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.
Alana's heart skipped a beat before beginning a rapid dance. She stared at Andreas's outstretched hand for a long moment, indecision warring with blatant desire. Could she trust him? Her heart insisted she could, but Alana knew the world was a dark place. Not everything could be taken at face value. But everything in her yearned to take his offer, to grab at it with both hands and never let go.
After a long moment, she threw her inhibitions to the wind and placed her hand in his. Immediately, his fingers curled around hers, and he pulled her to his side. "Close your eyes," he urged in a voice that sent shivers down her spine. When she complied, he swung her up into his arms and stalked out to the balcony. Without another word, he launched himself into the air and sped toward the heart of the forest, eager to show her his world.
Alana clutched at Andreas's neck, feeling the wind rush around them. Her eyes were still squeezed tight, but she knew they moved through the air. They were flying. How this was possible, she didn't know, but she didn't examine it too closely. Instead, she gave herself up to the pure sensation of flight. Laughter bubbled up in her even as she pressed her head against his shoulder.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Andreas felt a curious melting in the region of his heart and knew that this young woman had changed him for all time. Not just because she was his lifemate, the other half of his soul, but because she had given herself over so willingly, so trustingly. He could not remember when someone had so readily accepted him. As an ancient warrior, he had known respect, even admiration. But no one had given themselves into his keeping without reserve like she had. It struck him to the core.
"Can Josef and the others do this?"
"I do not think you need to think of that young man so much," Andreas muttered darkly.
Alana laughed and opened her eyes, staring up at Andreas's handsome face. "He's a friend, and I did come to visit him. It would be rude to ignore him just because some hotshot took me flying."
A dark brow rose high. "Hotshot?" he echoed. "Somehow I do not believe that is meant to be flattering."
"Well, I suppose you're lucky I haven't started screaming my head off. I mean, we are hovering over the forest."
Andreas thought about that as he lowered them to the forest floor. Alana had offered not one word of protest, had simple taken everything in stride. It was unusual, if not a little questionable.
"Now don't get that weird look," Alana protested as she stepped out of his arms. "I know I'm not acting like a damsel in distress, but it's never been my style." She looked around. "Where are we anyway?"
Andreas wanted to pull her back to him, to feel her soft feminine curves against the hard planes of his body, but resisted the urge. No matter how responsive or accepting his lifemate was, he knew that she would need time to process everything before he took the next step and bound her to him. Still, his decision did not stop him from remembering the sweet, stolen taste of her. He shifted uncomfortably.
"We are near my home. It has been many years since I last visited, but Carpathians very often preserve and maintain the various properties held by our people."
"It's nice to be part of such a considerate community." There was a wistfulness in her voice, a hastily shielded feeling of sorrow and pain. She covered it with a playful smile. "I can't help but think about how idiotic it is for me to have run off with a perfect stranger."
Andreas captured her hand and brought it to his lips before clasping it against his heart as they moved through the wood. "We could never be strangers, csitri."
Alana studied him for a long moment and tried to get a grip on her own feelings. Ever since she first saw him, she had felt a rightness. As if they fit, two halves of the same whole. She felt completely comfortable around him, as if he had always been there and always would be. "I suppose so," she murmured.
"You accept this so easily." Andreas accompanied the words with a small push, though he wondered if she would respond. Her mind worked differently than any Carpathian or human. It processed in colors and feelings, with only shadowy pictures and quiet words forming in accompaniment. Alana's thought processes were closer to that of an animal's than a human's, though she did not smell strongly of either Jaguar or Lycan.
She stopped and rubbed her arms, eyes sliding away from his. "I've always known there were other things in the night," Alana confessed quietly. Her voice was so low that Andreas found himself bending closer to catch the words. "I can feel the difference in you, know that you're something other than human. Just like the others."
For a moment, Andreas glimpsed a memory of terror and blood, before Alana wrapped her shield around her once more. His lifemate had encountered the undead at some point, perhaps even more than once. It was there in the fear radiating off of her, the way she shied from examining his abilities too closely. She wanted to like him and the other Carpathians she had met, and was determined to allow her own natural abilities to steer her away from danger.
