Chapter 13
Chapter
Sarika is petrified, Tomas told Dominic.
You do not have to tell me to have a care for her, Dominic said. I feel her fears, as does Solange. We are profoundly grateful, whether we come to the same conclusions as Sarika or not. We both realize the incredible gift she is giving us.
Tomas led Sarika to a single chair, knowing the furniture would fit around her once she sank into its unique design. It would feel as if the chair were holding her close, keeping her safe. He couldn’t sit with her and hold her the way he wanted, not when she needed to count on his protection.
He had known Dominic for centuries. He was a man of absolute honor. He was also completely devoted to his lifemate. Tomas understood. In the short time that his world had changed due to discovering her, Tomas knew he would do anything for Sarika.
“This won’t take long. Do you want to be aware of us and what we’re seeing, or would you prefer not to know?”
She caught his hand. “Thank you for giving me the choice.” She knew his preference through their blood connection. He didn’t want her aware. He didn’t push his choice on her; he simply allowed her to decide. He wanted to shield her from every fear.
“I would like to be aware.” She whispered her answer, not knowing if she was testing him or not.
She only knew she was so scared of what was in her mind and how that would impact not only her but Tomas and everyone around her.
Because whatever was inside her was powerful, and it was insisting on being acknowledged.
Not only acknowledged, but it demanded she act on the compulsions it was placing on her.
She needed to see for herself if that entity was for good or evil.
Her hand crept up to her amulet. It felt warm, the head of the jaguar pushing into her palm as if offering comfort. “I’m ready.”
Solange seated herself directly across from Sarika.
Despite her trepidation and fear at what would be revealed, Sarika felt her determination to offer her comfort and support.
She chose solidarity with Sarika even before she knew what they would find.
Tomas was able to feel all of that through Sarika.
Sarika felt the instant Dominic entered her mind, following Tomas. Tomas knew, to Sarika, he felt intimate, yet Dominic felt like a gentle intruder. Tomas couldn’t change that and was grateful to Dominic for ensuring he showed Sarika respect and was as gentle as possible.
They both examined Sarika’s earlier memories, the ones where she sat in the room with Solange and Dominic and felt every emotion Solange was feeling.
Highly unusual, Dominic commented to Tomas. Disturbing in that I didn’t detect her, and neither did Solange. I can see why she was reluctant to reveal what she is capable of. This kind of intrusion to a Carpathian couple could be considered an attack.
Tomas was careful not to react to Dominic’s concerns. He knew the ancient was right. Both also knew that Sarika hadn’t tried to connect with Solange. It had happened, and it made her very uneasy. She’d considered leaving.
She is struggling with the need to help Solange, to ease her fears, Dominic said, continuing along the path Sarika’s mind had taken.
Tomas and Dominic felt the punch of the powerful compulsion at the same time. Sarika had been nearly overwhelmed with the need to aid Solange.
She resisted, Dominic said. Your lifemate knows nothing of our ways.
She thinks of herself as human, not a shifter, because they raised her mostly human.
She doesn’t think she’s particularly strong because she has panic attacks, but she resisted such a powerful compulsion that many Carpathians might have given in to.
Tomas felt the same admiration Dominic did for Sarika. She hadn’t understood what was happening, but she certainly felt the power of the need to invade Solange’s mind and fix whatever was wrong.
She doesn’t trust that what she has inside of her is purely good.
She didn’t want to chance harming Solange, and she didn’t want to take Solange’s choices from her, Tomas interpreted.
He felt a deep pride in Sarika. She had to have been terrified, sitting in the room surrounded by virtual strangers, afraid whatever was inside of her would burst free.
This is where she saw the jaguar and recognized immediately that the cat was fighting Solange and the pregnancy.
Tomas continued the dialogue with Dominic, needing to ensure that the ancient Dragonseeker was reading what he was.
This was the crucial data Sarika had risked everything for in her effort to find a way to save the child and reduce the stress on Solange.
