The next morning I found myself across of Catie, the newest Carpathian female. She was sitting beside of Diego in a content position that I envied; they fit so well together. Not like Vincent and myself, who were constantly at odds. Victoria sat in the chair beside of Catie, and she was drinking a Dr. Pepper that Mikhail had somehow aquired.

However, my preoccupation held with Catie. She held a glass of a ruby substance in her hand and from here, I could smell the rich scent of blood. My own mouth watered at the pure scent and I could feel my own inscisors elongate. Even though I had fed yesterday, the blood was enough to kick my Carpathian instincts into full gear.

"Here you are, mor-forwyn." I looked up from my preoccupation with Catie's glass to see one held in front of me. The scent of blood nearly beneath my nose caused my inscisors to explode in my mouth and I grabbed the glass to drink. At Vincent's slight chuckle, I realized that I had almost caused a spectacle of myself and drank the glass slowly, savoring each drop of blood as it touched my tongue. The human within my mind still rebelled at the prospect, but it was drowned out by my Carpathian side, which loved the taste of blood.

"Thank you, Vincent," I stated, taking the glass away from my lips. I licked a drop of blood from my upper lip, and felt a keen satisfaction at Vincent's sudden interest with my mouth. Caught up in the moment, I flicked my tongue at the same spot again, with a finesse only a woman could do. "It was kind of you," I whispered huskily, letting a slight invitation fill the air between us.

"Behave, Esmeralda." I looked past Vincent to see a disgusted Victoria, and I laughed.

"Ruin my fun, why don't you."

"Even though I'm human, I can sense the pheramones!"

"You can't sense pheramones," Amber scoffed as she entered the room. She was levitating a drink in her hand, but she didn't seem to be concentrating on her display of magic.

"God, you know what I mean!" Victoria defended, clearly outnumberd. "They're like two damn cats in heat." I arched my brow at the crude analogy and tried to swallow my amusement. However, Diego's petrified glance was all my mirth needed, and my laugh escaped. "Or rabbits, whatever you prefer."

"Then look to them, first," I stated, pointing at Catie and Diego. "They started it. All night I could hear, 'oh Diego!' 'Oh Catie!'. Blech." I pretended to gag and saw the answering blush on Catie's cheek. Bullseye.

"It wasn't my fault you wanted that other guy. What was is name?"

"Mehmet Borat Yaldiz. Why?" Amber dissolved into laughter and I looked at everyone around me. "What? I don't get it." Even the name brought back horrible memories, so why were they laughing?

"You still remember his name," Victoria stated, a smirk on her face. I mentally cursed, caught in a trap of my own doing. "How long were you two together. And...if I remember correctly..." I sat stonily, not answering the question, and looked away. However, my gaze fell to Vincent, who was avidly listening to the conversation. That's when I remembered what was coming.

"Victoria. Shut up!" Her eyes widened at my tone, but when she truly looked at me, she saw the fear in my gaze.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," I said shortly, ignoring the curious and slightly jealous Carpathian at my side. If the story continued it'd be worse. A whole lot worse. And it'd end with my corpse on the ground, along with Mehmet at my side. "Just...drop it." At least Mehmet would be dead, but I'd rather live.

"Yeah, okay." I felt Vincent begin to probe my memories, and I whirled away, grabbing my head.

"Stay out of my head!" I yelled, piqued that he would do that against my will. Lifemate or not, that's a fucking intrusion I didn't want or need. Instead of obeying, I felt him probe harder, scanning through more memories...until he came to the dreaded one.

"Oh no," I moaned, as I felt the demon explode within him.

I felt a hand yank me back and I fell onto the couch, looking at the back of none other than Diego. Even Catie threw an arm around me, hissing at my lifemate. Mikhail was also on his feet in an instant, holding a ball of lightning mere inchest away from Vincent's neck. Victoria darted behind the couch, away from the battling Carpathians and out of the line of fire.

