Dark Possession (24 page)

He almost forgot himself, where he was, what he was doing, in awe of this woman who was his lifemate. She smoothly, seamlessly, blended with Solange, so that there was no way of knowing she had entered. He wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t exchanged blood with her, her touch was that light, but she filled Solange’s mind with hope and belief. Under MaryAnn’s influence, Solange grew cooperative, relaxing in the soothing cocoon of warmth. It was difficult to leave the comforting waves and seek out the torn and bleeding organs to repair them.

Manolito reluctantly allowed his spirit to travel through the body of the cat. Sergio had not wanted to kill her, but she had fought hard, and when the second jaguar had attacked her, it hadn’t been so careful. The artery was nearly shredded, the jaguar body filled with blood. He knew what it meant, knew what had to be done to save her life. He let go of everything he was and became only healing energy, repairing every wound as quickly as possible, relying on MaryAnn to keep Solange cooperative.

MaryAnn held the male jaguar head in her lap, stroking the velvet fur, murmuring softly to keep him with her. He was struggling for breath, his lungs filling with blood. She kept talking to Solange as well, afraid if she quit, the woman would try to rip out Manolito’s throat. It was a frightening situation, two people on the brink of death and only Manolito there to save them. Jasmine held towels to Solange’s wounds and whispered to her, tears streaming down her face, fearful she was losing her.

Stay with us, Solange.
MaryAnn prayed silently, trying to reach the other woman, to let her know that no matter how dark things seemed at the moment, it could all be better. It
would
be better. MaryAnn would make it her mission in life to help Solange and Jasmine after all the sacrifices they’d made rescuing women and helping them to a safe place.

Luiz was dying. She could see his life slipping away, see the spark fading from his eyes, and all she could do was watch helplessly. She willed him to live, the same way she willed Solange to have hope and see a future, but she couldn’t do what Manolito was doing, healing from the inside out. How did you let go of everything you were and become an instrument of healing? She had seen Manolito sacrifice his life for a woman and unborn child. She had heard that he had gotten a scar around his throat, when Carpathians rarely scarred, from saving his prince. And now he had managed to let go of who he was in order to save a life.

Few could know what that really entailed, but she was with him, connected to him, and she realized just what had to be given up to become spirit. The body was vulnerable to all attacks, yes, but much more than that, Manolito had shed his personality, all ego, all hopes and dreams, his own needs,
everything
, and he had done so willingly.

She had been inside his mind when he had so quickly shed his opinions and ideas, his very personality, and become selfless in his effort to save Solange. She couldn’t help but admire him. Manolito was a strong personality with set beliefs about women, yet with all that, he had immediately cast himself aside. What kind of true character did he have hidden under all that arrogance? And were his seemingly dominating ways with women maybe really about protection? His species certainly treasured their women and children. All of them. It didn’t seem to matter that Shea was Jacques’s lifemate, Manolito had stepped in front of her and taken the death strike meant for her without a qualm.

Live, Luiz. Hang on until he can help. He’ll save your life.
She was positive. She was in his head and she could see his absolute resolve to keep Solange alive. Manolito was so focused, so completely wrapped up in healing that he thought of nothing else. She saw goodness in him, something she might have missed if she hadn’t been connected by his blood exchange, and for the first time she allowed herself to think about that exchange as something good. She might have dismissed the Carpathian as impossible if she didn’t know about his other, much softer side.

She stroked back Luiz’s hair, the gesture idle as she watched Manolito’s face. Time seemed to stop. Everything around her faded until there was only Manolito. His eyes, dark and shadowed, with absurdly long lashes. They should have been feminine, but his face was too masculine, the strong jaw and straight nose. She felt his breath move in and out of her body. She felt his heart beat, strong and steady. Her heart. His. Luiz’s. Solange’s. They were all tied together by one man. One incredible man.

Manolito pulled out of Solange’s body, swaying with weariness, his gaze seeking his lifemate. She had kept them all connected, sharing strength, keeping up a steady flow of absolute conviction of life. Of love. Of wholeness. Solange was still alive because MaryAnn had given her a reason to cling to life. Luiz still lived because she held him tight to earth, refusing to even consider allowing him to go.

