Gregori joined the others in the den. He was alone.
"Where--" Francesca began, when they all heard the howling of wolves outside. They were unusually loud but the sound faded quickly.
"He has left, then," Mikhail said. "You handled that well, my old friend."
"The darkness eats at his soul differently than it does for us," Gregori said. "The beast is there but instead of fighting to be free, it is devouring him from the inside. I just gave it something else to want to destroy."
"But a 'coward'? You called an ancient male who's been a hunter for eight or nine hundred years, a 'coward'?" Joie was shocked.
"Nolan has defeated vampires more ancient than himself." Savannah framed Gregori's face in her hands, "He battles alone more often than not, even though there are other males here to call on. You're lucky he didn't punch you, or eviscerate you, or whatever it is you Carpathian males do when you make each other angry. Gregori," she sighed his name and sank into her favorite chair. "I don't know if you were unbelievably brave or brain dead stupid."
"As he did not strike me, let us just assume I was brave and touchingly compassionate," Gregori stood behind Savannah running his fingers lightly through her hair. "There is no doubt Nolan will go to Asta, we can only trust that things will work out between them the way we all want them to."
'And you,
cherie, have no more reason to weep.' he told her.His hand tangled in her hair as Savannah sent him a tidal wave of her love.'You saved him because of me?'
she lifted her arm and took his hand in hers.'I breathe because of you,'
he looked tenderly down at her. 'Mon Dieu, you are crying again.'Traian was absently rubbing Joie's swollen belly as he looked around the room. His little girl kicked at him each time he touched a certain spot on her mother's tummy. Both father and daughter were enjoying the game, "If he encounters those vampire hunters while he is there," he said, "they will both be in danger. Who here has had a blood exchange with him so he can contact us if he needs help?"
"I know Byron has," said Mikhail, "but he recently left for Italy. If he's the only one, we can get word through Jacques. I should have thought of this."
"No one expects you to think of everything," Raven immediately leapt to her lifemate's defense. "Nolan is an experienced hunter, and you saved his life tonight by sending him to Asta."
"She's right, Mikhail," Gabriel pulled Francesca to her feet as they prepared to take their leave, "and if worse comes to worst he can use his cell phone."