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)
Solange spoke softly. Persuasively. Her gaze steady on Sarika. Sarika responded the way Tomas knew she would. It didn’t matter that she was tired. Or still a little afraid of the power she wielded. She was going to help Solange because fundamentally, that was who she was.
She twisted her fingers together, took a deep breath and let it out. One hand crept up to the amulet she wore around her neck. Tomas felt the heat of it burning against her skin. It wasn’t just warm; it was hot. The heat seemed to comfort his lifemate. He stayed very still in her mind, not wanting the jaguar to sense his presence and recoil. Tomas couldn’t allow her to face this alone. If she needed him, he would be there.
Sarika didn’t look for help. The moment she wrapped her fingers around the amulet, cradling the head of the jaguar in her palm, the state of exhaustion and fear left her. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, sending out a call, first to the baby.
Little one, you are very wanted. You’re both jaguar and Carpathian. But most of all, you have a mother and father who want you. It is difficult right now, but you’re strong. You will learn to overcome all obstacles. That is what your mother does. That is what your father does, and you will follow their lead and be a strong woman. No matter what happens in the next few minutes, know that they love and want you. It may not feel that way at first, but you know me. Your soul has always known my soul. Stay true to who you are and allow me to fight your battles for you at this time.
Tomas was astonished at the pure velvet magic of her voice. She spoke low, almost a whisper, as if the conversation were an intimate one between the child and Sarika. He felt the pull of that voice, the strong compulsion, but it wasn’t so much a demand as it was pure love. She came from a place of purity.
Just as Carpathians could shed their bodies and egos and become pure spirit to heal, she wrapped up the baby in the purity of her essence. She wasn’t asking for anything in return for herself. She wasn’t looking for recognition. She felt humble to him. The more power she wielded, the more unassuming she seemed to be.
This power wasn’t something she showed to the world. She kept it under wraps and used it for important situations. He realized she could use her gift to keep a male shifter focused on her rather than on what was happening around him. And she’d done just that. She’d manipulated Rud, Percy and even Bacus. She’d stalled them until help came in the form of Tomas and his brothers. She’d expected Luiz, but once the three Carpathian males were there, she still used the subtle power of her gift to aid them in holding off Percy and Bacus. That was a revelation.
This woman was his lifemate. He had been so worried that she was going to find out about the battles he and his brothers would face in the coming weeks as they tried to trace Justice and discover his plans, and she would realize they had little hope of defeating him. At the moment, it didn’t look good for any of them, but Sarika would be an asset to them. That was the good news. The bad news was she had retreated to a place he was going to have to retrieve her from. She was still looking to find a way out of their bond. He could see that working at the back of her mind. She might not even be aware of it, but he was.
What was he offering her after all? He’d thought about that before he met her. He’d wanted his brothers to enter into a real discussion with him so he could work it out in his mind, but not even Mataias was willing to look at what the three ancients had become—or were still becoming. Evolving into. What was he offering her? He needed to know for certain because he knew he wouldn’t give her up. He would follow her to the ends of the earth and try to make things right.
Sarika touched the jaguar, surrounded it with her beaming light. To him, the female jaguar felt feral. Dangerous. Extremely lethal and very hostile. The cat stared at Sarika with malevolent eyes. It even took a single stalking step toward her, but the light surrounding it acted like a powerful barrier.
You are angry. Sarika made it a statement.
You sit in the room with them. The jaguar spat the accusation at her. You give them your blood to make them strong, knowing they hold Solange hostage.