Dark Blood by Christine Feehan Read Free Book Online Page A

such a mortal wound, but Fen’s right, it could take several months, probably longer. You shouldn’t have survived.
    Zev sighed. “Did Mikhail ask you to waken me? Or was it your idea?”
    Fen looked uncomfortable, but he didn’t answer.
    “Fen argued for days not to bring you out of the earth,” Dimitri said. “Mikhail and Gregori insisted it was imperative. Both believe that without your knowledge of the Lycans and the council, we don’t have a chance avoiding an all-out war, let alone securing an actual alliance.”
    Zev bit down gently on Branislava’s fingertips as he considered the various possibilities. This woman sat in silence beside him, contemplating changing her entire life to become the lifemate of a virtual stranger in order to keep him from killing every single male who came near her. Duty. He sighed. He’d spent more than one lifetime doing his duty to his people. When did it end? He was damned exhausted.
    You are not entirely a stranger.
    There was that small note of humor in her voice. He realized she rarely spoke aloud, preferring to talk only to him. He’d noticed, the single time they’d danced together, that other Carpathians had flocked around her, but they had done most of the talking. She was very quiet, almost subdued, but her nature wasn’t at all passive.
    Beneath that cool, quiet surface was a fiery, passionate woman, as fierce as any warrior he’d fought with. He knew, because he’d seen her dragon. Bright, crimson-red scales tipped in gold, she’d been a sight in the sky. He was in her mind and saw that will of iron, honed in the ice caves where her father had kept her prisoner.
    His heart thudded hard when he made that connection. Of course she would think being forced to become his lifemate would be a form of imprisonment. How could she not? She craved freedom, and yet, the moment she surfaced, almost the very day, she had met him and she had known they were lifemates.
    “Tell Mikhail and Gregori, I’ll do it,” he said, making his decision.
    Beside him she stiffened, but she said nothing.
    You know there is no other choice for me. If there’s a chance I can prevent bloodshed, I have to try.
    Fen straightened, shaking his head. Clearly he wasn’t any happier than Branislava, but he’d done his duty, just like she would do, just as he chose to do.
    Zev shrugged his shoulders. “We’re warriors, Fen. It’s what we do. Who we are.”
    Fen nodded. “They’re taking a hell of a chance with your life, Zev.”
    “For Mikhail to consider doing such a thing, knowing Branislava tied herself to me, he has to have good reasons. He’s our prince, I accepted that when I chose brotherhood. I’m sworn to protect the council and have a need to help those who are my people as well.”
    He wanted to lie in the cool earth and not think anymore. He’d made his decision. “I’ll ask Mikhail to get the ancients to release our spirit weave,” he added to Branislava. “Just in case something goes wrong.”

3
    B ranislava abruptly pulled her hand from Zev’s and got up, moving away from him and across the room to stare out the window. She radiated hurt. Her long, thick hair was banded with fiery red over the red-gold strands. He caught a glimpse of those green eyes, now changing color, deepening to an intense blue green like the deepest sea. Stormy. Turbulent.
    He swore he could see sparks flickering in the air around her body as she stood with her back to him. Fen and Dimitri stepped back, and Fen lifted his hand.
    That’s our cue to exit. We’ll tell Mikhail of your decision. If you make it out of this one alive,
Fen added,
we’ll come for you next rising and bring you to the cave of healing.
    Dimitri snickered.
You have a lot to learn about women, Zev. She’s not the little submissive thing you thought, is she?
    He had never thought of Branislava as submissive—exactly. He’d seen that fiery dragon of hers and known she was a fierce warrior. But, okay, maybe he’d been a