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)
That is an excuse, not the reality of the situation. She wished he didn’t sound so persuasive. He did. She didn’t want to hear him, but she was a listener. When she listened, she tried not to form arguments while the other person was speaking. That allowed her to hear them and try to process what they were really saying.
You do not understand. You believe you have no choice, but the truth is I have none when it comes to certain things, such as your safety and health. I wanted to give you the space you asked for so you could come to terms with the situation. I know you from your letters. I know you’re a thoughtful person, who would give real consideration to our customs and ways. The binding ritual is not a custom. Neither is the need to protect you. Those two things are sacred in our society, and we are compelled to obey those decrees. It is compulsion, not just want or need.
Sarika did her best to hear him out. He sounded as if he spoke the truth when he said he wanted to give her the space to come to terms with everything on her own. She liked that he referred to her letters. He had always given consideration to her ideas. She had to admit that about him. He’d never been dismissive of the things she thought would be good for the big cats in various environments.
He would always assess what she said and then give her his thoughts. Sometimes he would point out why something wouldn’t work, but then he would tell her that the idea she had for corridors went right along with his thinking. The jaguars needed to be able to move from one place to another in order to find mates.
But compulsion? What did that mean exactly? Had Tomas been unable to do anything else? Luiz had acted the same way about taking her blood.
Tell me about the binding ritual. What does that mean, and what did it do to me?
She felt his hesitation. That didn’t bode well. She began to dress carefully in clothes that she could easily shed if she needed to. Clothes didn’t work when one was shifting, and she had no idea what to expect once the sun went down.
I would prefer to explain it in person. It is a difficult concept, and the conversation needs to be in depth.
That was fair, but she felt different, as though something significant had changed in her body. Not just her body. Something fundamental that she couldn’t change back.
I understand. I also think you feel that if you’re here with me, you can console me. Why would I need consolation? In your world, doesn’t everyone have a lifemate? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?
That was a challenge. She made it clear to him that she wanted the truth. She wasn’t going to pretend she was on board with what he’d done or that she would accept his explanation, but she did expect him to provide her with one, whether he was there in person or not.
The lifemate binding ritual is imprinted on a male before he is born. When he is born, his soul is split; all darkness goes into him, and the light finds its way to his lifemate. She must guard that half of his soul from all enemies. Carpathian males, as they age, are very dangerous. They are incapable of feeling emotion or seeing in color. Only a true lifemate can restore those things to him. Carpathian women were raised to know they guarded the soul of a warrior, and one day he would find her and the ritual binding words would be said to them. The vows only work on a true lifemate. The soul is restored, and the warrior is safe from turning vampire.
Her heart thudded hard. Luiz had alluded to some of what Tomas was saying, but she hadn’t really understood. You could become a vampire?
All Carpathian males spend centuries hunting and killing the undead. They remove all evidence of their existence. Sometimes the ones they hunt are family members. Or friends they grew up with. We have a strict code of honor, but when centuries pass without color or emotion, one looks for something, anything, to feel. It is necessary to find our lifemate and restore our soul to keep us from turning. Killing while taking blood can provide a rush.
Now she could barely breathe. Stop for a moment and let me process what you’re saying. She was grateful he wasn’t standing in front of her with this explanation. He might think it would have been easier for her to understand, but she wasn’t Carpathian. She’d never heard of them—at least she didn’t think she had. Carpathians terrified her, and the concept of them terrified her. The idea that they would kill while taking blood sent her mind reeling.