Sarika had the knowledge, but she didn’t have a clue what to do with it. Solange would be mortified if those in the room knew her secrets. She didn’t have a clue that her female jaguar was working against her. Dominic didn’t know, either. They both put her rising stress down to her reluctance to show her feminine side to the world.
Sarika’s hand crept up to encompass the amulet. It was warm, growing hotter. She covered it with her palm, certain it wouldn’t be welcomed without explanation, and she didn’t have one to give them. She didn’t understand anything that was happening. She could ask Tomas to take her back to the tree house, pleading that she felt unwell, or she could risk everything and try to aid Solange.
What’s wrong,sivamet?Tomas’ voice was a soothing balm in the middle of what she knew was a terrible crisis.
She had a decision to make. Could she trust him with her secrets? With Solange’s? Would he know what to do? This was the man she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with. Either he was the right man, or he wasn’t.
It is important that the others don’t know what we are discussing. And I need your word that you won’t expose Solange to the others.
Tomas was silent, his arm stealing around her shoulders, his hand urging her closer to him. She knew he was carefully deliberating.I may have to share with Dominic anything you tell me about his lifemate. He has her best interests at heart. He sees to her health, her protection and her state of mind. I cannot promise you, if you tell me something that is harming his woman, that I will not share the information with him because my code of honor demands that I must.
He may throw us out,she cautioned.
Tomas simply waited. He didn’t urge her to tell him or demand it. He didn’t look into her head to see her concerns. He simply waited for her to make up her own mind. She wanted to throw her arms around him and hug him close. It felt to her as if he “got” her. That her wishes counted for something.
I don’t know how, but sometimes I can feel other people’s emotions. I could feel your brothers and Luiz, but with women, especially shifters, it is far stronger. She’s going to lose her baby. Her jaguar is inadvertently working against her. It’s part of the reason she’s so stressed.
Wouldn’t her lifemate know?
I don’t know much about that, Tomas. I don’t even know how I know,only that there is something in me that sees it. I can fix it, I think, but I’ve never done such a thing to my knowledge, and it is terrifying to think I could be wrong. What should I do? Solange would never be able to handle the others knowing her business, especially something that makes her feel less. Or makes her feel vulnerable.
A part of her wanted him to tell her they would leave and go back to the tree house. If they remained, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from attempting to aid Solange. She finally understood why Tomas felt he had to slip into her mind and do the blood exchange the first time without her knowledge. The compulsion in her to help Solange and the unborn child was extremely strong, and truthfully, she didn’t have a clue what she was doing. She didn’t know if that place of healing came from somewhere good or bad. She only knew that if she stayed in the room with Solange, she would eventually give in to the need building so strongly inside her.
Let me reach out to Dominic and figure out a way to handle this without involving anyone else. He may want to look at your memories, Sarika. Before I allowed anyone near you, I would insist the same.
That had been one of her biggest fears.I don’t look at those memories. They’re tied in with my nightmares. I have no idea what he would find, and I’m uncomfortable with him being inside my head.
Even if I am with him?
She didn’t know how to answer that. She barely knew Tomas. She knew he was a good man, but she’d only been with him in person a short time. He was asking for an entire level of trust she wasn’t certain she could give.
This is such a mess. I want to run away from it, Tomas. How cowardly is that?
You are no coward. Let me reach out to Dominic.
Sarika glanced up at the man in question. His gaze was fixed on her and Tomas. He already knew something was up. If she didn’t make up her mind soon, everyone in the room would know. Her distress level had risen to such heights that it was impossible to contain it. Shenodded her head to give consent, but that freaked her out even more. Whatever was inside her, demanding she aid Solange, felt like a volcano bubbling with an ominous pool of magma ready to explode any moment.
Dominic smiled at the men in the room, his features totally relaxed, as if Tomas hadn’t just shared what could be scary news. “Gentlemen, Jubal, Jasmine and Sandrine are on their way. If you would do me the favor of guarding the surrounding forest so they can safely reach their destination, I would appreciate it. It will also spare you the indignity of listening to the endless discussion on party favors.”
That brought Lojos and Luiz instantly to their feet. Mataias glanced at Tomas.Will you need one of us with you?
Sarika should be fine,ekäm.
Mataias nodded, and the three men left the great room. Dominic waited until the ancient Carpathians had left the cave altogether before he seated Solange in the chair across from Tomas and Sarika. He took the chair beside his lifemate. Sarika knew Tomas thought it was significant that Dominic hadn’t chosen the other double chair, nor was he holding Solange’s hand.
Why is that putting you on alert, Tomas?
He is in a good fighting position, and I am not.
Do you need to be?
She had started this. Now she was uncertain what to say or do. She didn’t want the ancients to fight. She looked Dominic directly in the eye. “I don’t want you and Tomas to be at odds over something I can’t help and am uncertain of. I want to help Solange, but I’m not even certain I know how. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything and let nature take its course, but the feeling is so strong, I couldn’t help it. I had to tell Tomas, and he thought it best to tell you. But really, if you are more comfortable with us leaving, I’ll do so without continuing this conversation.”
“How do you think you can help me?” Solange asked, curiositymore than anything else in her tone. “What do you think I need help with?”
“I have nightmares, Solange, terrible, horrific nightmares of human sacrifices, boys and girls, men and women. The nightmares have increased over the last few years, and sometimes I hear chanting.” She reached for Tomas’ hand, needing comfort, uncaring that it would put him in a position of having even less of an advantage with Dominic. “I’ve come to believe these nightmares depict real events that happened centuries ago. I was there. I don’t know how, but I was there.”
Solange didn’t make fun of her. She simply nodded. “I have heard of such things.”