She thought it was all Manolito. He didn’t know whether to laugh or simply grab MaryAnn and get out before she could find out he was a fraud. He needed to give Solange blood, and it would take strength to force her. He was already ravenous. And the bright colors around him were fading into much duller spectrums, as if he couldn’t keep his mind from wandering back to the land of shadows.

MaryAnn’s gaze collided with his, and for a moment he couldn’t move or breathe. She could never stop looking at him like that. The trust and belief, the absolute faith shining in her eyes, was a gift he would never forget. The shadows receded. “I need to give Solange blood. See if you can get her to accept what I offer. It will heal her faster and make her stronger. I will not exchange with her, merely give her enough to survive.”

He sounded so tired. The lines in his face were etched deep. She wanted to put her arms around him and hold him, comfort him, give him whatever he needed to help him continue. She read the determination in him.

“Hurry, Manolito. I know you’re tired, but Luiz can’t last much longer.”

His gaze flicked to the hand stroking Luiz’s furred head. For a moment a flicker of black jealousy raked at his gut. He tasted ashes in his mouth, and once again the shadows drew close. Faintly, he heard voices calling to him.
Join us. Join us.
Shaken, he touched MaryAnn’s mind and instantly found those fingers were really stroking his head; it was Manolito who consumed her thoughts. He sent her a quick smile before slashing his wrist and forcing the female jaguar to swallow his offering.

Jasmine made a small sound of distress and turned her head away.

“It is okay, little sister. She will not become anything else. Once she has enough of my blood mixing with hers, she will survive and be strong again,” he reassured her, his voice gentle.

“I know. I do, really. I just feel a little sick. Thank you for doing this. It can’t be easy. She may not show you appreciation, but what you’ve done matters,” Jasmine said.

“I do not need her appreciation. She is under the protection of our family, as are you, little
sisar
, and we would never let her die if we could save her.”

Manolito was matter-of-fact, uncaring of the cost to him. He worried more about the cost to MaryAnn. She would have to provide for him, and the innocent faith he read in her eyes might fade for all time. He couldn’t let himself think about that, or falter in his duty just to make his own life easier.

Solange was a family member, and as such was guarded with all care whether she wanted it or not. After this fiasco, Zacarias would issue a decree to the women and they would be forced to obey. He would want them close, where all the De La Cruz brothers and their people could help protect them.

He closed the wound on his wrist himself and turned his attention to Luiz. It took a little more effort to shed his body, as his hunger had built to an alarming need. He could scarce keep his teeth under control, and the scent of blood was a constant torment. The jaguar-man’s body was ripped to pieces, powerful jaws having cut through tissue and bone. Blood was filling the lungs, the man slowly dying. Even if he repaired the damage and gave Luiz blood, there would be no saving him.

Manolito came back to his own body and shook his head with regret. He respected Luiz. “I am sorry,
päläfertiil
, I cannot save him. It is a great loss to the jaguar people.”

“Of course you can save him. I talked to Gabrielle at great length when I was in the Carpathian Mountains. Do you remember her? She was working for the prince to try to come up with a solution for so many stillbirths. She was human. When her injuries were so severe, one of the men saved her life by converting her. You would have converted Solange had you needed to. I could read that in your mind.”

“That was different.” He was so weak, his body swaying. He blinked rapidly to stay focused, but his vision blurred. The moment it did, colors dimmed.

“How is it different? If Luiz is jaguar, he must be psychic. Isn’t the jaguar species the origin for a lot of the psychic abilities?”

“You do not understand.”

“What I understand is if Luiz was a woman with psychic ability, you would move heaven and earth to save her life. He’s a man, so he isn’t as valuable to you.”

The jaguar nuzzled MaryAnn’s hand.
It is all right. I am tired.

“No,” Jasmine said suddenly. “Save him. He saved Solange. If he hadn’t come when he did, Solange would be dead, or those terrible men would have her. Please. If you are my brother as you say, I’m asking for this favor.”

