A lifemate is a person who is romantically and sexually drawn to a Carpathian. There is only one true lifemate for each Carpathian and a true lifemate is recognized by the restoration of emotions and color in a male Carpathian. Males are fiercely and jealously protective of their females and mates even more so. True lifemates find it difficult to be apart from each other and a total severing of contact—mental and physical—between true lifemates usually ends in suicide. It is very rare when one partner decides to live on without the other.