Ferro repeated what Elisabeta’s response was verbatim. “I wish I could give you her exact inflection because she has a way of speaking that makes you understand exactly what she means. Hopefully she will become comfortable enough that she will be able to talk to you.”
“Do you know why she is afraid of us?” Joie asked.
Ferro nodded and kept his voice matter-of-fact, no accusation, although he wanted to let them both know that they had added to Elisabeta’s fears. “You both made your intentions very clear when you arrived. You did not like the fact that I am her lifemate and you made that known. She fears that you will try to force her as the vampire did and attempt to separate us. I have assured her that I would fight to the death for her, but she has lived in terror for so many centuries that she cannot conceive of another way of life. She wakes every rising with such fear I must coax her from the ground. She is extremely courageous and comes to me when I call to her, but her new fears have only added another layer of terror for me to wade through.”
Traian frowned and leaned toward his sister. “I want only to know that you are safe and happy, Elisabeta. That is all that matters to me. I want to be in your life, of course, but your safety and happiness come before all else. After centuries of not knowing what happened to you and fearing the worst and then knowing it was even worse than I ever imagined your fate could be, I want only to protect you. Wrapping you up in a cocoon is not what you need, and that is what I would want to do. I see your lifemate appears to know what you need, as lifemates are prone to do.” He said the last reluctantly.
He pressed his fingers to his forehead as if his head hurt. “I wish you could talk to me. I need to hear your voice. I need to be reassured that it is your will that you stay here and not someone forcing you. I don’t mean to sound insulting, I just have for so long been searching for you, and giving you up without knowing . . .” He trailed off.
Merged as he was with Elisabeta, Ferro felt her shivering but gathering her courage, determined that she would speak to this man she couldn’t find in her memories because each time she reached for him, pain flashed through her, causing some kind of near seizure in her brain. Sergey’s work, which Ferro tried to repair, was a scar on her brain that was centuries old and difficult to remove. He flicked a quick glance at the healer. Gary nodded once, indicating he had felt Elisabeta flinching away from her past memories.
“It is difficult for me to speak,” Elisabeta said, her voice so low it was a mere thread of sound, although soothing and soft, spreading through the room in that peaceful way she had.
Still, Ferro caught the underlying notes of distress. He was certain anyone paying close attention would hear them as well.
“Ferro is my choice. He stands for me when I cannot do so myself, no matter what I ask of him, even if it is abhorrent to him, even if it makes him look bad to others. He does it for me. I do not want to be with any other. I would like to get to know you, but in truth, when I try to remember . . .”
Ferro slid his hand gently over her face, feeling the tears in her mind, feeling the dampness on her lashes. “The vampire has made it impossible for her to recall her past without pain. The healer and I have not been able to address this adequately but will attempt again on the next rising. That particular scar is deep and may not be removed entirely. We have been taking things as slow as possible, giving Elisabeta as much time as she needs to learn the steps of survival. Simple things we take for granted, such as regarding the space around us without looking through the bars of a cage. She has to learn the things Carpathian children learn as toddlers. She is very determined, and if you are patient with her, she will be very happy to establish a relationship with her family.”
Traian reached for Joie’s hand. “I would welcome that opportunity no matter how long it takes.” He glanced at Tariq. “Is there a place for us here?”
“Of course. We have several guest homes.” Tariq stood. “Ferro, thank you both for allowing us to visit with you.”
Ferro inclined his head and waited for them all to leave so he could once more be alone with his lifemate. “I am very proud of you, Elisabeta. You handled the entire night far better than anyone could expect from you.”
“I am tired.” She laid her head back against his chest and closed her eyes, exhausted, both mentally and physically.
Ferro didn’t need to be told twice. He took her to the sleeping chamber far beneath their home and opened it, floating them both into the rich healing soil.
