Hidden Truths

Raoul said, "I she's special. But... I have worries. I am developing feelings for her, yet I am uncomfortable with her being my mate. Is there something wrong with me that I do not want her?"

"did you ever think that maybe thats not how you truly feel?" she asked as the burning got a little more painful

"What do you mean? I wouldn't have these feelings if they weren't my own."

"Oh? Tell that to the young carpathian she met before you"

"Why would she be ashamed of me?"

"who knows what she feels, but if you are ashamed of your mate, maybe it has something to do with you and not here, is there any reason you can think of that would make you feel this way? something that maybe have happened in your past?"

"No more than any other hunter," he said with a shrug. "We know our duty, but do not wish our mates to witness such darkness. Other than that, I do not recall anything I should be ashamed of."

"this is something you will have to figure out on your own...be warned she will wake up from this" she said and the pain on his wrist got so intense his knees buckled and Nat woke up with a gasp that was followed by a scream

"What are you doing to us?!" he said through clenched teeth, trying to stay standing so that Natasha was out of the water.

"its almost over bare with it" she said in a calm tone,

Natasha cried in his arms as she hugged her wrist to her chest, blood beaded her forehead

"Make it stop!" Raoul said. "She's in pain! Stop it!"

"I never said it would not be painful, let the water ease your bodies, sumerge"

Raoul did as instructed because he didn't know what else to do.

The water made the pain bearable, natasha looked like a river goddess the way the water glowed around her. She looked at him, her eyes held many different emotions.

He took her hand, understanding completely. Let this pain end for us soon.

He would feel her start to panic, her human mind telling her she needed to breath, she wiggled in his arms trying to get to the surface, unaware in doing so would make the pain come back again

Natasha! Calm down! You don't need to breath! Imagine you are a mermaid! See every detail, every scale on your tale, the ability to breath under water! Do that and it will happen!

Her need to breath was beating at him, she was panicking to much to listen to his words, once more he could feel how strong her powers were as he fought the strong need to let her breath, suddenly the pain stopped and so did the need to let her breath, his mind was his own again

Natasha? Natasha?! Answer me!

she is fine you can bring her up now the ritual is complete, she will sleep for at least a day the woman said into his head

He took them to the surface. Once out of the water, he dried and clothed the both of them.

"Now, what?" he asked.

"Now you may take her back and train her, when her training is complete you may bring her back and I will remove the mark, through that mark, you will be immune to her gifts and feel when she is using them"

"Then, I can stop them before someone gets hurt again," he said, almost like he was finishing for her. "I understand. Thank you."

She nodded "have a safe journey back" the woman said bowing to the prince and Roaul and disappearing

Nat moaned in his arms, her hands clenching his shirt "Take her back to the school she will stay with you now, I have business here you leave first" said the prince before leaving the room

-----

Alexandor looked at the girl and said, "Tell me where."

"I cant....someone keeps me from seeing in such darkness...only your fire can save her...she must be reborn in it....come with me.." she said lightly tugging on his arm

Alexandor followed. Anything involving his potential lifemate needed to be investigated, and he felt this was one of those times.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked.

"a place your fire can grow..." She said in almost a whisper "but we must hurry...we cant get caught"

"If this is something secretive and dangerous, I will not be a party to it," he said, making her stop.

"then she will be smothered by the dark....forever alone will she lay" she said letting go of his wrist "If you have made your decision I will leave please forget we ever met" she said bowing slightly and turning to walk away

"Stop!" he ordered. "I do not want any harm to come her. That is all."

"Carpathians will always be a mystery to me....you care so much for someone you have not met yet? is it a selfish love? or something else" she said more to herself then him "fine....but we have no time to waist...her blood flows freely to the earth" she said and started walking

He followed after her and said, "For our males, it is selfish. We take away our woman's freedom in moments. Yet, fate has determined who we should be with and the time we should meet. Our love is so strong because we know what it is like not to feel. I can't tell you how a woman feels about the bonding, but that is what many men have said to me."

"I know many that are human or even part Carpathian say that they regret it for a long time before they come around to it....that it was hard for them to fall for there mates at first because of how aggressive they are" she said turning a corner that opened up into a long hallway light only by candle light

"I can't relate," he said. "I only know from a male Carpathian stand point. How much longer? The prince could be in danger because I left my post."