However, that wasn't the problem. Vincent's eyes were trained on me, hate radiating from him in waves. Even though I had only known him a short time in person, it hurt. I could feel tears running down my cheeks and I looked away in shame. He had seen a brief flash. A brief one. He didn't see the rest of it. He judged me on what he saw, not what he bothered to find out.

"What is going on?" I looked up to see Shea standing in the doorway, alone. I opened my mouth to call out the danger, but she beat me to it. "Jaques! Don't hurt him!" I looked behind me only to see Jaques now inches from Vincent's face, his talons bared.

"I...lied...to them," I whispered softly, way under human range of hearing. All of the Carpathians looked at me, and I felt even smaller than I had felt before.

"What is it?" Shea asked, coming over to kneel behind the couch. She clasped my face as I cried, and my eyes pleaded for understanding.

"Mehmet. It was him. He...was the one." This time, Victoria heard me, and she leapt to her feet, furious.

"He was the bastard?" she yelled. "He was the bastard that raped you, and you didn't tell anyone!" Now, shock was flowing off of everyone in waves, and I closed my eyes in shame. All I could feel was Vincent's anger and my shame, but I could hear what had happened. I could almost feel him inside of me once again, forcing me, and I pushed Shea away before I retched over the back of the couch.

Catie's protecting arm curled around me, and she drew me into a hug. Shea, who landed on her butt, waved her hand and the mess was gone, leaving me alone with my...blood? Little droplets of blood were staining the couch, and I touched the bottom of my eye. My fingers came away coated in blood, and I shuddered in reaction.

"I didn't tell you...because...he said if I did...he would rape you too. He could get away with it. He had money. He had power." I was silent for a moment, lost in my memories.

"Look at me." Shea's voice mixed with Mehmet's, and I looked up into his eyes. "Esmeralda, look at me."

"Stop..." I whispered. "Please...don't do this..."

"Listen to me! Look at me." His touch revolted me, his arms were around me, pinning me in place. I bolted away from him as he stared down at me, completely nude and aroused. "I've wanted you for so long, and you'd dare deny me?"

"Don't do this!" Hands touched my shoulders and I whirled away, only to see him behind me, smirking. "Get away!" I cried, kicking at him and looking up at him with wide eyes. "Leave me alone! I won't tell anyone, I won't!"

"Esmeralda, you don't think that will work, do you?" His hands pinned me to the ground, and I thrashed in response.

"Stop!" I screamed, holding my eyes shut and grabbing my head as I curled into the fetal position. "Please...stop..."

"Come back, Esmeralda." That voice! It was Shea's! I opened my eyes to see her above me, her lifemate holding me down.

"Shea?" I asked. My god! What did I just do? I began to squirm and Jaques let me go. I bolted out of the room as quickly as possible, making my way up the steps two at a time. However, I was caught from behind, and I stiffened.

"It's just me," Mikhail said, tenderly holding my arms.

"I'm sorry, Mikhail! I didn't mean to-"

"Everyone has had a moment like the one you had," he said, stopping me before I could apologize. "My brother, Jaques, attacked Shea in a fit of madness, and hurt her." My eyes widened.

"But Jaques loves her!"

"He does. He was kept in a torture prision for many years until she came and rescued him. If you can please bear with us, and perhaps talk to my brother. You would feel much better, I assure you."

"But I just embarrassed myself," I muttered, looking away. "I tried to keep it buried deep, where I could never find it again. I made my myself forget it, and never look back. I'm sorry...that I flipped like I did."

"I'm quite sure the reason was your lifemate becoming an asshole." The use of the word stunned me, and I began laughing.

"Mikhail!" I said, scandalized. I could feel him envelop my mind, soothing myself, making me calm down from the experience I had lived through.

He shrugged his delicate shoulders.

"It's true. Will you come back downstairs? I promise we will put this to rest, for both you and your lifemate."

"You mean my asshole lifemate?"

"Him as well," Mikhail added, a slight smile to my face. "Now come. Shea can help you, and perhaps erase the event from your memory." My eyes widened in wonder.

