Fen was very happy to get away from the four walls of the living, breathing house. He never had spotted Andre, the ghost among Carpathian warriors, but was satisfied that he knew his old friend was there. He inhaled the night air. Tatijana and he had to return quickly to their resting place, but before they did, he needed to breathe the fresh air once again.

Tatijana slipped her hand into his as they turned up a trail to climb higher into the mountains. "I guess that went as well as could be expected."

"Between the two of us, you with the information on weapons and me with what I know about Lycans and rogues, I think we gave them enough to protect themselves," Fen said. Already the surrounding trees cut them off from all civilization, making him feel as if it were just the two of them, alone in the night.

"You were very uncomfortable," she observed.

"It is long since I've been inside a house for any length of time," he conceded. "I felt the more time I was in the company of the prince, the more danger I exposed him to. Even with his hunters gathered around him, and they are some of the best, they have never experienced this kind of threat to him. I can tell them what the Sange rau is like, but until they actually witness one in action, they'll never really understand."

Tatijana's eyebrow shot up. "You believe the threat is to the prince, then. Not the children?"

"Of course. Don't you?" Fen chose a route that would take them even farther up the mountain. More than anything, he needed to be with Tatijana and just savor every moment alone with her that he could have.

The night sky glittered with stars, although darker clouds floated lazily, occasionally blocking out the sparkling diamonds overhead. "If they kill Mikhail, the little prince at the age of two is far too young. His daughter might be able to take his place, but if not, there is no vessel for power. If you wish to wipe out Carpathians, the best way to do so would be to kill the prince now while his heir is young and vulnerable."

"His brother? Jacques?"

Fen shrugged. He threaded his fingers more comfortably through hers and brought her hand to his heart as they walked. Her hand felt small in his and made him feel all the more protective over her. "Maybe. Not all those in a lineage make good leaders. I know little about his brother, but Jacques is as protective over his brother as Gregori is and that tells me Jacques does not believe he can lead our people."

"Or does not want to," Tatijana added thoughtfully.

He glanced down at her, amazed that such a beautiful woman could be his. She moved with fluid grace, in complete silence. She fit into his body so perfectly. He was aware of everything about her. Her breasts moved beneath her shirt, a delicate enticement he'd never noticed on another woman. Her hips swayed gently, and the stars seemed to have settled in her eyes. The wind teased her long hair, trying hard to loosen it from the long thick coil she bound the mass of silk with.

His heart felt lighter than it ever had. He could hear the blood coursing in his veins. His teeth were sharp, and the need to taste his woman was nearly overpowering. With that hunger came rising lust, sharp and terrible yet tempered with such an intense love for her, he knew she was safe. Just walking with her up in the mountains, far from everyone else, he felt as if they were the only ones in the world. The beauty of the night and their surroundings seemed to have been crafted for them alone.

They followed a deer path winding upward through the thick stands of trees. So many varieties of trees, branches reaching upward for the dark, midnight blue sky. The forest was thickest here. Higher, the tree line became more scraggly as the mountain jutted toward the sky. Fog rolled around the upper mountain range, closing it off almost permanently from below. The white veil looked much like a cloud formation, as if the mountain simply disappeared into the heavens.

He inhaled the scent of brush, flowers and trees. The vegetation making up the forest floor had its own distinct odor. Wildlife was abundant. This was home to him as both Lycan and Carpathian, yet it was the scent of the woman walking with him that made him feel most at home. She crept into his heart, filled his mind with her brightness and found a way to make him forget every bad thing he'd ever done or seen.

The world around him took on her beauty. Deep, vivid colors he hadn't seen in so long he didn't remember them ever being so vibrant. The leaves rustling in the trees took on hues from a deep forest green to a particularly beautiful shade of silver. Ribbons of water bubbled over winding paths of rock, streamers of shiny diamonds cutting their way downhill to feed the large marshes.

He was content with just walking with her. His body might demand more, and the Carpathian male in him had such a drive to bind her to him that it shocked him, but none of that mattered. Not when she accompanied him and listened to the wealth of information the wind provided just as he was. For the first time in his life he felt he belonged somewhere. He found the ability to want her, that constant demand coursing through his bloodstream, the roar in his ears and drum beating in his pulse only added to the serenity of the moment. Feeling physical need and hunger for her in itself was a miracle.

