikhail shook his head regretfully. "I have a few more stops to make before we all gather at the inn. I was hoping I would have a chance to speak with MaryAnn Delaney. I understand she's staying here."

"Yes, she's with a young teenage girl at the moment. Francesca brought her over a few minutes ago and asked that MaryAnn speak with her. We're to take her home shortly."

"Young Skyler. Most of the time, a girl her age would not trigger a response in her lifemate, but she is mature beyond her years and we now have an unrequited male running loose and demanding his rights." Mikhail sighed softly. "Skyler needs protection at all times. If we fail again, her lifemate will bind her to him and I am not certain what Gabriel will do, but it will not be pleasant."

"Francesca warned us," Nicolae said. "Skyler indicated she would like to join us when we get the tree, so we'll leave as soon as MaryAnn has had some time with her. I don't anticipate any problems, but we will be careful. Destiny is a skilled hunter, so young Skyler will be doubly protected."

"Do not let her out of your sight," Mikhail warned. "She has a tendency to wander off. I sometimes wonder why I press Raven to have another child. I have forgotten the trouble they can be."

"See!" Destiny made a face at Nicolae. "I told you they were trouble."

Mikhail rose. "I am off to see your brother. Is there anything you would like me to tell him?"

"Just pass on that you're going to ask Gregori to play Santa Claus. Vikirnoff will definitely enjoy that news." Nicolae stood as well to see the prince out.

"I do not intend to
ask
Gregori, Nicolae. I will give him my first order as his father-in-law."

Nicolae swept Destiny under his shoulder. "I so want to be there when you announce to Gregori that he will play Santa Claus tonight."

"I wish I was there to see Savannah's face. She has such a wonderful sense of humor. I never thought I would become friends with the daughter of a prince. Although, honestly, I think she's just happy she got to fight a vampire so she can have something to hold over Gregorys head."

Mikhail's face darkened and all humor left his face. "The moment something happens to my people—in particular my daughter—I am to be informed. But somehow, this small detail seems to have been omitted. Nicolae, perhaps you would be so kind as to explain, as my son-in-law failed to do so."
Gregori, did my daughter fight a vampire? And why wasn't I informed immediately
? He sent a hiss of displeasure and the image of bared teeth.

Color receded from Destiny's face, leaving her very pale. She turned to Nicolae for reassurance.
Did I say something wrong
?

No, of course not
, Nicolae said comfortingly.

Mikhail immediately regained control, forcing a small smile. The last thing he wanted to do was make Destiny uncomfortable. Fighting vampires to her was as natural as breathing. She would have a difficult time understanding why he was considering throttling Gregori.

I had every intention of telling you, but I came home to a battle. I didn't think in the midst of getting my hand cut off that it would be a good time to say, "Oh, and by the way, Savannah was out slaying vampires."

I am considering chopping off your head. You will tell me every detail when we are alone. And don't whine about your hand, it is perfectly fine now.

I take no responsibility for the way you raised your headstrong daughter. I do my best to minimize the damage you and Raven did with your liberal and far too lenient raising.

Mikhail nearly choked. "That son-in-law is going to get taught a lesson he won't forget tonight. Liberal and lenient? I was firm with my daughter." Mikhail waved to Destiny and left with a satisfied smirk on his face.

Destiny frowned, trying to follow the conversation. "Did you understand any of that?"

"I think he was arguing with Gregori over whether or not Savannah was raised properly." Nicolae turned as MaryAnn Delaney and Skyler came into the room. Skyler was dressed in her furred parka, and MaryAnn reached for her own coat. MaryAnn was tall and slender with coffee-cream skin and spiraling curls all over her head. Even dressed in her jeans, she looked far too sophisticated for the woods. Small diamonds sparkled on her earlobes and a thin gold chain circled her neck.

"We're really going to do this?" MaryAnn asked, following the others outside. "Go chop down a tree in the middle of the forest?"

"Are you going to be a big baby? It's not that cold," Nicolae teased. "Didn't you ever have a Christmas tree back in Seattle?"

"Of course I have, but I buy my trees in a civilized manner, you heathen," MaryAnn said. "At the corner right down from my house. And in fact, they deliver them for me each year because my car is too small to get them home."

