Authors: Christine Feehan
“Hey, Andor,” Julian called to Darius and Tempest’s boy. “Can we come and dance with you?”
Andor waved happily at him, breaking out into a huge smile that lit his dark eyes—Daratrazanoff eyes.
“Do you mind?” Desari asked Zev and Branislava. “This looks such fun.”
Julian Savage and his lifemate, Desari, moved gracefully together. She was sister to the Daratrazanoff men. Beside them, Barack and Syndil danced close. Emerging from the trees already moving to the beat, Corrine and her lifemate, Dayan, arrived with their daughter, Jennifer. Clearly she was a child of music. She began whirling and twirling and shaking her bottom to the rhythm.
“No party,” Zev said, “just holding my woman and doing a little dancing, but you’re all welcome.”
After a few minutes of dancing with Corrine, Dayan sank down onto the large tree trunk and drew his guitar to him. His fingers danced over the strings and music poured into the night. Barack immediately joined him, playing bass. Syndil listened to the heartbeat of the earth and then called drums to her, joining with the earth to add in her rhythm. Corrine and Jennifer danced together, whirling around the small clearing, the sound of Jennifer’s laughter joining with Andor’s.
Razvan danced Ivory right out of the forest, his eyes filled with laughter—something one rarely saw in him, unless they stumbled upon a private moment between Ivory and him. She clung to him, laughing with him, her gaze only for him.
Desari began to sing, her voice rising with the wind, the notes pure, the pitch perfect. The song was one of joy and laughter, adding to Branislava’s perfect moment.
Branislava looked around her at the people she loved. Her nephew Razvan, who had been so horribly tortured by his own grandfather, Xavier. Ivory, who had been betrayed by Xavier and chopped to pieces by vampires in league with him. Fen and Tatijana, her beloved sister, trapped with her in the wall of ice there in Xavier’s laboratory. Dimitri and Skyler, a young woman made by Xavier through Razvan’s body and then sold into sex slavery by her great-grandfather.
There was joy here and true happiness. Xavier and his brothers were pure evil and yet somehow, good had triumphed here, and her perfect moment proved it.
Look at them all, Zev. These people, most of them, are our family. Xavier tried to destroy them all, everyone here, really, and yet we can come together like this, in fun and laughter, an impromptu party with no real reason except you love me enough to dance with me because you know I enjoy it.
Zev kissed the junction between her neck and shoulder.
I would dance with you anywhere, Branka, and enjoy every single moment of holding you.
Happiness welled up. That was the wonderful thing about Zev. She knew he was telling her the truth. He would dance with her anywhere simply because she loved to dance. She glanced at her sister, held so close by Fen. Fen was a good man and she already thought of him as a brother. The way he looked at Tatijana was beautiful. Tatijana’s gaze met hers and they smiled.
“I love her so much, Zev,” she whispered against his chest. “I wanted so much for her to escape and to be able to live life, to dance like this whenever possible and to find a man who loved her above all else. I believe my wish came true.” Satisfaction edged her words.
“I see you are having a party practically on my front step, but I don’t believe I was invited, so I’m crashing.” Mikhail announced his presence.
He swung Raven around and the two of them came together, moving with a flowing grace to the music. Alexandru ran over to Jennifer and Andor. Jennifer took both boys’ hands and they began to dance together in a circle.
Zev laughed. “Look what you started, Branka.”
“And I got us in trouble with the prince. Who knew he liked to dance?”
“Doesn’t everyone?” Zev nudged her and indicated the couple coming into the clearing.
Gregori and Savannah joined them, which wasn’t a surprise since Gregori tended to be wherever the prince was. Their two little girls, Anya and Anastasia, ran to join the other children while their parents danced.
The small area seemed to be transformed, growing larger even, with the brush and shrubbery cleared away, giving the couples a dance floor. The moon looked down on them, adding light while the band played. Stars scattered across the night sky, sparkling like diamonds, giving them a ceiling of beauty.
Branislava turned her face up to Zev’s. “This is all you, Wolfie; you’re such a miracle.” She kissed her way up his neck, her fingers laced around his nape, beneath the long, thick pelt of hair. “I don’t know how you make everything so wonderful.”
Fen and Tatijana just happened to be dancing close. Fen gave a little snort of derision. “
Wolfie
? Did I just hear you call that man
Wolfie
?”