Tatijana looked up at Fen. The moonlight spilled over him, illuminating every rugged feature, the lines etched deep, his unusual eyes and strong jaw. He looked more Lycan than Carpathian with the moon pulling at his wild side. She found him irresistible with his blend of elegant, charming Carpathian with old world manners and the much rougher, feral, dangerous wolf lurking just under the surface.

He looked the ultimate predator. There was no hiding the wolf blood, not under the moon. She knew if she could see it, so could other wolves. Still, the wildness in him made him that much more appealing to her. She knew Carpathian males were dominant and their counterparts in the Lycan society had to be as well, yet his dominance was tempered with restraint. Fen knew what she needed-freedom.

He accepted her just the way she was. He didn't try to mold her into anything different. She found she wanted his company and his sense of humor. He didn't reveal himself to anyone else, and that made her feel special. He clearly would protect her with his life and he made her feel precious, cherished even. It was in the way he looked at her. The touch of his hand, the tone of his voice, and there, in the thoughts he couldn't hide from her.

She'd been restless since she'd awakened from her long, healing hibernation, looking for something, but she hadn't known what. She'd thought it was information, but it hadn't been so mundane. She'd known almost from the first time she'd entered the tavern at the edge of the woods. She'd been drawn back time and again even though she tried to fight the compulsion. She'd known it was Fen. She couldn't stop thinking about him. She couldn't stop dancing for him, trying to get his attention. She'd avoided asking herself why, but deep down, she'd known he was her lifemate.

She hadn't wanted him, fearing his dominance, but something had changed inside of her. Whatever wall she'd built up had come tumbling down when she watched him fight for his brother, for her and for Zev. He had placed himself in harm's way knowing the consequences, but he'd been unflinching. He hadn't once chastised her, and he seemed to value her opinions and abilities.

He fascinated her. Everything about him fascinated her. She found herself slipping more and more into his mind. He never closed himself off from her, no matter what memories she examined. She knew his newfound emotions could be intensely painful when he recalled the death of his friends. His Carpathian unemotional nature had protected him to some extent, now he was wide open to every feeling, a flood of them all at once.

Fen didn't flinch from his memories. He met them head-on. He processed the sorrow and moved on. He held tight to her in his mind, and that made her feel as if he truly needed her. He didn't ask for anything from her though. Not a single thing. She could feel the need and hunger beating at him, but he never tried to make her feel guilty. In fact, he fully supported her decision. The problem was . . . she wasn't at all certain about her decision anymore. She'd changed her mind. He was her lifemate and there seemed little reason to avoid the claiming. She would follow him no matter what happened, claimed or unclaimed. She knew that her commitment to him was already there.

The scent of flowers hit Fenris as they approached a large open meadow. He tightened his fingers around Tatijana's. She felt small to him, fragile even, yet he knew a core of steel ran through his lady. He enjoyed the way they walked in step together. She fit perfectly with him, not just her height, but her mind, the way she seemed to pour into every dark place, wiping out the battles and the hunting and the destroying of childhood friends. She seemed to be able to bridge the cracks in his soul from too many kills.

Fen's eyes widened. "Night star flower. Did you know they were here? I haven't seen them in centuries. As far as I know they don't grow anywhere else."

The blossom was large, shaped like a star, but the petals and texture were much like a lily. The inside filaments were striped and the ovary was ruby red. The stigma was definitely a perfect replica of the male organ, large and erect. The flower was beautiful beyond belief and the scent seemed to burst over both of them.

Tatijana blushed. "The fertility flower. My understanding is the flower was brought back from South America by Gary Jansen, a human researcher. He and Gregori are very close friends. He's done so much for our people, and this flower is thought to have been part of one of those rituals needed to aid in producing children. Gary did so much research and he found references to this flower several times and he began looking for it. He was the one who found a reference to it on a volcanic range in South America."

Lara had given both Tatijana and Branislava as much information as she could about what was happening in the Carpathian world each rising that she came to give blood before she had returned to South America with her lifemate. Sara had taken over until she got pregnant, and then it was Falcon who gave them blood and snippets of knowledge.

"The ritual is beautiful," Fen said.

Tatijana slipped between two rows of the milky white flower. "The scent is intoxicating."

