A/N - Here it is, the last chapter. In case you don't know, make certain you read the one I uploaded earlier this week, first.

The sun was beginning its descent as a slightly exhausted Lena walked back to the guest house. Derek was still with her in wolf form, happily trotting next to her. She smiled over at him and said, "Thank you for keeping me company today."

When they got to the guesthouse, she felt the need to pause, kneel and to tell him what she had been wanting to say since he had gotten hurt. "Before you go, I just wanted to tell you-" she hesitated slightly, words stuck in her throat. But she shoved out the words she was feeling compelled to speak, "You joke all of the time. I know that under all of the jokes, you're sensitive. I'm like that, too. I joke around a lot, but I feel so many things." She looked away from him, then. "You're loyal to your friends and your family and I want to thank you for always being there for all of us… and for me."

Anytime, my sister from another mister…

She startled happily and looked back at him. He had either given her one word answers or nothing but picture thoughts the entire day. What he had just conveyed mentally was the longest, most complicated sentence he'd thought at her all day. She giggled and rubbed him just under the neck. "Yeah, you're definitely my brother from another mother…"

The door opened then and Armand was standing there, smiling. "I see our wolf is in good shape." Wolf Derek eagerly looked up at Armand. The Carpathian couldn't help but to smile down at him. "I thank you for keeping my Lena company, this day."

Derek walked over to Armand and in a very masculine gesture, butted his leg. The Carpathian laughed, kneeled down, and rubbed at the wolf's thick coat. The wolf lightly licked Armand's hand once and then took off running, howling into the air to let the pack know he was on his way back to them.

Since Lena hadn't expected to see Armand, she eagerly threw her arms around him. "When did you get here?"

He caught her close to him as his eyes melted into hers. "I just arrived. I went into the house to wait, but I felt I had to come out and greet you when I heard your approach."

"I missed you," she admitted as she looked up into his welcoming brown eyes.

"And I, you," he said as his eyes grew borderline hot.

"But Derek… He's in good shape, you said? Is he injured, still? Can you tell?" she asked worriedly as she looked back in the direction the wolf had just gone in. "I asked him earlier in the day if he was still hurt, but he kept deflecting onto something else and wouldn't answer." She looked back up to Armand then for his answer.

"When a wolf is injured, they tend to remain in wolf form for a longer time to accelerate their healing. I suspect at this time with your Derek, the injury that remains is solely to his psyche. What happened to him was traumatic. I am certain Ragnar and Gregori healed him as much as possible, but time must pass for full healing. I do suspect, though, that he will return to human form soon enough," he nodded as he leaned back against the wall a little and held her about the waist.

"How do you know? I mean, that he's almost ready to come back to human form again?"

He did not want to tell her that he had heard the sentiments spoken between Derek and Lena, mind to mind. The loyalty of Derek toward her had already been known, but being in direct contact with Lena's mind, he was able to feel their emotions for one another firsthand. They honestly held deeply platonic feelings for one another. But he did not mention this to her. He instead fell back on generic information, "Because he kept you company for the day. They usually shy away from humans while healing, but when they feel compelled to seek out human company again, friends or relatives, they will return to the world of humans soon."

She nodded, sighed as she looked down. "I see," she said, relief starting to flood her system.

"Come inside. I made you something to eat. I sense you have exhausted yourself in the wild with the wolf all of today. What did you two do?"

"Ran together… He insisted I go and climb some trees, so I did… we, um, pretended I was a wild Elf ranger with a Wolf Familiar…" she said shyly with half a shrug knowing he was going to laugh at her last answer.

He did find himself laughing at her last answer as he led her inside. "Wild Elf of Forgotten Realms, you will now eat please and then rest."

"Whatchu' know about that?" she asked excitedly as she entered the guest house with him.

But she had her own plans about what was going to happen next.

C

After eating the meal he had put together for her, a light vegetable soup with a grilled cheese on the side, Lena took a quick nap at Armand's insistence. She awoke after less than an hour, though, still invigorated from her day of running about the woods. She could tell Armand was not far away, had most likely gone to feed somewhere, so she went and took a shower for the time being.

When she sensed Armand returning to her, Lena turned off the shower water. After stepping out of the tub and toweling off, she wrapped the towel around herself and opened the bathroom door. Entering the bedroom chamber herself, she caught Armand only just walking into the bedroom, as well.

"You are already up, my Lena?" he asked, confused, as he walked toward her. He was going to make her get back into bed, so his chastising words immediately began while his finger was pointing at her, "You were supposed to sleep until-"

Not caring, she was climbing up onto the bed on her knees, her hands pulling at his shirt collar. She was pulling him straight into her space, her full lips on his.

Armand felt a small thrill of shock and satisfaction at the unexpected contact. Though he was trying to keep things light between them for the time being, his lips were devouring hers in a return kiss that he felt unable to avoid. The taste of her after so long—

He found himself deepening the kiss, his arms pulling her in close to his body. They were both breathing heavier by then as she pulled slightly away from him, quickly took off and threw the towel away from her undressed body.

He tried to protest how quickly things were going, but he was terribly aroused. Intent on holding off, he tried to say, "Damita, no… No debemos hace-"

Her mouth was on his again, silencing his words as she kissed him eagerly and pulled him down with her. Their bodies found the bed beneath them and Armand felt himself contacting every plane of her unclothed soft skin. Most certainly almost to the point of no return, the taste of her permeated his mind and senses causing an involuntary groan, that almost turned into a growl, to emanate from his chest.

That sound did her in. Lena had certainly meant to start things with him in an almost 'get it over with' gesture. But she had not expected this to feel so good! Pulling him in even closer, her unclothed hips were starting to grind against his still dressed body and that felt even better than she thought it would.

