Change of Heart

ashen. "She'll be shamed and—"
    "Enough!" he roared, and his voice filled the room. "Every part of me wants to rip you apart right now because you're standing so close to him. Please just fuckin' move."
    "Logan, you—"
    "Listen to me! Listen instead of whining to me about your sister," he said, taking a shaky breath. "He's my mate, but he's not yet marked. And I know you won't try to... my head tells me you won't, but the rest of me... all I want to do is tear your throat out."
    "What are you saying? Logan, you can't have a male mate any more than I can."
    "Chris," he said, his eyes narrowing, darkening, a warning in his voice and stance. "Please just go."
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    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes
    "Logan, have him in private if you must, but don't call off the mating ceremony. You need a yareah to continue your bloodline. You can't just have him alone. That's mad—"
    "Get away from my mate, or I'll bleed you where you stand."
    His voice was chilling, filled with a snarling, savage, primal threat. At that moment, all he wanted was for Christophe to get away from me. If he didn't move, I had no doubt that Logan would kill him. I had no idea how long the two men had been friends, but Logan would slaughter him without a second of hesitation. To come between any cat and his mate was scary. To come between a semel and his reah was simply suicide.
    A semel and his reah... instinctively, I had thought the words. There was suddenly no air in my lungs. I felt lightheaded and dizzy, my legs unable to support me. I held onto the mantle for dear life and willed myself to breathe.
    "Logan," Christophe began. "You—"
    "Get out!" Logan thundered.
    Christophe bolted for the door without another word to either of us.
    "I'm not your mate," I said quickly, turning back to the mantle.
    "The hell you're not."
    I took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
    "You can't run from me. I won't allow it."
    I didn't turn around. "I'm not running."
    "Look at me."
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    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes
    But I couldn't. Looking at him made me dizzy. "I need to go."
    "I thought you weren't running."
    I had no idea what I was even saying anymore.
    "Turn around," he ordered, and I realized how close he suddenly was.
    I did as I was told.
    "I want to see your face."
    I lifted my eyes to his, seeing and hearing his sharp intake of breath as I was swallowed in his smoldering gaze. The deep topaz eyes were locked on mine, the dark gold eyebrows furrowed, and the muscles in the chiseled jaw were working. His stare should have made me burst into flames, as searing as it was.
    "Did Domin hurt you when you saw him earlier?"
    "No."
    "Lucky for him." He exhaled slowly, his breath warm as it ghosted across my face.
    "Listen, I should really—"
    "Tell me where your tribe is."
    "I don't have one."
    "Why not?"
    "Who cares? I just need to go. That guy Domin creeping around my place just—"
    "What?"
    "You should see my place," I said, raking my hands through my hair. "I totally missed the tracks and the rub marks. He might as well have put up big neon signs saying
    'Domin's territory'. It's crazy, and because I've been working 94
    Change of Heart
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    so much I just...." I trailed off, losing my train of thought as he took the last step so he was in front of me, looking down at me. "I can't stay here. I hafta go."
    "Why?" he asked, lifting his hand toward me. "Make me understand what makes you want to turn your back on a sacred bond."
    "Because I don't want anything to do with tribes or semels or anything else. I just wanna be a regular guy and live without all this bullshit."
    "You're a reah," he said softly, his fingers almost touching my cheek but stopping, hovering, holding still. "May I?"
    "What?"
    "I want to touch you."
    I had never been asked. Everyone just grabbed me or manhandled me or tried to make me submit. No one had ever made sure it was okay before they put their hands on me. I knew the smart thing to do was to say no; the smart thing was to get out of there and run as far away from Logan Church as I possibly could. There was no way I could ever be a member of the man's tribe. I would end up begging him to take me to bed.
    "Jin?"
    I felt like I had swallowed my heart. "You can touch me."
    His smile was so slight, just the corner of his full lips and a glow in his eyes. His fingers were feather-light on my skin, barely touching my cheek. I saw the slight shudder run through his powerful frame, just that much contact overwhelming for him. Not