"It's meant to be," Fen said. "Every ritual between lifemates only brings them closer together."

"I want to try it, Fen," Tatijana said. She made it a casual statement, but there was nothing casual about her prompting. She wanted to perform the fertility ceremony with him. She'd never thought about bringing a child into the world, not after her horrendous childhood, but the thought of a boy with Fen's nature and character made her long for things she didn't have. She could feel her body reacting to the stimulating scent.

"It smells like you," she added.

He stayed very still as if his body might shatter if he moved. "Each blossom takes on the scent of one's lifemate, enhancing the addiction to their taste and smell." He looked as if he were made of stone. "This could be very dangerous, Tatijana."

Fen's voice dropped low. Husky. Velvet soft. Oh, yeah, the fragrance rising from the field of flowers affected him just as much as they did her. He actually looked strained.

"We are lifemates, Fen," she reminded, placing one hand on his chest. She stepped close to him so that her scent enveloped him along with the blossoms. She was blatantly seducing him and she realized she wanted him with every breath in her body.

"You persist in thinking I'm strong, Tatijana. When it comes to you, that is not so." He shook his head, but he didn't step away from her. She could feel the beat of his heart and hear the blood rushing through his veins. His body betrayed him, hard as a rock, his skin hot with need. Even his teeth had sharpened.

"What do I do?" Tatijana asked with a little satisfied smile. This man was her man. Hers. Her eyes met his, a little shy. A little tempting. Completely sensual.

Fen knew there was no way to resist her. In truth, he didn't want to. If there was a woman made for silk sheets and long nights, he was certain it was Tatijana.

He selected a blossom, picked it and cupped it in his hands, lifting it up to her mouth, his gaze holding hers captive. "Taste it."

Tatijana, gaze locked with his, slowly took the sexy blossom and stroked her tongue along the bulbous head. Immediately her mouth watered with the addictive taste of spice and forest. Wild. Almost feral. A taste like nothing she'd ever experienced. Fen. Fenris Dalka, her lifemate. It was sex and sin and the ultimate temptation all rolled into one.

She couldn't stop herself from licking along the stigma, determined to get every drop. Clearly the taste had taken on that of her lifemate. She kept her eyes on Fen, hunger for him growing with every passing moment. The fertility ritual wasn't going to be nearly enough for her. Fenris Dalka was going to claim her this night.

She couldn't honestly say when she'd changed her mind. Maybe it was his care of his brother. She knew it wasn't just the pull between lifemates; she liked him, even enjoyed his company, preferred it to being alone. Everything about him appealed to her, when she thought he would be the last thing she wanted.

Even the soft velvet petals seemed to hold his scent. There was no way to control her desire, not for his taste and not for him. Hunger grew with every drop she consumed. The more she drew that spicy nectar into her mouth, the more she craved Fen. When she'd managed to get every single drop, she licked her lips.

"Now what?" Her breath came in little ragged, needy gasps. She knew he could scent her siren's call. Her heart found the rhythm of his and pulsed in time to that strong, steady beat. Deep in her veins, a distinct throbbing began, a drumbeat of need and hunger only he could assuage.

Even as she asked the question, she instinctively cupped her hands around the bloom and offered it to him. She could barely breathe, watching the way he took the blossom from her as if it was the most sacred thing in the world. His soft groan sent a shiver down her spine, and deep inside she felt her body turn hot and needy.

Eyes still holding hers captive, Fen lowered his head to the fragrant petals, nuzzling them with his strong jaw before dipping lower, his tongue stroking sensuously along the ovaries and filaments.

She couldn't tear her gaze from him. It was the hottest, sexiest thing she'd ever experienced. Her breasts actually ached and she could feel the welcoming liquid gathering at the junction of her legs. In that moment, watching him devouring the nectar, his eyes burning over and into her, she realized there was no going back from this, nor would she want to.

Fenris was her lifemate. Pure and simple. She wanted him to complete the binding ritual. She felt her heart was already his. Clearly her body wanted his. She could taste him in her mouth, but she needed their souls bound together in the way of their people.