Manolito closed his eyes briefly. “You do not know the heart of this man.”

“But you do,” MaryAnn said. “You drove the vampire from his mind. You saw his memories, saw what he was like. Is he worth saving?”

11

“Y
ou do not know what you are asking for him, MaryAnn. Longevity is not always a good thing. The life of a Carpathian male is extremely difficult. You may be asking for something he wouldn’t want.”

“Then ask him. Don’t let him die simply because he’s a man.”

Manolito sighed. She had a point, but then, she couldn’t know what it was like for a Carpathian male to know just how low the odds were of finding a lifemate. She hadn’t lived centuries alone.

“I’ll need to feed, MaryAnn. Are both of you willing to contribute? Because I cannot do this without blood.” He was desperate to feed. The world around him was fading fast. He was fading. When he looked down at his hands, they were gray and growing transparent.

MaryAnn looked at Manolito’s glittering eyes, saw the tiny red flames and felt her heart jump. She always forgot he wasn’t human, even when she was asking him to do things that weren’t at all human. She took a deep breath and nodded.

Manolito switched his attention to Jasmine. The girl sat on the floor, petting the spotted fur more to comfort herself than to keep Solange calm. “I think I can do it,” she agreed, without looking at him. “Tell me what to do.”

“Give me your hand.”

Jasmine slowly extended her arm. Manolito’s fingers settled around her like a vise. The whispers began in his head. Soft. Insidious. Temptation eating at him.

She gasped and tried to jerk away. “Wait. Wait. I forgot to tell you. I’m pregnant. Will this hurt my baby?”

Manolito dropped her hand as if she’d burned him. His gaze went obsidian black, his mouth set in a firm line. “You have no business offering blood, or fighting jaguars. No, I will not take your blood. You must take great care to guard the child.”

Before Jasmine could reply, Luiz gave a gasping wheeze and the jaguar shifted, bones crackling, body contorting as death reached for him.

MaryAnn gave a soft, alarmed cry and knelt, leaning over the broad chest to listen for a heartbeat. She immediately started CPR. “Do something, Manolito. You can’t just let him die.”

She had no idea what she was asking. The other world was so close. He was starved. Weary. Shadows moved everywhere in the room. MaryAnn looked at him with her wide, dark eyes, so trusting. She had so much faith in him. More than he had in himself with the whispers pushing at the back of his mind and his own body fading. He blinked and forced himself to focus.

Hear me, jaguar-man. I can make you Carpathian. You will never be jaguar, yet you will live and be able to shift. Know that this gift is a dark one. If you do not find the other half of your soul, you will eventually lose emotion and color and live only on memories. You will need blood to survive. You will have to live under the rule of our prince and pledge your allegiance and protection, your very life, to him and to our people. I will hold your life in my hands. I will be able to touch your mind at will and find you no matter where you are. If you betray us, I will kill you without remorse as quickly as possible. You have the choice of going to another place and seeking peace or remaining in this world and continuing your fight.

This was no small matter. He would forever be responsible for anything Luiz chose to do. It was an obligation few males wanted. They knew the risks, and knew what it was like to hunt and kill former friends. He allowed Luiz into his memories, into that long, seemingly endless corridor of darkness. There could be no way to describe to the jaguar-man what it would be like; he could only show him the fading emotions, the centuries of hunting and waiting, relying only on honor and then memories of honor. He was as honest as he was able.

I have not yet finished my fight to save my people.

Luiz was far away, but he clung to life. Strangely, the further Luiz’s spirit retreated, the more clear the misty world around Manolito became. Voices grew louder. The room became still. Shadows with stretched skin and gaping mouths, with sharpened pegs for teeth, slithered across the walls and floor. Hunger burned and raked, clawing at every cell and organ in his body. He felt thin and stretched beyond endurance.

Manolito made an effort to concentrate only on Luiz.
They will no longer be your people. Your blood will be Carpathian. Jaguar will avoid you. Be very certain you understand what you are getting into before you choose.