"Are they always like this?" Skyler asked Destiny.

"They get worse," she answered, drawing the door closed behind them.

"And you don't mind? I thought lifemates were jealous all the time."

Destiny frowned as she made her way across the snow-covered ground. "Is Francesca jealous of Gabriel's friendships?"

"He isn't really all that friendly. Just with Lucian and Jaxon, and he treats Jaxon like his sister. Well, he's good to the housekeeper, but not like Francesca, and he doesn't really like very many men around her." She shrugged. "Earlier, I was with Dimitri and he was being nice to me, but then Josef came along and he changed completely. I was afraid for Josef."

"Jealousy isn't a good trait," MaryAnn said, pulling her hood over her curls. "It shows insecurity."

"Ah but sometimes, when other men look at my woman the wrong way," Nicolae said, leering at Destiny, "they deserve to be scared off."

MaryAnn threw a snowball at him. "You would say that because you haven't joined the modern world."

"And I don't want to either. I like being king of my castle."

Destiny snorted and added her snowball to MaryAnn's. "You wish."

Manolito moved in absolute silence through the trees. The heartbeats were louder now, thunder in his ears. He could hear blood running, coursing through arteries straight to hearts. His mouth watered and his teeth lengthened. His pulse throbbed as it tuned itself to his prey. Lightning seemed to sizzle in his veins. He tried to reach for Rafael and Riordan, a last effort to remember honor and sanity, but he could not make the effort.

The heartbeats pounded and a single sound broke the rhythm. Laughter. It tinkled in the air, a melodious note that sank into his pores—called to the most basic part of him. Deep within, his demon roared, fighting for release, raking and clawing, demanding he give in. That sound came again, carried on the slight wind, drifting past the snowflakes to reach out to him, to beckon—no—summon him. He turned toward that note and moved with more stealth. He caught the scent now. Three women and a man—not just any man—a hunter. A warrior. He should walk away, get out while he could, but his demon thundered orders, shaking him, demanding he find prey.

A slow hiss escaped. His body was graceful, the body of an ancient hunter who had long battled the vampire and was highly skilled in combat. He moved with the drift of snow, part of nature itself, transparent and fluid, as silent as the flakes falling from the clouds.

Skyler pulled her parka closer around her and looked out toward the deeper forest. The world was white and sparkling, snow weighing down the branches of the trees in all directions. Off in the distance she could see the smoke coming from the direction of the inn. She shivered for no reason at all.

"It's beautiful out here, don't you think?" MaryAnn remarked.

Skyler nodded. "Very beautiful—but dangerous."

"And cold," MaryAnn added. "I'm not like the others. I can't regulate my body temperature like they can. Even you do better than I do. And I'm not a particularly adventurous person."

"I love the forest and even the cold. There's something about knowing wild animals are close and everything around me is in its natural state." Even as she admitted it, Skyler's gaze was searching out the darker interior of the woods.

MaryAnn shuddered. "I can see you love this, child, but I'm a city girl. And I'm totally out of my element here. I have to tell you, if any of these men were my man, I'd be bashing him upside the head—and I'm a woman who doesn't condone violence."

Skyler swung her full attention back to MaryAnn, laughing. "I think that's a good idea. I'm going to tell Francesca that's what she needs to do whenever Gabriel gets bossy."

"It's definitely what Destiny needs to do with that bossy man she's hooked up with," MaryAnn said decisively.

"I heard that," Nicolae said. He pitched a snowball at MaryAnn with deadly accuracy.

She laughed as it splattered against her shoulder. "You're so mean, Nicolae. You know I can't retaliate because my hands are frozen."

"You are such a little hothouse flower," Nicolae taunted. "And you couldn't hit me anyway. Your one try hit the tree three feet to my left."

"Just call me Orchid. I thrive best in the warmth of the indoors. As for aim, I never could hit anything, not even a softball and I tried when I was a kid. What about you, Skyler, do you play sports?"

Skyler shook her head. "No. I'm not too good with other kids. Francesca homeschools me."

"I could hit a rock with my eyes closed by the time I was fourteen," Nicolae boasted. "That's what we played with in the old days."