She had set out to prove something to herself and maybe to everyone else as well. She wanted freedom above all else. But freedom was choice. Fenris Dalka, surrounded as he was by danger, was her choice. She couldn't even say for certain it was the pull of lifemates. She liked him. She respected him. He didn't waste time on useless arguing. She was in his mind and knew he respected her vast amount of knowledge when it came to all the species and their fighting abilities. He didn't relegate her to a safe corner somewhere, although her protection and safety was uppermost in his mind. He made her feel beautiful and special, as if she were the only woman in the world. He listened to her. He liked hearing her talk. He had a sense of humor. And right now, in this moment, he was the sexiest man alive to her.

He took his time with the flower, his gaze growing hotter and wilder as he savored every single drop of nectar. "I love your taste," he murmured.

Her entire body seemed to clench in anticipation. "I am beginning to think it might not be so bad to have you claim me," Tatijana ventured. "I'm getting used to the idea."

His gaze grew hotter. More intense. He lowered the blossom, his eyes moving over her in a slow, possessive manner that left her mouth dry.

"Don't tempt me, Tatijana. Not now. I don't think I have the strength to resist and we both know it isn't the right time."

"I think it's exactly the right time. There's more to this ritual, and I want it done right. Binding us together is logical. This feels like the perfect time to me."

Fen's breath came in a long rush, which added to her happiness-and her certainty that she was right. He tried not to be affected by the fertility ritual, or by her close proximity, but he was. He was just as hungry for her as she was for him.

Fen's eyes devoured her even as he tried to reason with her. "I've been showing restraint because I won't be able to resist sharing blood with you. Over time, you'll end up like me-the Sange rau-and until we know what agreement the Lycans and Carpathians come to, mixing our blood could be dangerous to you."

She stepped close to him, a mere breath away, one hand going to his chest. She could feel his heart, rock steady beneath her palm. His skin was hot beneath the thin shirt he wore. "I am your lifemate, claimed or not, Fenris Dalka. What happens to you will happen to me."

"Not so, my lady," he denied. "Should I be killed, claimed or unclaimed, you could choose to live out your life. It would not be easy, but easier if unclaimed."

"I would follow you as most lifemates would, Fen. It does no good to pretend our lives are not woven together. I'm in your mind every bit as deep as you're in mine. My sister, Branislava, has always been my world, yet I follow you wherever you go. We are lifemates. Our blood will mingle and I will become as you are. No matter what you choose, I will follow you. I prefer to be a claimed lifemate, but if you insist I follow you into the next life unclaimed, so be it."

He shifted on the balls of his feet, a slight movement both fluid and graceful that sent her heart racing all over again. His gaze held hers captive.

"Tatijana, it's important to me that you want me for who I am, not because Gregori or any other sought to shame you for being unclaimed. I need you with every breath I take. My body hungers for yours. The more I share with you, the closer I feel, but I will not let any Carpathian tell us what we have to do. This is our life, and I want us to do things our way, at our pace. You have reservations. I feel them in your mind, and until they are resolved and I feel strong enough to protect you from even me, then we will just have to be careful."

Tatijana placed both hands on either side of his head to frame that beloved face. She loved him all the more for wanting the time to be right. He didn't rush her. He never had. "I am your lifemate. I would bind you to me if I had the power, not because Gregori or any other decrees it, but because I know you now. My life is safe with yours. You do not expect me to change or be any other than Tatijana. I want this for myself."

Beneath her hand his heart seemed to burst. Joy crept into his hungry gaze. His eyes had gone from glacier blue to hot cobalt. "You're certain, my lady? Once it is done, it cannot be undone."

"Here, in this field of flowers, right now, before the sun comes up and we have to go to ground. Bind our souls together, Fen." Tatijana didn't feel in the least bit shy. She knew what she wanted and she told him in bold, certain terms. "The moon is full and never again will we have a time like this one. I know you're not safe above ground during a full moon, but tonight is ours. I think it is meant to be, don't you? We have this one chance, Fen. Let's take it together and never look back."

Fen studied her face, loving her all the more for her declaration. Her emerald eyes never once flinched away from his stare. He slipped into her mind and found implacable resolve. She had every intention of becoming Sange rau, just as he was. There was no fear of a future with him, only contentment now that she'd made up her mind. If he refused, he would hurt her to no end.

And how could he refuse her? Not when every cell in his body demanded hers. Not when his soul cried out for hers. The ritual words pounded through his veins with the force of a jackhammer.

