She scrunched up her forehead as she tried to follow his logic. “I took Kyle with me, but that wasn’t intentional.”
“I’m not talking about Kyle. The wolves didn’t find the cabin until after you’d flashed out, so there was no real danger at the time. Kyle was there to protect you. I have a feeling your Therian side knew that all along.”
“Where are you going with this?” She rubbed the bridge of her nose as a dull throb erupted behind her eyes. “What do you think the teleportation really means?”
His lips parted as if he would tell her and then he shook his head and chuckled. “I’m not sure yet. I think I’ve read too many spy novels or something. Just ignore me.”
She seriously doubted Jake had been ignored a day in his life. He had the kind of personality that would draw people to him even if he weren’t disgustingly handsome. “What’s an Omni Prime?”
He shifted his forearms to the tabletop. “I can’t believe I fell into that trap.”
“It wasn’t a trap. But the door’s been opened, so I want to know more. If it involves my sister, I have a right to know.”
“It’s a long, complicated story and Erin, Kyle’s mother, is the best person to tell you. She’s our Historian. It’s her job to keep all the facts straight. You’ll meet her tomorrow.”
“All right. A detailed history can wait, but tell me about my sister. What did the ritual do to her?” He just stared at her for a moment and trepidation sent a shiver down her spine. “Kyle told me Osric has the right to name my mate, but it’s more than that, isn’t it? Will I be expected to undergo this blood ritual? Am I an Omni Prime too?”
A slow smile curved Jake’s lips while speculation narrowed his gaze. “I guess we’ll run through the basic facts. The Omni Prime is a line of gifted females within the Therian nation. Their purpose is to balance the power of the male-dominated councils. They haven’t existed, at full strength, for hundreds of years, but the potential exists within your bloodline.”
“And Osric is desperate to control that potential power.”
“It’s not just Osric,” Jake stressed. “There are many who want to control the Omni Prime. Osric just happens to have the council’s backing because of the antiquated laws contained within the Charter.”
Even having glimpsed the ritual in her vision, the idea didn’t seem real. She felt as if they were talking about a movie or a graphic novel, something wild and unbelievable. “Carissa obviously learned about this potential and agreed to attempt the ritual.”
“Yes. With Quinn at her side, she felt safe and empowered enough to reclaim her rightful heritage.”
“Which brings us back to my original questions. How many of you participated in the ritual and what did it do to Carissa?”
“The ritual requires six.”
“This is why Kyle was so quick to make sure I understood definition doesn’t require sex. My sister didn’t sleep with anyone but Quinn.” She paused for a long, shaky breath, needing to remind herself that Carissa was safe and in the arms of the man she loved. She’d still feel a whole lot better once she’d seen Carissa for herself. “She just drank your blood.” Ava rubbed her eyes as her stomach tightened in protest.
“I know it’s hard to imagine, but I want you to know that Carissa made the decision for herself. Nothing was forced on her.”
Actually it wasn’t hard to imagine at all. She just closed her eyes and she could see her sister’s face, the passion burning in her eyes and the wildness in her expression. There had been an elemental hunger, a primal awareness Ava had shared for a second before her logical brain drew her back from the smoldering intensity. “Then she can shift into six different animals?”
“Your sister is still learning how to control her abilities. It will be years, perhaps decades before her full potential is realized. Historic Omni Primes could shift at will into anything they desired, but we’re honestly not sure what Carissa will be able to accomplish. The bloodline hasn’t been maintained as well as it should have been.”
“Can there be more than one Omni Prime or will I only undergo the ritual if something happens to Carissa?” Did she even want to undergo a blood ritual? Ava was firstborn, by all of eleven minutes, but firstborn nonetheless. Had Carissa… She shook away the doubt before it finished forming. They had never been competitive like that. For much of her life Carissa had been Ava’s only friend and vice versa. There was no way Carissa would have done something so underhanded.