Four feet landed on the ground. Now in human form, Dylan let a rush of air out of her lungs as she realized she had been holding her breath. After putting up a long and very heated fight, Dylan convinced the man, whose name she learned was Gavril, that taking her to his home would be a very big mistake. Meeting her halfway, they landed in a clearing in the woods by her town.
Gavril set her down on a small boulder and kneeled next to her. He could feel her caution, her muscles clenched and ready for action if necessary. Gavril sighed, and looked her in the eyes. "I will not hurt you, csitri, I will heal you now." His dark eyes flittered down to her side and reached for her. He could feel the discomfit rising in her, and offered another explanation. "I must examine the wound before I can caste myself into your body to heal it. I fear that toxins and possible infection may have entered your blood stream, but our time is running out and it will be much quicker this way, instead of examining your entire body." Gavril moved her shirt out of the way, and heard her inhale sharply.
"I can heal myself." Dylan tried to say this defensively, but it came out as more of a weak statement, a plea. Gavril ignored this. "What does csitri mean?" Dylan asked, trying to distract herself. He had called her that name more than once now, and she didn't recognize it with any of the several languages she knew. Instead of answering her, Gavril shed his body and took on the form of light that he had so many times in the past. Working steadily, but thoroughly so to not miss any details.
During this awkward moment of healing, Dylan cast herself into her mind, looking over every detail of the fight, trying to decide whether he was friend or foe. The fact that he was forcing her to allow him to heal her seemed a red flag to her. He could be entering toxins or pathogens to her system that she would be unable to detect or working with the deadlings or maybe-
Dylan stopped herself, realizing her mind was panicking, something uncharacteristic of her. Opening her striking green eyes, she watched as the man worked on healing her. She did have to give him his props, he was very attractive. His dark features, high cheek bones, full lips all pulled together his face perfectly. And then there was the muscles his body was covered in. Her mind dared her eyes to dip lower, to see how else he was crafted, but she stopped herself. Again, these thoughts were not like her.
A deep cough caught her attention, and she looked back up at his handsome face. Had she not been so great at keeping herself composed her cheeks would have flushed a scarlet red, giving herself away even more. A small smile threatened at his lips, but he dare not let it show. "You are all healed, päläfertiil." He spoke aloud, but allowed his words to brush over her.
"I know many languages, but the one you are using is foreign to me. I must change this. What language are you using?" Her eyes filled with curiosity, and she watched him as he pulled her to her feet.
"I am Carpathian, I speak the language of my people. You do not know it?" Dylan shook her head, and this puzzled him. She was Carpathian, surely she had to know it. Before he spoke she cut him off. Sirens were heard in the distance mutely, and they were sucked back into reality. In their haste, they had left evidence of the battle. Gavril reprimanded himself, making a note to pay better attention.
Dylan turned in a fluid movement, shifting into the small form of a fast moving hummingbird. Gavril followed without thought, taking form of a strong eagle as the two silently raced off to the scene of the fight.
The two hunters fell from the sky, shifting into human form with ease. Critical eyes scanned the scene as they analyzed the work they had to do to create a "normal" crime scene. In a matter of just a few minutes the bloody scene turned into a small crime scene with the human male simply unconscious. The vampire presence now completely irradicated from his mind, he spelt peacefully. Dylan would play the whole thing off as merely a startled reaction, and with the right "pressure" the cops would believe her and write the gun shots off as nonthreatening and not a worry.
"You need to leave." Dylan turned to face the Carpathian, who half stood, half crouched over where a vampire's body once sat. He stood up all the way, frowning and opening his mouth to stay something. Dylan cut him off. "If they see you, questions will be asked. You need to leave, now."
In a heartbeat, the distance between the two gone. He moved with tremendous speed, catching her off guard. "I will be going nowhere, minan. There is no need for me to leave." Dylan took a step back, then two.
"Stop calling me names I don't know." Dylan didn't like it, it definitely made her uncomfortable. Right now she was completely out of her comfort zone, and things never ended well when she was uncomfortable. Dylan needed to have everything under control. She needed control. This stranger made her uncomfortable, on edge. "You need to leave. Now." Her voice growled it out, throwing in a small compulsion at the end.
