Dark Prince by Christine Feehan

My Rating: 5 stars Dark Series #1 Copyright: 1999 Pages: 308 Call me old fashioned, call me a sucker, call me a soft touch, I just loved this paranormal love story and I fell in love (& lust) with the Carpathian males. Mikhail Dubrinsky, Prince of the Carpathians, impossibly arrogant but tempered with a vulnerability that had me emotionally invested in his story. Raven Whitney, human, gifted telepath and emotionally & physically depleted from tracking the twisted mental paths of serial killers. Raven has escaped to the Carpathian mountains to heal, unaware her life is about to change forever - she is Mikhail's lifemate, she just doesn't know it yet. Carpathians are an ancient race, gifted with immense strength, heightened senses, longevity, & they have the ability to shapeshift, control the minds of humans & command the earth & weather. They also use gifts from the earth to heal themselves. Whilst they need to feed on human blood for their strength and powers, a true Carpathian would never harm a human by doing so. Carpathian males must find their one true lifemate or darkness seeps into their soul, slowly consuming them. Without feminine light to offset their darkness, males eventually choose to meet the dawn or embrace the darkness & turn vampire. "We have to find our one mate, our other half, the light to our darkness. You are my light, Raven, my very life."

"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."

Waiting for the next installment in the Dark Series to arrive is a bit like waiting for Santa as a child ~ I'm definitely looking forward to reading more about the Carpathian males, particularly Jacques & Gregori.