"Much further....." she said stopping in front of a door " once you go through this door your journey into the dark to find your light will begin, if you are strong and comfident then it should only take you three days to find her"

"Three days?" he said in shock. "Fine, but inform the prince of my absence."

She put her hand on his shoulder " there is a chance....neither of you will make it back" she said softly " fate is no ones friend....your light could already be gone...knowing that do you still wish to go? You will not be the same if you make it back"

"To save my lifemate, I'll do anything," he said.

She moved aside so he could go through the door

He walked inside without hesitation.

The door closed behind him, it was a darken stone hallway that led down deeper into the earth and eventually into a cave system, he could smell the water in the air from the cave, letting him know it would be a big cave system and he should be careful.

"Where are we going?" he asked, whispering for an unknown reason.

When there was no answer he would realize he was alone and the door behind him was locked, he had no choice but to go forward.

Sighing, he began walking, not knowing what to do or where to go.

The more he walked the deeper the cave got and soon he was able to smell the harsh scent of decay, a clear sign of a vampire was nearby.

He didn't slow down, or even show that he had noticed the oily feeling of evil. However, he was more than ready to protect the one woman that held the other half of his soul, a woman he had never met.

The cave broke out into a large underground cavern, the only light were the silk worms that lived way on top of the cavern ceiling, in the distance he could hear a woman crying weakly and smell new and old blood, blood so sweet that his fangs enlarged at the smell alone.

------

Michael smiled and said, "Only when you rest."

She groaned "fine...." she said and went to move off him

He grabbed her waist and said, "I never said we were resting now. Only that I would rest when you rested. I plan on taking an active role in our love making."

She chuckled "change of heart hunter?" she said teasingly

"Not at all," he said. "Just wanting to please the woman I'm fast falling for."

She smiled "dont worry I will catch you if you fall" she said kissing his cheek softly "that being said if you need to rest...."

"So do you," he said, "but the way your eyes are dancing, you have no plans to do that."

"I dont know what you mean" she said in a fake innocent tone

She could suddenly feel his mouth on her breast, though he never moved. "Well, if you don't want to..."

She growled "no tricks.....if your going to touch me....do it right " she said kissing his neck

He growled and said, "Why? I got the answer I wanted." His hand began massaging her breast. "Do you want to stay on top?"

She let her fangs tease his neck and her tongue ease the sting, she didnt answer him, she wanted him to do what his urges told him

He rolled over, pinning her beneath him, their clothes flying off in shreds. "Be sure because I won't stop until the sun rises."

" is that supose to be a bad thing?" She asked with a soft smile " Its been a long time since ive been close to anyone..."

"That is true for me as well," he said, teasing her entrance. "Though, I hope that you will one day see me as your best friend and lover, not just as a duty."

He entered her hard and fast, moving the same way, not letting her process what he just said.

She arched underneath him, her hands rested on his waist as she held onto him, her core was hot and wet, tightly gripping him the deeper he went.

He had to drive her mad with need. Had to make her see him as more than a duty. He kept her stuck on the edge, pinning her down with his teeth so that she couldn't take control. He wanted her to see what it could be like, an eternity together.

He would hear and feel her spine move and crack softly as she arched under him and growled, her eyes changed slightly as her wolf greeted him, she did not change fully but he would feel the mental touch of her wild wolf , her nail dug deliciously into his skin setting it on fire

His hands traveled up and down her sensitive skin, committing every curve and hollow to memory. However, when her nails dug into him, he exploded into her, filling her with his seed and driving her over the edge hard.

She cried out as her vision faded in and out at the strong orgasm, her body felt like it was floating and she could not sense where his body began and hers ended.

He smiled at her, kissing her deeply, before saying, "I'm beginning to fall deeply for you."

"That's really dangerous for our line of work....." she said in a soft tone

"It is also what will keep us safer than those who have not found their lifemates," he said tenderly. "My father used to tell me that my mother often saved him from trouble with more than their connection as lifemates. Looking at you, I'm inclined to believe him for the first time."

"tell me about them....your parents" she said cuddling up to him