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)
Sarika expected Solange to object, but instead, she looked very somber, nodding her head. “I think princess is a great theme—thank you, Sandrine. I would never have thought of that.”
Sarika fell in love with Solange right then. The woman might be the fiercest female warrior on the planet, but she was the best auntie of all time. She didn’t like parties, and she certainly didn’t do princess, but to make her niece happy and build her confidence and self-esteem, she would have a princess-themed party.
She’s amazing. She had to tell Tomas. Solange. She’s absolutely amazing. She isn’t letting on that just a few minutes before Sandrine got here, she was afraid of losing her baby. She isn’t letting on that she has no clue what to do with a party for her baby. Or that she doesn’t want to have a party. She’s doing it for Sandrine.
And Jasmine, Tomas pointed out. Solange has another cousin, Juliette. She’ll be coming as well. Probably already on the way. Solange would do anything for Jasmine and Juliette.
Do you know Juliette’s lifemate? More Carpathian men. Wonderful. She thought there were enough running around the forest without adding to the mix.
She is lifemate to Riordan De La Cruz. He’s the youngest of the De La Cruz brothers but no less lethal.
The family Luiz is now part of.
Tomas nodded solemnly, his fingers tightening on the nape of her neck. They take family very seriously. You are Luiz’s only family on his jaguar side. He is fully a De La Cruz and considered a full brother. The blood of their line runs in his veins. That means, sivamet, they will take you being a member of their family very seriously.
She turned to him to raise her eyebrow. I thought I was your family. Lojos and Mataias certainly treat me as such. I don’t need to be a De La Cruz. Luiz is scary enough.
No one is as scary as Zacarias. Technically, Luiz is considered older, but Zacarias has led the family for centuries. He’s the one who made the decision to turn Luiz and offer him the gift of the family. Luiz, like the other brothers, follows his lead.
She couldn’t imagine Luiz following anyone’s lead. She decided it was best to put off meeting Zacarias.
Where does he stay?
He has a cattle ranch on the outskirts of the forest. There was the slightest bit of humor in his voice. His lifemate, Marguarita, was raised there and is very entrenched with the ranch people. They make their home base there. He is good friends with Dominic.
There was a small part of her listening to Sandrine and Jasmine give more ideas for the baby shower, but mostly she was interested in the things Tomas was telling her. This was jaguar territory, but it seemed that several Carpathians made their homes here. Was that to keep the jaguar women safe?
Sarika believed in destiny. She found it odd that so many Carpathians had gathered in one area. Was fate orchestrating such a thing because something big was happening?
Is it common for so many Carpathians to be together in one place?
It is more common in the Carpathian Mountains, where the prince resides. Hunters, as a rule, are alone. Tomas had an inquiring note at the end of his statement.
Everything is odd about this, Tomas, beginning with the tribe of Mayans finding their way here. And were they Mayans? Why do we think that? Their existence has been kept a huge secret.
That wouldn’t be unusual, Tomas objected. Jaguars are a secretive society. The animals have been decreasing in number, let alone shifters. The temple was considered a sacred place to the jaguar shifters, regardless that it is in ruins. If anything, the remaining shifters wanted to conceal the ruins so there wouldn’t be an influx of those robbing the temple or archaeologists digging up a sacred site. Not that they had to worry; the temple conceals itself.
Sarika considered Tomas’ response. He traveled throughout the world’s rainforests. He knew the changing environments better than most because he’d experienced them. The shifters were a secretive society, so much so that her aunt and uncle didn’t tell her anything about what was happening in the forests with the shifters. They wanted her to avoid her birthplace at all costs. The information she did have came from Luiz, and it wasn’t much.
Even with what Tomas said, she still had an uneasy feeling. “Solange, will there be very many people at this party? Women? Children?”
“We’re keeping it small,” Solange answered.
Sandrine gave a protest screech, but Jasmine shook her head and pointed to the list. “That is not the way we express ourselves, Sandrine. Use your words, not noises.”
“Who will be coming?” Tomas asked.
Solange and Dominic exchanged a look. Sarika was certain they were communicating telepathically, the way she did with Tomas.