Dark Celebration 17 Read online

  He touched one stray tear with his fingertip and brought it to his mouth. Tempest found the gesture curiously sexy. Her stomach did a funny little flip-a sensation she was becoming used to. She secretly found Darius the sexiest, most attractive man in the world, but she wasn't about to let him know that-not with his bossy ways.

  «I am relaxed. Being vigilant does not mean I cannot relax. I want to examine you, Tempest. Not because I think anything is wrong, but just so neither of us is worried.»

  A slow smile drove away the tears. «You mean you're worried. Go ahead then. I don't

  like it when you get upset on my account.» He was the most protective being she'd ever run across in her life. Darius could hardly bear for her to be out of his sight. If she did have some kind of strange illness, she'd never have a moment without Darius at her side. Even when the band performed onstage and he was working security, he kept Tempest beside him. If he needed to ease his mind by examining her, she was all for it.

  Darius wasted no time, his body simply dropping away from his spirit so that he moved in complete freedom, a white hot light of pure energy entering her easily. Darius took his time, looking at her blood, her heart and lungs, moving lower… For the first time in his life he lost his focus and found himself back in his own body, sweat breaking out, his heart pounding. He stared down at her, panic in his eyes.

  «What is it? What's wrong?»

  His heart thundered in his ears. She looked so anxious, her eyes enormous, but holding such trust it steadied him as nothing else could. «Nothing is wrong. In fact everything is right.» He stole another deep, calming breath, gripping her wrists, pinning her tightly against his chest. «What do you know about babies?»

  «Babies?» Tempest drew back, shaking her head in adamant denial. «Absolutely nothing and it's going to stay that way. I've never even held a baby. I didn't exactly have parents, Darius, to show me what to do, so if you have a sudden yearning for children, you're going to have to think about finding another lifemate. Of course, then I'd begin immediately taking body parts off of you, but what the heck? You wouldn't need everything for another woman, now would you?»

  «Our women always know when they can get pregnant.»

  Her eyebrow shot up. «How?»

  He shrugged, looking confused. «I do not know. I suppose they check. I should have been aware of your breeding cycle.»

  «Breeding cycle?» There was horror in her tone. «I don't have a breeding cycle. That's just disgusting. Do Carpathians have birth control? I thought you could control that. You control everything else.»

  «If we are paying attention.»

  «Well, start paying attention. If you can control the weather and call down lightning, you can certainly keep us from having babies. I'm a mechanic. I fix things. Every time Corrine comes in with her baby, I go out the back door, or hadn't you noticed.»

  Darius managed another long breath of ice cold air. He tightened his hold on Tempest. «I have been alive for centuries, and in all that time, I never thought once of birth or babies. Once I found you, all I could think of was what a miracle you are to me, not checking for cycles.»

  Tempest shrugged. «I didn't think about it either. So now we'll just be careful.»

  «It is a little too late to be careful.»

  There was a small silence. Tempest pulled back slightly to stare into his dark eyes. «What are you saying?»

  «You are pregnant with our child,» Darius announced.

  She shoved him hard, throwing herself out of his lap to scramble away, struggling to her feet, hands on hips, glaring at him. «Okay. That's just not funny. I don't do babies, Darius. And I'm not in the mood to have you joke with me about it.» She pointed a shaky finger at him. «You never once said you wanted children.»

  «Tempest, I would not even consider joking about such an important thing. You are carrying our child. I saw it in your body, nestled safe and sound, growing every day. I should have been instantly aware, but I have been more concerned with our safety and did not consider that such an event could happen.»

  She backed up, looking frightened. «I can't have a baby, Darius. Really. I can't be a parent. I'm a mess.» She shook her head. «You're mistaken. You have to be mistaken, that's all.»

  Darius sat in the snow regarding her with a raised eyebrow. «I very seldom make mistakes, Tempest, and certainly not of this magnitude. It is shocking to me that I never noticed the heartbeat. It is very strong. I obviously need to be far more vigilant where you are concerned.»

  «Is that all you have to say? Darius! Carpathian women are not supposed to be able to get pregnant very easily. I'd better be Carpathian after going through the conversion.»

  «Baby.» His voice was low, a velvet soothing caress. «Of course you are pregnant. It explains everything.»

  «Everything?»

  «Your mood swings, the tears, the temper. I have heard it is easy to have accidents such as the ones in the kitchen.»

  «Oh you have, have you?» Her teeth snapped together. «There's about to be another accident right here, Darius. I don't have mood swings. As for a temper, you're impossibly bossy and would make the easiest going person lose their mind.»

  «Check for yourself.»

  His calm, steady tone set her teeth on edge. Just once she'd like him to be wrong-and this was the perfect moment for it. She needed him to be wrong. Surely she'd know if she

  was going to have a baby? And he would have known. He knew everything. Tempest took a deep breath and let go of the physical world around her.