"You have no sense of self-preservation," he growled, taking hold of her once more. He wanted to shake her, to demand she give herself over into his keeping, but instead his touch was gentle and sure. Her skin was cold to the touch and Andreas silently cursed himself for not seeing to her needs. "Come. It is best to get you out of the chill air." She was dressed only in the thin sweater and jeans she had worn at the gathering; Andreas had not thought to bundle her up against the elements.
Alana shivered, suddenly aware of how cold she was now that Andreas had pointed out the cold of the night. Immediately, she was enfolded in a heavy cape, a hood drawn over her head. She smiled to herself at Andreas's thoughtfulness, but she didn't dare wonder where he had gotten a cape when he had not been wearing one. It was just one of those things Alana decided to take in stride, to gloss over until she was alone and could examine everything at length. All she really wanted to do was enjoy the time she had with Andreas. She would ask questions later.
They came upon his home quickly, the A-frame cabin appearing naturally amongst the trees as if it had been a fixture for centuries. Still, though the forest reached up to brush against the stone walls of the structure, the façade and wraparound porch were clear of old debris or clinging flora. Everything looked pristine and well-kept, and as soon as they stepped onto the porch, Alana felt an odd peace settle over her. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the stained glass piece installed just above the door.
Andreas took a mental inventory of their surroundings, making certain everything was in order. It appeared as if his fellow Carpathians had indeed kept up with the house, even going so far as to provide one of Francesca's famous stained glass pieces. Andreas knew immediately that the kitchen and lighting had been modernized, his sleeping chamber cleared and updated to provide the best protection against both the sun and prying eyes.
He opened the door and stepped back to allow Alana to enter. "Do you enter my home freely?"
Alana's heart lurched at the formality in his words and she hesitated a moment. His question had sounded almost ritualistic and Alana hoped that entering his home did not mean giving him any more power over her. Already his eyes and chest and mouth were too much for her to handle. Privately, she thought it might just be too late for his house to work any spells over her; she had already thrown her heart at his feet.
She nodded and moved to cross the threshold, but a firm hand latching on to her wrist stopped her. "The words."
"I do," Alana voiced. Andreas flashed a smile, a heart-stopping dimple peeking out for the barest of seconds.
Alana had feared the interior would be like an old hunting lodge, but if anything, it was more elegant than the exterior. The floors were a gleaming hardwood, the accents dark mahogany. The furniture was matched perfectly, creating the illusion of a beautifully relaxing mountain retreat. She whirled to face Andreas. "This is wonderful."
Andreas felt his chest swell with pride. The plain admiration in her voice and the stars in her eyes were melting him on the spot and Andreas was uncertain he could keep himself from kissing her. He realized suddenly that bringing her to his home was a dangerous thing to his sanity. The beast in him growled in satisfaction seeing Alana in its lair, and Andreas was hit with an undeniable hunger.
Feeling suddenly hunted, Alana stilled, hand going to her throat. She took a step back in a clear feminine retreat, heat coiling in her stomach at Andreas's dark look. He had not moved, had not attempted to touch her, but she could feel the hunger and need rolling off of him in waves. His dark eyes had turned black with desire, and his hands were clenching and unclenching in an effort to give her the space she needed.
"I—I'm a little hungry," Alana stated, voice small and hesitant.
The tension between them broke suddenly as Andreas reigned in his wilder nature, recognizing the trepidation in his lifemate's voice. "The kitchen is fully stocked, I believe," he managed to rasp out.
"Thank you." With that, Alana fled, understanding Andreas had allowed her escape. As she raced into the kitchen, she let out a harsh breath, her hands shaking from the effort of holding herself back. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms, even as her brain screamed at her to be sensible.
Fixing herself a small plate of vegetables, Alana admitted that she was inordinately attracted to Andreas. If she didn't leave soon, she could not be entirely responsible for whatever transpired. Apparently her inner hussy was a sucker for tall, dark, and handsome. She tugged at her hair and ran her teeth over her bottom lip. However was she going to survive this night in such close proximity to an alpha male like Andreas?
Sorry for the wait on this chapter; I'm still prepping for Dark Blood. I just can't resist going through the whole series before a new release!
Thanks to everyone who read, and to everyone who reviewed. I love getting feedback, and I'm especially happy that so many have enjoyed this fanfic. There's more to come, so stay tuned!