How could we have missed this? Solange shifts into her jaguar for every battle. We knew she was available, but both considered her a part of the Carpathian world, Dominic said. Solange can walk in sunlight. This is the reason. Right here. Her jaguar.
Tomas agreed. This isn’t an illusion such as we create. Her jaguar is very real.
Dominic explained, wonder in his voice. She is wholly intact, including all the memories of the battles Solange had rescuing the women from male shifters.
The battles were sometimes fought against multiple male shifters.
She had to think and act as a warrior at all times.
In doing so, she was forced to repress every feminine quality she possessed in order to survive.
Tomas was aware of that information, not from Dominic but because Sarika had communicated with the jaguar. Somehow, the animal had recognized her, and an exchange was made.
Sarika isn’t fully aware she communicated with the jaguar.
He wanted that on record, so Dominic would have to acknowledge it.
Tomas knew that whatever he was finding, Dominic was sharing with Solange.
Solange wouldn’t like that her jaguar, the one she didn’t think she had anymore, was confessing secrets to someone else.
Without that communication, we wouldn’t know that our child is in jeopardy. I can see and feel the stress the jaguar is putting on Solange’s body.
Will you be able to keep the child safe? Tomas asked the one question that was the most important. You are a tremendous healer. Luiz is renowned for his healing abilities. Between the two of you, will you be able to save your daughter?
Tomas didn’t like that Dominic hesitated.
Sarika had stayed silent, a small presence like a shadow, but she reacted with a faint moan of concern.
He didn’t know if that meant she didn’t think the Carpathian males could save the baby or she was just overwhelmed with having to endure the distressing news a second time.
Sarika wasn’t the only one reacting to that question. Dominic was relaying everything to his lifemate, and when Tomas asked if it was possible for the healers to keep Solange from losing the baby, Solange made a single sound of agonized pain, echoing Sarika’s distress.
I will have to spend time examining what is actually happening. When Solange was converted, at the time we thought she retained her jaguar, but then when she shifted, she would build the illusion of the jaguar, so we came to believe she was wholly Carpathian.
Tomas tried to puzzle that out. How was it possible Dominic and Solange couldn’t tell her jaguar had retreated from her? The bond between shifter counterparts was very close. Tomas was Carpathian, but he’d spent centuries around other species and had taken the time to study them.
This makes no sense, Dominic said. When Solange went through the conversion, we were very careful.
I monitored each stage, particularly of her cat.
She was concerned about losing her jaguar.
The cat was calm throughout the entire procedure.
Organs changed, reshaped with my blood, but her jaguar was still there. And she was Carpathian.
And yet she is not, Tomas pointed out.
Again, how could that be possible? Dominic asked.
Does Solange have any ideas?
She is as puzzled as I am, Dominic admitted.
If this is her true cat, jaguar royalty, and she is threatening harm to our child, what is the other jaguar?
Where did she come from? I examined her multiple times.
It was important to Solange that nothing harm her cat.
We took extra precautions, Dominic reiterated.
Tomas didn’t know what to say. The evidence was very clear that Solange’s cat resided within her and was causing problems.
It was Sarika who came up with the only idea that made sense. Is it possible to examine the cat? See if organs have reshaped? If this cat is actually the one you monitored while Solange went through the conversion? I know it sounds crazy, but… She trailed off.
Tomas felt her instant retreat. She didn’t want to call attention to herself. She hadn’t been able to stop herself when the two Carpathian males had come to a standstill, and Solange was becoming even more stressed.
Thank you, Sarika, Dominic said. Ordinarily, Solange and I work out puzzles very quickly, but the threat to our child has us both off stride.
Tomas stayed very still as, without preamble, Dominic surrounded the jaguar, engulfing it with his power. There was nowhere for it to go, but it fought back, refusing to give in, not that it did any good.
Tomas winced inwardly, knowing Sarika was observing the swift way Dominic took over the female jaguar.
The animal had no chance to use its vicious skills on the hunter.
She would be able to see how ruthless a Carpathian could be.
Not only that, but she’d see evidence of how difficult it would be for any species to defeat him.