“I am not going to say you are right because I could not take it if you smirked.""I do not smirk," Vikirnoff claimed."Yes, you do. And I detest that after all these centuries, you are making sense. Frankly, its scary.""It is only that you are not making sense sunce you acquired a lifemate. I hope that does not happen to all men. It would be a shame.""Your sense of humor is not improving," Nicolae pointed out dryly."I do not have a sense of humor." Vikirnoff answered. "I had not noticed," Nicolae teased.”

“If I had a sense of humor, I'd be laughing right now.”

“You missed him," she said. Somehow it didn't seem possible. He was so sure of himself, almost invincible in his manner."I hit what I was aiming at," he answered quietly. "We have to keep moving. I'm hoping I slowed them down, but we can't count on it." He forced the oars through the water with his powerful arms and the boat shot through the channel toward open water."I didn't feel anything."His gaze brushed her face, an odd little caress she felt all the way through her body, just as if he'd touched her with his fingers. "I wasn't aiming at you."She caught the fleeting glint of his white teeth in what could have been a brief smile. One dark eyebrow rose in response. "Has anyone ever told you your sense of humor needs a little work?""No one's ever accused me of having a sense of humor before. You keep insulting me. First you accuse me of missing, and then you try to tell me I have a sense of humor."His face was made of stone, his tone devoid of all expression. His eyes were flat and ice cold, but Dahlia felt him laughing. Nothing big, but it was there in the boat between then, and the terrible pressure in her chest lifted a bit. "And it needs work," she pointed out. "Get it right." She even managed a brief smile of her own to match his.”

“Say it,Gregori," she bit out between clenched teeth. "I need to hear you say it."I am saying it, lifemate. Can you not hear me?”

“You are the lifemate of a senstive, modern male. Julian's lazy amusement warmed her further, confirming what she already suspected, that he often stayed a shadow in her mind.How fortunate for me. Desari smiled at herself in the mirror. Her dark hair cascaded in waves down her back. There was a sparkle in her eyes. She knew Julian had made her feel more alive than she had ever been. Sensitive, modern men are so to my liking.Men? I am certain I did not hear my lifemate use the word men.The plural.No man is allowed to be to your liking other than myself. He sounded stern, the fierce Carpathian male at his most menacing.Desari laughed aloud. I suppose I can see your point, Julian, but really, it is so difficult to keep from noticing all of those handsome hunks in the audience.Handsome hunks? His voice dropped low with the affront. They are more like lovesick fops. If they could feel the vibrations in the air, they would show sense and run for their lives. It is bad enough to read their fantasies and hear them talk their trash, cara,but it is altogether worse to hear that my woman is looking back. One smile at the wrong man, lifemate, and trouble will find the man quickly.You sound jealous,she accused him, amusement curving her soft mouth.The first rule for all women to know and never forget is that Carpathian makes do not share their lifemates. Your brother has much to answer for that this was not drilled into you since birth.It was his job to prepare you for my coming. It was said somewhere between jest and complaint.Desari drew in her breath sharply, finding herself wavering between laughter and exasperation. My brother had no idea of your existence, you arrogant male. Besides, how could he possibly prepare me for your total ignorance of women? More likely, had he known you were coming to speak your ritual words, he would have been waiting to ambush you.I myself would have burrowed deep within the ground until you passed beyond my surroundings.You would have burst from the ground staight into my arms,cara mia, and you know this to be true.Now he was laughing, that smug, taunting, male amusement that should have set her teeth on edge but instead made her laugh. I think you are trying to find something to dictate to me about just so you do not lose your ability. Go away and practice this male art form on someone else.You will be singing to me tonight, piccola,and to no other man.You are a spoiled little boy,not a grown man.Should I come show you what a grown man I am? His voice was suddenly low and warm, so sexy she felt a rush of answering heat. She could feel the brush of his fingers against her throat, trailing down the valley between her suddenly aching breasts.Go away,Julian, she laughed in answer. I cannot have you getting me hot and bothered just now.As long as I know you re hot and bothered for me, I will do as you request and go back to work.I can only hope.”

“Welcome to my world,Gary." Savannah was flashing a mischievous smile. "He considers you family and under his protection now, so he's bound to be impossibly bossy."Gary groaned. "I didn't consider that. Damn. You're right.He can't help himself;it's his nature.""Do not start,you two. I did not think what it would be like to have the two of you driving me insane." Gregori sounded disgusted, but Gary was beginning to understand him a little. He never really changed expression, and his eyes gave nothing away, but Gary could almost feel Gregori's silent laughter."You do have a sense of humor," he accused him."Well,do not blame me.It is Savannah's fault.She insists on it," Gregori replied in disgust. "Let us go and get you something decent to eat.""Am I going to crave blood, raw steak, that kind of thing?" Gary asked, straight-faced."Well,actually..." Savannah started."I do not have rabies." Gregori silenced her with a look. "I am not contagious.""All the books say if you drink my blood, I get to drink your bloodd, and them I'm like you." Gary sounded slightly disappointed."Some people grow bat wings," Savannah admitted, her teeth tugging at her lower lip. "That's where Batman came from. And capes,all those swirling capes. A regular epidemic. It's from our blood, a kind of allergic reaction. Don't worry,you would be showing signs already if you were one of those with a problem.""Is she always like this?" Gary aksed Gregori."She gets worse," Gregori said truthfully.”

“How do people know for certain when they find their lifemate?"Julian's smile was like a physical touch, a soft caress. "I have lived centuries without seeing color or feeling emotion.And then I found you. The world is now beautiful again and filled with life, with color, with so much intense emotion I can barely process it. When I look at you my body is alive. My heart is overwhelmed. You are the one.""What happens if the woman does not feel it also?" Desari asked, curious. This was an entirely new concept to her, one she had never considered."There is only one true lifemate for each of us. If the male feels it, so does his mate." His white teeth flashed at her. "Perhaps she might wish to be stubborn and not admit it right away, not wanting her freedom curtailed for all time. Because there are so few of our women, they are guarded carefully from birth and given into the care of their lifemate as soon as they are of age.”