Fen took control immediately, setting the blossom carefully aside for later, wanting to complete the fertility ritual, but the need and hunger surging so hotly through his body had to be assuaged first. He swept his hand along the rows of flowers lifting their faces to the night sky. Velvet soft petals rained from the sky as the rows parted to allow a soft cushiony bed of sheer fragrance. The scent was a mixture of both of them, heady and intoxicating.

He bent his head to hers, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her into the heat of his body. She fit perfectly, breasts tight against his chest and the vee between her legs riding his thigh as he kissed her, pouring the intensity of his hunger into the haven of her mouth.

Who knew that kisses could be so heady? So intoxicating? She swept him into paradise where there was no way to get enough. Not in this lifetime and certainly not in the next. He craved that soft, hot mouth, full of raw wild honey, lavender and clover mixed together. He kissed her over and over, pulling her closer until her body was imprinted on his. Still, it wasn't enough.

He shed his clothes even as she removed hers, the Carpathian way, with just a thought. Both needed to be skin to skin. He felt as if he couldn't get close enough to her. In her mind, in her body-he wanted to wrap his heart around hers.

They floated to the bed of velvet petals, the fragrance sinking into their lungs, so that blood heated and tension coiled. Need lived and breathed between them. Fen could feel the blood pounding in his veins, whispering at first, then drumming louder, demanding he claim what was his. His soul reached for hers.

He laid her down into the bed of white so that her hair spilled around her face, the thick braid falling across the petals. He loved her hair, that ever-changing color, vivid and bright and as thick as his arm. Before he could stop himself, he unwound the cord binding it, fanning the luxurious length across the velvet petals, and buried his face in the waterfall of silk.

The sensuous feel of her hair against his skin only added to the building hunger. Her voice in his mind whispered to him, filling his mind with her. She felt like warm molasses pouring into every dark crack and fissure, repairing damage, bridging the gaps, until all darkness was gone and there was only his lady with her soft skin and sinful mouth.

He kissed her over and over while the ground seemed to shift and tremble and thousands of stars glittered above them like comets streaking overhead in a rare display. His pulse thundered in his ears, and a drum beat hard in his veins. He could feel his teeth sharpening, hungering for the taste of her.

Her mouth was delicious. Hot. Velvet soft. The roaring in his ears grew as the wind danced gently over their bodies. The embers burning so hot in the pit of his stomach became a roaring conflagration, spreading fast like a wildfire out of control.

Fen lifted his head, pressing his forehead against hers, staring into those beautiful multifaceted eyes. "Te avio palafertiilam," he whispered. The moment he uttered the words, he knew he had waited his entire life to say them. Nothing in his life had ever felt so right.

He kissed her again, needing to taste that exclusive spice and honey that was only Tatijana. She was cool on the outside like water, blue and green and soothing to the touch, yet a wealth of hot springs deep inside. She moved against him, her body melting under his, her arms sliding down his back to his narrow waist, her hands shaping his hips, pulling him even closer. She turned her head and licked at the pulse pounding in his neck.

"You are my lifemate," she murmured against that rhythmic hammering beat, translating the ancient language.

He nudged her knees apart with one thigh, wedging his hips in the tight junction of her thighs. His heavy erection pressed into the heated entrance, bathed in her slick welcome. He wanted to take his time, but his body burned from the inside out, his Carpathian/Lycan blood demanded his mate. Her teeth scraping seductively back and forth over his pulse nearly drove him insane.

"Entolam kuulua, avio palafertiilam." The words came out in his ancient language, all Carpathian male, claiming his lifemate. "Ted kuuluak, kacad, kojed."

"You do belong to me," she reiterated, showing him she understood every word he uttered binding their souls with unbreakable threads.

"elidamet andam."

"I offer my life back to you," she whispered, nuzzling his neck.

Flames licked at his skin. He was all too aware of her teeth so close to his veins. His blood called to her. His lifemate. His lady. The one. "Uskolfertiilamet andam. Sivamet andam."

Tatijana lifted her head to look him straight in the eye. "I give you my allegiance," she answered back. "I give you my heart." The ring of truth was in her voice.

