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.I knew what was in store for them and their children, but I was completely helpless to stop it.Mostly the women ran together because, to stay sane, I tried to separate myself.Skyler nodded.It was understandable, when terrible things were being done to her body, she hadretreated into her mind in order to save her sanity, but still, she had wanted to know more about hermother.She retained glimpses of her, small little vignettes that at times she feared she d made up.Dimitri nuzzled the top of her head.She was real.She loved and protected you as best she could.And then Gabriel and Francesca came into your life and now Razvan and Ivory.You are loved, csitri.Very loved. One thing I do remember, Razvan said, was how excited he was to find your mother.She was apowerful human psychic.Extremely powerful.He couldn t believe she was human.He said she wasdescended from the Incas and the line was extraordinary and very pure.He raged for months over thefact that the child produced was useless to him, and he wanted to punish your mother and you fordisappointing him.Skyler took a deep breath.Xavier had found a perfect punishment, selling them into the sex-trafficking world.She closed her eyes briefly, snuggling deeper against Dimitri.He felt solid, a wallof muscle and sinew, always to be counted on. Life certainly changes, doesn t it? she asked her birth father. One moment you feel there is nohope, no way out, and the next, the entire world opens up for you.Razvan reached for Ivory s hand. That is the truth, Skyler.You and your friends achieved theimpossible rescuing Dimitri.If we manage to avoid a war with the Lycans, it will be a miracle anddue to you.Had he died, Mikhail would have had no forgiveness. I had no idea he sent out a rescue party, Skyler admitted. Although, Dimitri said, you should have known Fen would come for me.Skyler nodded. But he would have been too late.You couldn t reach out to him. She traced theburn along his forehead, the links that had prevented him from telepathy other than with her.She dbeen lucky they had such a strong connection or she would have lost him. I have good friends.Pauland Josef came with me without a thought for their own safety. We have good friends, Dimitri corrected. I ll never forget what they did for us. He lookedover at the two young men, sitting side by side in the circle of warriors discussing the upcomingescape from the collapsing shelter.Josef looked happier than Dimitri had ever seen him.Josef hadn t expected any family membersto come for him, and the fact that both his adopted father and uncle had come immediately had animpact on him.He d run free, going his own way and often stirring up trouble with older Carpathians.It hadn t occurred to him that in spite of his differences, he was loved.On the other hand, Paul had known the De La Cruz family would come if he got in trouble.Theyworked with him, teaching him how to fight vampires, working on the skills needed to run theirimpressive empires many cattle ranches in South America.They relied on him to keep his sisterGinny safe while they were in the ground.Paul was part of their lives and under their protection.Dimitri sighed, looking at the grim faces of the Carpathians.They knew the little fortress wasdisintegrating, and the Lycans knew it as well.He, like the others, could feel eyes watching them.Hecould detect the wolves in the swaying branches of trees as well as the brush along the edges of theforest.He didn t see how they could avoid a fight. We should join the others, he said. They re planning our escape out of here.Lycans aredifficult in that they come at you as a pack and they re lightning fast.If we re supposed to avoidkilling any of them, as Mikhail wishes, retreating without actually fighting is going to take a miracle.Skyler leaned toward Ivory again. I m so excited and happy that you offered us such an amazinggift as the wolf pups.I really look forward to having them.Ivory nodded. Razvan and I discussed it for a long while.I knew better than to save them.Wecan t have Carpathian wolves running around without control, but it threw me back to the time when Ireturned from the hunt and found my pack annihilated by the vampire.For a few minutes there, I mnot certain I was entirely sane.I exchanged blood before I thought about what I was doing.Then Icouldn t just leave them.Razvan was understanding and helped me with the conversion, but both of usknew, we couldn t keep that many wolves.Our pack is established.These four need their own.Dimitri found himself smiling.His body hurt like hell and already, even with the transfusion ofancient Carpathian blood, he was exhausted, but the thought of the wolf pups being a permanent partof their lives was exciting. Do you think that with my mixed blood, my wolf so close at all times, such a part of me, that thepups will take to me? he asked.Skyler sobered. I didn t think of that.We ll both be mixed blood at some point.Ivory shook her head. The wolf pups should be able to relate even faster to you both.They llsense the wolf and accept you as alpha far more easily than we d first anticipated.That acceptance iseverything.The fact that you, Dimitri, knew so much about wolves influenced our decision.We arecertain you could easily run a pack.Dimitri tightened his arms around Skyler, feeling her joy.She needed joyful moments like thisone and he knew it.She d gone through far too much in a short period of time.She hadn t wavered fora moment in her determination, but still, the last few risings had been extremely difficult on both bodyand mind.The tremendous gift of the wolf pups had come at the most opportune time. Thank you both again, Dimitri said sincerely. You found the perfect gift for the two of us andwe re grateful.The moment we re healthy, we ll come to you. Just send word, Ivory said, with another quick glance toward Razvan, as if she in some waymight offend him.Her privacy was legendary.Few, if any, knew the way to her home and clearly,even with them, she wanted to keep it that way.Dimitri couldn t blame her.She d been betrayed and chopped into pieces, and scattered across ameadow in the hopes the wolves would devour her
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