Chapter 12 #2
Trying to understand Carpathian customs was going to be hard enough, but to understand who and what they were fundamentally was going to be much more difficult. How did one navigate through such things quickly?
“So, the answer to the balloons,” Tomas said, taking the spotlight from Luiz, “is a resounding no. I think ‘not good for the planet’ is a good reason to use.”
“That makes sense,” Dominic said, backing him up. “Out of the eight hundred things on your list, we managed to resolve one. That’s good news.” He tipped up Solange’s face toward his with two fingers under her chin. “See how easy that was? The logic of males.”
Solange and Sarika both burst out laughing. That felt so good, to see and hear Solange’s genuine laugh.
“So, Solange,” Lojos said. “We have a pointless party so you can get things from people for your baby that you and Dominic can make yourselves anytime you want, but you’ve got a list of problems you have to take care of before this party takes place. Have I about covered it?”
Immediately, Sarika felt the distress rushing through Solange at the reminder of what she was supposed to be doing.
Before the woman could answer, Sarika did it for her.
“It’s a celebration of life, Lojos. You have so much to learn.
I have no idea if I have the time to educate you, not only about women but about life, in the time before you find your lifemate.
Seriously, Tomas, your brother has been very poorly educated. ”
She heaved a long-suffering sigh and exchanged a long-suffering look with Solange.
“You have one man to deal with; I have four. Two of the four seem to have zero knowledge of women. Zero. Can you believe that? I thought I’d be happily learning about Carpathians and customs, but I fear I will be needed to educate Lojos and Luiz in the ways of women. ”
Solange sent her a small smile, but it was clear that tension in her was rising just at the mention of solving other problems for the party.
Sarika became aware of the child growing in Solange.
She was further along than she looked, but the more upset she was, the more distressed the child was.
The two beings were locked together, highly sensitive, and both unable to cope with the amount of stress.
Faintly, far away, Sarika heard a chant, the voice feminine, but it began to swell in volume.
She hastily ensured she was cut off from the male Carpathians.
Now she was highly stressed, as if she were one and the same with Solange and the unborn child.
The more agitated Solange became, the more that emotion flooded Sarika until she was nearly shaking with the knowledge that she had to de-escalate the situation or Solange would lose the child.
The knowledge was there, also that she had the ability to prevent the loss and aid Solange in coping. She just didn’t know how yet.
It was there inside her. Deep. Unexplored.
But she knew there was an untapped well of something unnamed that only she could provide.
Not for the Carpathian in Solange. For the female jaguar.
That was the side of Solange unable to cope with anything feminine.
She’d had to reject that side of herself in order to fight her father’s cruel regime.
In doing so, she had perfected the warrior at the expense of her female jaguar shifter.
Her shifter would never allow her to carry a child to full term—especially a female child.
Sarika had the knowledge, but she didn’t have a clue what to do with it.
Solange would be mortified if those in the room knew her secrets.
She didn’t have a clue that her female jaguar was working against her.
Dominic didn’t know, either. They both put her rising stress down to her reluctance to show her feminine side to the world.
Sarika’s hand crept up to encompass the amulet.
It was warm, growing hotter. She covered it with her palm, certain it wouldn’t be welcomed without explanation, and she didn’t have one to give them.
She didn’t understand anything that was happening.
She could ask Tomas to take her back to the tree house, pleading that she felt unwell, or she could risk everything and try to aid Solange.
What’s wrong, sivamet? Tomas’ voice was a soothing balm in the middle of what she knew was a terrible crisis.
She had a decision to make. Could she trust him with her secrets? With Solange’s? Would he know what to do? This was the man she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with. Either he was the right man, or he wasn’t.
It is important that the others don’t know what we are discussing. And I need your word that you won’t expose Solange to the others.
Tomas was silent, his arm stealing around her shoulders, his hand urging her closer to him.
She knew he was carefully deliberating. I may have to share with Dominic anything you tell me about his lifemate.
He has her best interests at heart. He sees to her health, her protection and her state of mind.
I cannot promise you, if you tell me something that is harming his woman, that I will not share the information with him because my code of honor demands that I must.
He may throw us out, she cautioned.
Tomas simply waited. He didn’t urge her to tell him or demand it. He didn’t look into her head to see her concerns. He simply waited for her to make up her own mind. She wanted to throw her arms around him and hug him close. It felt to her as if he “got” her. That her wishes counted for something.
I don’t know how, but sometimes I can feel other people’s emotions. I could feel your brothers and Luiz, but with women, especially shifters, it is far stronger. She’s going to lose her baby. Her jaguar is inadvertently working against her. It’s part of the reason she’s so stressed.
Wouldn’t her lifemate know?
I don’t know much about that, Tomas. I don’t even know how I know, only that there is something in me that sees it.
I can fix it, I think, but I’ve never done such a thing to my knowledge, and it is terrifying to think I could be wrong.
What should I do? Solange would never be able to handle the others knowing her business, especially something that makes her feel less. Or makes her feel vulnerable.
A part of her wanted him to tell her they would leave and go back to the tree house.
If they remained, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from attempting to aid Solange.
She finally understood why Tomas felt he had to slip into her mind and do the blood exchange the first time without her knowledge.
The compulsion in her to help Solange and the unborn child was extremely strong, and truthfully, she didn’t have a clue what she was doing.
She didn’t know if that place of healing came from somewhere good or bad.
She only knew that if she stayed in the room with Solange, she would eventually give in to the need building so strongly inside her.
Let me reach out to Dominic and figure out a way to handle this without involving anyone else. He may want to look at your memories, Sarika. Before I allowed anyone near you, I would insist the same.
That had been one of her biggest fears. I don’t look at those memories. They’re tied in with my nightmares. I have no idea what he would find, and I’m uncomfortable with him being inside my head.
Even if I am with him?
She didn’t know how to answer that. She barely knew Tomas. She knew he was a good man, but she’d only been with him in person a short time. He was asking for an entire level of trust she wasn’t certain she could give.
This is such a mess. I want to run away from it, Tomas. How cowardly is that?
You are no coward. Let me reach out to Dominic.
Sarika glanced up at the man in question.
His gaze was fixed on her and Tomas. He already knew something was up.
If she didn’t make up her mind soon, everyone in the room would know.
Her distress level had risen to such heights that it was impossible to contain it.
She nodded her head to give consent, but that freaked her out even more.
Whatever was inside her, demanding she aid Solange, felt like a volcano bubbling with an ominous pool of magma ready to explode any moment.
Dominic smiled at the men in the room, his features totally relaxed, as if Tomas hadn’t just shared what could be scary news.
“Gentlemen, Jubal, Jasmine and Sandrine are on their way. If you would do me the favor of guarding the surrounding forest so they can safely reach their destination, I would appreciate it. It will also spare you the indignity of listening to the endless discussion on party favors.”
That brought Lojos and Luiz instantly to their feet. Mataias glanced at Tomas. Will you need one of us with you?
Sarika should be fine, ek?m.
Mataias nodded, and the three men left the great room.
Dominic waited until the ancient Carpathians had left the cave altogether before he seated Solange in the chair across from Tomas and Sarika.
He took the chair beside his lifemate. Sarika knew Tomas thought it was significant that Dominic hadn’t chosen the other double chair, nor was he holding Solange’s hand.
Why is that putting you on alert, Tomas?
He is in a good fighting position, and I am not.
Do you need to be?