Dark Wolf(41)

You scared me, he admitted. You can never do this again.

She didn't reply in words, the effort to talk even telepathically was  too much in her weakened state, but she stroked a caress over the sorrow  and fear he'd been holding inside.

You must reenter your body, Skyler. It will be uncomfortable and there  will be pain again, but not like we experienced before. He instilled  absolute confidence in his voice, and kept it uppermost in his mind,  although deep inside he was afraid she might balk.

There was a flutter against the walls of his mind, as gentle as the gossamer wings of a butterfly. You?

Every step of the way. I will hold you. You'll never be alone, not in  that dark cold world or the one above where we face war and persecution.

She would know what he meant. If she chose to return to the other world,  he would follow her. As much as he would love to retaliate against the  Lycans for what they'd done to her, nothing was more important to him  than Skyler.

She astonished him once again, her light glowing a little brighter,  stretching more to finally touch his. He felt her immediately. She was  there, her indomitable spirit, as determined as ever.

Again he took his time, uncaring that he was starving and that bringing  her back from the land of the dead had taken its toll on him. He'd  suffered every moment of the conversion right with her, yet now that she  was alive and willing to return to her own body, the terrible  exhaustion that had settled in him seemed to disappear.

His spirit escorted hers to her battered body. Skyler didn't hesitate as  he expected, she simply united her spirit with her body, settling into  her own skin with a small shiver. He stayed with her, afraid to leave  her too soon. He'd been in three places, her body, his and the other  world for far too long and was beginning to feel the effects of such a  division.

I will not leave you, Dimitri, she reassured him.

He thought she whispered the words into his mind, but maybe he only  heard what he wished. She was already fading, slipping into  unconsciousness. Heart pounding hard, he checked her. Not death. She was  ready to accept the healing earth.

He found himself back in his own body. Tatijana and Josef had removed  the silver and the agonizing burn throughout his body was gone. He  opened his eyes and looked around him, needing to see Skyler, needing to  know he wasn't hallucinating, that she was really there and alive.

She looked so pale, so ravaged by the bullets, blood staining her  clothing and even caught in her hair. But she was alive and she was  beautiful. The soil beneath them had sunk, taking their bodies nearly a  foot and a half down. Black loam, rich with minerals, had packed itself  all around them, between their legs and even forming a thin blanket over  them.

Again he heard the call of Mother Earth. He took a deep breath and turned his head, knowing Tatijana was close.

"You're back with us," she greeted. "You've accomplished what no other has done that I've heard of. You brought her back."

"It was a fight. She needs to go to ground."

"You both do. But first you'll need to feed."

He nodded. He knew she was right. Hunger beat at him now, stronger than  ever. "Before anything else . . ." He looked around him, his gaze  settling on Josef and Paul.

Paul lay on the ground, his expression set in lines of pain, but he made  no sound. Josef sat close to him, and both were staring with  apprehension at Skyler.

"She's alive," Dimitri announced. "Back with us, and I have you two to  thank. You saved my life and then hers. I can never repay the great debt  I owe you."

"She's alive?" Paul asked. "Really alive? She's not moving. She doesn't even look as if she's breathing."

"You've seen Carpathians slipping into rejuvenating sleep," Dimitri  said. "I'll command her to sleep, ensure she doesn't wake until she's  healed enough to get out of this place."

Paul pushed the hair back from his face and quickly averted his head, but not before Dimitri caught the sheen of tears.

"I didn't think it was possible," Josef admitted. His voice wobbled, but  he refused to look away from Dimitri's penetrating gaze.

"You were the one who told me she wasn't dead," Dimitri reminded with a weary grin. "You said to go after her and I did."

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" Josef said, a slow, answering grin pushing  through the weight of his fear and sorrow. "But I honestly thought it  was bull and you'd never be able to bring her back."

"It was all Skyler," Dimitri said. "She's strong. She found a way to  stop herself, even in death, from moving too far away from me."

