I have been a fan of Feehan's 'Dark' series since the first book although some of them have been a little formulaic. This book is different. The heroine, Destiny, is a strong psychic; converted as a child and abused by the vampire who converted her. Nicholae, an ancient Carpathian, separated from his people except for his brother, reaches out to the hurt child & teaches her to survive and kill her tormentor. He tracks her for years as she is his only emotional link. When finally they meet she is unwilling to accept the limitations of a lifemate - used to killing vampires alone. Their struggle for control of the relationship is great entertainment and this, with good side characters, and a new danger as the vampires begin to unite & organise, makes for a good read.