That much was true. She feared he would attempt to detain her, and she knew she would fight. The fight-or-flight syndrome was engrained in her. She couldn't be held prisoner ever again. Her decisions, right or wrong, had to be her own. Gregori, with his impressive set of shoulders, implacable expression and glittering silver eyes was standing in her way and showed no indication that he would move.
"You are a Carpathian woman, Tatijana." Gregori's voice turned gentle. "Why would you think I would harm you in any way? I am sworn to protect you. There is no need to fear me."
"I fear myself and my reactions to situations," she replied honestly. "I must feel free. I do not want, nor can I have, guardians who watch my every move. I'm sorry if I appear to be difficult, but I have to be in charge of my own life."
"Yet you ran into a rogue pack." He indicated her lacerations. "You were in a battle, and you could have been killed. Our women are cherished. We protect them out of both love and respect. Along with our children, they are our greatest treasure."
She could hear the sincerity in his voice. She took a step back and attempted to still her wild heartbeat. Perhaps he wasn't threatening her. She had given him disturbing news and she had been in a battle. She wasn't used to anyone but Branislava caring about her well-being.
"I wander on my own in order to learn the things I need, and sometimes I stumble across things I shouldn't. I'll be more careful." She tried to placate him, if only just a little.
"Tatijana, do you really think I should let you go, bleeding from a battle, without escorting you back to your resting place and healing you properly?"
"It is my choice. My wish. You would have the freedom to go your own way. Why shouldn't I?"
A strange urgency was beginning to take hold of her. Fen was alone and wounded. Not only was the rogue pack after him but the wolf/vampire called the Sange rau had joined the hunt. She had been gone far too long.
Gregori inclined his head. She didn't like the way his eyes never left her face. He saw far too much.
"You have a point. But you are one of our greatest treasures, Tatijana. I would be remiss in not aiding you. Allow me to heal you."
No way could she let him touch her. He was too powerful. He might be able to get inside her mind and discover Fen. She didn't wait for him to make a move and she was through arguing. She was Dragonseeker. She knew every mage spell ever conceived. She dissolved and streaked up toward the clouds, deliberately leaving behind a nearly translucent trail of vapor. The moment she'd laid that false track, she called on the elements to aid her.
That faint, barely there stream moved away from the prince's home, its trajectory heading up the mountain into deeper forest. She doubled back, leaving no trace, not even the smallest molecule that would allow a hunter such as Gregori to pursue her. For a moment she had considered asking for his aid, just in case, but not knowing how Carpathians viewed mixed blood, she wasn't going to risk Fen any further.
She might have just come out of the ice caves, but over the centuries, more than one Carpathian hunter had been taken by Xavier and tortured before he was put to death. The male Carpathians especially found it distressing to see the twin females encased in their ice prison. The hunters had willingly shared their experience and knowledge with both women in the hopes that eventually they could use the information to escape.
She left no trace of herself behind. No scent. Nothing at all Gregori could track. More, she knew he wouldn't leave the prince for long, not with the news she'd brought. Lycans were elusive. They could be standing next to you and you would never know. The thought of a rogue pack so close to the prince and his son had to be disconcerting.
Tatijana made her way in the opposite direction of her false trail, going into deep forest, winding through the trees, staying low, close to the ground so she could see any evidence of the rogue pack passing. Wolves were very good at moving through an area and leaving few telltale signs, but twice she saw droplets of blood and twisted grass. The pack had passed through quickly, moving away from where the battle had taken place.
Still, something seemed off to her. It seemed more a discordant note, something unnamed, unseen, that jangled her nerves and set off warning bells.
Fen? Are you safe? I'm very close to you but something's not right.
Tatijana, this place is not for you. Let me spring this trap before you join me. If I get into trouble, you will be close to give me aid.
If she was in any form with teeth, she would have ground them in sheer frustration. She didn't know much about men and even less about lifemates, but why would he think she would worry less about him than he did about her? The pull between them was very strong, and the more time she spent in his mind, the more she came to know his honor and integrity. She found it impossible to just leave him to fight the battle alone.
She stayed quiet, not wanting to distract him as she moved through the trees with much more care. Fen bent over the dead body, removing evidence of the wolf pack's attack. It was important that locals thought he died accidentally and that none of the wildlife was responsible. He appeared to be wholly absorbed in his work.
The clacking of the branches was constant, the sound working its way through every living creature for miles. She braced herself when she heard it. She wasn't in a physical form, but still, the rhythm preyed on her nerves, threatening to consume her. She found it difficult to think straight. Her mind felt fuzzy and thick. She'd seen the trick work on countless victims in Xavier's cave of horrors.
She reached out to Fen's mind, terrified for him. His mind was calm. Clear. He was very aware of his surroundings and every tiny detail. The hypnotic effects didn't work on his brain pattern. There was something about the mixture of Carpathian and Lycan that repelled the notes, bouncing it back away from him.
Stay in my mind, Fen warned softly, brushing against her brain with a gentle touch. You'll be safe with me.
Xavier had mutated species on purpose, but his results had always been grotesque and frightening-beings that ate human flesh or were mindless, violent puppets. He had never considered what it would be to cross Lycan with Carpathian.
She allowed herself to sink into Fen's mind, surprised that he had invited her so deep into his memories. She was still protecting herself, holding most of her past away from him, yet he was completely open to her, hiding nothing from her. She felt warm and protected, not at all like she thought she'd feel-claustrophobic-a prisoner even.
She heard the soft whisper of a footfall because he heard it. His hearing was far more acute than she'd realized. A soft murmur accompanied the clacking branches. Her heart jumped, began to thud wildly.