Are you alright? I have not been able to reach you for two moons. His worry was palpable and Dalca did not know how to answer his question. She had just woken up and her head throbbed and she seemed to be stuck in a small room. She was not alright. She was in pain and terrified. Her entire world was flipped upside down and she had to fight to get it put back in place.
Why are you so worried about a figment of your imagination? Dalca was very much aware of how cold the words sounded.
If you have lived for nearly three thousand years and suddenly a voice enters your head the exact moment you have decided to seek the dawn and stops you. You would be sceptical as well. There was power threaded through the words and Dalca wrapped her arms around her knees and pressed her forehead against them, opening her mind to him completely. I will find you and I will kill those who have hurt you. I swear it. His words made her chuckle humourlessly.
There is nothing you can do. Mikhail was only doing what he believed to be right. Saving me from myself. The world around her was so quiet and still. Dalca stood up slowly and walked the perimeter of the room, her hand trailing over the walls of her prison.
I am sorry, sívamet. If I would have known I never would have put you in such a position. The regret was clear in his voice and she blinked slowly. She had been thrown up and down by her emotions because of him. He had hurt her whether or not he meant to.
I warned you that if you sought out the dawn I would as well. There is no me without you. Dalca returned to walking around the room. Her life had become so confusing. A light shined down on her from the ceiling and she turned her gaze up as Mikhail dropped down into the room. He was completely still and Dalca could feel her lifemate's wish to see him dead and she averted her gaze from him, not wishing to be used to bring his wish to fruition.
He will pay for hurting you. There was a dangerous warning in his voice and Dalca felt the full brunt of his killing experience. He was the oldest Carpathian, Mikhail would not prove any challenge to him, she knew it to be fact. She continued her trek around the room, wishing to gather her thoughts.
He is the prince. There is nothing you can do. Nothing I wish for you to do. He was scared and angry at me for doing a foolish thing. Dalca stopped walking suddenly and stared at the wall carefully. Her mind reaching out beyond the room, feeling a familiar presence.
"My father is here, isn't he?" Despite how she felt, Dalca's voice came out calm and even. She removed her hand from the wall and ran it through her hair, removing tangles as gently as she could as she sat down on the edge of the small cot that she had awoken in. Alexander would be furious with her.
"He arrived last night." Mikhail's voice was soft and soothing but Dalca ignored him as she ran her hands through her hair over and over again. Her eyes closed as phantom arms wrapped around her. She could practically feel his warm breath on her ear.
Sívamet. At the word she gave a sharp inhale. A smile threatening to spill over at the shivers it caused to run up and down her spine, such a strange situation, loving a man and not even knowing his name. My name is Caxton Figarov. He answered the question she had not even asked. His voice practically turned her brain to mush and she could feel hot lips dance up and down the back of her neck. It was highly distracting as she took a shuddering breath in.
I am Dalca Dalakis, formerly Cominov. She abandoned her hair and stood up quickly. Trying to shake the feeling of phantom caresses off of her. A chuckle brushed her mind and she fiddled with her nails.
"Are you alright, Dalca? You seem distracted. I checked you but there seemed to be nothing wrong. At least not physically." Mikhail reached for her and the amount of rage that filled her head from Caxton caused her to recoil violently.
"Do not touch me! For your own safety, do not touch me." Dalca glanced at him, his eyes were narrowed slightly and a fleeting smile danced across her face. There was nothing to be done for her now other than to have her lifemate come to her. "There is little anyone can do for me now, Mikhail. It shall all end soon, do not worry." Dalca closed her eyes again, trying to steady her mind.
Caxton, you must not be so violent. She sent soothing waves to him and mentally massaged his broad shoulders and tense neck, practically feeling the muscles loosen beneath her fingertips. She was trying to take her mind off of herself, him, and everything. Her hands ached to be busy, to be wrist deep in the dirt so she could shake off how she had been so resolved to ending her own life.
He caused you pain and he will die because of it. The words were mere snarls and Dalca let out a small sigh. This man had been so emotionless two days ago and now his emotions were more powerful than she could really stand. It beat at her but she welcomed them. He was feeling something.
And if you kill him then you shall die as well. I shall not have you dying over some pain that was inflicted on me because that pain would be so insignificant to the pain of losing you. The pain of your death would kill me. It was the stark truth and Dalca pulled away from Caxton's mind, temporarily shutting him out.
"I wish to see him. My father." She glanced at Mikhail and the man nodded before disappearing out of the hole in the ceiling. Dalca followed him and looked around the lavish room. A large picture window took up most of one wall and there were antique sofas and chairs dotting the study.
"I put you in the cellar. It was the only space I had that I could properly secure." Mikhail's words barely registered as Caxton forced his way into her mind once more. It wasn't exactly forceful because she hadn't really been keeping him out.
