Disclaimer: I do not own the Carpathian Series, and definitely do not own the amazing characters in Christine Feehan's wonderful books. This is just a fanfic.
When they said it was a get together, Alana had worried she would be facing a large, rambunctious party. Instead, as she entered the wonderfully elegant home of Skyler's parents, Alana found only a dozen or so people and a few very active children.
Skyler and Josef introduced her to each individual and Alana wondered briefly if there was something in the water. Every single woman could only be described as hauntingly beautiful, the air around them shimmering with a soft and warming glow. The men were equally as attractive, but there was an edge of danger to them, as if they had each seen things that scarred the soul.
And the children. The children were adorable. Two twin girls toddled after a young boy, laughing and playing and displaying an intelligence well beyond their years. The sight made Alana's heart ache, but she could not help but feel engulfed by the loving atmosphere.
Skyler's mother Francesca welcomed Alana with open arms, giving the young woman an affectionate hug. "I apologize if we have interrupted any plans you made for this evening," she said, voice soothing.
"Ah, no," Alana protested. "Truthfully, I haven't planned much of anything out for this trip." She grinned sheepishly. "It was all pretty sudden for me."
Another woman came to greet Alana, one of the twin girls tucked expertly under her arm. "Josef mentioned that it took a while to convince you to come." She grinned, violet eyes dancing. "I'm Savannah, by the way. And the man in the corner trying to look intimidating is my husband, Gregori."
Alana looked over to where Savannah pointed, trying to hold back her laughter. "Which one?" she asked innocently.
The two women laughed, sounding like bells. Alana found herself relaxing, finally able to let go of the tension she had been carrying since arriving. It had always taken her a while to get used to people, but she found Skyler's family remarkably refreshing, even if the men were a little overwhelming.
Josef bounded over to her side as Savannah waded back into the group of children. "Do you still want to watch some movies?"
Alana shook her head, surprised to find that she meant it. Even though the house was filled with laughter and conversation, her mind felt blessedly silent. She wished for a moment she could ask someone why that might be, but dismissed the idea as soon as it came. There was no need to point herself out as a freak when she just met everyone. Better to savor this while she could.
"Skyler, did you hear from Razvan and Ivory?" asked Skyler's father.
A hint of sorrow flashed across Skyler's face and Dimitri hugged her close, answering in her stead. "They are still rather wary of coming out into the open," he responded, choosing his words carefully. "Neither has become used to being part of a group."
"Ah." Gabriel turned his attention on Alana. "It is strange to see someone so young travel so far by herself. Your parents were not alarmed?"
Though the question was simple, Alana felt her heart stop, her stomach bottoming as she slammed the door on the memories that attempted to rise to the surface. For a second the world seemed to shrink around her and she wanted nothing more than to run. It was at that moment the men in the room all straightened, going still, the air filling with tension. Several of them quietly exited the room even as Alana forced herself to answer.
"There was an accident," she confessed in a low voice, twisting her fingers together. "I—I'd rather not talk about it."
Once again Francesca moved close, placing her arms around Alana's shoulders. "Of course," she said gently. "Could we offer you something to drink?" She steered the young woman towards the kitchen. Over the girl's head, she glared at her lifemate. What is going on?
I did not know. The young woman is very hard to read.
I mean with the others, Francesca shot back. There is something going on here. Do not think I did not notice when Gregori, Mikhail, and Dimitri disappeared.
He shrugged carefully. I am sure we will know if there is any trouble.
Mikhail waited patiently outside, Gregori and Dimitri standing by protectively, as lone figure approached the front gate. The Carpathian male was unfamiliar to them, but the men did not sense the presence of the undead. Still, there was an aura of menace that clung to the ancient warrior, as if he readied himself for battle.
Andreas spread his arms wide in greeting as he approached the Prince. "I apologize for appearing so suddenly," he greeted, "but I came only to see our Prince before I greet the dawn." He bowed low, the gesture courtly. "I am Andreas del Olmo."
Mikhail returned the greeting, stepping around a disapproving Gregori as he did so. "We welcome you, brother, though it is sad to see one of our ancients return only to greet the dawn." He gestured to the house. "You may join us for a moment and meet the others before you continue."
Beside him, Gregori stirred and Mikhail glanced to his second-in-command.
