to Liv, and what he was still doing to both of them. It made her feel helpless and out of control, two states she’d never been fond of.
“This sucks, Emme,” she said aloud. What else could she say? Because it did. “What do you tell him?”
“That if he harms Liv, or forces her to harm herself, then I’ll kill myself.” Emeline turned haunted eyes on Charlotte. “I would, too. And he knows it. So far it’s worked, but I can tell he’s getting impatient with me. I’m worried about Liv. I want Tariq to convert her. Tell him he has to do it immediately.”
The entire time, Emeline whispered, but every word pierced Charlotte’s heart. She wanted to hold Emeline tight and keep her safe. She wanted to hunt down Vadim and make him suffer a long time before he died. Or maybe just kill him quickly before he fried her.
“I will, Emme, I promise. I’m going to tell him everything. You know that. You have Blaze. You know what a lifemate is.” She frowned, suddenly afraid. Can vampires have lifemates? Could Emeline be Vadim’s lifemate?
There was a small silence. She knew Tariq was listening to every word Emeline said and he was nearly as upset as she was, but in a different, more predatory, scary way. She knew he would insist on Emeline allowing the male Carpathians to aid her sleep and Emeline was going to resist.
To become a vampire, a Carpathian hunter must choose to give up his soul. In that moment, he is lost, never to be recovered. If by chance he runs across his other half, he will know and feel regret for a moment, but it is fleeting, and she will be in terrible danger. He cannot kill her himself, but he would not want that reminder alive. Emeline is not Vadim’s lifemate. She would know and she would be suffering differently. Vadim took her blood and forced her to take his, just as he did with Liv. More, I think he did at least two blood exchanges with Emeline. If that is so, I don’t know how she lives with the acid burning her. She refuses to allow a male to aid her.
She needs help. She’s ill.
A master vampire exchanged blood with her, Charlotte.
Tariq sounded patient, as if he were explaining things to a child. That definitely gave Charlotte a target for the pent-up anger she had nowhere to put. I know that, she hissed back, letting him see the edge of her temper.
Sielamet, beloved. Keeper of my soul. His voice went soft and intimate, caressing her from the inside out. I know this is difficult. To see Emeline that way and not be able to aid her is devastating, but she refuses our aid. Should we force her? Should we be as Vadim is? Taking her will? Even though it is for her own good? We are coming close to having no choice in the matter, but it was agreed we would give her time to make the choice herself. Blaze has tried with her. Amelia has. We are all counting on you. To place such a burden on your shoulders is wrong, I know it is, but we are trying to save her sanity as well as her life.
She heard the guilt and regret in his voice. He detested her being there more than she did, but it was coming to the point where they would force Emeline to accept their aid, and all of them were afraid if they did so, they would lose her. Charlotte feared they were right.
Keep her talking. She’s telling you more than she has anyone. Maksim is sending Blaze to you and after she gets there, I’ll give it a few minutes and then send Genevieve. Hopefully the conversation will end on a good note, not a bad one. She’ll feel surrounded by women she can trust.
She knew he was doing his best, feeling his way just as she was. “Emeline, has Liv said she can hear voices whispering?”
Charlotte knew what that felt like. Vadim’s voice talking to her, commanding her to get out of the tunnels. She’d felt violated that he was in her mind and terrified that he might be able to use her as a spy. That splinter was still in her. As long as she was on Tariq’s property she thought she was safe, but maybe she wasn’t. She knew that voice. That horrible, sweet temptation. She studied Emeline carefully. It wasn’t just