Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 118860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
She stopped moving and turned to face him. He sounded as if he was being honest, but she would have remembered him. No one would forget meeting Tomas or his brothers.
“How?”
He smiled down at her, that same brief, genuine smile that curled her toes and sent heat rushing through her veins.
“I am T. Smolnycki Jr. You wrote to me for many years.”
Her breath caught in her throat. T. Smolnycki felt like an old friend. T had to be for Tomas.
“We do not allow photographs, and we do not keep letters, anything that might betray our species, but I have every one of your letters.”
As confessions went, it was profound. There was no way to misinterpret what he was telling her. Their connection meant as much to him as it did to her. That was both wonderful and even more frightening. She was so susceptible to him. It also explained the scary, intense focus all three brothers had turned on her when she’d given her name. That made her feel a little better. They’d been so completely focused on her in the middle of a dicey situation it had amplified her fears.
She didn’t like a lot of attention. She’d learned, traveling as much as she did to other countries, to stay in the background as much as possible. That didn’t mean she didn’t give her opinion, and she always stood up for herself, but she was careful. The less she was noticed in some circumstances, the safer she was.
“I never thought I’d have the chance to meet you,” she confessed. “You and your ideas on conservation have had such an impact on my life.” She hero-worshiped him, although she wasn’t going to tell him that. Now that she’d met him in person and realized she was physically attracted to him, something that just didn’t happen, she was even more confused and embarrassed. She didn’t want him ever reading her mind.
She turned back in the direction of Luiz’s tree house, thinking it was safer than spending too much time with him. Just knowing who he was, remembering every word of every letter exchanged over the years, only added to the deep attraction she had toward him.
“I’d like to ask a favor.” Now she didn’t know what to call him. He’d first introduced himself as Tomas, and everyone had referred to him as Tomas. “I don’t know if you’re capable of reading my thoughts…” It was a question.
“I am.”
She closed her eyes briefly, but she was walking fast along a tree branch, and that wasn’t such a good idea. “You don’t have to take my blood to read them?”
“No.”
“And your brothers and Luiz can read my thoughts as well?”
“Yes.”
“Without taking my blood,” she clarified.
“In close proximity it is easy enough to pick up thoughts. I believe you are capable as well. If we wish to communicate from a distance or check on a specific person, we would have to take their blood.” He spoke matter-of-factly, as if it were normal.
“I can’t read thoughts,” she denied.
“Then you’re very adept at reading body language. Your timing was perfect each time you intervened with Rud when you were stalling, waiting for the sun to set.”
“You heard us, even when you were in the ground.” She kept moving from branch to branch, picking up the pace just a little in order to get back to the tree house. She didn’t know why, but she felt she would be safer.
“It just so happened that Rud made his play above our resting places. Bad luck on his part.”
Was there a slight trace of amusement in his voice? Or like Luiz, was it in his mind? The moment the question came to her, her breath caught in her throat. Was she catching glimpses of other people’s thoughts? That would be invasive. Intrusive. Horrible. She wasn’t the kind of woman who invaded other people’s privacy, yet it was possible she was catching glimpses of their emotions.
“Do you feel?”
“Feel,” he echoed.
This time, he sounded wary. So much so that she stopped and turned to face him, wanting to see his expression, but he wasn’t wearing one. His handsome face was an inscrutable mask. Her heart skipped a beat.
His gaze was hot as it swept over her. More than hot. Hunger was there. A fierce, possessive element crept into his gaze. “Yes.” His answer was curt. “Emotions are new after centuries of not being able to feel, so I’m still struggling to get used to them. At times, they feel overwhelming.”
She wasn’t certain what to do with that admission. The worst was Luiz had told her only a lifemate could restore emotion to a Carpathian hunter. That meant Tomas Smolnycki Jr. had a lifemate, and if the indications were anything to go by, he lusted after her. Men cheated. She was disappointed that her hero was a man who would cheat on a woman who had guarded his soul and restored his emotions. She knew jaguar shifters weren’t faithful. Apparently, neither were Carpathians.