"Because she has such faith in you," Josef replied. He rubbed both hands  over his face. "I never want to go through that again. Can you put her  in a basement wrapped in Bubble Wrap so Paul and I don't have to worry  about her anymore?"

"An excellent idea," Dimitri said.

Tatijana nudged him gently. "You need to feed and then go to ground.  We'll be safe here for the time being. I checked carefully and there are  no weak points that I can find."

Dimitri forced himself to move, to look around. The transparent  structure allowed him to the see the Lycans, who appeared to be watching  something other than the Carpathians. "Where's Fen?"

Tatijana put a restraining hand on his arm. Only then did he realize he had begun to struggle to his feet.

"Fen is backing Zev, trying to find answers. I'm only getting glimpses  of what is happening. Sword fights, snipers, two Lycans battling for  position of alpha in the pack, that sort of thing. I'd say he was busy,"  she replied.

Dimitri subsided, although he didn't like his brother out there alone  with the Lycans. He had known many of them and liked them, but he didn't  trust any of them anymore. "Did someone get word to Gregori that the  prince may be in danger?"                       
       
           



       

"The moment Skyler died . . ." Tatijana broke off. "Everyone felt that  terrible moment. She reached out to Francesca. Gregori will ensure the  prince is safe."

Dimitri let out his breath. He couldn't think anymore. "Thank you for  removing the silver from my body." He turned his head to include Josef.  "Both of you."

Byron offered his wrist. "You'll need to be at full strength when Skyler wakes. We may have to fight our way out of here."

Dimitri took the offer, his hunger overcoming his need to see to  everyone's safety. He couldn't do much in his weakened condition. He was  careful not to take too much from Byron, no matter how tempting it was.  He wanted the other males at full strength to make certain they could  fight should the Lycans find a way in.

Vlad offered next. With the second feeding, Dimitri's body settled, the  edge off just enough that he could gather Skyler into his arms, holding  what appeared to be her lifeless body close. Tatijana blurred the  background around them, making it impossible for prying eyes to see what  he did next.

Waving his hand he opened the ground, taking Skyler deep, floating down  into the very arms of Mother Earth. At once, even before he gave the  command for Skyler to fall into the rejuvenating sleep of the  Carpathians, the soil poured over them of its own accord, cradling them  both in warm, loving arms.

Fen, Dimitri and Skyler are safe in the ground. Dawn will be breaking  soon. We all have to follow them soon. Can you make it back to us?  Tatijana asked. She kept the little catch out of her voice, the one that  acknowledged she knew he probably wouldn't be with her throughout the  day, but somewhere alone and in danger.

Zev's in trouble, Tatijana. The outer ring of Lycans have circled the  inner ring. Those inside support Zev. The outer ring-and there are more  of them-support Gunnolf. I think there's going to be a bloodbath here. I  can't leave Zev to fight alone.

Don't get killed, Tatijana ordered.

Fen sent Tatijana reassurance, but he couldn't move from his position  and he wanted Zev to answer him, to realize just how much trouble he was  in. With an army of renegade Lycans surrounding the pack loyal to Zev,  the situation looked grim for the elite hunter.

The sniper put his eye to the scope once more and Fen struck from  behind, grasping his head and wrenching it around, breaking the neck. He  plunged a silver stake through the heart, severed the head and left him  there in the tree.

I can start picking them off, one by one, Zev, but there are a good number of them and we won't last forever.

The ferocious fight between Gunnolf and Zev continued. Gunnolf several  times glanced up in the direction of the tree where the dead sniper was  positioned, clearly expecting a shot to ring out. The large oaf of a  Lycan maneuvering his way behind Zev had finally gotten himself in  place. All Gunnolf had to do was drive Zev back and the other Lycan  could kill him from behind.

Fen flinched when the two combatants hit the ground so hard it shook.  They rolled, snarling and punching, tearing at each other. He cloaked  his presence and used the doubled speed of both Carpathian and Lycan to  cross the meadow and once again insert himself in the crowd.