She gave a little delicate sniff. "You're supposed to be explaining yourself. When one's lifemate refuses to claim his woman, there should be a reasonable explanation."
"You have no desire for me to claim you," he pointed out.
"That's beside the point."
Fen found himself grinning. The three humans waiting in the brush were discussing what to do next now that the element of surprise was gone. The one continued to try to persuade the other two that they were drunk and going to get into trouble. That he couldn't have them hurting a woman.
Fen didn't care one way or another if they attacked, but he was truly fascinated by the woman who all but stamped her foot at him. As a rule, Carpathian women were tall with dark hair. Tatijana was on the diminutive side, with light ever-changing hair and her amazing emerald eyes.
The vivid colors, after centuries of no color and then spotty, muddy hues, were almost blinding. The joy of feeling filled him even as the intensity of emotions nearly overwhelmed him.
"I want the explanation and I think, as your lifemate, I deserve to hear it." She sounded both snippy and regal if that combination was at all possible.
"And no matter what, you aren't going to do the practical thing and leave me, are you?" he asked.
She had him. The mystery and intrigue surrounding her drew him almost as much as the call of her soul to his. The pull between them was very strong, and he wasn't certain, in the end, he would have the strength to watch her walk away.
"Of course not. Do you think I'm a coward?" She tossed her head like a fractious filly, indicating the three men now arguing in low tones they thought couldn't be overheard. "Like them? I am Carpathian. I may not have practical experience in a battle, but I certainly have knowledge of every kind of enemy and how best to defeat them. I will never run from a fight, nor will I accept another's command over me."
She was . . . magnificent. The moon was mostly obscured by the veil of mist, yet her long braid seemed to give off sparks.
"How did you get your knowledge?" Fen asked.
She shrugged. "Perhaps you know the name of my father. He was the most powerful mage ever known, Xavier. He was a false friend to the Carpathian people, tricking them for years into thinking the alliance between mage and Carpathian was strong. He wanted immortality and the Carpathians did not give him their secret. He killed my mother's lifemate and held her prisoner, as only the most powerful mage could. He forced her to have his children, triplets, two girls and a boy. My sister, Branislava, my brother, Soren, and me. He needed us for our blood."
Fen was shocked and he knew it showed on his face. "I studied with this man, centuries ago. We all did. No one knew of his treachery?"
She shook her head. "My sister and I were held from birth in his lair deep beneath the ice where he fed from our veins, keeping us weak. Our mother had turned us completely when she realized what Xavier meant to do, in the hopes that we would find a way to escape. He killed her the moment he felt we could provide the blood he so craved."
Fen had been centuries gone from the Carpathian Mountains and his brother hadn't had time to give him much news. To know that a mage as formidable as Xavier had betrayed them and committed heinous acts against a Carpathian woman and his own children chilled him to the bone. He'd seen deceit in the form of vampires, but someone his people had considered such a friend and ally-Xavier's betrayal seemed far worse. They had all trusted him.
"How long were you held captive?"
For the first time he saw her hesitation. Her hand trembled when she reached up to push back stray strands of hair. Fen covered her hand with his.
"My entire life. Centuries. We never left the ice caves until nearly two years ago. We've been in the Earth healing," Tatijana admitted.
"And the prince allows you to go unescorted? Unprotected by his hunters?" He didn't bother to conceal the edge-or disgust in his voice.
Tatijana hastily shook her head. "He has no idea that I've awakened. None of them know. My guardians believe we are safe beneath the ground. I needed to feel freedom." Her gaze met his. "I needed this."
He understood what she was trying to convey. She hadn't slipped away out of spite, or because she frivolously wanted to outwit her guardians, she really did need to feel freedom-and he understood that. In a way, Carpathian hunters lost their freedom when they lost all emotion and color. They had one purpose after that-to find their lifemate. If they didn't manage to do so, as the years went by, they would run the risk of becoming nosferatu-the undead. The only thing left for hunters was to hunt and destroy the vampire and search for their lifemate.
"I told you about me," she said. "Now it's your turn."
"I think we're about to have company. Two out of three. The third one chose to abandon his friends when he couldn't talk them out of their drunken idiocy-and I must say-he definitely tried." He wanted to laugh at the expression on her face. She looked absolutely pained-and adorable. He'd never considered using that word, but now he knew what it meant.
"You have got to be kidding me." She threw her hands into the air and whirled to face the two men creeping out of the bushes. "Are they really that stupid? What's wrong with them?"
"It's called alcohol. You spit it out when you tried it, but many humans like and are very affected by it. The more they drink the less inhibited they are, and they make really stupid decisions sometimes."
"They aren't even coordinated," she pointed out. "One can barely stand. Do they really think they would have a chance against you? I can see them making the mistake about a woman, but they have to have seen you in the tavern."
"Alcohol impairs the ability to think straight." Fen turned to face the two men coming toward them, shifting position to place his body just a little in front of hers.
Tatijana pressed her lips together, an ominous warning. Fen caught the look on her face out of the corner of his eye. She suddenly looked both irritated and determined. He felt the burst of energy, and then she moved with blurring speed.
You must appear human! he warned quickly, moving with her as he pushed the warning into her mind.
At the last moment she emerged out of the mist as human, leaping through the air to land a perfect roundhouse kick, her foot slamming into the most aggressive man's gut, doubling him over so that he folded in half. He swayed and slowly sank down onto the ground, blinking up at Tatijana.
Fen whistled softly as the second man staggered to a halt and stood swaying, staring at his companion with blurry eyes.