"Did you really?" Skyler was intrigued.

"Yes. We spent a great deal of time seeing who could feel a small attack coming and divert it before it hit. I was darn good at it too. I won't mention my brother, who excelled at it and slipped one or two past me to give me the occasional black eye."

"All this manly beating on the chest is making me weak. I need to fly home soon to my beautiful Seattle," MaryAnn said half-jokingly.

Destiny made a single sound of distress and reached for MaryAnn's hand. "You can't leave me."

"You'll do fine, girlfriend. You know you will. You're strong and whole…"

"That's taking it a little too far," Destiny said. "I'm never going to be like everyone else."

"And no one wants you to be. You're Destiny and you're unique. Right, Skyler?" MaryAnn drew the girl into the conversation. "We wouldn't want Destiny to be any other way."

"I like you just the way you are," Skyler admitted shyly.

"I don't know what way I am," Destiny whispered, gripping MaryAnn harder, as if she might be able to keep her in the Carpathian Mountains.

"You accept people the way they are," Skyler said, her gaze too old, memories swirling to the surface before she could stop them. "You just accept people."

MaryAnn put her hand on Skyler's shoulder. "That's right, Destiny. She's right about you. You never ask anything of anyone and you don't expect them to be anything they're not. You're a very accepting person."

"I'm not any different than the two of you," Destiny objected.

MaryAnn blew out a trail of white vapor and watched it float away. "Yes, you are," she said without meeting her friend's gaze. "I could never do what you've done. You have the courage to take on a man like Nicolae. I can't do that. I'll never do that. I intend to remain alone all of my life rather than chance being with someone who is dominating and possibly destructive." She spread her hands out. "I don't want a man in my life and I always judge them too harshly."

"If some handsome hottie came out of the forest and claimed you, you wouldn't accept him?" Skyler asked. "No matter how hot he was?"

MaryAnn shook her head. "Absolutely not. I would catch the first plane back to Seattle."

"Lifemates don't always let you do the things you want," Skyler murmured.

"Ha! Gregori promised his protection, and I'd hide in his house until I could get safely home. I would never, under any circumstances, live with a Carpathian male."

"I feel the same way," Skyler said, and looked out toward the forest, blinking back tears that were suddenly close.

The smile faded from MaryAnn's face as she looked at the other girl and really backtracked in their conversation. Skyler was fighting the pull of her lifemate, and with all the things MaryAnn now knew about their species, she knew it was difficult, if not impossible. "I was being humorous, Skyler," she said softly. "Things we think are forever are often just a short space of time. I have no idea what I'd really do if a Carpathian man came out of the forest and claimed me. How could I really know?"

Skyler shook her head, tears swimming in her eyes in spite of her efforts to keep them at bay.

"Sweetheart," MaryAnn's voice was infinitely gentle. "You feel that way now only because you haven't worked out all of your problems. You need to find out who you really are and what strengths you have. No one can get ahead of themselves and make decisions when they haven't given themselves time to grow. Have patience. Give yourself time to grow up. There's no hurry at all."

Skyler ducked her head. If there was no hurry, why did she feel such a sense of urgency? Why did the woods beckon her every time she looked at them? The pull was strong to go find Dimitri. She hoped it was to tell him she couldn't be what he wanted, but she feared he had already tied them in some way. She couldn't stop thinking about him, and worse, her body reacted when she did—and she
detested
her reaction. Heat spread through her veins, her breasts ached, and lower still, she felt damp and uncomfortable, tension building. She felt his hunger. His need. She felt his silent call to her, even though he tried to suppress his needs and keep a barrier between them. His blood called to her. She knew it was Dimitri. And she didn't want anything to do with a man or what that would entail.

"There's a likely candidate," Nicolae said, pointing toward a particularly full tree. "We could do a lot with that."

The tree was deeper in the woods, and Skyler hesitated to follow as the three adults raced each other across the snow, occasionally throwing a snowball at each other. She was filled with dread when she looked into the shadows. Something lurked there. Something dangerous. It watched them with hungry eyes. Watched and waited for one wrong move. She could feel the waves of menace, and didn't understand how Nicolae or Destiny couldn't feel it as well.