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were those of any human male about to see an impossibly beautiful, sexy singer performing in person.

He felt the presence in his mind, the sharp thrusting, the quick scan, then the release. Julian nearly laughed aloud, but he kept his face a blank mask. Even the light, decisive touch was reminiscent of Gregori. Whoever this guard was, Julian was certain he was related to the healer, the one all Carpathians referred to as the Dark One. The guard had to be of the same bloodline. The puzzle intrigued him. The man's presence irritated him. He didn't want any Carpathian male near Desari until the ritual mating cycle was complete.

The probe came again, a direct, powerful thrust into his mind. The attitude was so like the Dark One's, Julian was astonished. The guard was not swallowing his innocent act. Julian kept his mind in the human pattern, evincing only anticipation and harmless if somewhat erotic wishing. It was irritating to allow someone into his mind, but he reminded himself that the intruder was picking up only what he was deliberately broadcasting.

Julian carefully avoided looking at the guard. The male was far too sharp. Even after two mind probes to assure himself, he sensed power. Julian was suspect, and the guard was intuitive enough to keep coming back to him. Julian felt the weight of those burning eyes. This man held real power. He had to be one of the ancients, with the blood and strength of centuries of learning. Julian wished he were in a position to probe the guard, but it was imperative to appear human until he knew more. He had once spent centuries searching, accepting his solitary existence even as he scanned the earth for remnants of their kind. Now, when he had nearly ended his life, he had found a band of his people. The mythical lost ones? They must be.

But Desari belonged to him. And if the other male thought differently, he was in for a hard lesson. Julian moved into the building and away from those black, prying eyes. Only then did he realize he was excited. He liked challenges. He had always craved knowledge. And he could feel the power and strength he had accrued pursuing information and skills of every kind. A contest with this other powerful male could prove quite interesting.

He moved easily, maneuvering through the crowd down toward the front. Instead of seating himself, he took up a position along the wall near an exit. Inhaling, he scented the presence of two jungle cats, the same two that had worked in conjunction with the huge black panther. Julian was now certain that the guard had shape-shifted into the form of the large predator. Although the guard showed no evidence of the wounds Julian knew he had inflicted, he was still certain the man had been the panther directing the others in their attack on him.

Desari. He found himself smiling. Their brief mental exchange had been a revelation. She was Carpathian! How she had managed to run around the world undetected was still a mystery. There were remnants of their race, and he had found them! He had always wondered if some of the children had escaped the Turk invasion and scattered. On behalf of their race, at Gregori and Mikhail's urging, Julian had sought them, particularly the females, in hopes of finding a way to save his people.

And he had found Desari, his own lifemate, when he had been seeking lifemates for others. And she had a temper, this woman. He found himself laughing aloud, remembering her "push" at his mind. She was much stronger than he had anticipated. He had gone from a stark, barren existence to one filled with excitement in the blink of an eye.

The mood of the crowd was almost electric, the air thick with anticipation. Desari's performances were always sold out. It didn't matter where she played, whether a small tavern or a huge stadium. And with the publicity following the recent attempt on her life, she was even more of an celebrity. Reporters, too, were out in numbers.

Julian listened to the conversations in the arena, sifting through them, looking for a whisper of conspiracy. He knew the fanatical nature of the human vampire-hunting society. Desari was a marked woman now. They would not stop with one attack. But Julian was fairly certain the society would need time to recover from the huge blow they had so recently received. He was more concerned now with the