Where are you, sívamet? He knew the answer but she appreciated that he asked. It was an unnecessary gesture but it spoke of respect. He was an ancient but he did not treat her as Mikhail or her father did. It was surprising for her to be consulted. She had been taught that her consultation would rarely, if ever, be needed on such matters. Her lifemate did not need to ask for answers if they resided in her head. Dalca became suddenly aware of just how sickening the lessons had been. How dangerous it was to give one person all the power in such a relationship. She truly did not wish to be walked on and what was more was the fact Caxton had realized this before she had even known of it herself. Sívamet? There was a concern to his voice and she instinctively reached out for him, sending him feelings of well-being. She was fine and there was no cause to worry. He was immediately there and it helped to calm her beating heart.
I am residing in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. I am not sure the exact location. She glanced around and clasped her hands in front of her, feeling her father draw closer. Dalca tilted her head up and waited. It wasn't long before her father entered the study they were currently standing in. She had missed him, it was very apparent by how her heart jumped in her chest. He was her isä and she loved him dearly but the look on his face did not bode well for her.
"Dalca." Alexander's voice shook and she looked at him carefully. He was angry, she could see that much but there was also worry. Guilt coursed through her veins when she realized it was him that had told Mikhail. She had terrified him. "What happened to you?" Dalca stared at him and blinked slowly. There was very little that hadn't happened to her. How could she just explain all of it? After everything she just wished for a day in her garden where she could find peace. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess and she was having troubles expressing anything because of the cold mask of determination she had put on two days ago. It was harder to shake it off than it had been to put it on. She had been so sure of herself and it was hard to shake herself out of the mindset. It had affected her greatly and she suspected it affected Caxton just as badly.
"I can't tell you because I do not know myself." The words were true, if a bit misleading. She did not know why she had accepted his decision but she knew why she made her decision because she could not live without Caxton after he did as he wished. Dalca walked towards Alexander and embraced him gently, wishing her arms could tell him the apology that was stuck in her throat. He pushed her away abruptly and she could feel the unspoken words in his hands and see them in his eyes. The disappointment was a harsh and brutal spear through the chest but Dalca knew she deserved it to an extent.
Her ears caught the sound of trees swaying violently as the wind roared farther down the mountain and she looked to the window, half expecting Caxton to be there. There was an ancient feel to the wind, a darkness within it that she recognized deep within herself. It pulled to her like a star to a black hole, she was stuck in the pull between lifemates and the process terrified her. Not Caxton, she knew he would never hurt her but the thought of her world revolving around him without knowing a single thing about him, scared her.
"I am not happy, Dalca. I have treated you like a child for too long. What you did… what you tried to do was unacceptable." Alexander's eyes were cold and Dalca looked between him and the window with a frown. Caxton was out there and he was coming for her, the thought made her heart jump half out of fear and half out of anticipation. She did not wish for anyone to get hurt but Caxton had vengeance on his mind, she could feel it among the other swirling emotions in his mind. Someone had hurt her and they would need to be dealt with. It made her feel nauseous. Alexander's voice snapped her back to the present. "You are unfit to take care of yourself. You tried to kill yourself, Dalca. It speaks of a deep seated problem." He reached for her but Dalca stepped away feeling strange about allowing him to touch her. On one hand he was her father and on the other it was strange to have another male touch her while Caxton was a shadow in her mind.
"Dalca, please see reason. I could feel your stillness, I could feel your grief and I could feel your resolve but it was not your own! You would never stoop to such means. You are a fighter!" Alexander's words were pleading with her and Dalca let out a humourless chuckle. She was never a fighter.
"I fight to survive but when your world suddenly has no hope, what is the point in fighting? I did not stop fighting, I just embraced the inevitable." She looked up at him and willed him to understand. Prayed and hoped he could understand. "I did not do such a thing to hurt you or anyone. I did it because in that moment my future was so bleak and terrible I could not hope to survive a moment more." The hopelessness of that moment had been crushing and she embraced the sun as she would have her lifemate. He had been so sure of his decision, he was going to do it and they couldn't possibly understand that.
"Lańa, do not speak such words. You have been tainted by darkness, I can feel it on you." He stepped towards her and Dalca took a step backwards. Hovering just out of his reach. A small punishment for his refusal of her embrace. It was petty, she knew this but it made her feel like she was able to control something in a situation that was going to descend into chaos in a few moments. The wind went still and Dalca could feel him, his presence was dark and forbidding and all too dangerous but it sent shivers through her. His presence was dark and black, even she could feel it but she could not feel the taint, the rot. He was dark this she understood, his years in shades of grey and black cloaked him like a warning to the world he was dangerous, unsafe, but the faint touches to the edges of her mind told of a different person, of the man that stood underneath it all.
Dalca nearly shrieked as the large picture window shattered inwards. Alexander was suddenly in front of her protectively, His arms surrounding her like they had when she was young. She was no longer a small girl, he was now only a few inches taller than her but the little girl inside her loved that he was guarding her from the flying glass and splintering wood. Dalca's mind raced though, it was not the glass she was worried about. It was Caxton as the men tensed as his darkness entered the room. She glanced around Alexander, her breath halting in her lungs.
She had been inside his mind but she had not expected the sheer size of him. He stood close to seven feet tall and she could see the muscles the corded and roped down his arms, chest and stomach despite the loose button up shirt he was wearing. Dalca was close to six feet tall herself but he was over a head taller than her. His bulky frame took up more room than it should have but then Dalca realized it was his rage that took up most of the space he occupied. It felt tangible and solid.
