Change of Heart

me.
    "Jin, Logan Church needs to see—"
    I took a step back. "I can't. We hafta go; you heard my semel."
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    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes
    His brows furrowed. "This man is no more your mate than—"
    "We really need to—"
    "You misunderstand—"
    "I'm freezing out here." I smiled at him. My thick wool sweater, the parka over it, my beanie, my jeans, my hiking boots—I was dressed for the snow, but none of it was keeping the wind from slicing through me.
    "Jin, I only need you to listen for a—"
    "We saved your semel's sister," I cut him off. "Is this how we get repaid? We get forced to see him just because you can make us?"
    That stopped him, his eyes clouding. "I think it would be in both your best interests."
    I smiled quickly. "I don't. There's no purpose for him to meet a mated reah."
    "But you're not a—"
    "I need to go. Give your semel my apologies."
    He tried to argue, but I was already walking away, Crane close behind me.
    Halfway down the street, I had to duck inside one of Crane's favorite pubs because he wanted to say goodbye to his drinking buddies. The man had always made friends so easily, and I was always the one who made him leave them. I felt bad, so I trailed after him and didn't say a word. The place was packed, and I was forced to inch my way toward the bar. When I was suddenly grabbed and shoved up against the glass window, for a second I was too surprised to react.
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    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes
    My head snapped up to the face of the man who had me pinned there.
    "Jin." He smiled at me.
    I just stared. He was handsome, and at any other moment, I would have found him tall, dark, and definitely my type, but he had his hands on me without benefit of permission or introduction.
    "I'm Domin Thorne," he said softly, his eyes narrowing.
    "And you're going to be my reah."
    While it was easy to see his innate beauty, it was also simple to see the lack of conviction in his dark brown eyes. It was a game, and I was sport, nothing more.
    "Take my hand," he ordered, taking a step back before thrusting his hand at me.
    I didn't move.
    "Remember your manners." He smirked.
    I took another step away, because I knew exactly who he was. "You're the semel of the tribe that attacked Delphine."
    "So what?" he chuckled, and his dark eyes seemed almost liquid. "You have no ties to Delphine or her tribe. You don't care. I would have known."
    "What do you mean?"
    "I know everything about you."
    The hair on the back of my neck stood up. "How?"
    "I watch you."
    Apparently Crane and I both had stalkers, the stripper's ex and this guy; how lucky were we? "You watch me?"
    He nodded. "All the time."
    "When do you—"
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    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes
    "At night, while you sleep... I watch."
    I was suddenly furious. "And were you watching the night that psycho nearly killed me?"
    "Yes." He smiled wickedly. "Had he overpowered you, I would have interfered, but I wanted to see how strong you were. I wanted to see if you could save yourself."
    "Asshole," I growled, shoving him back, turning away quickly, headed for the door.
    He caught me outside in the alley. "You have terrible manners, reah," he said as his hand closed around my neck, choking me as he gripped my throat. His eyes held no trace of anything but menace. "It was like this... he cut of your air like this."
    I couldn't breathe, but I didn't panic. I didn't frighten that easily.
    "Perhaps I will drag you to my car and make you mine."
    "I won't let you."
    "Then I'll make you."
    "You mean you'll rape me."
    "Rape you, mark you... yeah, it'll be fun."
    "Never happen."
    "There are others there. They could hold you down."
    His tribe obviously respected no rules, no laws; he was the leader of a gang, not a nurturing, loyal family. I had come across many of those. "You know nothing of the law."
    "I know what I want."
    But he said it without any conviction whatsoever.
    "And I want a reah."
    He wanted a reah, not me specifically. Any reah would do.
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    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes
    "You smell amazing."
    When I looked down his body and saw the bulge in his jeans, I realized that having me seemingly at his mercy was a big turn-on for him.
    "Even with everything else around us... all I can smell is you."
    I could move so fast, and even though he said he'd been watching me, he had apparently missed that piece. Before he could react, I had my claws buried in his wrist. He gasped as he released my throat, pulling his hand back like he'd been burned. His eyes were