Dark Presence (Book 2 of Strider series)

Chapter 9: New bond

9

“Can he really save her?” Methari asked his lifemate soon after Eristros went inside Viviana while Egros and the other healer continue to regenerate her heart and close her wound faster. They need her completely heal to save her.

“Believe in him, love. If he is her lifemate, than he’s the only one who can reach her. You have to believe.” Eklos don’t have any hesitation other than believe in Eristros.

“Believe is a powerful instinct.” Klein continued while wiping her tears. “It’s the only thing that kept me going when I was torture by Aklas.”

“I trust he can save her. My lifemate almost loss to me and no other Carpathian can reach her, but I can.” Dmiri continued and tug Skyler under his shoulder, smiling at her lovingly.

“True enough. The power of bond between lifemate is beyond our expectation. Did Eristros bind her to him?” Milael agreed and asked them.

“He tried once but it didn’t work.” Verimir told them. The news shocked them.

“Then how can you believe she is his other half and he can save her?” Jack asked with a frown.

“We don’t know until we try.” Eklos shrugged. They all gape at her intuition.

Methari shake his head. He explained to them. “Eristros come to our land because his instinct forced him. But when he met Viviana, everything change. His darkness resided and he begins to get more interested in her, loving her in process. But he fears that his feeling was just a deceiver so he kept it to himself until one day he told her of it. Viviana at the same time has also kept her feeling and let it out to him later after his. That was when they tried the binding words but it fail.”

“According to Eklos conclusion, the bind might not be working because Eristros was still a half-Vampire and not fully Carpathian. The binding words usually work when the male was fully one. Could this be true, Milael?” Saron continued and asked Milael for confirmation.

Milael thought for a moment. “Yes, it does. I never heard a Vampire can bind his lifemate to him with the sacred words unless he was Carpathian first and bind her to him before he turns. Which mean that Eristros would be a possible lifemate for Viviana.”

“Then, we just have to wait if it is true that he can save her or not.” Jack turns his head to Eristros and Viviana, in time to see Eristros stir.

“I got her.” His words surprise them. His face was sweating with red tear.

“Good work, Eristros. Hold her to you until we finish healing her.” Ivory, one of the healers put her hand on his shoulder.

“Please hurry. Her light going off.” He was puffing heavily when he said it, a note he was straining his strength than letting her life force gone from his body.

“Here, Eristros. You need replenishment to keep your strength going.” Methari hold his wrist to Eristros mouth.

“Thank you.” Eristros was grateful and bite the wrist. The ancient blood was powerful and bewildered him. While feeding, he kept Viviana life force in check.

“Done.” Egros told them while his body slump but Milael steady him and give his blood for Egros to keep his strength going. The other healer also got help from their lifemate and friends.

“We need to change her now. It is the perfect time to do this.” Eklos told them and bite her wrist. She put it above Viviana mouth. “Methari, help Eristros moving her life force back to her body.” She ordered her lifemate.

Methari obey and after turning into a light, he went inside Viviana body. With his help, Eristros release slowly her life force back to her body, then covering her with their light to keep her shine. Metro and Klein with their lifemate also moved inside her, keeping her new heart beating slowly and her blood flow moving through her body. Eklos force Viviana to drink her blood and change it with her birth father, Ravan, so they could give enough blood that would change Viviana into a fully Carpathian like them.

Eristros gasped at the same time Viviana mouth open to intake a deep air like him. Both grunt when they felt something somersault their entire inner body. Eristros knew she was changing and he was connected to her even when he didn’t utter the binding word for the second time. But he felt her light inside him and finally realise that she was his true lifemate after all. Their soul was connected as one which the question was how. He did tell her the sacred words before. Could it be that their soul already bind but they couldn’t feel it because he still have few Vampire blood left inside him? He didn’t know the answer but he was glad that she was his. He holds her hands and whisper to her mind, forming a new bond with the sacred words again.

Soul of life that bind the two, 

Make one perfect like was foretold. 

Your my lifemate, always in my care, 

Dare nothing to anyone who shares. 

Body and mind claim as one,

No more depart in the lifetime.

Heart us belong to one another,

Nothing apart would break as together.

Losing one end in calamity,

Together forever was an eternity.

You’re my lifemate always in my care, nothing will ever break us together. Anymore. He didn’t realise he used the Carpathian link when he said it and because of that everyone felt a burst of light through their inside, felt the forming of a two soul binding as one, and a two piece of puzzle match together as one. It was an amazing feeling they never felt before when the words was utter to their own lifemate. Eristros and Viviana united soul sparkle brightly in their mind and body. When they sense he’s struggle to keep Viviana pain to himself, they pour their strength to him. Eristros sent a silent thank you to them.

When the forth wave of pain finish, Eklos told them that he can finally force her to sleep; lung and heart stop like being dead but never to their species. They would live when they make their organ function again and they can control it. Eklos thought Eristros would do the honour to do it since Viviana was his lifemate and she from now on would always be in his care. Eristros did what Eklos told him and sleep with her by her side, underground, inside the healing chamber. He didn’t go to sleep yet. He wanted to watch her. He never thought he could save her and was glad that the critical moment was passed. And by the next few eve, she would awaken fully Carpathian and as his new lifemate. Eklos told him to let her rest for few more nights. He would do so.

Eristros hugged Viviana close to him, feeling her cold body but he knows she was resting and recovering. Silent tears slid to his cheek. He won’t want to feel that loss feeling again when he felt her gone from him. He promised that he would take better care of her next time.