Invitation

I opened my eyes slowly and groan with pain. When my eyes were fully opened, I noticed I was on Skyler's bed. I tried to sit up, only to feel bile rise up as my head felt as though jackhammers and sledge hammers were going crazy trying to crack my skull.
I heard the door open slightly and looked to see Francesca looking worried. "You're awake." she said, sounding relief. With the sound of her voice, visions of a wolf shifting into Gabriel filled my mind, causing my heart to pound. "Shh you're safe." she said as she quickly embraced me. "Nothing's going to hurt you." she cooed.
"Gabriel was a wolf," I squeaked.
"You remember," came Gabriel's deep voice. Adrenaline rushed through me as I tried to jump out of the bed, only to have Lucian grab me.
"You shouldn't get up so quickly. You took a nasty hit to the head." he said calmly as he forced me to lay back. I whimpered in fear as I looked at the ones that I saw as family not too long ago.
"We still can be your family," Gabriel said. "We're not going to hurt you."
"Keekee, just think of them as characters in your books. The only ones that harm others are vampires, the ones that lost their souls. Gabriel and Lucian have their lifemates." Skyler's voice came from behind Gabriel. "And you know the females are incapable of hurting others." I nodded, knowing that she was right, as I began to think about the characters in my books.
"Daratrazanoff," I mumbled as I began to go through the family names as it donned on me. "OH MY GOD!" I screamed, shocking everyone in the room.
"What is it?" Francesca asked as I began rocking back and forth chanting "oh my god".
"She must have thought about something." Skyler laughed.
"EWWWWW," I shuddered. 'Dark Legend….Dark Guardian…. Ewww oh my god!' I thought as I looked at Gabriel and Lucian.
"What is Dark Legend and Dark Guardian?" Lucian asked, his velvety voice compelling me to tell him and a warmth invaded my mind.
"They're two of her books, I believe the main characters are…." Skyler started and then said, "eww."
"Gabriel Daratrazanoff left Francesca Del Ponce when they were younger because he didn't realize she was his lifemate. His twin, Lucian, acted as if he had turned into the undead so that he wouldn't turn and find his lifemate. Lucian then tried to get Gabriel to kill him but Francesca told him that his lifemate was waiting for him. Lucian then finds Jaxon Montgomery running from her step dad, Tyler Drake, who killed anyone she got close too. Lucian stupidly challenged Drake and then got all cocky. In the end, he got shot and almost died, Jaxon killed Drake and with the help of Gabriel, healed Lucian." I rambled, knowing both stories by heart. Gabriel and Lucian looked at one another and shook their heads.
"Okay, so I guess you know the basics of our relationship," Jaxon laughed as I stared at her wide-eyed.
"There's…ummm…scenes," Skyler whispered uneasily.
"Oh," Francesca blushed, "well then."
"How would you like to meet other Carpathians?" Gabriel asked, seemingly not bothered that I knew of his sex life.
"How do you know I'm safe? Aren't you suppose, to like, have me make a blood exchange with one of you so that you know that I won't tell anyone." I asked uneasily.
"True," Lucian nodded thoughtfully, "though we trust you. However, if you wish to come with us to the Christmas party the Prince is throwing, then it would be best so that we know you are safe."
"Christmas party?" I asked.
"Yes, we were wanting to ask if you would like to go to the Carpathian Mountains with us for Christmas." Francesca replied.
"Sure," I smiled.
"Who would you like to exchange blood with?" Gabriel asked. "It won't be painful or unpleasant."

"Ummm….it don't matter to me. All those dumb weak ass selfish vampires are afraid of both of you, so you can pick." I laughed.
"I never heard vampires being called weak or dumb," Jaxon laughed as Lucian nodded, apparently replying to something Gabriel had said.

"Keeyln," Lucian said as he gently grabbed my wrist. " I will be the one that will be exchanging blood with you."

"Okie dokie," I replied as I turned to Gabriel. "Are the De La Cruz brothers real?"

Gabriel nodded, "yes, there's five of them."
"Zacarias, Nicolas, Manolito, Rafael, and Riodran." I smiled as Lucian pressed his wrist to my mouth. His coppery blood filled my mouth, I forced myself to swallow as I gagged. 'Zacarias is my favorite, even though he hasn't really been in any of the books…OOO is there a Dominic Dragonseeker?' I tried to force my thoughts to one of them.
"Yes, Dominic is real. I believe he will be there." Gabriel smiled, "Why?"
"Goodness! He's my second favorite. I love dragons. And I want to be a Dragonseeker," I laughed as Lucian removed his wrist. I looked over at him. "Are we done?"
He nodded and then asked, "what do you mean you want to be a Dragonseeker."
"Ahh well, I was wanting to get a dragon tattoo on my hip, and since Dominic is real, I'll really get to ask him." I smiled excitedly as my headache began to ease.