  There it was. A tiny heart beating, little more than that, but definitely a new life. Tempest observed in total amazement and awe. This tiny creature lived inside her. A part of her-a part of Darius. «How come I didn't know?»

  She was barely aware of Darius standing beside her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. «I should have known,» he said gently. «It was my responsibility to watch over your health at all times. I was so busy worried about enemies, it did not occur to me to think about pregnancy, but I should have.»

  She leaned into him, murmuring aloud, more to herself than to him. «What in the world are we going to do? I have no idea how to take care of a baby.» She looked up at him, afraid to be happy, afraid of the love and joy already growing. «You know me, Darius. Other than you, I've never really gotten attached to anyone.»

  «That is not entirely true. You are very attached to the others in the band. I can feel your affection for them.»

  «It isn't the same thing as having a child. I could drop it. And I have no idea how to be a Carpathian, let alone a Carpathian parent. This is so scary. What are we going to do?» She clutched his hand, feeling desperate.

  «I guess we're having a baby.» He feathered kisses down her face to the corner of her mouth. «We can do anything together, Tempest. By the time the baby gets here, we can figure it out.»

  «Aren't you terrified? Just a little, Darius?»

  «I kept Desari and Syndil alive. We will do just fine.» Few things terrified him. The possibility of losing Tempest was the only thing he could think of offhand. He had never asked for a single thing in his long, difficult life, until she had come along. She was a miracle to him with her brightness. She was so alive-her moods mercurial, her laughter often and contagious. There was no existence for him without her and he wouldn't lose her, not to an enemy, not to accidents and certainly not in childbirth.

  She was trembling. «I thought the conversion took care of all that. I mean, I didn't have a cycle anymore so I just stopped thinking about it. And it didn't seem like anyone ever got pregnant. Corrine was pregnant before she became Dayan's lifemate. And isn't there some kind of time-out for newbies?»

  «It does not seem so.»

  «You're not even upset,» she accused. «You're the man. The man always gets upset when the woman gets pregnant. It's practically tradition.»

  His face always seemed carved in stone, a ruggedly sensual face with no expression and eyes that were flat an
d cold and held the promise of death-until he looked at her. Tempest loved the slow smile that occasionally curved his mouth and lit his black eyes. She especially loved the way he looked right now-with love heating the ice and flooding her with warmth.

  Her lungs found the rhythm of his. Her heart beat in perfect time to his. «You're really not afraid, Darius?»

  He shook his head. «This will be a good thing. Our child will grow up with Dayan's child. They will not ever be lonely. It is important, especially if they are male, that they have someone they can count on-have a strong bond with. As the years pass, sometimes it is only remembered friendship that holds us to our honor when we are without a lifemate.»

  «Don't tell anyone I'm so afraid. There have to be books on parenting. I'll just sit around and read.»

  He brought her hands to his mouth and pressed kisses along her knuckles. «You're shivering. We should get back to the house.»

  «You mean before someone notices the great big hole in the wall?» She managed a small smile. She stepped away from him and took off with confidence, walking back in the direction of the house, shoulders straight, head up, determined to make up for all her shortcomings. If Darius could handle having a baby, then so could she. Of course, she wasn't touching it until it was at least three years old. She chewed nervously on her lower lip and glanced back at Darius. He just stood there shaking his head. «What? Are you reading my thoughts again? I told you never to do that. It's bad enough that I have to try to follow what I'm thinking. And it's only fair for you to handle the baby until he's three, and then I'll take over.»

  «Really?» He caught the back of her jacket and tugged her around. «The house is in the opposite direction. That way leads into deep forest.»

  «I knew that. I was just making sure you were on top of things.» She grinned at him. «The snow's a little disorienting.»

  He took her hand and led her in the right direction. «I noticed you said 'he.' You think we're having a boy?»

  «If we're going to do this, Darius, it has to be a boy. I definitely wouldn't know what to do with a girl. And the poor thing would be a prisoner. You'd never let her out of your sight and you'd scare any young man who came near her.»

  He growled low in his throat, and Tempest burst out laughing. «See? Just the thought gets you riled up.»

  «I never get riled up. It is a complete waste of energy.»

  Tempest stepped in front of him, stopping so abruptly his body bumped up against hers. One slender arm circled his neck and she leaned close, pressing her soft breasts into his chest, and lifted her mouth to his. Her long hair spilled over his arm as he instantly responded, fingers curling around the nape of her neck to hold her to him, deepening the kiss until she thought she might melt the snow all around them. She broke it off, her eyes sparkling at him. «You get riled.»

  His heart slammed hard in his chest, a sensation only Tempest seemed to create. «Around you maybe.»

  She waited this time, taking his hand again so they could stroll back through the gently falling snow to the house.

  «Someone is close by,» Darius announced as they emerged from the trees into the clearing where the house stood. He inhaled sharply. «It is the prince. Stay behind me, Tempest.»

