Carpathian 23 - Dark Storm

and
     Gary made a point of building a friendship with her. Jubal has two sisters, and he
     hated that she was so alone all the time. He’s really made an effort to spend time
     with her.
    He’s a good man, Riley said. I don’t know what I would have done without the two of them, Gary and Jubal.
    “I didn’t have a chance to tell you how sorry I am about your mother,” Juliette said.
     “A terrible loss. Gary and Jubal told us what happened.”
    Meaning they knew the truth. Riley’s fingers curled in Dax’s hand. She was glad he
     was there beside her giving her comfort. Without being surrounded by plants and the
     soil, Riley felt her mother’s loss acutely. Dax slipped his arm around her, pulling
     her beneath his shoulder.
    “Sometimes I feel like our world has been turned into a killing ground,” Jasmine said.
     “I dread going back there with my baby, but I don’t like the city.”
    “Why don’t you recoup in the Carpathian Mountains?” Jubal suggested. “Solange is there
     right now with Dominic. We could take good care of you there. And your cousin would
     be thrilled to see the new baby.”
    Juliette stirred, scowling at Jubal, obviously not caring for the idea.
    Jasmine’s face lit up. “That’s a good idea. I never thought about going somewhere
     altogether different, but I’d love to visit that area. It looks so beautiful, and
     it’s remote enough that I think I could breathe there.”
    “Riordan won’t be able to get away from here for a while,” Juliette cautioned. “Months
     maybe. We’ll take you as soon as we can though, if that’s what you want.”
    Jasmine reached out her hand to her sister. “I’m quite capable of going by myself,
     Juliette. You can’t spend your entire life worried about me. You’ve already spent
     far too many years doing just that. I’m all grown up.”
    “You’re my family, Jasmine,” Juliette said. “I like being close to you. It’s important
     to me. If you think for one moment you’re a burden, you’re not and never have been.
     I’d hoped you and Luiz . . .” Her voice trailed off.
    Jubal scowled darkly, sitting up straight, all that languid cool dissipating. “Luiz?
     Who the hell is Luiz?”
    Uh oh. I think Jubal has a thing for little Miss Jasmine , Riley confided, amusement spilling into Dax’s mind. Mr. Calm, Cool and Collected has been hiding a secret, biding his time and getting
     ready to swoop in and get the girl when she isn’t looking .
    “Luiz is just a friend,” Jasmine said. “He and Manolito are friends,” she added in
     explanation to Jubal. “He was jaguar, like Juliette and me. He did his best to help
     us, and the other males had turned on him. He’s Carpathian now.”
    “You could be Carpathian,” Juliette insisted. “Anytime you want . . .”
    Jasmine was already shaking her head. “I just want to be me for a little while. So
     much has happened and I’d just like to have a little peace and enjoy my baby.”
    “Luiz would be so perfect,” Juliette said. “Are you certain? He understands the jaguar
     in you and he knows our past. He’d be good to you.”
    “I don’t love him,” Jasmine returned gently. Firmly. “I’m sorry, Juliette. I know
     I must frustrate you, but when I settle down with a man, I want what you have. Real
     love. Real commitment.”
    “Then you need a Carpathian.”
    “Are you saying human males aren’t capable of real love for their women? Because I’m
     going to tell you right now, that isn’t so,” Jubal demanded, an edge to his voice.
     “My father is totally devoted to my mother and he always has been.”
    “I have to admit,” Riley chimed in, “my father was devoted to my mother as well. We
     knew several couples who had been together well over fifty years. That should count
     for something.”
    “I’m sorry,” Juliette apologized immediately. “I know that sounded very wrong. I didn’t
     mean it that way. It’s just that the idea of me outliving Jasmine is upsetting to
     me.” She ducked her head, looking down at her hands. “We both have lost so much. There’s
     only Solange and Jasmine on my side of the family.”
    Jasmine held out her hand to her sister. “It’s always been the three of us. Now we’ll
     be four. I haven’t ruled out converting yet, but I want to know if my baby is capable
     of converting before I even consider it.”
    Jubal sank back in his chair, looking for all the world as if he hadn’t a care. Jasmine