Dark Wolf(68)

"Very well, thank you," Mikhail answered and turned to look at Skyler  with his piercing dark eyes. "We owe you, Paul and Josef a debt of  gratitude. Fen tells me had you not found Dimitri, he wouldn't have  survived. Our rescuers would have been too late."

Up so close to Mikhail, his power and presence were intimidating,  although she could see kindness in his face. "I'm fortunate that we have  a strong bond and I was able to find him."

"She put a tracking device in my pocket," Zev said. "She's a clever woman."

There was admiration in his voice, surprising Skyler. She hadn't expected that from Zev. He clearly didn't hold any grudges.

Mikhail's eyebrow shot up. "She did?"

Zev nodded. "I never suspected a thing. She was smooth, so smooth I'm  certain she could easily live the life of a successful pickpocket if she  chooses to. She has that innocent face, and no one would ever suspect  her."

Skyler smiled at him. "That was the plan."

"So simple," Mikhail mused. "It's a good lesson for us all. Sometimes  the simplest plan is far better than all the intrigue in the world." His  eyes met Dimitri's. "I would like to introduce you to the Lycan council  members. If you don't mind answering their questions, it would perhaps  help us put pieces of the puzzle together. You were in the Lycan camp  two weeks."

"Over two weeks," Skyler clarified. She couldn't suppress the little  bite to her voice. She didn't care if she was talking to the prince.  Dimitri had suffered at the hands of the Lycans, and he would have been  dead if he'd had to wait for the Carpathians to rescue him.

Dimitri took her hand, threading his fingers gently through hers. This  is not his fault, sívamet. Perhaps it is not the fault of these men on  the council either. Fen and others were sent out on my trail, but they  couldn't find tracks. He brushed his mouth across her knuckles. Only you  managed to reach me in spite of the silver cutting me off from everyone  else.

Mollified, Skyler nodded to let him know she understood. She went to  step back, tugging at her hand, but Dimitri refused to release her.

Dimitri glided with the prince across the room to the Lycan council  table, taking her with him. Dimitri moved in absolute silence, his body  fluid, shoulders straight and his head high. The blackened scars were  vivid, circling his forehead and throat. He wore a white shirt, opened  to the waist, allowing everyone to see the bands of blackened scars  around his body.

A hush fell over the room as he approached the table of council members.  Three of the four men rose to their feet as he neared them, and the  last one did a little reluctantly and only because one of the other  council members glared at him.

"Rolf, Lyall, Randall, Arno, this is Dimitri. He may be able to tell us a  lot more about what happened in the Lycan camp," Mikhail introduced  them.

Skyler had never been prouder of Dimitri. He gave the council members a  courtly bow. He looked very old world and elegant, a man of great  courtesy and courage. There was a subtle aura given off by him, and  judging by the way the council's guards came to attention, she wasn't  the only one who felt it. She didn't know if it was in the way he moved,  the fluid, silent glide that told anyone watching he was dangerous, or  rather the elusive scent of the predator clinging to him, that put  everyone on alert.

She watched Rolf, the eldest of the group, hold out his hand to Dimitri,  apologizing on behalf of the Lycan people for what the Carpathian  warrior had endured at their hands. He promised Dimitri they would find  those responsible and punish them. The ring of honesty was in his voice,  and Skyler found herself believing him.

Randall was a frightening bear of a man. Had she met him in the forest  rather than Zev, she would have run for her life. He had a booming voice  that echoed through the room when he spoke, adding his apologies to  those of Rolf. She stood just a little behind Dimitri, his body  partially shielding her from the Lycans, but to his bodyguards' dismay,  Randall stepped out from behind the table and came around to stand in  front of Dimitri.

"Is this the young woman who saved your life?" He didn't wait for Dimitri to answer, but leaned down to take her hand.