He had never known tenderness, nor gentleness, but it was there inside of him-for her. She was turning him inside out with her generosity and her acceptance of who he was. He'd killed hundreds, maybe far more than he ever wanted to remember and each kill had brought him closer to that hovering darkness. In truth, he had been close more times than he'd ever care to admit, and she saw those terrible moments when only the thought of his brother kept his honor intact.

"Sielamet andam."

"I accept your soul, Fenris," Tatijana whispered into his throat, "and I give you mine to make us complete."

"Ainamet andam."

Even as the words broke from somewhere deep inside him, Tatijana made her own demands. She began a slow assault, moving her hips enticingly.

"I give you my body," she whispered back. "I want you inside me, Fen. I want your blood in my veins, and your heart entwined with mine. I want our souls bound together, but most of all, right this minute, I want you and I to share the same skin."

Even had he wanted, he wouldn't have the strength to deny that breathless, ragged plea. He entered her scalding hot sheath slowly-so tight she robbed him of breath and reason. Her cool skin was in such contrast to his heat, and yet deep inside, those snug velvet muscles were on fire, surrounding and gripping, slowly submitting to his invasion. The sensation was so exquisite he could barely bite out the next words in the ritual.

"Sivamet kuuluak kaik etta a ted." He took her body into his keeping for all time.

He could feel her surrounding him, squeezing and milking his cock, her muscles scorching and tight, strangling him with pleasure. He felt her barrier, thin, almost insubstantial. His fingers tightened around hers.

Take a breath. Breathe for me. He wanted only pleasure for her, not even a small bite of pain. He surged forward, making her his, burying his body deep inside hers. He swallowed her gasp and stayed still, allowing her body to adjust to the invasion of his. To him, she was a haven of pleasure.

Her heart found the rhythm of his. Her hips moved, a small telling sign that she wanted, even needed more. Only then did he begin to move, a slow pull to the very verge of her entrance and then burying himself in a long, equally slow assault on both of them.

Tatijana moaned softly, her hips rising to meet his, urging him to move faster. He kept the pace slow and languid, savoring every moment of being inside her.

"Ainaak olenszal sivambin." Her life would be cherished by him for all time. He meant those words. She was his miracle and she always would be.

He found the longer he was in her, that exquisitely tight sheath creating such friction as her muscles clung and dragged over his shaft, it was becoming increasingly harder to concentrate. Her hands stroked his hair, his back. Nails dug into him, sharp little pinpoints of pain that only added to the pleasure building, always building. Her breathless moans and soft little pleas seemed music like none other than he'd ever heard.

"Te elidet ainaak pide minan. Your life will be placed above my own for all time," Fen said softly. How could that not be the truth? She was everything to him, with her sweet body and generous heart. Even more, she was a warrior in every sense of the word, unafraid and willing to enter into a life, that of both Lycan and Carpathian, knowing fully the danger they would always be in.

As if reading his mind-and she probably was-her teeth sank deep. His entire body shuddered with erotic pleasure. Through his telepathic connection with her, he felt a scorching hot burn traveling through veins and arteries and spreading to every organ. His blood merging with hers-the most basic and sacred of all rituals between lifemates. His body reacted with a hard surge forward.

"Te avio palafertiilam. You are my lifemate." He had been so certain it would be best to protect his lady from becoming the Sange rau, yet he had never considered the actual bond between lifemates. He couldn't imagine continuing without her. Why should their bond be less for her?

Flames moved through him, over him. He could have sworn that the entire meadow was on fire, yet Tatijana's skin remained cool to the touch. That sensation of fire and ice added to the scorching heat sheathing his heavy erection. The night air played over his body and overhead the moon bathed them both in beams of light. He couldn't have asked for a more perfect moment.

Ainaak sivamet jutta oleny. The whisper filled his mind, moved to hers. "You are bound to me for all eternity."

They had been bound together long before he invoked the ritual words imprinted on him before his birth. She enhanced everything in his life, made every moment that much richer and more vibrant. More, there was the solace of her sweet body, a refuge when the world around him didn't make sense.

Tatijana used her tongue to seal the small pinpricks in his neck and slowly opened her eyes. His heart leapt, and then shuddered in his chest. Those multifaceted eyes glowed at him, brilliant emeralds, glazed with desire. She had never been more beautiful.

"Ainaak terad vigyazak. You are always in my care."

