Carpathian 18 - Dark Possesion

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 he no saving him.
    Manolito came back to his own body and shook his head with regret. He respected Luiz. "I am sorry, päläfertül , 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?"
    Chapter Eleven

    "You 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.