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 was a mystery. And she displayed incredible courage over and over. He knew she was afraid, and yet she’d faced Rud. She’d made a decision to aid his brothers and her cousin, but she’d also defused the situation with Dominic.
Look into her memories, Luiz advised.
Tomas brought Sarika out from under his compulsion very slowly, giving her body and brain time to adjust.
Look into your own, he said. He was tired of the male hunters expecting him to follow their advice when it came to his lifemate. She was his, not theirs, and that meant he needed to get to know her and follow his own instincts when it came to making her happy.
You have been far too long around humans, Mataias said with a long-suffering sigh.
So much easier if she’d obey you without question, Lojos added.
He knew his brothers were deliberately provoking him. He sent them a disgusted look, wrapping his arm around Sarika and pulling her into him. His larger body shielded her from the others.
“Do you feel dizzy? Uncomfortable?”
She leaned into him as if for support. That surprised him, but he’d take it. Any concession from her was good when they had so much to work out. They would have to leave in a few days to continue to track Justice. His brothers would be casting around, looking for signs of Justice’s passing while he worked with Sarika to get her ready to travel with them. He hadn’t gotten to that bit of information for her as of yet. Time was their enemy.
“I actually feel good, Tomas.” She whispered her answer. “I just can’t stop shaking, and that’s embarrassing to me. I don’t want anyone to think you made this choice for me, or your brothers and Luiz did.”
“I think you were very clear that this was your choice, sivamet. I’m proud of you. Are you ready for that visit?”
Her hand slipped into his. “Stay close to me.”
Again, she showed him she was willing to put her trust in him when he hadn’t done much to earn it. He could become obsessed with her. He certainly understood Dominic’s need to guard Solange. He would do the same. In fact, he would never be a good lifemate to a woman like Solange, who insisted she go into battle. She was not only good in a fight, but she was every bit as skilled as the Carpathian hunters, thanks to her lifemate, who had made certain she knew everything he did.
Tomas wasn’t about to allow Sarika to go into a battle with the undead or any other monsters, not if he could help it. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t prepare her, but he saw no reason for her to risk her life.
“Solange, we’ve taken care of the task of ensuring you and your family are safe from everyone entering your home,” he announced.
Solange gave him a little salute. “In truth, Tomas, I wasn’t worried. I know Luiz very well, and he keeps to a strict code. You and your brothers have always had the respect of Dominic. That isn’t something he gives lightly, so again, although I appreciate that Sarika was courageous enough to give aid to your family, I had no doubts that we would all be fine.”
He didn’t point out that Dominic hadn’t been as sure because Dominic had been doing his job. Had he not been leery, Tomas would have lost respect for him. Solange was different. Hardened by her past. Skilled beyond imagination. Willing to put her life on the line over and over for the female jaguars she fought so hard to free. She might not be what everyone considered an ideal lifemate, but she was devoted to Dominic and he to her.
Solange led the way to the entrance to her home. Should anyone come across it, there appeared to be a crack in the boulders. Tomas felt the safeguards woven around the entire area. Lojos and Mataias followed closely behind Solange, staying in front of Tomas and Sarika as shields against any danger. Luiz was behind them, ensuring no enemy could creep up on them.
The overgrown bushes hiding the entrance were part illusion and part reality. The crack opened up to a very narrow opening. So narrow, Tomas’ shoulders brushed either side of the corridor. This gave those inside an advantage in that an enemy would have to advance one at a time. It was a clever trap that appeared to be naturally formed, but Tomas knew it wasn’t.
They traveled a few feet inside the cave, and the narrow opening suddenly widened to what appeared to be a spacious hallway. Sarika gasped and stopped walking for a moment, looking around her to take in the beauty. Sconces made of blown glass in soft shades of blue and purple were on the walls on either side, lighting up the floor beneath their feet. That floor was made up of stones in various shades of color. The same stones ran up the curved walls and were embedded in the ceiling. The floors and ceiling were works of art. The effect gave the feeling of entering a magnificent mansion.