Dark Wolf(10)

           



       

She dressed carefully, brushed her teeth and walked out of the bathroom  drying her hair with a towel. Josef had his back to her, but spun around  as she emerged. He looked thin and tired, his face still very pale,  although she was certain he'd already fed. He held himself very tightly.

"You almost died last night." He made it a statement. An accusation.

Skyler tossed the towel aside, walked right up to him and circled his  neck with both arms, leaning close to hold him. "I know. I'm so sorry,"  she said sincerely. "I almost took you with me."

For a moment he held himself very stiff, then his arms came up and he  hugged her so hard she feared she might break in half. "I don't care  about me, you goofball," Josef said, "but I can't lose you. Dimitri  can't lose you. Gabriel and Francesca can't lose you. You can't take  chances like that. If you're going to travel over a thousand miles and  attempt a healing, you know you're on a time limit. You know that. I  don't know how I got you back."

Skyler pulled back to look up at him. "He booted me out of him."

He blinked. The tension eased out of him a slow inch at a time. "He did?"

"Yes. And don't sound so happy."

"Thank God that man can boss you, because no one else seems to be able to."

"I don't need bossing," she pointed out. "Josef, I really am sorry. I'll  be far more careful next time. We know what we're facing now."

Josef took a deep breath and nodded. "I caught glimpses in your mind, Skyler. You're one tough chick."

Skyler flinched. "I wouldn't call me a tough chick in front of my  parents or someone say . . . like the prince. They wouldn't appreciate  the modern jargon."

For the first time Josef smiled. It was more of a self-satisfied smirk,  but she'd take it. At least he was finding his sense of humor again.

"They need to lighten up and become a little more modern, especially Gregori. He's still living in the caveman days."

"We don't have to be around him much," Skyler pointed out. "Think of  poor Paul, living with the De La Cruz family-especially the eldest  brother. I've never met him but I've heard the rumors."

Josef gave a little shudder. "I'm totally avoiding Paul's family. It's  the only safe, intelligent thing to do. When this is over, I'm making  myself scarce for a century or two."

A knock on the door heralded Paul's arrival. Josef waved his hand and  the door opened. Outside, Skyler could see night falling fast. The  weather was overcast, clouds drifting across the sky, but there was no  rain.

Paul set her soup on the small table. "Come eat, Sky. I wolfed down a sandwich while I was waiting for your order."

That was code for telling her he ate a meat sandwich and didn't want her  to smell it and feel nauseated. "Thanks, Paul. I appreciate it." She  looked at the bowl of soup and shook her head, her stomach already  rebelling.

"It's not the enemy," Josef told her. "It's sustenance-the very thing  you need to build your strength again so you can heal Dimitri."

She didn't dare take a deep breath, but she nodded. Josef made sense.  She had to get strong fast and that required eating. She touched her  tongue to her lower lip, tracing it, finding her skin quite dry. In  spite of the hot shower, she was still shivering, unable to maintain her  body temperature.

"Staring at it isn't going to get it down," Josef said. "We want to get  moving. We've got a lot of territory to cover, and the faster we reach  Dimitri, the sooner he's safe."

She approached the table and the bowl of steaming soup warily. The  aroma, instead of making her hungrier, made her feel more nauseated than  ever. Pressing the back of her hand to her mouth she gingerly took the  chair facing the bowl of soup. Who knew it would be so difficult to take  a few spoonfuls of vegetable soup?

"Skyler." Josef used his sternest voice. "You're wasting time."

She spun around, glaring at him. "Don't you think I know that? You're  not helping, Josef." Just the act of moving so fast set her head  pounding. She fought down the bile in her lurching stomach.

The stirring in her mind was faint, but her heart leapt and began to  stutter with anticipation. She reached out, and immediately pain  exploded through her head. Paul made a sound of distress.

"You're bleeding, Skyler." He rushed to the bathroom to get a wet cloth.

Let Josef aid you, beloved. I cannot, and we need you strong.

Skyler closed her eyes, tears burning behind her eyelids. Dimitri had  found the way to her in spite of the agony he suffered. She couldn't  make it easier for him by bridging the distance for him. Her psychic  abilities had been depleted after her night of trying to heal him. She  felt surrounded by his warmth, his enduring love, by his indomitable  spirit.

Dimitri didn't give up-for her. He suffered the agonies of hell for a  chance to get back to her. She wrapped herself up in him, knowing he  needed to help her, and had to be distraught that he couldn't.

I love you, Dimitri. Don't let go. I'll be there as soon as I can.

He was in far too much pain to realize she meant literally. He knew she  would return to heal him and he didn't try to delve further into her  mind. She felt a burst of agonizing pain and then he was gone. She had  no memory of shooting out of the chair and reaching toward the sky after  that faint psychic trail, but she heard her own cry of sorrow as  Dimitri faded away.

The pain drove the breath from her body, but it steadied her as well.  She had to pull herself together and heal fast. Paul thrust a washcloth  into her shaking hands, and she carefully dabbed at the blood trickling  from her nose.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, Josef," she said. "I should have just asked for your help."

"I should have just offered," Josef answered, slinging his arm around  her. "We'll get him out of there, Sky. We will. I can't believe he  managed to come to you even for a moment when he's in such pain. I tease  you about him, but you know I think of him as a brother. Few Carpathian  males would tolerate a relationship like ours-the three of us-but  Dimitri encourages it."

Skyler hugged him gratefully. "He knows I love both of you."

"How do you want to do this?"

"Just have me eat it. And then, if you're strong enough, give me a small  amount of blood again. It will speed up the healing process, but I  don't want to experience anything."

"You got it."

Skyler blinked and found herself sitting at the table, an empty bowl of  soup in front of her. Her stomach protested a little, but she found the  soup nourishing. Or perhaps that was the Carpathian blood Josef gave her  as well.

"Thanks."

She was still cold, and they had a long night ahead of them. She didn't look forward to streaking through the night sky.

"I'm going to shift to a dragon form. I've been practicing ever since  they found Tatijana and Branislava. My dragon can carry you both on his  back comfortably," Josef said.

"Skyler still hasn't stopped shivering. All day she's been so cold I couldn't pile enough blankets on her," Paul said.

Skyler glanced at the spot on the floor where Paul had been sleeping.  For the first time she realized there were no blankets-they were all on  the bed where she had been.

Josef did what all Carpathians did-he simply made the clothes for her.  Skyler donned the fur vest and slipped on the long fur coat. It fell to  the ground and had a hood. He handed her fur-lined boots and gloves as  well.

"You're stylin', Sky," Paul said with a laugh. "The next thing we know, Josef is going to go into fashion design."

Josef shrugged. "I always look good. I've considered a career in that field." He looked and sounded very serious.                       
       
           



       

Skyler punched his arm. "You would do that just to really tweak the powers, wouldn't you?"

Josef sent her a little grin. "Of course. Where's the fun in conforming?"

She followed the two men outside. "You do realize karma is going to  catch up with you. You probably really are lifemate to one of Gregori's  daughters."

"Or both," Paul said. "As a nonconformist, you could be the first Carpathian to have two lifemates. Twins. Not bad, Josef."

"Ha. Ha. Ha. You two really do want me dead, don't you? Gregori would  cut off my head and other very precious parts of my anatomy and feed  them to the wolves."

"Slowly. He'd slowly feed them to the wolves while your head sat next to him watching," Paul informed him.

"Eww. That's just gross." Skyler made a face at them. Already the fur  coat helped to control the continual shivering. Even the pain in her  head seemed to lessen.

"That's why you love us so much," Paul pointed out.

"How long do you think it will take us to get there?" Skyler asked.