  Tempest dropped back a foot, rolling her eyes at what she considered unnecessary protection. She slipped her hand into Darius's back pocket. I thought the prince was the leader of the Carpathians. Are we supposed to fear him?

  Darius's warning growl met with soft laughter. He glanced back at her. I do not know him as the others do and I prefer to ensure your safety. He turned back to greet the prince, who seemed to be inspecting the damaged wall. «Mikhail, I was just about to fix the house.»

  The prince arched a black brow. «Should I inquire as to what happened?»

  «Better not,» Darius advised. «Some things are best left mysteries. Give me a minute to repair the damage and we can go inside, out of the weather, to visit.»

  «The hole appears larger than I remember.» Tempest peered around Darius to scowl at the blackened ruin of a kitchen. «I think someone's been here adding to the wreckage. It didn't look like this when we left it.» She flashed a tentative smile at the prince. «The house is really nice. Thank you for lending it to us.»

  Mikhail turned away to keep the couple from seeing the laughter in his eyes. Raven's idea of having the Carpathians cook dinner for the guests at the inn was turning out to be more fun than he had anticipated. «Raven and I are more than happy to lend you one of our houses. We hope you are able to stay for a long visit and maybe look upon this place as your home when you are not traveling.»

  «Thank you,» Darius said politely, without committing to anything.

  Hands on hips, Mikhail stared at the gaping hole in the wall of one of his most beloved dwellings. «I have always wanted a small alcove there. I thought the room was too square and needed an intimate conversation area.»

  Darius nodded. «I believe you are right, and it's very easily done. Is this what you had in mind?» He waved his hands and the sides of the house moved into a series of curves.

  Mikhail studied the structure and nodded. «Something like that. More on this line.» He added to the curves, making them serpentine, so that the house appeared to be a giant snake. «What do you think?»

  Tempest shook her head as the two men remodeled the kitchen. It looked like a competition to her rather than a repair job. She sighed and rubbed her hand over her stomach. The idea of having a child had never occurred to her. After she had gone through the conversion and her normal bodily functions ceased, she simply didn't give a thought to birth control. It was a stupid mistake, and one she couldn't take back.

  Darius seemed fine with the idea, maybe even pleased, but nothing ever rocked him. He was a dangerous, lethal man, completely confident in his abilities, and the confidence was born of experience. She had been on the run most of her life. She had no family and didn't know the first thing about children.

  We will do fine. Darius brushed the words through her mind like caressing fingers, his voice so soft and warm she could feel him inside her.

  Not if you keep changing the house. It's making me feel dizzy, not to mention it's ugly. Stop competing and let's go inside. Sheesh! You're like a couple of schoolboys.

  Darius cleared his throat. «Tempest would like to go in. That particular shape is obnoxious, but we can live with it for the brief amount of time we will be here if it is what you desire.»

  Mikhail burst out laughing. «It is obnoxious. Raven would think I had lost my mind. I could not resist.»

  Darius took Tempest's hand, his thumb brushing a subtle caress over her inner wrist as they entered the house. «I hope you are not here to check on how the cooking is progressing. We are not quite ready for tonight's celebration.»

  «I have no interest in cooking, although I do not think the others are faring much better than you two. I just dropped by to get your opinion on a couple of things.»

  Darius waved Mikhail toward the most comfortable chair. «What can I do for you?»

  «Well, before we get too deep in serious things, I thought you might like to know, Raven has decreed someone must play Santa Claus.»

  Darius stiffened, but his face remained without expression. «The jolly man in the red suit.»

  «Exactly. I can see that your reaction is much the same as mine. Fortunately, I have a

  son-in-law and I feel it is his duty to take on this…» He paused searching for the right word.

  Something very close to amusement flickered in the depths of Darius's eyes. «Honored task,» he supplied.

  Mikhail nodded. «I could not have found a better description.»

  «I will be more than happy to accompany you when you tell my older brother you are bestowing such a privilege on him.»

  «Strangely enough, quite a few others wish to be there as well.»

  Tempest looked from one solemn face to the other. «Are you both crazy? That man could scare the devil.»
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br />   «That is what you say about me.»

  «Well, you could too,» Tempest pointed out. «But he isn't telling you to play Santa to a bunch of children.»

  «And I sincerely thank you for that,» Darius said. The amusement faded from his eyes as he continued to study Mikhail's face. «You are worried, and not about my brother playing the part of St. Nick. What is it?»

  «I am uneasy over the gathering of our women in one place. While I think it is a good thing for all of us to get together, it has occurred to me that our enemies will figure out that it would not take much to wipe out our species.»

  Darius nodded. «There are so few women and children. Get rid of them and the males have no hope. Very soon chaos would reign and many would choose life as the undead over death.»

  Mikhail nodded. «I fear it is so. We had an incident a few minutes ago in the woods. A subtle influence none of us felt immediately. Skyler tried to follow the path back to the sender, but they realized she was on to them and shut down. But they now have a direct path to her.»