With the ritual binding completed, Fen could concentrate on every nuance, every pleasure point in Tatijana's body. He wanted this night to be engraved in her mind for all time, just as it would always be in his. He took his time, holding her hips rigid, so that she was unable to move as he surged in and out of her body, sheathing himself over and over in her tight channel. Nothing could have been more pleasurable.

Her little frantic moans and pleas added to the rising tension, the way both bodies built and built toward a soaring crescendo. Still, he kept the pace slow, drowning them both in the swirling wash of ecstasy.

Tatijana felt as if she were burning from the inside out. She was surrounded by heat and fire. His skin-so hot to the touch. His body-so firm, like an oak tree with little give. His hands-strong where he gripped her hips and pinned her so effectively. His hips never ceased their rhythm, long, slow, tantalizing surges that only seemed to inflame her more.

She wanted more. Needed more. Was desperate for more. She heard herself moaning. Pleading. She couldn't stop writhing beneath him. Attempting to lift her hips to meet his. None of it helped. He didn't stop. Didn't speed up. Didn't slow down. Her entire world seemed to be centered on the joining of their bodies. Every nerve ending was inflamed, the tension building higher and higher until she thought she might go insane.

She became aware of his teeth, a subtle pinpoint to that leisurely rhythm that was driving her so crazy, tiny nips along the swell of her breast. With each slow thrust, his teeth scraped over her frantic pulse and her body reacted, clamping hard around him, holding on for life, providing a fresh flood of joyous liquid. Each scrape of his teeth took what little breath she had so that her panting moans became staccato.

He was driving her slowly crazy with need. She couldn't tell which was worse, the waiting for him to bring her over the edge or the anticipation of his bite. She was right there, so close, yet couldn't fall. He stretched her out on a rack of pure pleasure, building, always building until fear that the intensity would kill her skittered down her spine. The scraping of his teeth, the little nips as he worked his way from her breast to her neck limited her ability to breathe properly. Her entire body seemed to shudder and writhe in anticipation.

Fen, I can't breathe. I won't survive.

Then we'll both die right here, just like this.

She heard herself give a strangled scream as his teeth sank deep, right over her pounding pulse, the scorching burn between her legs matching the one at her neck. Pain gave way instantly to pleasure. She writhed under him, arched her back and rubbed her breasts along his chest. She couldn't stay still, moving continually, unable to release the burning, scalding heat and the tension coiling tighter and tighter.

She could feel his pleasure, the mind-numbing pleasure was all pure feeling as he took in the very essence of her. He was everywhere, deep in her body, inside her mind and her blood flowed into him. It was too much and not enough. His pleasure only added to hers. Only took her higher and higher until she was nearly thrashing under him. Pleading with him.

He lifted his head and looked at her, those eyes burning over and through her. Marking her. Branding her. As if he wasn't already stamped into her very bones. He lowered his head to follow that trickle of ruby red drops down her neck to her left breast with his tongue and then closed the pinpricks.

Her heart pounded even harder in anticipation. His eyes burned with such intensity, such hunger and such love for her she couldn't believe she had ever gotten so lucky. Her past, all the years in captivity, all the horrendous things she'd seen, were gone when she looked into his eyes. His fingers gripped her hips hard. She had time for one breath and then he thrust into her hard and her world went up in glorious flames.

His body moved hard and fast and deep, over and over and the flames made her feel like the phoenix, burning clean and pure so that her past and the memories of her father and his malicious experiments, the scars she thought would never be gone were reduced to a fine ash and she was remade-reborn. Stronger. Better.

He dragged both legs over his shoulders, driving into her again and again, so deep, those hard thrusts filling and stretching her with every thrust. His face above her, that beautiful face, was carved with such sensuality she found herself staring, loving, shocked at the intensity of emotion when her body was inflamed and writhing with such need.

It was the most beautiful moment of her life. The complete coming together. His love for her. Her knowledge that she loved him every bit as much. That she could wipe out his past as effectively as he wiped out hers. And this . . . this rapture. This insane place only Fen could take her was beyond anything she'd ever known or conceived of.

The pleasure was almost too much, the tension building so fast and hard that she couldn't catch her breath. He didn't stop and this time he didn't slow down, his body moving in hers with purpose, deeper and harder as if he would live there always. Flames rose, she could feel his heat engulfing her, burning her from the inside out. She heard her pleas, her calling his name, her fingers dug into his arms seeking an anchor when she felt as if she might not survive the absolute beauty and pleasure.