Mikhail, it is not wise to allow an unknown so close to the women, especially one so close to the end of his life.
It is also unwise to allow any of our males to give himself to the dawn without at least knowing if he might have information to benefit our people. He paused. Perhaps it would be best if Savannah were to take the children upstairs in the meantime.
Andreas hesitated at the offer, as if weighing his options. After a long minute, he nodded reluctantly. "Perhaps to see that which I have fought so long for." His dark eyes roamed the skies restlessly. "Beyond that, I believe it best not to tarry."
This was good. It was more than Andreas had hoped for when he approached the home of the legendary Gabriel. It would be far easier to lay claim to his lifemate before the Prince than to steal the young woman away.
The moment Andreas stepped across the threshold and into the elegant home, he felt a sense of peace stealing over him. He spotted the soothing patterns in the various stained glass immediately, recognizing a feminine touch in their creation. Gabriel was indeed a lucky man to have such a talented lifemate. Even isolated as he was from his people, Andreas had heard of Francesca and her healing abilities.
Gabriel was there to meet him at the door, along with the Prince's younger brother. The women were nowhere in sight, but Andreas sensed his lifemate's presence close by and relaxed subtly. He grasped Gabriel's arms in the warrior's way.
"Én jutta félet és ekämet," he said formally. I greet a friend and brother.
"Bur tule ekämet kuntamak," Gabriel returned. Well met brother-kin. "It has been long since we last fought together. It is good to see you after so many centuries."
Andreas inclined his head. "You as well, Gabriel."
It took several minutes for the men to move beyond the doorway, as the Prince and his guards warily assessed the newcomer. Only Gabriel remembered Andreas, and it had been nearly a thousand years since their last meeting. Still, Gabriel remembered the ancient as a man of honor and great skill. If Andreas was to meet the dawn, Gabriel agreed with Mikhail's sentiment that they should take this last chance to speak with the warrior.
As they spoke of his most recent battles with the undead, Andreas searched along the mental path to his lifemate. He found her in the next room—the kitchen—and sent a small push for her to come to his side.
"You have had no problems with the undead in your journey to the Carpathian Mountains?" Gregori inquired.
Andreas shook his head. "It is as if they are explicitly avoiding the area," he revealed. "Though I had determined to take note of their lairs, I did not believe it wise to engage in battle with the undead when I had already determined to meet the dawn." He shrugged his shoulders in a rolling wave of muscle. "Still, I detected very few."
Mikhail and Gregori shared a worried glance. Their fight had hardly ceased in the long centuries since Mikhail rose to power; only recently had they noticed a drop off in activity. While they hoped it was a good sign for their people, they realized that it was more than likely evidence of an even stronger enemy to come. Having encountered the Sange Rau more than once in recent months, it was all too likely that a master was eking out his territory and quietly baiting a trap.
"And beyond the Carpathian Mountains?" Jacques asked.
"It is much unchanged," Andreas returned. "I have noticed, however, an increase in activity from the group of human vampire hunters. They appear to be readying for a concentrated attack, though I was unable to determine their plans."
He checked once more on his lifemate, increasing the strength of his silent command. She was fighting the compulsion to enter the sitting room, determining to finish the soup Francesca had prepared for her. Alana was enjoying herself; Skyler and Josef had joined her in the kitchen and even now they were discussing their plans for later in the evening. It was Andreas could do to prevent himself from striding into the other room without warning and carry her off.
He turned his attention back to the other males, knowing that the information they imparted would be important for the protection of his lifemate. Though the Carpathians had always had to contend with outside forces attempting to destroy them, they had come to an important era. For the first time in centuries, the birthrate among the Carpathians was increasing. More women now than ever before were becoming pregnant—or coming into their reproductive cycles. While the women still faced a high rate of miscarriage and stillbirth, the figures were slowly but surely dropping.
A concentrated attack now could devastate their population once more. And if their enemies could succeed in destroying both Mikhail and his son, the Carpathian people would flounder and crumble. Now that he had found his lifemate, Andreas was more determined than ever to protect his people. And he could do no other than to see to Alana's happiness and safety.
note: I will probably be slowing down on the chapters as the release of Dark Blood draws closer (26 more days!). I've been trying to catch up on all my re-reads, so it might take me a little longer to get a chapter out.
Thanks for the reads! And the very wonderful review :D