His head jerked to look in Mikhail's direction and Dalca's gaze was brought upwards. His hair was long and black, hanging around his face but it did little to soften the angry and harsh edges of his face. In fact it seemed to make them that much worse. His mouth was set in a cruel slash and his jaw was ticking with rage. He was handsome, so starkly handsome that Dalca felt her mouth go dry looking at him. A low rumble filled the air and after a few moments and one tiny, imperceptible step towards her that Mikhail made let her know it was coming from him, her lifemate. The air left her lungs in an audible whoosh and suddenly his gaze moved to her and she was stunned at how striking his vivid green eyes were against his dark lashes and pale skin. The rumbling intensified as did the tension she felt in Alexander's body but she was held by his gaze, by the sheer pull it had on her.
Caxton took a step forward and both Mikhail and Alexander were in front of her and her back was pressed against one of the bookcases that lined the walls. Caxton snarled at them, instantly on the offensive and Dalca felt her mouth go dry as she reached for him mentally. He was there instantly.
Are you okay, Dalca? He was concerned, among the other emotions pounding inside of his head. Dalca wished to look upon him but her view was blocked by Alexander's back.
I am annoyed. She let out a small puff of air, it was annoying how they treated her like a treasure Caxton had come to steal. It was hard to steal what belonged to you but the thought made Dalca's mood sour even more.
"If you attack, you will hurt her. You know this." Mikhail's voice had a hard edge and she glanced around Alexander and her eyes locked onto Caxton's. There was so much going on in his gaze and it sent shivers up and down her spine. Desire, rage, and longing made her breath hitch in her chest. Her own body itching to be near his. She wished to run her hands through his hair and touch his skin, bringing her lips to touch his to see if they would soften for her. Lust flared hotly in his eyes and a flush crawled up Dalca's neck as she realized he had seen her trail of thought but despite the hotness to her cheeks, a different warmth pooled low in her stomach. Mikhail shifted in front of them, blocking her view effectively cutting off their locked gaze. There was a snarl and it skipped across her skin, leaving goose bumps and shivers in its wake.
"If you come one step closer. I will rip you apart limb from limb." Alexander's tone was even more cutting than Mikhail's and the threat hung heavily in the air, increasing the tension. Dalca felt trapped, it would come to violence, she could see it happening already. Tensions were at a snapping point. She reached out a tentative hand and touched Mikhail's shoulder with the tips of her fingers.
"Mikhail, I told you before that no one could help me and I was not lying. This is the end of my suffering." Her voice was soothing and she pushed all the calming she could into the words.
You are far too important, Dalca. I can feel it, the beast has recently claimed him, if we give you to him he will destroy you. It must not happen. Alexander snapped it angrily and Dalca blinked, counting slowly in her head, trying to calm herself down. Unwilling to become tense or upset. Unwilling to upset the delicate balance in the room.
"I will not stand by and let you tear each other apart." Her voice was sharper than a sword and she had a surprising strength as she pushed her way out from behind them. Catching them off guard, her eyes narrowed at them. "I will not stand by and let you destroy what is rightfully mine." She hissed the words out and took in their reactions.
"Where he goes, I go and if you send him to the beyond, after I destroy you, I will do as I tried two days ago and no one shall be able to stop me. There is no me without him as there is no Raven without you, Mikhail and no you without Alice, isä." Dalca could feel him behind her, he was so large and it intimidated her. She did not need to be but the feeling was there all the same.
"Dalca!" Her father's voice was strained and she turned her head. His eyes were pleading and angry all at the same time. She turned away, her gaze landing on a broad chest that stood slightly behind her.
"Dalca, move away." Mikhail's voice held a strong compulsion but Dalca forced her body to move towards her lifemate rather than away. Her eyes connected to his and the warmth in her stomach hit her again full force. She was close enough to touch and she reached up with her hand, settling it over his strong beating heart. She could feel the heat of his skin through his shirt and muscles twitched under her palm.
"Sívamet." His richly accented voice over the ancient endearment made her knees feel weak. Caxton reached up and nothing Alexander had ever taught had prepared her for what it felt like to have her lifemate touch her for the very first time. His warm, rough palm slid up her neck and his thumb brushed her cheek. It was the simplest of touches but it felt like a match to gasoline, explosive. It made her skin burn and her heart pound violently in her chest. Fire ran through her veins, burning her up from the inside out. It twisted the breath in her chest and made her feel light headed. Desire beat at her to the tune of her own heartbeat.
Nothing in that moment mattered but his hand on her skin and his heart beating against her palm. Nothing around her mattered, all of her senses were focused on Caxton. All that mattered was how his nostrils flared at her scent, how his pupils dilated as he gazed at her. She could feel more cold gazes on her, Mikhail's reinforcements had arrived but she still did not care. It did not matter. There was only Caxton in that moment. He was everywhere around her, he was everywhere but inside of her and the need to rectify that made her ache.