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 couldn’t help the little thrill that ran through her. “I always loved every mythical tale of dragons. It didn’t matter to me whether I believed them to be real, and there was some slight evidence they may have been, at least I clung to that belief because I wanted them to be.” She made the confession with a small self-effacing smile. “Are you saying this Dax ran into the real thing in that volcano?”
“He did. I’ll give you a ride on Kinta, my dragon companion, this next rising. Once you’re fully Carpathian, you will find the right dragon to suit you.”
“Tell me more about Dax and his dragon,” Sarika urged.
“The old one is most likely the oldest dragon on earth. There are several, but he appears to date far back, further than we do. He was becoming part of the volcano when Dax awakened him. There was a battle for supremacy, the dragon determined to destroy Dax, but in the end, their souls merged.”
She turned into him, rubbing her face on his shoulder, needing the contact. “If Dax’s soul is merged with a dragon, what does that do to Riley? Isn’t her soul merged with Dax’s?”
“You always manage to ask the hard questions. I didn’t give that a thought. Riley and Dax seem happy together. I know that, for her, he pushes himself to take her into the world for short periods of time, but it is difficult, especially because of the old dragon.”
“Does Riley know it is difficult for him to leave the rainforest?” Sarika was curious. What did lifemates do when one wasn’t as happy as their vows proclaimed they would be?
“Of course she knows. You’re already tuning yourself to me, and we haven’t completed the ritual. We don’t keep anything from our lifemates. Riley knows when things are difficult for Dax, and she never stays long when they are away from home.”
“Why doesn’t she just go visiting her friends by herself?” Sarika tried not to make that sound like a challenge. Women were independent and quite capable of visiting friends and family by themselves. She couldn’t imagine having to wait for Tomas to give her permission to go where she wanted to go.
Tomas stroked a long caress over her hair. His fingers settled into the thick strands, and he did what he often did, began a slow massage. Sarika found that was one of her favorite things about Tomas. He knew when she was tense. He didn’t spend time trying to talk her out of her anxiety. He didn’t arbitrarily remove the knots and tightness from her body using his ability as a Carpathian. Instead, he eased as much tension from her as possible with his own two hands. Physically. And it felt good. Not just mildly good; she could curl into him and purr like a cat. That was how good it felt.
“It is difficult to be away from one’s lifemate,” Tomas revealed. “The bond is soul to soul. I am not certain how to explain it in your language. The only Carpathian I know that is able to leave his woman behind for any length of time is Zacarias. Zacarias and Marguarita have a very unique bond.”
She was fascinated. The sounds of the night were all around them, flooding the tree house with music from the night. Her hearing was even more acute than it had been, and the various creatures calling back and forth added to the beauty surrounding her.
“Tell me about them,” she encouraged. To her, it felt as though Tomas was giving her even more gifts, more adventures. It was surreal lying on the hammock tucked in close to him, breathing him in with every inhale.
“Zacarias is one of our greatest hunters. He’s legendary in our world. He has a shadow in him, a darkness, if you will. He saw to it that his brothers found their lifemates, and he left them with the intention of meeting the dawn. He was drawn to one of the family’s estates. He’d been there months earlier when a vampire attacked. It killed Marguarita’s father and tore out her throat because she refused to give up Zacarias’ resting place. He wasn’t even there at the time, but the family is completely loyal to the De La Cruz family. In any case, Zacarias saved Marguarita’s life, but she isn’t able to speak. Hearing one’s lifemate’s voice is what restores emotions and colors. In their case, that didn’t happen immediately because Zacarias never heard her voice.”
“How horribly tragic.” She felt for the couple, particularly Marguarita. Unable to speak. Unable to voice to a very scary Carpathian what she might need.
“It worked itself out over time, but Zacarias carries a shadow in him. Without Marguarita close, colors and emotions are lost to him. He becomes the relentless hunter. He insists that his lifemate is stashed somewhere safe. I know his father used to take his mother along when he was hunting. If he had that same shadow, it would make sense.”