Dimitri's hand got there first, deflecting the Lycan away from Skyler,  his body suddenly solidly between the two. Randall's bodyguards sprang  forward the moment Dimitri touched Randall. As the Lycans put their  hands on their weapons, Fen and several other Carpathians moved into  position to protect the couple. Gregori glided very subtly, positioning  himself just a little in front of the prince.

The tension in the room rose to a screaming point. Zev stepped between  the two species, his hand in the air. Skyler hadn't even seen him move,  but his presence seemed to calm everyone.

"In the Carpathian culture, other men rarely touch one's lifemate," he  explained quietly, addressing Randall as if the others weren't rattling  their weapons. He sounded as if he was merely passing on information,  not stopping a battle. "Skyler is Dimitri's lifemate. As you know, she  nearly died, and you can understand he is quite protective of her."

Skyler admired his voice, low, smooth, calming. It was a gift, a rare  one, but powerful. He could calm a crowd with that voice and he did so  easily.                       
       
           



       

"I apologize," Randall said to Dimitri. "I had no idea. Is talking to her forbidden as well?"

His booming voice rang through the room, making Skyler wince. She felt  as if she'd been reduced to a schoolgirl, a small child who needed  parental permission before speaking with an important adult.

What are you doing? She hissed the question to Dimitri, a little shocked  at his behavior. I thought we came here to stop a war, not start one.

It was an automatic reaction. I don't like men I don't know or trust in such close proximity to you.

Then I shouldn't have come. You should have told me.

His self-derisive amusement slipped into her mind. I had no idea I would  have such a reaction. Apparently, there are things I have to learn  about myself.

It was impossible for Skyler to be angry with Dimitri. He had a strong  protective instinct and a wicked sense of humor that was always going to  get him out of trouble with her.

She stepped around Dimitri. "Of course it isn't forbidden to talk to me,  or any other woman for that matter. I think everyone is a little on  edge after what happened." She smiled at the shaggy, very large Lycan  and held out her hand.

Randall glanced at Dimitri, who remained impassive. He looked relaxed,  but Skyler, so tuned to her lifemate, felt his body coil, ready to  strike.

The Lycan took her hand in his enormous one, completely engulfing hers.  "We've heard a lot about you," Randall said. "You're quite a legend  already. I trust you're recovering from your injuries?"

Skyler nodded. "Dimitri took great care to see to my recovery. We're  sorry we kept you waiting, but the wounds were . . . severe."

For her, everything about Randall rang true-what one saw was what one got. She glanced at her lifemate.

He isn't a deceptive man and I doubt if he would lie about ordering  death by silver. Had he done so, he would have owned up to it. If he  believes in something, he's not the kind of man to hide his opinion.

You got all that from holding his hand?

Skyler pressed her lips together tightly to keep from laughing. You're in a foul mood.

You've got a wolf slobbering all over your hand. These wolf men are  charmers and I don't trust any of them, especially the one holding your  hand, further than I can throw them.

Her eyebrow shot up. Dimitri was teasing, but there was just that little  bit of truth in his tone as well. That would be pretty far. I've seen  you in action.

A second council member came out from around the table to join them.  This was Lyall, the man who hadn't seemed at all interested in seeing  what the Lycans had done to their prisoner. She was surprised that he  came up to them, introducing himself to Dimitri and reiterating how  sorry they all were for what had taken place.

She stepped back again, just a little, knowing it would make Dimitri  more comfortable. The moment she did, both Zev and Fen moved subtly,  coming in from either side so that she was hemmed in, although it didn't  really look that way.

She kept the frown off her face and watched Dimitri talking with Lyall  and the last of the council members, a man by the name of Arno. He was  friendly, but openly wary of Dimitri. In the end, after Dimitri told his  story to them, it was Arno who asked the most questions, and the  majority of the questions seemed to be about being a mixed blood rather  than who had been Dimitri's worst tormentors.

He wants the alliance with Carpathians, but he doesn't believe in  distinguishing between Sange rau and the Hän ku pesäk kaikak, Skyler  pointed out to Dimitri.