"Can she do that?"

"Of course. Shea is all powerful, you see. Or, so my brother wishes to believe. I personally believe Raven is all powerful." He began to lead me back downstairs. "However, I think she would agree as well, so that is two against one."

"I'm not taking sides," I said, before he asked. He laughed softly, finally entering the room I had bolted out of. Everyone's faces was worried, with different degrees of shock. I took a deep breath, and felt Mikhail in my mind, bolstering my courage.

"Esmeralda," Shea began, but I stopped her.

"Shea, I apologize for the way I treated you." She shook her head.

"There's no need, of course. Come. I'll get rid of the memories for you." Mikhail lead me to Shea, who placed both of her hands on my head. I felt her probing my mind, finding the greusome memory, until...I couldn't remember what she was erasing. It was traumatic...but...what was it?

"Sit, please, Esmeralda. I'll brink you a drink." My inscisors lengthened at the word and I smiled in thanks. Eyeing my lifemate out of the corner of my eye, I saw him watching me stiffly. He had been very angry at whatever the memory was, but...if I sat someplace else, it might make it worse.

I dutifully sat beside of him, the farthest I could get away from him, and began to drink the blood given to me. As always, it tasted delicious, and the drink combined with Mikhail in my mind finally calmed the last of my nervousness.

"So..." I began bravely breaking the silence. "Want to help me shapeshift?" Jaques, who was standing beside Shea, grinned at Mikhail.

"I do know someone who could help you, though I don't know if you could learn much through your laughter." I burst out laughing, remembering the drunken owl, aka Mikhail, attempt to stand.

"Please, Jaques. I could make an adequate teacher," Mikhail replied, a soft smile on his face. He could deal with teasing quite well, from what I could see.

"I could teach her mist next," Diego volunteered. "That way, I could teach both fledgelings at once."

"Let's all teach them," Raven added. "Although it is nearly daytime, and we need to go to ground once more." I yawned at her statement. I still felt a little off from sleeping during the day, but I figured it would get better in time.

Wait a minute. Diego had his own lifemate, so he wouldn't sleep with me in that huge rift in the ground. I could disturb the other couples, which meant...damn. I was stuck, and it was official. He was going to murder me in my sleep because of whatever that memory was.

I stood, sheepishly scratching the back of my head.

"Hey, uh...where do I sleep?"

"You can come with us," Catie volunteered.

"Neh, really?" I asked, surprised. I'd figured they'd...you know...again.

"I'm not a rabbit," she scoffed. "And I do have some self control."

"Don't say that!" I warned. "Carpathian men take that as a challenge!" Catie looked toward Diego, heat in her eyes, and I gagged, secretly pleased at how she and her lifemate had turned out.

"Ugh, I'm leaving," I said, leaving chuckling Carpathians behind me. I walked downstairs, and stopped right beside of the soil "Man, what did Raven say..." I muttered. "How the hell did she open the rift?" I didn't feel my lifemate within my own mind, which meant he was still mad, and I didn't want to break that silence between the both of us.

I flicked my wrist as I had seen Raven do, and...nothing happened.

"That'd just be too easy," I muttered, staring at my new foe. Oh! Maybe..." I punched the ground as hard as I could, causing a slight rift to form. But it wasn't deep enough to even hold my butt, and I growled in frustration.

"Dammit it all! Open!" I was so sure the soil was laughing at my pathetic attempts, and I glared at him. "I'm not staying out here until sunrise. You can either cooperate, or I'll punch a rift for myself. What'll it be?"

Surprisingly, a huge rift formed in the soil, and I took a step back, shocked.

"You...I...but...what?"

"Get in." I cringed as I heard my lifemate's voice, and he didn't sound too happy.

"Can't...you make another? For me?" I asked, not turning around.

"No, we'll sleep together." Crap. I stepped to the rift and stepped, lightly landing on the soil below me. It was about six feet across, and I buried myself as close to the soil wall as I could. I heard my lifemate land beside of me, but strangely, he didn't touch or speak to me. He just left me alone.