Armand's tongue began mercilessly invading her mouth. "We should not do this so soon," he was whispering in a last attempt at stopping, but his mouth betrayed his words and returned to eagerly exploring hers. Their lips and tongues tasted eagerly of one another. The blood in his body was rushing to one critical place as he felt her arms and legs closing around him so invitingly as she pulled him into her even closer. He found himself lightly biting her lip and suckling it into his mouth.

A hot, sweet feeling was starting to drag them both under into a mutual haze of mindless instinct. The heated kissing went on for some time when a moan filled with want escaped her as Armand's lips slowly found their way down her neck.

He was able to pull back one last time. "Lena?" he asked as he looked down into her eyes. "You are…" There was a hesitation in his eyes, still, even fully aroused. But he had remained clothed so he was able to ask, "You are sure about this? We can wai-"

"Do it," she whispered, her body on fire. "Say the words and then convert me, take-"

He insisted passionately, "I will not convert you. Soon, but not today. I can no longer deny tying you to me, though," he admitted as his face rubbed against hers softly.

"Gregori has commanded it," she teased as her hands moved up into his thick, dark hair.

Jealousy, unbidden, filled him. "Do not say the name of another to me while we are entwined, thus!" he declared as his hands fisted in her hair.

She felt a spike of something along the lines of fear mixed with intense desire, but she still laughed at his reaction.

"But I agree," he conceded, "there is something more I think we need from one another," he said as his mouth began to devour hers again. He finally willed his clothing away and their bodies merged as their minds came together.

The words came spilling involuntarily from his mind into hers:

I claim you as my life mate. I belong to you. I offer my life for you. I give to you my protection, my allegiance, my heart, my soul, and my body. I take into my keeping the same that is yours. Your life, happiness, and welfare will be cherished and placed above my own for all time. You are my life mate, bound to me for all eternity and always in my care.

CCCCC

Later:

"Whoa," she said as she sat in the semi-dark room, dazed. The back of her was nestled into Armand's front.

He smiled as the afterglow of happiness infused them both. "That is all you have to say, my Lena?" he asked as his hand caressed her skin.

"No, that's not all," she said as she turned over on her side and looked up at him.

"What else do you have to say?" he asked as his fingers began to trail the features of her face lovingly.

She found herself not believing her next words. "Can we do it again?"

His eyes widened in disbelief, but already he was pulling her in close. "Of course."

CCCCC

Not a word was spoken about what might (or might not have) happened when the two went back to Danica and Andriev's. But the house was busy.

Laborers had arrived earlier that day to begin the initial measurements to add onto the house for Lena and Armand. They had left some materials in the yard at the end of their workday. Online shopping was being done for the children they had just taken in as well as for the baby on the way. Danica made Lena promise to go wedding dress shopping and she had eagerly agreed that that was definitely going to happen after her aunt had the baby.

But there was one last bit of business to attend to before Armand's brother and cousins arrived.

"Lena?" asked Andriev. "There was something I was supposed to see, you said?"

"Yes," she said, eagerly.

"What is it?" asked Danica.

"There's piece of a memory that keeps bothering me and for some reason I'm getting the feeling Andriev in particular is supposed to look at it," said Lena.

Armand asked, "Is it from-"

"Yes," she said. She still did not like thinking about those days, but this was bothering her.

"Let's do it now," said Andriev.

They sat down in the living room. "MaryAnn's not here to help me focus," she said as she swallowed. "But I'm going to try really hard, okay?"

"Just do your best," said Danica.

Andriev sat directly in front of Lena and they both closed their eyes. Armand sat behind her, as he always did anytime they touched any memories from that period of time.

Lena breathed deeply and forced herself to go back into the past to that day she'd first arrived at the foster home…

Lena looked out of the window of the room and saw the two girls out in the back yard that day, sitting in the shade of a tree. All she could do was stand and stare.

No… Too soon… She fast forwarded…

…the thoughts would begin. Maybe there had been some mistake at the hospital? Maybe they were not dead? Maybe they had mixed them up with some other couple?

No… Further on… She pushed forward to the next sequence of events. As they began to play out in her head… This was the memory plaguing her for some reason, asking for Andriev's attention, this was IT!

Jean waited until Luci was sleeping that night to scoot over and whisper at Lena, "Their son… watch out for him."

Lena asked, "Who? Watch how?"

Jean shook her head, looking around to make certain no one overheard. "Just don't… don't be alone with him ever, okay?"

"Who?"

"They have a son. He comes here on the weekends. Just don't ever be alone with him, okay?" The older teenager looked worried as she pressed Lena with her eyes to just answer already.

Andriev gasped. His sheer elation had knocked him right out of Lena's memory at that point. "Did you see that?!" He asked her with barely contained excitement.

"No, I don't know what you're talking about," said Lena, confused as she shook her head.

He calmed himself down. "This time, slow the memory down and then look at her eyes from my point of view. Look at her eyes! Do it again!"

Lena sighed, closed her eyes and went back into the memory. At the moment in the memory—

"They have a son. He comes here on the weekends. Just don't ever be alone with him, okay?" The older teenager looked worried as she pressed Lena with her eyes to just answer already.

Lena looked at the memory from her mind, slowed it down, but then switched at that moment from her point of view and fed directly into Andriev's vantage point. She screamed as she now saw what it was he had seen. Reflected in Jean's eyes was Simon's face!

The two of them came out of her memories. While Andriev stood there in shock at what had just taken place, Lena was practically racing around the living room in excitement, wanting to scream but unable to get any words out.

"What, what?!" asked Danica.

"I think Jean Renault is Simon's life mate!" Lena was finally able to shout.

a/n- Thank you all so much for coming along on this ride. I'm hoping some time next year to delve back into the Carpathian world. For now, I'll be running back into Star Trek for a while!