“He is not,” Jasmine denied.
“Yes, he is,” Jubal corrected. “I’ve been waiting for years for you. Years. You aren’t going to risk your life when there are six Carpathian ancients, Solange and another Carpathian woman, plus me, ready to take these fools down. No one can possibly mother Sandrine the way you can. You aren’t expendable.”
“Waiting for me for years?” Jasmine echoed, ignoring the rest.
He sighed. “You’re the only one who doesn’t know. I’ve given up on the idea of asking you to marry me. I already talked to Sandrine and Solange. They agree it’s a great idea. I asked Dominic for your hand. He said yes. We’re doing it. Why do you think we’re here? Juliette and Riordan will be here next rising, and we’re getting married.”
“But . . .” Jasmine looked a little helplessly at Solange, although Sandu could see she was excited. Her breathing had gone a little ragged, and the pupils of her eyes were dilated. “What about your sisters?” She wasn’t protesting the idea of being railroaded into marriage at all.
Jubal shrugged. “They’ll understand. We’ll go visit them when we have the chance. Joie’s back in the Carpathian Mountains, but I doubt if Gabrielle will be coming back any time soon. We might have to make a trip to Washington.”
Jasmine didn’t seem to object. She did grip his arm again. “Since you all seem to have a plan that you think is so much better than mine, would someone like to tell me what it is?”
Dominic smiled at her. “Sisarke, we are going to find the enemy, and we will exterminate them once and for all.”
“How many of them are there?”
“Jasmine,” Solange cautioned.
“No, I want to know what all of you are facing on my behalf.”
“Remember, they would be after Juliette and Solange, as well,” Dominic pointed out. “You are not the only one with royal blood running in your veins. There is no guilt here. Whatever these men do, it is on them, not on you or anyone else.”
Jasmine nodded. “I do know that, Dominic, it’s just so hard after hiding away for the past few years and being so afraid to finally have them be here. I’m actually terrified but glad in a way that it’s finally happening.”
“Why, exactly, are they after you?” Adalasia asked. “I’m not certain I understand why these men would be so persistent after all these years. It has been years, hasn’t it?”
She needs to find a way to talk this out. She really is afraid for everyone. Especially Solange and Jubal. I can see it in her eyes, Sandu. I can feel the fear pouring off her in waves. Look at the way she looks at her cousin.
Sandu couldn’t help following Jasmine’s gaze. Solange stood very close to Dominic now, a little behind him, so that his imposing figure nearly covered hers, although he was seated and she was standing.
Jasmine moistened her lips. “Yes.” Her voice wavered for a moment. Then her head went up as she met her cousin’s eyes. “Solange, my sister Juliette and I, and now Sandrine are the last of our bloodline. Even though Solange has been converted, the Jaguar line still runs in her. She is royalty. I can shift, but for a long time, I couldn’t maintain my Jaguar side for long. With practice, I’ve gotten better. Sandrine is very good at shifting. Her jaguar is strong. We don’t allow anyone to see her shifting, and these men, those hunting us, if they knew, they would take her, and the moment she was able, they would use her for breeding purposes. That’s all they care about. They were part of the downfall of our species, and yet they continue to do the exact same things they did before.” There was contempt in her voice. “They don’t care about the females of their species. They hunt them, capture them, rape and impregnate them over and over until the woman dies. They don’t seem to see that they are responsible for the extinction of the Jaguar people.”
“Apparently, the mages had a hand in helping to wipe out our people,” Solange said. “From what Dominic and I gathered, Xavier, the high mage, was to rid the world of all Carpathians. He had two brothers. One was to get rid of the Jaguar people and the other the Lycans. They nearly succeeded in all counts. The Lycans and Carpathians nearly went to war. The Jaguar species are all but extinct. The Carpathians are still on the brink. Mikhail, the prince, is slowly turning things around, but it is a slow process, and the tiniest thing might shift the balance against him.”
“These men want you, Jasmine, because they think you can provide royal babies?” Adalasia asked.