“No, you didn’t,” Zev denied, giving him a fierce scowl. “Go away, Fen.”
“Dimitri.” Fen continued to hold Tatijana close to her sister and Zev while they danced. He waited until Dimitri was very close to him and leaned over. “She calls him
Wolfie
.”
Dimitri glanced over at Zev with a wide grin on his face. He opened his mouth to tease him, but caught a glimpse of Branislava’s mortified expression. Tiny little flames were beginning to flicker in her eyes.
He closed his mouth and raised his eyebrow at his brother. “Really, Fen, you shouldn’t be eavesdropping on private conversations.” It was all he could do not to laugh, but he kept a straight face as he fanned Branislava’s rising wrath.
“But
Wolfie
? Come on, bro, that just suits our little brother to a tee. He’s kind of like a big teddy bear, don’t you think?”
As Fen whirled Tatijana out away from him, he stepped back, his left foot sinking just a little into the forest floor. Myrmica rubra, the fire ant of Romania, swarmed up his leg, biting and stinging.
Fen waved his hand and the ants calmed instantly, rushing back to the ground and disappearing. He glared at Branislava, who was looking far too innocent. “
O jelä peje terád, emni—
sun scorch you, woman!” Tatijana didn’t help his cause, covering her mouth and clearly laughing at her sister’s antics.
“Having trouble there, Fen?” Mikhail asked. His features appeared relaxed, much younger. Laughter welled up and spilled into his usually somber eyes.
“Blasted Dragonseeker women have this penchant for revenge, Mikhail,” Fen said. “You need to talk to them about it.”
“Not me,” Mikhail hastily denied. “I’m not getting on their bad side.” He danced away laughing.
Fen laughed, too, bringing Tatijana close to him. “Your sister is a fiery little thing. Imagine taking offense just because I overheard her calling Zev that ridiculous nickname.”
“Imagine,” Tatijana echoed, snuggling closer. “At least she didn’t set your hair on fire.” She smoothed her hand over his long, very thick and distinctly silver hair with black strands woven into the waves falling down his back. It was secured at his nape with a leather cord, but hung nearly to his waist. “I’d hate to have you bald and scorched.”
Fen caught her closer as if for protection. “She wouldn’t dare.”
I would dare,
Branislava assured him.
Fen couldn’t help the laughter welling up. He and Branislava burst out laughing at the same time. Zev and Tatijana, then Dimitri and Skyler joined in.
Branislava felt as if she were at a family celebration. It felt right. Normal. Beautiful.
Perfect.
She had never once imagined she could have such fun and happiness, not when she was freezing and frightened, there behind that wall of ice.
More dancers showed up. To her surprise Zacarias De La Cruz led Marguarita onto the forest floor with the others dancing. She should have known he would be a graceful dancer. He held his lifemate close, very lovingly, not at all appearing to be the dangerous, dark predator she knew him to be.
Nicolas, Zacarias’s brother, came behind him, leading Lara, his lifemate. Branislava’s heart leapt with joy. Lara, her great-niece, looked beautiful and happy, glowing even, obviously happy with her lifemate. Lara had been the one to return to the ice caves, searching for her aunts, but she’d been a little girl, a child when they’d helped her to escape, and she hadn’t even been certain her childhood had been real. Still, she had come to free them from their horrible prison. It was good to see her so happy.
Rafael and Colby, another De La Cruz brother and his lifemate, came into the clearing with Juliette and Riordan, the youngest brother. Laughing, the men whirled the women into the flow of dancers. Last came Manolito De La Cruz, with MaryAnn. They were of mixed blood like Dimitri, Fen and Zev, carrying both Lycan and Carpathian blood. They were considered
Sange rau
by the Lycans and under a death sentence, while Carpathians believed them to be
Hän ku pesäk kaikak
—guardian of all. MaryAnn laughed softly as Manolito spun her around and drew her in close to him again.
“This is so wonderful,” Branislava said. “Look at the children. Listen to them laughing.”
In her world, deep beneath the ice, neither she nor Tatijana had ever had the chance to be a laughing child. Little Lara had also been used by Xavier for food. Even Razvan, taken control of by Xavier, had fed on her. No doubt that, like Branislava’s and Tatijana’s, Lara’s arms and wrists were covered in scars.