In a heartbeat the small gap between the two was covered, and his hands wrested on her upper arm. "I will be going nowhere, csitri. You have escaped me once, you will not again." A wall of fear washed over her as a memory surfaced. A memory of a simple deadling tack gone wrong. She still had the scares to prove it. Being only half Carpathian, Dylan didn't heal as well. She moved in a flash of movement, catching him off guard. His feet were swept out from under him, and before he could change forms she was on him, one of her knives to his throat. A small murmur and she cast a spell to prevent him from temporarily shifting, giving her a small window.
"You will go. Now. You will not come back. You will stay far away from me." She was off him, and hastily fleeing the scene, no longer caring what the cops stumbled on. Dylan was capable of dealing with it later.
Dylan collapsed on her bed, exhausted. She ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head. It had been one hell of a night. Dylan knew better. Carpathians were hunters, and by nature excellent trackers. She had flown in the form of a small barn owl for several hours, throwing him off until he needed to rest. The sun had risen and Dylan knew she was safe, for now. There was no doubt he would be tracking her when the sun was up, but Dylan had that covered as well. All she simply had to do was accept one of the cases across the country and stay low for a while.
With an exhausted sigh, she stripped her clothes and stepped into a warm shower, temporarily soothing her aching muscles. Dylan admired the work the Carpathian did on her side. There was no evidence of the injury, not even a small scar. Dressing herself in proper work attire, she moved through her small apartment to the kitchen. Dylan only had a few hours before work, and knew it wasn't even worth trying to get sleep. Had she not spent several hours trying to throw off the Carpathian she would finally have gotten some very needed rest.
After brewing some strong coffee, enjoying a well-cooked breakfast, then making a second batch of coffee for the road, Dylan found herself at work. Exhaustion slammed into her as she set her things at her desk. The long nights were certainly getting to her, especially after the night before. She began to click away at her computer, filling out reports had become a mindless activety for her, and her thoughts drifted to the Carpathian, Gavril. The name struck fear in her, but also woke something else in her, something she didn't understand. Dylan had been warned. The Carpathians were a species to stay away from, along with the mages, the jaguars…. Everyone. She had learned she couldn't trust anyone. Each species was corrupt and full of betrayal, willing to throw you to the dogs without hesitation.
"Lany. Conference room. Now." Her thoughts were interrupted as one of her team members threw her door open in haste. An escape, she knew that was what this offered. Dylan had requested an assignment away from home, and with a bit of a push she knew she had an assignment that would take a while, and ensure her safety from the very species that betrayed her mother.
After a detailed briefing on a serial arsonist who supposedly teamed up with an amateur bomber who they assumed was his apprentice, the team was dismissed to pack up and rest up for their flight leaving at 9:05 on the dot.
The team settled in on the small jet, knowing they were in for a long flight. The destination was Seattle, and traveling from North Carolina. Dylan threw a glance out the window, uneasy now that the sun was nearly set. She closed her eyes as the engines roared, not allowing herself to relax until she felt the plane level off. Maybe it was childish, to run away from such a threat, but the fear that struck Dylan deep inside had her running like a scared child.
With the familiar drop of her stomach, Dylan opened her eyes and allowed herself to breath once more. They were on their way to Seattle, and she would be far from that man. It wasn't long before she allowed herself to finally succumb to some much needed sleep.
His eyes snapped open as the sun finally sank down. Curse that woman for fleeing him. For leading him on a wild goose chase. Couldn't she see what they were to each other? He had seen the fear on her face a second time, and perhaps she misunderstood what was happening to her. Gavril had heard on more than one occasion that discovering each other as a lifemate could be fearful to the female, but the fear on her face was something else.
Gavril sent his senses out to search for any threat, and immediately he knew something was wrong. He felt… Empty. As if part of him was missing. Fear hit him hard. Not being used to emotions, he nearly cried out. He had thought her dead for so long now, surely she couldn't have died during his rest? Had she gotten herself into trouble once more? Gavril had a feeling trouble was something she was familiar with. Sending out his senses again, Gavril realized he wasn't completely empty, but half of him seemed far away. She fled. Again.
Cursing telepathically, and out loud, Gavril emerged from his earthen bed, transforming into the powerful form of the hawk as he did so. As he flew to track her, he thought one thing. She won't be getting away from me this time.
A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. Things have been super crazy with my Grandpa in the hospital and an unexpected camping trip! So Dylan works for in the human world as a criminal profiler. Pretty much thing criminal minds, she works for the FBI all that blah blah.
Please review, it helps so much, thanks.