It was difficult, she admitted. I had faith in your strength, Zev, but I also knew your wolf was very suspicious and might become a problem.

Zev frowned, his gaze jumping to her face. Tell me.

When you were first injured, there in the meeting hall when the bomb went off and you tried to protect Arno, the council member, with your body over his and the table stake went through your stomach, your wolf wasn’t happy to have us invading you. Our healing sessions involve going into your body and healing from the inside out with energy. Lycans regenerate. Both work, but Carpathians and Lycans have two very different ways of dealing with injuries and your wolf was very suspicious. I had to do a lot of soothing.

Around him, the cavern had become alive with activity. He could hear the low murmur of conversations. Darius gave blood to Gregori, and Fen offered him his wrist. He took it, suddenly craving the rich nutrients.

I didn’t know, I was too far gone, I guess.

He didn’t like the idea of loss of control and I think we would have lost you then, but Skyler is a woman and she is very close to the wolves. He accepted her. Tatijana had healed you before and of course he recognized her and accepted her. I am your lifemate, his mate, and he accepted me. Also, Arno was working with him, a member of the council and that gave him reassurance.

Zev sighed and swept his tongue across the twin holes in Fen’s wrist to stop the blood flow. Wolves always rose to protect their other side. I should have expected him to rise. He’s strong and fast and he would fight to the death anyone he thought might harm me while I was unconscious. Thank heaven he’s so enamored with you.

She raised her eyebrow at him. Him? Only the wolf? She gave a little disbelieving sniff.

“Can you sit up?” Dimitri asked.

Zev had no idea, but he hid a smile from Branislava. He liked her little displays of temper. The burning through his body had subsided slowly. He actually hadn’t noticed it ebbing away as he talked with his lifemate. “I’m willing to give it a try.”

Dimitri got an arm around him. Fen hovered like a new father with his firstborn. Zev resisted a sarcastic remark. Branislava stepped back to give him room, and immediately a hush fell in the cavern and all eyes turned to him.

Mikhail had gotten to his feet. If it was possible for him to look anxious—he did. Gregori moved closer, stopping Zev from moving with a hand on his chest while he slowly inspected the wound site.

“Tell me how you’re feeling.”

Zev shrugged. “The fire faded and I can breathe normally. I haven’t been able to do that since I got caught in the blast. I moved a few inches and didn’t double up in pain, so that’s a good sign, but I’ll admit I feel weak.”

Gregori nodded. “That’s to be expected. You’ll need blood several times over this night and rest as well as more recuperation in the ground during the day tomorrow. When you rise, we believe you will be at full strength, if your body has healed as we expected.”

“Let’s try it then,” Zev said.

The room was too still and quiet. The anxious look on Fen’s normally expressionless, stone face was too much for him. Zev shot him a glare. “Stop looking at me like I’m one of your chicks and you’re the mother hen. I’ve got this.”

“You always think you’ve got it,” Fen snapped back. “I’ve never seen a man more prone to getting stabbed, shot, sliced or ripped open, unless, of course, it’s Dimitri. It’s a wonder I don’t have gray hair.”

“You do,” Zev and Dimitri said simultaneously.

The tension in the cave immediately gave way to a wave of laughter.

Zev braced himself for pain as he gingerly sat up, Dimitri’s arm a strong bar across his back to aid him if he needed it. To his utter astonishment, there was no agony, no hurt, not even an ache or slight stitch. If anything, his muscles seemed stronger than ever.

He grinned at Gregori. “I’d have to say it worked.”

“I want to check before you get overconfident,” Gregori said. “Just give me a minute.”

“You’re in worse shape than I am,” Zev said.

“You’re the first person to ever survive,” Gregori said.

That wiped the smile off Zev’s face.

Gregori and Mikhail looked at one another and burst into laughter.

“Very funny, you two,” Zev said. “I’m taking my lady and going home.” He wasn’t altogether certain they weren’t serious and just a little hysterical with relief.

Branislava brought her uncle close. “This is Dominic and his lifemate, Solange.”

There was no mistaking Solange fought beside the Dragonseeker. She was a warrior through and through.

Zev inclined his head. “I’m grateful to both of you, for coming and for your generous offer of weaving your spirits to mine.”

“Clearly it wasn’t necessary. Mikhail tells me you are the last of the Dark Blood line. I knew your great-grandparents. There were few as skilled as they were,” Dominic said.

He drew Branislava close to him. He was certain now, that the Carpathians were right and he was of the Dark Blood lineage, but at this moment, all he wanted to do was rest and spend a little time getting to know his woman.

“Take another look at him, Gregori,” Fen said. “We need to get him home.”

5

Let’s sit on the verandah, just for a little while,” Zev suggested. They had just risen from their day’s slumber and he wanted time to be with her. “We can visit out here.” While there was no actual pain, he was surprised at how weak he still was.

The night was beautiful. Deep in the forest it was darker than outside of it, because the trees blocked a good part of the moon. He caught glimpses of the glow as well as a scattering of stars through the canopy and branches. Somewhere close by a wolf howled and another answered.

“Skyler and Dimitri have taken their wolves hunting,” Branislava said. “They’re hungry. I can tell by the sound of their calls. The alpha is on the trail of something big.”

“Few can hear the difference in the notes,” Zev said, a little shocked. “Yet you can tell what that call actually means?”

She nodded. “I can hear what they say by the pitch, the notes in their voices. I can identify each member of the wolf pack that inhabits this territory. I also have learned all four voices of Skyler and Dimitri’s wolves as well.”

“That’s incredible. I’m a wolf and I can do that, but didn’t think anyone else could.”