pulled her tightly into his chest and took to the air.
Julija gasped and pressed her face against him. She felt small and fragile in his arms. He kept her warm, cognizant of the fact that she couldn’t regulate her body temperature.
Wrap your arms around my neck.
She did so without hesitation, and his heart jerked wildly in his chest. His body reacted to hers. There was no way to stop it, not even with his tremendous control. She . . . belonged. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, wondering how he was going to give her up. She was born for him. He was born for her. They matched. But how could they? Something had gone wrong.
Over the centuries, whether she had died and been reborn with his soul more than once, perhaps the bond had weakened between them. He hadn’t thought that could happen, but she wasn’t the woman he envisioned, nor, clearly, was he the man she had. That saddened him. He was finding emotions weren’t as easy to cope with as he’d thought they would be. So much time had gone by since he first had lost all feeling that he didn’t remember how much trouble emotion could bring to him.
There was a small flutter in his mind. He had forged a connection to speak to her telepathically, and that pathway remained open between them. He was a little shocked that he could feel her exploring it tentatively.
Why are you so sad?
Her voice sounded soft and warm, stroking at the walls of his mind every bit as intimately as fingers caressing his skin. Lifemates didn’t lie to each other but he didn’t believe he should continually point out his disappointment in her—although once he examined the situation from every angle, he realized the disappointment and embarrassment was with himself. He was too far gone from the modern world and didn’t understand her. He couldn’t change what he was or who he was. His characteristics were ingrained in him. Deeply. He was a leader and he did expect his woman to follow. That wasn’t her fault.
It is of no consequence, but I thank you for your concern.
There was a silence. He felt the press of her face against his chest. She rubbed a little caress there with her cheek as if trying to comfort him. Her fingers linked behind the nape of his neck. He wanted to continue with her across the fading night sky, but knew he needed to take her to the cave he’d found. It was small, but it would definitely protect both of them during daylight hours.
It is of consequence to me.
He liked that—too much. Being in her company was the equivalent of walking through a minefield. One false step and everything would blow up in his face, but the adrenaline was there. Excitement. He felt alive. Truly alive, when he had been a robot going through life on automatic. She made him feel everything.
I do not wish you to think you are in any way at fault because we are not compatible. I am centuries old. I have been locked away behind impenetrable gates for centuries. I cannot change what I am to make myself into someone else for you. I hope you can find a way to forgive me.
The path between them allowed him to feel the rising sorrow in her. She pressed closer to him and he tightened his arms as he took them to the small cave he’d found hidden in the rock. The entrance was a slim crack, which he widened as he dropped down from the sky. Inside the opening blossomed into a large room that enabled him to stand. He set Julija on her feet and waved his hand to close the crack.
“I’ve got to prevent anything from entering, from innocent man to vampire puppet,” he said, turning away from her. She still had tears on her face and he detested the sight. It made him feel weak. The need to hold and comfort her was so strong it was all he could do to turn his back, giving her a semblance of privacy.
“The shadow cat,” Julija reminded. “They seem to be able to slip in anywhere. The book had to have been safeguarded yet they still managed to get to it. Once you lay the foundations of a safeguard, I’ll add to it.”
That brought him up short. He had never trusted anyone with his resting place, other than his brethren in the monastery. Even then,