Dark Secret

hunger she couldn't overcome when she was around her lifemate. The bloodline was both her strength and her downfall. Her pain and anguish tore at him. Querida. He smoothed her hair, pulled her hands away from the soil. Paul will not die. You cannot leave this place of healing. He could still feel the fire in her body, her organs still undergoing the reshaping.

Get away from me! What have you done? Oh, God, Paul's hurt. I have to get to him. Help me get out of here.

Nicolas and I will go to him. Juan and Julio have him and Sean is there. You cannot leave the earth yet. You are not healed and the light would harm you. Rafael tried to provide a calm, cleansing breeze of sanity in the nightmare Colby found herself in. His hands were gentle as he tried to restrain her.

She didn't stop clawing at the soil. Rafael was forced to pin her wrists together. She was going to do damage to herself. Colby, pequena, be calm. Nicolas is rising. We will stop him. You cannot do this without causing harm to yourself. He tried to be reasonable, but she was breaking his heart. He wasn't a man familiar with his gentle, tender side and his fierce, protective nature demanded he force obedience.

Damn you, I don't care about myself. I have to get to him. He's hurt. For God's sake, Rafael, he tried to kill himself. He's only a boy.

Her distress raked at him, tore his heart to shreds. I will make certain he is safe. Sleep, Colby. He pushed hard with the command.

She didn't succumb, her Dragonseeker blood rising to protect her. Go to hell, Rafael. He's my brother. If you don't get me out of here, I'll get out myself.

He was enormously strong and there was no way to fight him physically and win. You cannot, meu amor. Sleep now. This time he took command, not allowing her to use her blood or will against him.

I will not ever forgive you for this. She succumbed to his compulsion, reluctantly fading into the sleep of their people, but not before he felt the rift between them. It yawned wide, a great chasm that might not ever be bridged. And he couldn't blame her. For a moment, he lay beside her, holding her in his arms, his heart pounding with fear for her, for their future. There was steel in Colby. She might never be able to resist him physically, but if she made up her mind to keep from feeling anything else for him…

Rafael groaned. He couldn't blame her. He had converted her without her permission, forced her into his way of life, and while she was beneath the ground, the vampire had attacked her brother. He stroked her silky hair, his lips pressed against her temple. I could not survive without you, meu amor. I know you are my heart and soul. Find a way to love me through all of this. When he was alone thinking of her, when there was a knot of love in his throat so large he couldn't swallow at the thought of her courage and her strength, when he was longing to be with her, so aroused at the mere thought of her loving him, needing him, he thought of all kinds of poetic things to say to her. But when she stood in front of him, her green eyes blazing defiance and her mouth and body a sinful temptation, he lost all good sense and went for domination. How were they going to get through this one?

Rafael burst through the soil, the early morning light hurting his skin and eyes, but definitely tolerable. He shifted in the air, assuming his favorite shape of the harpy eagle, and began winging his way toward Sean Everett's ranch. Simultaneously he felt Nicolas rise, and knew he was heading for the ranch as well.

I should have considered that Kirja might retaliate against the boy. There was deep regret in Rafael. I knew he was wounded and thought he would go to ground to recover, not use his last remaining strength for revenge.

He will be in bad shape now. If we can find his resting place, we may be able to kill him before he can regain his strength, Nicolas ventured.

Rafael blistered Nicolas's mind with a string of curses. Do you have any idea what I have done? She will not forgive me.

She is your lifemate. Eternity is a long time even for a Dragonseeker to hold on to anger. Do you have an idea where the vampire has constructed his lair?

Maybe, Rafael said thoughtfully.

The ranch house was blazing with lights. He dropped low, into the front yard, shifting to vapor so he could easily enter the house and appear as if he'd come from his assigned bedroom. Nicolas met him in the hall and they hurried to Paul's room.

Sean Everett stood, grim-faced, his arm around Joclyn, while Julio comforted Ginny, who clearly refused to leave.

'Forgive me, Paul,' Nicolas greeted. 'I slept soundly when I should have been on watch.'

'We thought you were safe,' Rafael said. He closed his eyes for a moment, knowing he had no choice. Colby loved this boy. For her sake, for the child's sake, he had to be sent away where the vampire couldn't touch him should they fail in their efforts to destroy the undead. Colby would never forgive him. A dread began to settle in the pit of his stomach.

Paul lifted his head. His face was very pale, dark circles prominent under his eyes as he regarded the two Carpathians. 'I held out against him a long time.'

'I know you did. I am proud of you.' Rafael reached out and deliberately circled the ragged tear in the wrist, his palm covering the gaping wound. 'I have some ability to heal. Allow me.'

Juan kept his hand on Paul's shoulder in a gesture of solidarity. 'He fought hard, Don Rafael, Don Nicolas, and this time we were able to stop him. But what of next time'?' He looked at them. 'There will be a next time.'

Nicolas nodded. 'We must put distance between Paul and our enemy.' He looked straight at Rafael, reading the fear of what it would do to Colby. Rafael's nod was nearly imperceptible.

'Would someone like to tell me what is going on?' Sean said. 'Juan and Julio refused to allow me to call the doctor. By rights, Paul should be in the hospital where he can receive psychiatric counseling as well as medical care.'

Nicolas shook his head. 'Our old enemy has found us and he is attempting to use Paul for revenge. Paul has been hypnotized to do his bidding.' He smiled at the teenager. 'Paul is much stronger than any of us realized. I am proud of you.'

'We should call Ben,' Sean insisted.

Nicolas turned his head to look directly into Sean's eyes. 'It is better we handle this alone. It was only an accident. The boy was careless playing with his knife and we do not want him to be food for gossip in a small town.'

Sean nodded. 'I agree it's best not to say anything.'

'If we were to take Colby, Paul, and Ginny to Brazil, Sean, would you and your men be able to run her ranch? We would he willing to pay you to care for Paul and Ginny's property until they came of age. If neither wanted it and wished to remain in Brazil with us, we would sell the ranch to you if you desired the property,' Rafael offered.

'Colby's going to be pissed,' Paul whispered.

'Colby told you not to use that word,' Ginny said, sticking her head out from behind Julio. Her eyes were very large as she looked at her brother. 'What's Rafael doing to you?'

Rafael's hand remained wrapped around Paul's wrist. The angry-looking cuts seemed to be fading into the area Rafael's palm covered.

'Does it hurt?' Ginny persisted.

'Not anymore. Rafael's making it feel better.'

'What do you say, Sean? Can you and your crew handle the extra acreage and work load?' Rafael asked. He knew what Colby would think and he knew what he risked by sending the children away, but there was no other choice. He wanted to rip something apart, wanted to destroy everything around him. He wanted to forbid his brother to send Paul and Ginny away, but he knew she loved these two children. Through her, he had learned to love them and, more than his own happiness, he had to put Colby first. And that meant sending Paul away to keep him safe. Now, this night. As soon as possible.

'We are talking a large amount of money, Sean. You will need to pay your men,' Nicolas added as a further enticement, glancing warily at his brother, reading his tormented thoughts and feeling the tension rising in the room.

'What about Colby?' Sean inquired. 'The last I heard, she was hell-bent on running the ranch herself.'

'Rafael and Colby are getting…' Nicolas glanced at Juan.