Dimitri, in spite of the pain, and exhaustion, couldn't help the burst of amusement at Skyler's furious rant against the Lycans. She was unique. Special. His own personal miracle. So many people underestimated her. He loved the fire in her. He loved everything about her.
He was proud of her courage and tenacity, in spite of the fact that he wanted her out of danger. He didn't want her anywhere near the Lycans. He didn't trust what the wolves might do if they discovered she was working to free him. Still . . . how could he not feel elated and overwhelmed with her love, that she had dared such dangers to come for him?
He was a Carpathian male, an ancient hunter and his first instinct-his duty-was to protect his woman. Skyler was his other half, and to know that he had put her in danger was far worse to him than the seemingly endless pain he had endured.
You must leave. I cannot have you in danger and survive this.
There was that moment of silence that made his heart stutter. Had she spent too long trying to stop the silver from poisoning his system? Was she unconscious? Even though he knew she was much closer, the distance was still difficult. She had to use so much energy to bridge the void and then twice that to heal him.
He was well aware he couldn't push that poisoned silver from his body the way she had done it. She'd been meticulous, and more, everywhere the silver had burned through him, she'd soothed the terrible burns.
You cannot survive this without me and you know it.
Relief swept through him. She was weak. He could feel her energy level was very low, but she wasn't anywhere near the state she'd been in the last time.
I am grateful that you are removing the silver from my body. Once it is done, I can escape myself. You cannot come any closer.
She made a little sound in his mind, a hmph of annoyance. You cannot unwrap the chains that bind you. If you could, my love, you would have done so weeks ago.
Dimitri was beginning to feel a little desperate. She couldn't stay. He was helpless to aid her if she got into trouble. She was correct about the chains wrapped so tightly around his body. Had it not been for the unusually strong connection between them, he could never have reached out to Skyler. He had tried reaching his brother, Fen, but to no avail.
Sadly, I'm all you've got right now, Dimitri. The three of us. Josef and Paul will do whatever is necessary to help me set you free.
He loved her friends. He'd come to know them through her, and her love of them. The two boys were brothers to her, family, but they were boys, not men, not in the sense of warriors who were experienced in battle. They had no idea what they were facing, and how in the world could they possibly protect Skyler from a pack of Lycans?
He took a deep breath to try to keep still. The burn twisting through his body set him on fire. He could barely force his body to stay under his control, instead of moving continually in an effort to ease the never-ending agony bent on destroying him. He had to admit it was a medieval torture worthy of a Machiavellian punishment.
Skyler, I love you more than life itself. He told her the stark truth in a low, compelling tone. Compulsion wouldn't work on her, but he could use his best, loving persuasive voice. My brother, Fen, will come. He is already on his way. He spoke with absolute confidence. He knew Fen would come for him. I need to know you're safe. More than anything else, I need that. Stay where you are and continue to drive the silver from my body. That will buy the time my brother needs to find me. You can reach him and know the time it will take for him to reach me.
Skyler took her time mulling that over while his heart accelerated with fear for her. She gave a little sigh. The idea is to get in and get out without anyone knowing we are here. If I call to your brother, he will have no choice but to let my father know. Gabriel will come. With him will be Lucian. Maybe others. There could be a war just when Mikhail is trying to make peace with these cretins.
He knew she was right. Her family would come and there would be hell to pay. Worse, if the De La Cruz family found out Paul was with her, they would come, and there would be no stopping Zacarias if one hair was harmed on his nephew's head.
Skyler wasn't going to back down. Desperation set in. He was helpless, chained by silver, hanging in a tree with hooks in his body to slowly poison him. Moarta de argint. He couldn't save her if she was attacked.
How could he stop her? He didn't want her in the hands of the Lycans. Despair swept through him when even in his worst moments he hadn't considered, not for one moment, helping the silver to move through his body faster. He had known he could get the suffering over, but he would never leave Skyler alone, not if there was a chance. But to save her life . . .
Don't you dare even think about leaving me! Pure fury edged the trembling fear in her voice. If you choose to go, I will follow. I won't be understanding about it either, Dimitri. We have a pact, you and I, we made it a long time ago when everyone else wanted to decide our fate. We decide together. You. Me. Together.
I cannot stand the thought of you in danger.
It is only because you suffer . . .
Suffering does not matter. The silver does not matter. Death does not matter. You have no concept of what drives me. I cannot have you in danger.
Her voice changed completely. The fear and anger disappeared. Her tone was musical. Soft. Red velvet brushing over every inflamed nerve ending with a soothing touch. My love, no one, not even an ancient so courageous and strong as you could withstand the lack of sustenance. You need to feed. You have been chained for over two weeks, and you've suffered agonies no one else could have endured. The combination would drive anyone mad.
At times he had felt mad. His mind wandered. Before Skyler had come, he sometimes couldn't think clearly, but . . .
You have to trust me. I am your lifemate and I hold you close in my heart. You're the other half of my soul. Trust me to do this right.
The sad truth was-Skyler had a point. Days and nights ran together. He was left outside and at times he was helpless, caught in the Carpathian paralysis, yet unable to sleep. The sun beat down through the trees, nearly blinding him, burning his skin until he was blistered, but fortunately, the thick canopy-and his Lycan blood-kept him from the death most Carpathians feared.
The silver burned continuously, his insides on fire, his skin and bones feeling as though he was being scalded and scorched endlessly. Hunger beat at him, until he didn't know which was worse-the need for blood, or the ceaseless agony in his body. Now, all that meant little when he knew Skyler was in danger.
Dimitri. The way you feel about me . . . That is the way I feel about you. We belong together and I cannot go away and leave you alone like this. It would break my heart. I would rather risk everything on the chance of getting you back than know you are suffering and I did nothing.
Call Fen. He will come and I'll know you're safe.
He felt her sigh. She was worn. The edges of her mind were stretched thin. She was shivering with cold. He couldn't see where she was, but he could feel that much.
My love, you and I both know he will not get here in time. The silver was inches from your heart. Even now, I fear resting, afraid something will go wrong. Let me do this. For you. For us. Let me do this, Dimitri. I can do this.
There was no denying Skyler. He knew he was fighting a losing battle. Both of them needed to conserve strength.
Tell me your plan, sívamet.
He felt her love surrounding him. He tried to keep his body as still as possible, but the silver twisted through, burning along every nerve ending until he thought he might go mad. Before, in the darkness surrounding him during the endless days and nights, he had wanted to end it all, but the thought of what that would do to his lifemate kept him trying to be still to keep the poison from finding his heart. Now, with her love, with her courage, he felt lifted up. How could he not stay alive when he had a woman like Skyler fighting for him?
He felt her hesitation and found himself scowling. Skyler was no "yes" woman, and he loved that about her, but more than anything, he wanted her to be safe. His heart contracted painfully. She was going to do something she knew he would never approve of.
Josef has provided us with the best papers possible, three students conducting a study on wolves in the wild. He used your organization and we look very legitimate. The boys are setting up camp now. It should pass any inspection.
That tells me nothing.
It tells you we have planned this carefully. We don't want a war, we just want you safe and back with us. Tomorrow I'll go walking in the woods and get lost. I'm human. Someone will find me. One of the Lycans. I'll have a turned ankle, Josef is quite good at providing such things. The Lycan will escort me back to the camp if for no other reason than just to check out my story. I will plant a tracking device on him. That will lead us straight back to you.