Branislava wanted to replace every ugly moment of her own childhood with special moments such as this one. Shea and Jacques’s son Stefan had joined the circle of laughing children. She looked around for Falcon and Sara’s children. Usually, where one child was, the others always followed.
“Sara is about to give birth and the children wanted to stay close to her,” Zev said. “Gregori just gave me the news that she’s in labor. She was human before Carpathian and she’s much more comfortable using a human delivery. Shea’s a doctor and she’s with her, that’s why Jacques is here alone with his son.”
“Are there complications?” Branislava was suddenly anxious. In between the attacks by the Sacred Circle army there was little time for fun or rejoicing. A baby born would add to the beauty of the night.
“If there were complications, Gregori and Skyler would be called immediately. Probably you and Tatijana as well,” Zev assured. “Close your eyes.”
She did, her head pillowed on his chest, directly over his heart. Immediately she had the sensation of floating through the clouds, her body light and airy. His scent, that masculine, keeper of the forest scent combined with his feral, predatory smell filled her lungs and sent heat rushing through her veins. She would always want him, whether they were alone, or in the middle of a crowd. The feeling filled her with happiness.
She had seen ballroom dancing in Tatijana’s mind. The two of them had replayed the dances over and over, committing the steps to memory, but the actual sensation of dancing with Zev, floating over the forest floor and up into the clouds was far more amazing than the dances she’d envied so much.
Eventually, Zev and Branislava found a place off to the side where they could sink into the soft grass and watch the other couples. She snuggled close to him. One of Ivory’s wolves poked his head over her shoulder while another lay beside her, watching Ivory and Razvan’s every move. Branislava sank her fingers into the thick, soft fur. She loved every tactile feel she could find; when locked in the form of a dragon behind a wall of ice, she’d never had the opportunity to know much other than cold and pain.
She had learned patience and acceptance—they all had. They had no other recourse, but now that she was free, she couldn’t stop touching things, wanting to experience everything for herself. Tatijana was the same. Sitting so close to Zev, the grass under her, the stars over her and his arm holding her close, a wolf in her lap, she experienced true happiness.
Branislava put her head on Zev’s shoulder, forcing the wolf standing behind them to use Zev’s other shoulder. “I love watching the children. Look at little Anya dancing. She’s got the moves, doesn’t she?”
Zev followed Branislava’s gaze to the little girl wiggling enthusiastically. Her sister was just as wild, both clearly feeling the beat of the earth and Syndil’s drums more than the guitar. “They’re beautiful. We’ll have to have twins. Little girls. I can just imagine the trouble they’ll get into with you as a mother and Tatijana as their aunt.” His heart swelled at the thought of his child, or children, growing in her.
Branislava laughed softly. “Or you for a father. I refuse to accept all the blame. I can imagine what kind of a bossy boy you were.”
He had been bossy. He’d often taken over leadership of any activity and other children always followed. Later, when he was barely seven and allowed to hunt with his father and the pack members, he was usually given a key position. “It was a relief to my father and the others in the pack hierarchy when I was sent to the elite school,” he admitted. “They sent me when I was just a boy, but I could come home on visits. Eventually, the visits were further and further apart.” There was regret in his voice. “My personality was too alpha, and it was difficult to have more than one alpha in the same pack, even if I was a boy.”
She rubbed her cheek along his arm, like the kitten he often referred to her as being. He thought he actually heard her purr, but when he looked at her, she had her eyes closed.
“I love you the way you are, Zev. Fen and Dimitri are both alpha males and they get along with you very well,” she murmured, her voice loving.
He wanted to smile at her. She was his fierce kitten, coming to his defense even when there was no need. He was who he was and he’d accepted it long ago. Perhaps the ferocity of his Dark Blood had driven him to be the fierce wolf that he was. Intelligence played a large part, he knew that, but one also had to be willing to walk fearlessly and alone into extreme danger with utter confidence.
“I had no idea when I crossed that rogue pack path a few short weeks ago,” he said, nuzzling the top of her head with his chin, “that I would ever have such a gift handed to me. I won’t lie, which would be impossible anyway, I had certain urges to be with a woman, but I never once thought about having a partner in life. Not one time. I didn’t think it would be possible to find a woman who could accept me the way I am. Or one who would be willing to be by my side fighting rogue packs, hunting vampires or protecting council members.”