The rift closed above us and I felt a spurt of panic. I was alone with Vincent. Alone with my lifemate that had made me sick, and even hurt me. My lifemate that was pissed at me. My heart began to accelerate, real fear worming its way into my system.

What if he beat me? A lot of men kept their women in line by doing it, so it wasn't that uncommon, but would he hit me? Hell, would I survive a hit from him? What if he tried to force himself on me? True, you can't rape the willing, but in my mind, I'd rebel. I never wanted to have sex in anger. Never.

The darkness around me began to close in on me, and I felt as if I was suffocating. I was trapped. Trapped in a cage of my own doing. I stood and began to claw the dirt above me, wanting to get out. I didn't want to be here.

"What are you doing?" Vincent asked, his lips brushing my ear. I renewed my efforts, the fear nearly choking me, but Vincent was having none of that. He grabbed me and pulled me down next to him. I thrashed about, but he threw a leg over both of mine and pinned both of my arms to my chest.

"Calm down, Esmeralda. You can breathe. You're not a human anymore, you're a Carpathian."

"Stop, please, I'm sorry for whatever I did! Please don't hurt me! I'm sorry, I won't say it again! I'll be what you want, I promise, just please don't hurt me!" I cried, shivering. I could feel his anger, barely tethered and leashed, and so close to exploding around me.

"It's not you!" The anger exploded, and I could feel his fangs on the back of my neck. I cried out, sliding into the fetal position, and braced myself, waiting for him to get it over with. However, he pulled his anger back and began to stroke my cheek and neck. At the first contact, I flinched, but he continued his minstrations.

"I'm not angry at you, mor-forwyn." he whispered, placing a chaste kiss to the nape of my neck.

"You're...not?" I asked, confused. "But I remember the way you looked at me. You were angry at me."

"That was before I found out the truth of the matter," he replied. He merged his mind with my own, and I felt his anger...directed elsewhere. Now, I didn't feel as if I was trapped. I felt as if he was simply watching over me...nearly...cuddling with me.

"The truth?"

"Yes. It wasn't you to blame. I know who the real culprit is, and it is him that I'm angry at. Please, mor-forwyn. We need to sleep. You have only completed your conversion this week, and you need the healing soil."

"Diego always put me to sleep," I whispered, afraid he would be angry. Strangely, I only felt a twinge of jealousy.

"I owe him a debt that I could never repay," he said softly.

"Really? I thought you two hated each other. And what did he do to help you?" He chuckled behind me.

"Oh, I thought you realized. He gave me you." I let the words sink in, and Vincent waved his hand above me. "Sleep Esmeralda."

"Night Vincent," I whispered as my lungs and heart stopped, putting me into the deep sleep of the Carpathians.

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

I woke the next morning to find the rift open, and no Vincent. The first thing I felt was sadness, followed quickly by loneliness. I shook off both feelings. Having a lifemate just wreaked havoc for your emotions.

I jumped out of the rift and realized I was super dirty. I always had Diego around to clean me up with a flick of his hand, and judging by the fact I couldn't even open the ground, I wasn't going to attempt to clothe myself. God only knows what would happen.

So, I walked upstairs, trying to actually sense my lifemate. However, I couldn't even do that. My mind felt empty and bereft, and I couldn't even sense a tiny bit of him. I guess he really was mad at me after all.

"Esmeralda! What are you doing walking around like that?" Catie asked from beside me, knowing exactly why I was doing it.

"You have a lifemate to clean you up. Mine's gone." Her hand flew to her heart.

"He left you? Just like that?" I shrugged.

"I can't sense him inside of my mind. I just feel...empty. I think he's still mad at me."

She sighed, but waved me over.

"Come on, Diego will help you get cleaned up." I followed her over to her lifemate. He turned and scrunched up his nose.

"I get it, I'm dirty. Could you just clean me up?" Diego grinned and just waved his hands, clean clothes appearing on me. All the dirt and grime I'd accumulated while sleeping was also dissapeared, and I smiled at him. "Thanks."