"Well then." Gabriel smiled softly. "It's getting late and the two of you need to get some sleep." he said to me and Skyler.
"I should get home," I whispered. "Jace will be so worried."
"I called and said that you were going to spend the night. He's going to pick us up around one to go Christmas shopping. I told him about the Christmas party and he said that you could go but you had to get some clothes." Skyler smiled.
"Great!" I exclaimed. "I don't know what I would do without you, Sky."
"We'll let you girls get ready for bed." Francesca laughed as she kissed both of our foreheads and left the room with Jaxon and Lucian.
"Good night," Gabriel said as he too left the room.
Skyler threw me a pair of light blue pajamas and quickly putting on her light pink ones on, trying to cover the scars of her past. I sighed as I put mine on and snuggled more into the bed.
"Sky," I said softly with uncertainty as she climbed in beside me.
"Hmm?"
"We never talk about your past," I whispered. "In Dark Legend, the Skyler in there was raped and beaten countless times by her father and sold out to other men for drugs. Did that happen to you?" I asked. I felt Skyler stiffen and saw the fear and pain in her gray eyes.
"Yes," she replied in a strained whisper.
"I'm glad Lucian and Gabriel took care of them and took you under their protection. You really have become the sister I always wanted and I don't know what I would do without you." I said sincerely as I hugged her. "You know that it's never going to happen again, right?"
I felt her tears on my bare shoulder, "Yeah I know. It's just hard to get over."
"It'll be okay. You've got Gabriel, Francesca, Jaxon, Lucian, me, and we can't forget Mister Dimitri." I smiled.
"Dimitri?" Skyler huffed. "I don't want a lifemate. I don't want to be ruled over."
"You know that ruling over one another isn't the case with lifemates. Ownership isn't either. Look at Gabriel and Francesca, they are madly in love with one another and Gabriel would kill to make her happy, don't you want that? A man to worship you like you so much deserve?" I asked.
"I don't want to hurt him. I don't think I could be with a man after what was done to me."
"But you hurt him from being away from him. Sky, I know you're scared, and if he's anything like Gabriel and Lucian, he can be quite intimidating, but with you, he'll worship you and give you the time you need to heal. Trust me, girlie, Dimitri cannot hurt you." I whispered with comfort.
"I know," she whispered back.
"Do you think he will be at the Christmas party?" I asked with a sudden plan in mind.
"I don't know." she said.
"Is there anyway to contact him?"
"I don't know. He runs a wolf reservation in Russia," she said.
"Russia wolf reservation, huh, there's only two within that whole country." I smiled as I got up and got her purple laptop. "One outside Omsk and one along the Lena River. He would go with the more isolated one, right?"
"Yeah."
"Here we go, here's an email address and phone number for the reserve. Now all we gotta do is email or call him." I smiled handing her my cell phone.
"Email," she said shyly.
"Oh no missy, you're calling." I laughed evilly.
"no no no no" she chanted.
"Ah hell, gimme the phone." I sighed as I took back my phone and dialed the number.
"What are you doing," she shrieked as I heard ringing.
"Calling, what does it look like," I replied as someone picked up.
"Zdravstvuĭte, Dimitri govorit. Chem ya mogu vam pomoch'?"said a male voice.
"Hello, my name is Keeyln. I was wondering if I could possibly speak to someone that met a friend of mine about a year ago by the name of Skyler." I replied, hoping the man could understand English.
"Skyler?" he asked.
"Yes, Skyler Thompson."
"Oh my god, Keeyln please hang up. Please," Skyler begged.
"Is everything alright? Does she need me?" he asked with slight panic in his voice.
"Sky, be quiet!" I hushed her. "No, she's fine. Is this Dimitri?"
"Yes."
"Do you have jet black hair and piercing blue eyes?" I asked.
"Yes, can you please tell me what's going on?"
"Keeyln! Don't!" Skyler shrieked, almost deafening me.
"Skyler?!" Dimitri asked, excitement filling his voice.
"My god you two are hopeless." I whispered with laughter. "Are you going to the Christmas party? Skyler wants to know."
"I wasn't planning to, why?" he replied. I glanced at Skyler, who's ear was now pressed against the back of my phone, to see her close to tears.
"You ok?" I mouthed to her. She quickly brushed her eyes and nodded. "Well that's too bad because Sky was hoping to see you and had gotten you something" I smiled.
"She did?" he asked. "If she wishes me to come, I will gladly come to the party."
"So, you'll be there?" I asked.
"Yes. May I speak to Skyler?" he asked in return.
"Hold on," I said to him as I handed her the phone. She shook her head but sighed in defeat as I glared at her.
"Hello?" she said shyly.
"Lyubof maya, how have you been?" I heard. 'How adorable,' I thought.
"Okay I guess. Kind of stressed out." Skyler admitted.
"Over what?" he asked.
"Christmas presents and keeping them a surprise. I never thought Gabriel and Lucian were such big babies wanting to know what they're getting." she laughed and I rolled my eyes knowing how truthful she was being.

"That's hard to imagine." I heard Dimitri laugh.
"If you were here last week, you wouldn't have thought so." she laughed.

"What happened?" he asked curiously. I tapped her shoulder and mouthed "When your done just put it on the night stand."

She nodded as she replied with laughter, "Last week me and Keeyln went shopping and they did everything they could to find out what I got, even though all we got that day was presents for Tamara."
"Really?" he laughed as well. 'I'm glad I got them two talking. Hopefully, now she can really get to know him.' I thought as I snuggled into my pillow and drifted off to sleep.