It took every bit of discipline he had to cross to the edge of the dirt. He flowed over the soil rather than expending physical energy on walking. He couldn’t let the parasites escape to get into the ground. This time, Maksim was waiting to incinerate Vadim’s creatures and replenish Dragomir’s lost blood.

While Dragomir forced the parasites from his body, pushing the infected blood through his pores, the gathered Carpathians continued singing the lullaby for the baby. They sang of peace and strength, of love for her, urging her to hold on, that they were there for her, waiting for her. He found the song soothing and hoped the baby did as well.

It took a great deal longer to rid his body of the parasites, and he was cognizant of how much effort Andor had expended to shield Dragomir’s most vital organs. Maksim incinerated the expelled parasites as they tried to rush for the soil. He was thorough, making certain not even one escaped. Dragomir drank the powerful, ancient blood Maksim offered, then hurried back to Andor’s body to allow his spirit to reenter. Both men slumped to the ground. Immediately Nicu and Lojos were there to give them blood.

Gary politely closed the wound on Tariq’s wrist. “He’s up to something. We’re making progress. We’ve gotten rid of most of the parasites in the bloodstream. He’s got a few hiding that we’ll have to ferret out, but I can feel his rage, and he’s trying to get them to reproduce faster. Fortunately, I think we’ve got a good deal of the ones able to reproduce. Vadim’s pulled back and that’s bad for us in terms of getting rid of the parasites.”

Dragomir regarded Emeline’s pale features. She was lying on top of the soil, her eyes closed, but he could feel her mind trying to assess what was happening to her and the child. “I feel it, too. He’ll strike hard when he does.”

“No parasite is attacking Emeline’s brain or heart,” Gary said. “Just the baby’s.”

“And mine,” Dragomir said, frowning. “If he isn’t trying to kill Emeline, which doesn’t make sense, then the baby must be protected. He’ll try to hurt Emeline through the child. Emeline must be protected, as well, because if he can’t rid her of the baby, I fear he’ll do something else to harm her – maybe try to kill her.” That didn’t feel right. Even if the baby was gone, he feared Vadim wanted Emeline for some purpose. Not wanted. Needed.

Gary turned his strange eyes on him. Dragomir knew his own eyes were different, as were Ferro’s and Sandu’s. It hit him then. Gary was truly an ancient with all the knowledge and power of those in the monastery. He had the experiences in battle, the kills of his ancestors, the burdens they took to their graves, all of it. He didn’t even have the relief of temptation, those dark whispers to take blood until the rush came. To kill their prey and just feel. Instead, there was – nothing. Like the ancients in the monastery, he lived in a gray void of nothing. He belonged in the brotherhood.

“Take her blood and give her yours,” Gary said.

Emeline was about to go through the conversion, and the healer knew it was important to Dragomir to have her last moments as a human be about the two of them. He nodded his thanks and once more took her in his arms, holding her close to him while the healer shed his body.

“It hurts,” she said softly, pressing her body close to his, melting into him. “What is it doing to you?”

“I can shut down pain. Stop worrying about me. We still have the conversion to get through.” He nuzzled the top of her head, aware of time slipping away from them.

The sound of Carpathians singing the lullaby filled the air with a soothing peace that was a counterbalance to the vicious attacks the few remaining parasites continued on both of them. Despite the urgency, he wanted to just hold her for a moment – to block out all the pain and blood for her and allow her a moment of respite.

He swept back her hair. “You’re being so brave, Emeline. I can’t imagine what this must feel like for you.” For the first time that night, he thought to go into her mind further, to smell and experience what she was feeling. She was wide open to him, without any barriers.

“Don’t,” she said softly. “Feel what I do when you’re holding me. Safe. Cherished. Those are the things I concentrate on, not the rest of it. You’re risking everything to save me.”

His heart clenched hard in his chest. He leaned down to press his lips against her pulse, feeling her heart beat into his mouth, taking that rhythm into his heart. He touched the spot with his tongue, scraped over it with his teeth. “Sívamet andam. Do you know what that means, sívamet? It means I’m giving you my heart. You are the only one to have it. It is in your keeping for all eternity. I would never take someone’s lifemate. I am an ancient and my honor is all I have. All I have to offer you. I know Vadim keeps saying he’s the one, but choose me. Make it a choice, Emeline. If you cannot yet feel the ties binding us, make me your choice.”

“Every time. With every breath,” she said instantly, reaching back to circle his neck with her arm. “You will always be my choice.”

“Sielamet andam. I give you my soul. You gave me back light. Hope. You will always be home to me, Emeline. It will never matter to me where we are, as long as we’re together.” He sank his teeth in her neck, this time, not distancing her. Letting her feel the erotic bite. The flash of pain followed by pure pleasure.

She cried out and then rewarded him with a small moan that told him she was feeling what he wanted her to. Her body moved restlessly over his. Deep inside he felt Vadim hiss his building rage. He was like a snake, coiled and waiting for an opportunity to strike. Dragomir gathered her closer protectively, allowing himself to savor the taste of her blood. Nothing Vadim did could diminish that for him. He would always be addicted to her taste.

You’ll never have that again, he whispered on the Carpathian telepathic path. He didn’t care that the others heard him taunt the master vampire. An enraged vampire made mistakes. Vadim was not ever getting Emeline in his hands again. He ingested the rest of the parasites. Before she took his blood, he would remove them from his body, so that she would get rich, ancient blood to strengthen both her and the baby.

He brushed a kiss over her pulse and then swept the punctures closed with his tongue. “I will be right back to give you the exchange.”

She smiled at him. “They’re gone, aren’t they? I feel different.”

Gary had once again entered her body to help herd the rest of the parasites into Dragomir. He emerged, as grim-faced as ever, but he was triumphant. “They’re gone,” he stated. His eyes met Dragomir’s, reaffirming his conviction that Vadim hadn’t put up a hard enough battle at the end. The question was, what was he planning?

Dragomir brushed a kiss over Emeline’s forehead and once more made his way back to the edge of the healing grounds. Every step of the way, the parasites bit, scoring his bones and ripping at organs. He forced his body upright, standing tall.

The outside night poured in through the crack deliberately left for the Carpathians to call down lightning, or for each to pull what they needed from the night. Sandu was with him this time, ready to incinerate the vicious creatures attacking his body. Dragomir stared out the crack into the dark. The sliver of moon was beginning to expand, a hot, bright crescent in the sky. Lightning forked, Sandu charging the air.

The slight breeze shifted, touched Dragomir’s face as he forced the wiggling, fighting parasites through his pores. He concentrated on making certain not a single one was left behind. Andor aided him, his spirit shining his white-hot light everywhere, so none could hide. He drove them while Dragomir all but shoved them through his pores. He didn’t look down at the parasites but rather outward, into the night. He was leading Emeline there. The night would become her world. Their world.

She had chosen him without hesitation. She was ready for the conversion, placing all her trust in him. That humbled him. Lightning zigzagged across the sky and then Sandu directed a sizzling whip straight at the parasites. Dragomir caught an odd faint scent, something he’d smelled before. There was a hint of conspiracy about it. He leaned toward the crack, moving to one side to get the breeze on his face.