Dark Dreams

A/N: Sorry it has taken me so long to get this chapter up, i have been so busy lately. ): I hope i can get the next chapter up quicker next time.

Special thanks to fallunder who took the time to review :D

Chapter 10

"E-Eli? W-What are you doing here?" Cassi asked sitting up, looking around at the people in the room. Eli came over and sat on the bed next to Cassi and took her into his arms, much to Gabriel's disdain. He looked down at the small girl and ran his fingers through her messy hair and smiled sadly.

"Cassi, i haven't been completely honest with you about a lot of things, and now i think that it would be a good time to tell you the whole truth..." Eli frowned and hugged Cassi tightly to him before he handed her to Gabriel who immediately wrapped her up in his strong arms. Cassi sighed in contentment before snuggling up against Gabriel's chest. The warmth of love and protection washed over her, calming her nerves and fears. Gabriel leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead before sitting on the bed with her in his arms.

"Cassi...you know what Gabriel is do you not?" Eli asked. Cassi nodded.

"He is a Carpathian."

"Do you know what a Carpathian is?" Eli asked and Cassi shook her head no in response.

"The Carpathian people are an ancient race, though on the edge of extinction, a powerful race none the less. They-"

"They are vampires."Nic growled. Gabriel growled and gave Nic an icy glare.

"We are not vampires. We are Carpathian. We are people of the night. We survive off of the blood of humans...but we do not kill or harm them, we feed, and erase their memories of the events."

"If you dont hurt them, then why does Nic call you a vampire?" Cassi asked.

"We-"

"They drink blood and cant go out into the sunlight! They live in caves or in the underground! They are no better than vampires!"

"Hold your tongue little shape-shifter, i shall not be merciful this time." Gabriel hissed, his voice turning form soft and seductive, to dark and alluring all in a matter of seconds.

'Whoa...that's...wow' She thought as heat pooled in her cheeks. No man should have a voice like that. She heard a deep rumbling and then heard it in the back of her mind. He was laughing at her. She looked up and her cheeks burned as he looked down at her with pure amusement in his eyes.

*Whoa? Cara, I do believe you are blushing.* He teased.

'Shut up.' She pouted as he chuckled again.

'So Nic and Vincent are shape-shifters?' she changed the subject.

*They are both of the wolf race...meaning they can transform and take the appearance of a wolf.*

'Kinda' like a werewolf?'

*You could say that cara.*

"Stop that! Don't talk with your minds, i want to know what you are saying!" Nic growled and Vincent nodded in agreement. Gabriel huffed in annoyance, before turning to look at them.

"As i was saying, we cannot go mid-day sunlight, for it burns our skin. We can control the elements, we can shapeshift, and we have amazing healing abilities. We live thousands of years, and slowly age." Gabriel explained as Cassi listened with curiousity.

"That's so cool!" Cassi exclaimed. She was living in a world full of magic, vampires, and shape-shifters! Her ultimate dream come true.

*Such a strange one you are cara.*

'Me? Strange? Never?' She giggled and he responded with his own chuckle of amusement.

"Tell her Gabriel." Eli commanded softly interrupting them, and Gabriel nodded.

"Cara, do you remember when i told you that you were my lifemate?"

"I remember, why?"

"You are my lifemate, you are the other half of my soul. Without you I would become a vampire or the other, and you would never feel complete, and you too would soon perish"

"A vampire?"

"Male Carpathians lose the ability to feel emotions or to see in color after 200 years. After 200 years a darkness will slowly spread and consume their only way their emotions and ability to see in color are returned to them is when a male finds his lifemate.

Carpathian males are filled with an inner darkness. Inside there is a beast, that if not tamed will be released and will take over. He is capable of great violence. That is where you, the lifemate comes in. The female, is the light to our darkness. The only one who can save us from meeting the dawn or the other."

"The other?"

"Becoming a vampire."Vincent said.

"Okay, i understand...i think, but what does being a lifemate mean?" She asked looking up at Gabriel from her position in his lap.

"My lifemate, my woman, mine and mine alone, you are to be cherished, loved, cared, and provided for by me, and you tame the beast inside of me. You are my only means of existence, my only reason for surviving. My lifemate." Gabriel said causing her to blush under the intensity of his gaze.

"Cassi?" Eli asked. Cassi turned her attention to that of her brother. He looked as though he had just lost his best friend.

"Eli? What is the matter?" She asked worriedly.

"When i said i hadn't been completely honest with you, i had meant that i had not been honest with you about a lot of things."

"Okay?" She pondered confusedly.

"Cassi, our parents are alive."

Please take the time to review, i would really appreciate it! But no flames please.