This will devastate her,the jaguar said.She might view this as a betrayal of her.
Would she? You know her better than anyone. What is going to be her honest reaction?
The jaguar sighed.She will place the blame squarely on her shoulders. She wouldn’t ever consider that I might have acted out of jealousy. I didn’t consider it.
The stress is threatening the life of the baby,Sarika said gently.Solange will be a mother. You will be as well. It would be wonderful if Dominic and Solange could count on your wisdom in raising their daughter and helping to raise her jaguar as a strong yet loving warrior just as you did Solange.
Visibly agitated, the jaguar leapt to her feet. Across the room, Solange gasped and reached out to Dominic. Tomas felt the moment when the cat reached for Solange. To give her waves of reassurance. To apologize and ask for forgiveness.
I thank you,the jaguar stated as Sarika withdrew.
Her hands were shaking as she slowly released the amulet. Tomas didn’t care that they had an audience. At that moment, Solange and Dominic were occupied with their own drama, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Tomas gathered Sarika into his arms and transferred her to his lap.
Let me take care of you.
He framed her face with his palms, fingertips pressing into her temple as he sent warmth and healing light into her to ease the pounding there. It took a few moments to remove the offending pain.
She leaned into him, so exhausted she didn’t bother to respond with words. She just allowed him to take charge. Her lashes drifted down, and he feared she might actually fall asleep.
You need blood, Sarika. I know it isn’t your favorite thing, but it willrevive you enough to get you back to the tree house, where you can get some rest.
A small smile curved her mouth. “Can’t you feel the energy rushing toward us? There isn’t going to be any reprieve for the next couple of hours, Tomas.”
She didn’t raise her head or open her eyes. She just looked amused.
Tomas hadn’t missed the incredible surge of joyous energy that seemed to crash through the forest, coming at them from three different sources. A male, much more somber than the female and child he traveled with, but happy and grateful nevertheless. That had to be Jubal. Tomas had met him on occasion and liked the man. He was a male jaguar shifter. He had two sisters, and both were lifemates to Carpathian males.
He knew Jasmine’s energy. They all did. She had suffered greatly at the hands of the male shifters, and there were some obsessed with her. She was Solange’s younger cousin and much loved by everyone. She was excited to see Sarika again. There were few things that made Jasmine feel young and happy, so it was good to feel her emotions of joy being broadcast so loudly. Just because his woman felt those things, Jubal was grateful. No Carpathian could miss the way Jubal loved and protected his wife.
And then there was Sandrine. She was the wildest, most expressive child Tomas had ever come across. Her aunts and uncles encouraged her to think for herself and solve as many problems as possible herself. She was intelligent and had a sense of humor. She’d been shy and reserved when Tomas had first noticed her years earlier. She was a product of rape, and it would stand to reason that her mother and cousins might not want her, but it was just the opposite. They treated her like royalty, lavishing love on her. That had brought her out of her shell in a big way.
“You had better hurry with the despicable blood thing. I don’t want to know you’re giving it to me. Just please do it before they come in.”
“The safeguards are down,” Dominic confirmed. “Sandrine will come running in and throw herself at Solange. Or possibly Sarika. I’m certain Jasmine has told her entire family how heroic you were, Sarika. There will be no getting away from the accolades they will shower on you. I won’t be able to save you, and neither will Tomas.”
Tomas noted he sounded cheerful about the entire business, probably because there were new targets for the child and the women in the family to annoy.
Sarika laughed softly. “Annoy? We annoy you?”
“You, in particular, annoy me.” Tomas tried to sound gruff. “You are looking forward to seeing that wild child when you should be resting.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to pass up the opportunity to annoy you by refusing to bow down to your authority.”
He was grateful he could share her amusement. That was new to him. The feeling washed over and into him, soaking into every cell in his body the way rich blood did.
“I have the feeling you don’t acknowledge too many authority figures.”
She tilted her chin at him. “According to my uncle, I don’t.” Her smile faded. “Tomas, I hope you know I’m only teasing you. Thank you for doing your best to give me choices. I feel the conflict warring inside you, and I know your brothers and Luiz have a very different point of view on how you should handle things with me, but seriously, I’m so grateful to you. I feel like you see me. That what I think and feel matters to you. So thank you.”
“We’ll find our way,” Tomas reassured. “I’ll do my best, when we have more time alone, to explain what is happening and why we are so pressed for time.”
“Hurry with the blood thing. I’m so tired, and that darling child is coming closer every second we wait.”
He knew she wouldn’t want the others to observe her taking blood from him. She still had an aversion to it, and he didn’t blame her. It wasn’t like it was natural in her society. Not in human or shifter.
Tomas didn’t wait. He curled her closer into him, shielding both from everyone’s eyes, and opened a line on his chest with one lengthening fingernail. She didn’t fight him at all when he pushed her to go under. That meant quite a bit to him. Her level of trust in him was growing. They would need that in the coming weeks as they hunted for the demon Carpathian who was plotting to destroy the Carpathian people.
He gave her as much blood as he dared. Had they been alone, he would have made certain he took enough back for a true exchange, but that wasn’t for when she would be under the scrutiny of several shifters and eventually other Carpathians. He knew what was coming. Luiz had filled him in on the ridiculous party that was being planned.
