Tomas supposed that was what it was like when two species got together and tried to combine customs. He’d never seen the need for showers and bathtubs until he saw what pleasure that deep sunken tub gave Sarika. He decided bathtubs were in their future. He liked the idea of washing her hair and lavishing attention on her, adding to the ritual of her bath.
There were other things she enjoyed that he would try to incorporate, just as Dominic so obviously did for Solange. His brothers were going to give him hell, but they might as well learn if they were going to be with a woman. The notion of cavemen wasn’t as correct as people believed. Those women weren’t pushovers. Many hunted and fished right alongside their mates.
He closed the wound in his chest. After ensuring there was no evidence that she had taken blood, he woke her.
Chapter
15
Sandrine burst into the room, arms outstretched, a smile of pure joy on her face as she raced across the room straight to Solange. She looked like a little tornado dressed in pink tulle, her dark hair a riot of curls. Someone had attempted to tame the mass by putting in bows, but the ribbons hung in streamers, adding to the effect of a little pixie come to vibrant life.
At the last moment, as Solange braced to be bowled over by the little dynamo, Dominic stepped in, swooped her up and spun her around, laughing as he made the interception.
“Ha, little one, I caught you.”
Sarika could see that Sandrine was older than she’d first thought. She was very small, but she was more like six or seven than four or five, which was the age Sarika had originally thought her to be.
It is entirely possible Jubal and Jasmine keep her looking younger when they take her out in the forest to train her jaguar. They don’t want the male shifters fixating on her,Tomas informed her.
They seemed more fixated on Jasmine. And that’s just gross that they look at female children as potential breeders.Sarika was indignant as well as disgusted.What is wrong with the males? How did they get the way they are?
She watched the interaction between Dominic, Solange andSandrine. The child hugged both and chattered about how she raced Jubal and her mom andbeatthem, she was so fast. Her laughter had a magic to it, lightening Sarika’s heart. She had been feeling so lost and sad. Just having the child in the room changed everything.
Not all of them have been affected, but the high mage began to work against the jaguars, with the intention of destroying them. From your memories, the high mage wasn’t the only one. I believe he made a deal with the underworld to aid him in his plan to destroy all other species. It was found, after centuries, that he was a triplet, and the other two conspired with him,Tomas explained.
The child turned in Solange’s arms and immediately went still when she noticed Sarika and Tomas for the first time. She looked up at Solange. “I didn’t see everything like you taught me. My jaguar didn’t, either. That’s a bad mistake.”
“You weren’t feeling a threat. You’re in a safe place, and the people visiting us are friends. Your jaguar would have felt a threat and warned you,” Solange stated gently. “But it is always good, when you enter any house, even your own, to take a moment to ensure you are completely safe. That will come with time, Sandrine.”
Sarika smiled at the child, her heart hurting for her. She shouldn’t have to worry about her safety every moment of her existence. She should be able to play and laugh and learn in a loving, safe environment. Sarika’s childhood had been happy. She might have been alone quite a lot of the time, but she loved her life. She felt free and was encouraged to make decisions and solve problems for herself, but she always knew she had that safety net of her adoptive parents who loved her. They were never harsh. At no time did she feel threatened by outside sources the way Sandrine was.
This is why your father sent you to his brother,Tomas reminded.
She had been resentful of that. Resentful that her father had kept her brother with him but had sent her away. There was no contact with him or her brother after that. She’d asked her uncle and aunt numerous times, and the answer had always been the same. Now she knew why.Her father had wanted her protected from what was happening to her people. Solange, with her scars and warrior’s demeanor, had grown up in an environment that was virtually a war zone. Sandrine was, perhaps, a little safer, but she still had to be taught to be alert.
She wiped a hand down her face, trying to clear her thoughts. Would she want to bring a child into this environment? She understood Solange’s concerns. She didn’t want any part of the male jaguars, but after talking to Solange’s jaguar, she worried for her own if she went through the conversion. She knew as far as Tomas was concerned, there was noif. What if she lost that inner well of healing that aided other jaguars? There were so many unanswered questions. So many concerns.
You’re tired,sivamet. This was supposed to be a happy time for you. It has turned into something else. Jubal and Jasmine are entering now. As soon as we can leave without being rude, we’ll do so. Once you’ve had time to rest, we can discuss your concerns.
That was so Tomas. He felt safe. He felt steady. He felt like a rock one could always count on. Yet when she thought about it, he was the source of her current problems.
Tomas’ palm circled the nape of her neck, his fingers doing a slow massage to ease the tension from her as first Jubal and then Jasmine walked into the room at a much more sedate pace than their child.
The moment Jubal entered, Sarika recognized the jaguar in him, the bloodline, and her jaguar reacted as if they were old friends. She’d never met him. She was wary of male jaguars. But still…
He is so familiar to me, but I have never met him. My blood calls to his.She couldn’t help but notice that the moment he entered, Jubal’s gaze jumped to her. Not Tomas, the clear threat in the room, but her.
Jubal knows me, Sarika. He knows I am no threat to his family. Is it possible one of the women from your past was from the same bloodline? There were three of you. There is Solange’s lineage, yours and Jubal’s. Three distinct lines of royal blood. When you and the other two women worked in the temple, each of you had the same extraordinary gift.
Sarika hadn’t considered that. She didn’t ever look at those memories. They were too painful. She had never acknowledged that they were memories, not nightmares. Not until now.
Tomas stood to greet Jubal. Both hands gripped Jubal’s forearms.“Én jutta félet és ekämet.”
What does that mean?Sarika asked.
I greet a friend and brother,Tomas interpreted.
Jubal replied in kind, using the Carpathian language. Sarika realized he was comfortable around Carpathians, and he’d learned their language. That meant he was accepted by them. They were a secretive race, yet Jubal was included in their trusted circle.
