Dark Promises(10)

He was certain once they were lifemates, their souls bound together, she would relax a little and realize it wouldn’t be so easy to kill him. He had lived through countless battles as a human. He could live through many more as a Carpathian male. She would see that once she shared his mind.

“Say it,” she whispered. “Right now, Gary, with the moon shining down on us, in this perfect field of beautiful flowers. Bind us together for eternity.”

He smiled down at her. “I was just thinking what a lucky man I am to have found you, Gabrielle. To have you right here in front of me. To know you before either of us was converted. I know a few of the Carpathian males have known their lifemates from childhood, but it is rare. We have a past that binds us even closer.”

She smiled up at him, her smile reaching her eyes, taking his breath. This was finally their time. He tightened his fingers around hers, ignoring the still glowing bracelet. At least it had stopped the warning hum.

“You are my lifemate. I claim you as my lifemate.” He said the ritual words decisively. He had wanted to say them before he was even Carpathian. She was everything he’d ever wanted in a woman. “I belong to you. I offer my life for you.” He did belong to her. He loved her with all his heart. He would lay down his life for her in a heartbeat. “I give you my protection. I give you my allegiance. I give you my heart. I give you my soul.”

The moment he uttered the words, something shifted inside of him. Fingers of dread crept down his spine. His gut knotted. Tight. Tension slid in. The bracelet burst into flames, the red dancing through the gold ominously, leaping around her wrist and humming a warning.

Gabrielle bit her lip, pushing at the bracelet with her hand, trying to get it off. It wouldn’t budge, clinging as if a part of her body. She did her best to ignore it, feeling desperate, her stomach somersaulting while everything in her screamed she might lose the most important person in her world. “What’s wrong? Why did you stop?”

He had been reborn Carpathian. Fully Carpathian. He was no longer human. He loved Gabrielle Sanders with all of his heart. She loved him in the same way. With her heart. All of it. But this vow was to bring two halves of the same soul back together. She had to hold the light to his darkness. Gabrielle was definitely of the light. He could see it shining in her eyes. He could almost see her soul in those beautiful eyes. But not now. Not at this moment—he saw reluctance. He saw the same dread in her that was there inside of him.

“No, Gary,” Gabrielle said. “Finish it. Say it in the ancient language, maybe the ritual needs to be recited in the ancient language. They aren’t going to take you away from me. Not that. You’re all I have left. I can’t make it without you. Say the words to tie us together.”

She knew. On some level she knew. The knowledge was strong in him even when he wanted to deny it. Her soul would not bind itself to his.

“Gabrielle . . .”

“Don’t.” Tears swam in her eyes. “For me. If you love me, do this. I need you, Gary. I love you. Please, finish it. Say it in the ancient language.”

Gary took a deep breath. His world was crumbling around him. He couldn’t imagine Gabrielle with another man. He wasn’t even certain he would remain sane if he ever saw such a thing. He’d lose his mind and try to kill her lifemate. She belonged to him. He belonged to her. She looked . . . devastated, just as he was devastated.

“Please, baby, please, for me, try again,” Gabrielle pleaded.

“Te avio päläfertiilam. Éntölam kuulua, avio päläfertiilam.” The moment he uttered the binding words in the ancient language, the dread increased tenfold. His stomach lurched. The knots tightened. He drew in his breath, shaking his head.

She shook her head again and tried frantically to tear the bracelet from her wrist. Her nails dug into her skin, leaving bloody tracks.

“I won’t let them do this to us. They’ve taken everything from both of us. Over and over, bled us dry. They can’t have you. It isn’t working because we were both human. Their rules don’t apply to us. We helped them, Gary. If it wasn’t for you, and also for me, their children would still be dying. I know Lara helped, but it was you who pointed everyone in the right direction. You were the one who saved their children. We deserve to be happy.”

He drew her into his arms, fitting her body into his. He held her tightly. “Honey, it isn’t them. There is no them versus us. They want us happy.” He stood in the middle of the field, blinking as he looked around him, noting uneasily that the white petals of the flowers were no longer so white. The green of the leaves on the flowers had faded as well. He took a breath. Closed his eyes. Opened them, his heart bleeding for both of them. “This isn’t their fault.”