"Where's your lifemate?" I rolled my eyes in annoyance, but Catie answered for me.

"He left sometime before she woke. She doesn't know where he went or what he's doing."

"And he left his unclaimed lifemate here. Disgraceful." He winked at me and motioned for us to follow. "Mikhail wants to use your talents as well," he began, walking towards Mikhail's living room. "There is a Carpathian hunter here who is close to turning. He's come home to meet the dawn, and wanted a last word with his prince."

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked.

"Share his mind. Remind him what he will miss if he loses his lifemate." I nodded. It was something I could do, at least, for the kindness Mikhail and Raven had shown me. We walked inside, and yet again, a gorgeous man sat on the couch. Whatever these Carpthian men exactly came from, they must have been gods or such, because this degree of sexiness was just out of this world.

"That was so incredibly corny," Diego stated, causing me to laugh.

"It's true," I said with a smile. "All right, you. Out of my mind. Go harrass your lifemate." I walked over to the new Carpathian male, and held out my hand. "Hey. My name's Esmeralda. It's nice to meet you."

"My name is Lyon."

"Oh! You're American. Sounds like Louisiana." He looked surprised, and for the first time, actually saw me for the first time.

"Yes, I'm from Louisiana," he stated, impressed.

"Ha, I was so right." I smiled at him and looked back at Mikhail, who nodded at Lyon.

"Go ahead and share her mind."

"Yeah, please do," I said, sitting down beside of him. "It's not worth losing another Carpathian male when his lifemate could be out in the world right now."

"I've searched everywhere," he said softly.

"And I did not?" Mikhail asked him, smiling. "I was prepared to meet the dawn myself when I met Raven in my time of need." Raved looked up to him, love apparent in her eyes, and Mikhail placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"See? You could meet your lifemate tomorrow and you won't even know it. Now come. Enter my mind, Lyon. I promise you won't be dissapointed." He was taken aback at the underlying joke, but Diego threw his head back and laughed, while Catie slapped him on the chest.

"Dammit Diego, you're a bad influence." He kissed her on her forehead, turning her frown into a smile.

While the banter was going on, I felt Lyon at the edge of my mind, as if he was afraid to fully merge. I placed my hand on his and smiled at him. In reaction he began to push in, leaving warmth in his wake much like Diego had, until we were almost one being.

Lyon's breath came out in a rush and I felt the strong feelings he had been denied for so long. It was so joyous and so extreme almost to the point of pain, but I also felt his joy. He could feel and experience emotions himself for once, instead of just watching from the outside.

"God," he breathed. "I can feel! Are you...?"

"No," I said with a smile. "I'm not your lifemate. I just have this ability to let you experience emotions. That's all." He drew me into a hug.

"You have no idea of the gift you've given me."

"Huh, Diego, sound familiar?" I asked with a laugh, hugging the grateful Carpathian back.

"I may have said that," he replied nonchalantly. Lyon laughed, feeling the mirth inside of himself, and I smiled at his boyish smile when he pulled away.

"You are good for our race," he stated. "I will no longer meet the dawn, Mikhail." Every Carpathian in the room smiled, glad to have another hunter saved.

"S'going on?" We all turned to see a sleepy Victoria in the doorway, rubbing her eyes. The explosion of feeling within the Carpathian had me drawing out of his mind, but strangely, the feeling didn't dissapate. He walked over to Victoria, who finally spotted him, and she cried, "YOU!"

"You know me?" he asked, nearly stalking her.

"You're the bastard that's been haunting my dreams!" I threw my head back and laughed at the irony, and stood. I walked over to Victoria, who stared at me warily.

"I think you'll need this now," I said smugly, slapping the condom back in her hand. "Remember. Use protection." At her horrified face, I burst into laughter, finally getting a one up on her.

"So, Esmeralda," Shea said as she walked into the room with Jaques, her eyes dancing in merriment. "Have any more friends you'd like to show us?"