Chapter 15 #2
Sarika’s heart went out to the two women. They’d gone through so much. She wanted the best for them, and she was grateful it appeared that Dominic and Jubal really loved and cared for their wives. The two women needed that, after all they had been through.
She glanced up at Tomas. She didn’t want to fight with him. She wanted to share this moment with Solange and Jasmine, a new pregnancy, a new life beginning. She wanted to be able to feel their shared joy in that moment.
“We waited to tell you until we were certain I’d carry,” Jasmine told Solange. “Our baby will be nearly the same age as yours. Cousins to play together. And Sandrine is so excited to be able to look after both.” She smiled at her daughter, who began to jump up and down.
“I didn’t give away the secret this time,” she announced, her silky curls bouncing nearly over her head. She grinned mischievously at Sarika. “I always tell secrets. It is so hard to keep them. I try really hard, but they burst out of me all by themselves.”
She looked up at Jubal. “Daddy never gets mad at me, though. He laughs about it and says I’ll get better at not letting secrets escape, and I did this time. I didn’t let it get away from me.”
Jubal immediately reached down to lift her into his arms. “That’s right, pixie. You did good. I’m so proud of you. Wrangling secrets and putting them behind locked doors is very difficult.”
Sandrine’s little arms snaked around Jubal’s neck. She laid her head on his chest and squeezed hard, determined to give him the best hug she could.
“I think we need balloons, Daddy,” she murmured, clearly a cajoling, manipulative move on her part. She looked innocent and even sounded it, but Sarika knew she was far from it. “Bright red ones.”
Dominic groaned, and Solange covered her face with her hands.
Sarika laughed. “Sandrine, I’m sure bright red balloons would be wonderful, but did you know that they freak your aunt out?
She doesn’t like them, and neither does her jaguar.
If you’re planning the special party just for her, it might be a good thing to see what she likes and doesn’t like.
I have never planned a party, but if you have, is that the way you do it? Find out what your client likes?”
At once, Sandrine lifted her head and looked around the room. Suddenly looking important, she directed her question at Solange. “Are you my client, Auntie?”
Solange nodded. “I am. Dominic and I are both your clients,” she added firmly.
Dominic put on a look of horror. “Wait. This is a girls’ thing. Totally female. Dominic isn’t any part of it. I can slay demons for you, but whatever you women are up to, that’s far too scary for me.”
That put Sandrine into a fit of laughter. Her giggles filled the room with joy. If Sarika could imagine such a thing, she would think there were incandescent bubbles floating throughout the house, all created by the one small child.
She wiggled until her father put her down, and then she danced in front of Dominic, making chicken noises until he chased her around the room. She let out several girlie screams and dove for the couch. “Safe. This is the safe zone.”
“There is no safe zone.” Dominic growled like a large bear. “This house is a big bear den and has no couches.” He put his arms up and lumbered toward her. Illusion took over, and he did appear as a giant standing bear.
Instead of being frightened, Sandrine buried her face in the cushions, laughing so hard she snorted, which made her laugh even more. She put one little hand up to fend off the giant bear as it shuffled closer, making growly bear noises.
“Auntie Solange, Uncle Dominic is drooling. Drooling.” She burst out laughing again and rolled right off the couch to land on Dominic’s gigantic paws.
“Bears drool, you little demon,” Dominic told her in a bad-bear voice.
That sent her rolling across the floor, holding her sides. Sarika found herself laughing because, really, how could you not? On the other hand, the child was so high-energy, she couldn’t imagine keeping up with her twenty-four seven. And a new one on the way?
Sandrine was up and dancing, rocking out to a beat only she could hear and calling to her mother to dance with her. “Since you’re my client, Auntie, no balloons!” she called, wiggling her hips and bottom in a wide, gyrating circle.
Tomas tugged at Sarika’s hair. The only time I’ve seen that child quiet is when she’s scared or asleep.
“Sandrine, we need to sit down with Auntie Solange and write down the things that she wants for the party,” Jasmine said.
She glanced at Dominic, and he waved a hand toward the corner, where a small desk appeared with a little chair.
There was a notebook and several glittery colored pens sitting invitingly on the desk.
The exchange was smooth, practiced, something the two had done many times.
Sarika found she liked Dominic. He might be intimidating, but when it came to his family, he was all in.
She risked a quick peek at Tomas. He would be like that.
He was all in with his brothers. Protective of them.
She knew he thought of them continuously and wanted the best for them.
Was he right about the three royal families being tied together by the temple?
Just knowing the temple was there, in a place it shouldn’t have been, made her think about what was the known truth and what was hidden.
Historians were aware of the many Mayan communities, and supposedly, there weren’t any in Peru.
Yet the ruins of the temple were there, and they had a Mayan feel.
The jaguar statues still stood, glaring, judging good or evil.
The temple joined the sky, the earth and the underworld.
She had been there, serving in that temple.
Once she allowed that door to open in her memories and she could acknowledge to herself that the things in her past were real, she was remembering more and more.
The temple was more than a place of worship.
It was sacred for many reasons, not the least of which was that the women came together to visit and help one another.
There was always laughter and singing. Young children ran and played and danced with abandon, just as Sandrine had done.
There were art projects and mathematics and much teaching going on.
It was always busy and always a place of joy.
Sandrine ran to the desk and arranged her paper and pens, then sat with a red gel pen poised in her hand while she looked expectantly at her client.
Solange indicated the paper. “Write down ‘no balloons.’ ”
Sandrine sighed, looked about to protest, but then squared her little shoulders and began to painstakingly write “No balloons. Not even red ones.”
She showed the paper to Solange, looking very mournful. “What else?”
“What do you suggest we have at the party?”
Sandrine’s face lit up. “We should do a princess party. We can all wear tiaras. The glittery kind. The baby is a girl. She’ll like that. I’ll wear a pink princess dress.”
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?