Her breath came in ragged gasps, her eyes glazed over, but still he continued at a furious pace, the friction building and building, until she felt the first explosive tremor. A series of waves followed, so strong the sensations shook her entire body, running from breasts to thighs, the epicenter in her very core, so that her sheath clamped down on Fen's heavy shaft, taking him with her on a wild, erotic ride she'd never forget. One she would need to repeat often, and even then she doubted if she would be sated.

They lay together beneath the moon, gasping for breath, clinging to one another, savoring every aftershock. She had no idea how much time passed. She was content to lie in his arms, her ear pressed over his heart, happier than she'd ever been in her life.

Fen stirred first, kissing her several times, and then he whispered into her ear. "We have to finish the ritual."

He knelt up, making a vee between his legs for her to fit into. He indicated for her kneel as well, facing away from him. Tatijana did as he asked, kneeling in the soft bed of fragrant white petals. Her body felt flushed and achy, completely alive and vibrant.

"Sit back on your heels and open your thighs," he whispered.

Tatijana felt flushed all over. She'd just made love to her lifemate, but this was way sexy, even after he'd possessed her so thoroughly. She knelt up in front of him, opening her thighs to the night air. Instantly her body reacted with more liquid heat. She felt it trickle down her thighs and felt more sensual than ever.

His arms came around her, palms cupping the weight of her breasts, his fingers and thumb rolling, and tugging her nipples. She gasped as the nerve endings went crazy, sending shocks of electricity straight to her channel. A deep shudder set off another strong ripple.

He urged her to lean back so her head lolled against his shoulder and her breasts jutted even more into his hands. One hand left her breast and made its way slowly down her narrow rib cage to her belly. He pressed his fingers to her shuddering muscles.

"You are so beautiful, Tatijana," he whispered, "so sensitive to my touch."

His touch inflamed her. She couldn't imagine being any more sensitive. She wanted his hands on her always. He was in her mind and knew exactly how every tug and roll of her nipples sent more heat coursing through her veins. She was all too aware of his fingers slipping lower, tracing the dragon over her ovary with a reverent fingertip before continuing the journey lower still.

She closed her eyes, gasping, arching her back when his fingers penetrated deep. Her muscles clamped around him and again delicious strong aftershocks shook her.

"Tied vagyok." He whispered the words against her neck, his teeth grazing over her pulse. "Yours I am."

She loved that he was hers. There could never be another. No other man would ever measure up to him. He reluctantly pulled his fingers from her body and carefully took the blossom he'd set aside earlier, and placed it tight into the junction of her leg so that the soft petals teased her ultrasensitive body. She knew her body was weeping and the flower collected every drop.

"Sivamet andam." His hands were at her breasts again. "My heart I give you, Tatijana."

He had all of her, heart, soul, mind and body. She felt almost as if she was melting with heat. She wanted him all over again. Whatever ceremony with the flower he was completing was a potent one. As she leaned her head back against his shoulder, her hair covered both of them, a long cascading waterfall of silk that felt sensuous against their bodies. Her skin was cool against the heat of his, only adding fuel to the fire of need.

"Te avio palafertiilam-you are my lifemate."

The way he said the words in his own language, a language so ancient and long gone from the world but for a very few, added to the mystique and beauty of the ritual.

"Now you place the flower, as a symbol of optimum fertility for me and say the words to me. We are bound and asking-pleading-with Mother Nature to bless us with our own children during our time in this world or the next."

Her hands shook as she carefully picked up the blossom and turned to face him. Kneeling up as he was, his body rock hard, his face carved so masculine, he was beautiful to her. The moonlight spilled over him, streaking his hair with dancing light. Moistening her suddenly dry lips with the tip of her tongue, she placed their night star flower directly under his very heavy erection. Her hands brushed his sac, fingers lingering a little too long on his thick shaft while the back of her hands slid over the insides of his thighs.

"Tied vagyok." She placed her palms on his bare thighs and looked into his eyes. "Yours I am. Sivamet andam. My heart I give you." She meant every word. She couldn't imagine anything more right than giving her heart into his keeping. "Te avio palafertiilam. You are my lifemate."