Change of Heart

will protect you from now on—and your annoying friend, as well."
    He was right, Crane was annoying, but that he had included him without question made me happier than I could express.
    "Rest, baby, I have you."
    I was going to mention to him again that I was not his baby, but between his fingers massaging my scalp, the heat from his body, and the steady rise and fall of the road, I didn't feel like arguing with him.
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    175
    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes

Chapter Ten
    Logan and I stayed up well into the early hours of Sunday morning before I finally passed out in his arms. The last thing I remembered were soft kisses along my throat. When I rolled out of bed after ten, Logan was gone, so after I showered and changed, I went to find him. Downstairs, in the kitchen, I was surprised at the amount of people standing around, talking, plates of food in their hands. I realized that the house was probably filled with people there for the mating ceremony the following day, and my stomach clenched up. Everyone was expecting him to take Simone as his mate, and there I was in the mix. I would have gone back upstairs if someone hadn't called my name. When I turned, Eva Church was suddenly beside me.
    "Good morning, Jin."
    I tried to smile.
    "What's wrong?"
    Was she kidding?
    "Sweetheart?"
    I gestured around. "All these people are here to see Logan take Simone as his yareah, and I just feel like...." I trailed off, suddenly wanting to scream. Didn't everyone know that the man belonged to me?
    "Jin," Eva chuckled, taking my hand and holding it tight.
    "Honey, look at me."
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    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes
    My eyes flicked back to her face, and I noticed how she was looking at me, like she was proud. What in the world was going on?
    "Jin, dear, no one is under the impression that Logan is still taking Simone as his yareah. He made an announcement.
    Everyone knows that you're his mate."
    I was confused. "But then what are all these people doing here, if they didn't come for a mating ceremony? I don't get it."
    "Sweetheart, everyone's here to see you."
    "Me?" I was stunned.
    "Yes. I had no idea... I never knew, I mean, I knew reahs were special and rare, but I had no clue whatsoever that... I wasn't raised to understand. I didn't know that you...." She trailed off, her eyes welling up, softening. "Goodness, Jin, I'm rambling, but I didn't know that a semel finding his reah was just this side of a miracle. I didn't know that there was a special title, that the semel became semel-re and that's it just about the biggest deal ever."
    I took a deep breath.
    "Darling, I had no idea." I smiled at her as she just stared back at me. After several minutes, she took a breath. "Well, you must be starving," she said as she smiled, giving my hand a final squeeze before she let it go. "I've been cooking all morning. Let me make you a plate, all right?"
    "Sure," I agreed.
    I took the plate she offered me when she was done piling it with food. She was used to making portions for her huge sons. She would have to learn moderation with me.
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    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes
    I took my breakfast and a huge mug of coffee and walked first through the hole in the crowd that was made for me and then to the couch by the fireplace. Before I could start to eat, there was a throat clearing.
    I looked up into the face of Logan's father.
    "We haven't met formally."
    "But I know who you are," I said, rising to face the man.
    "I'd offer you my hand, but I know you wouldn't accept it."
    He shook his head. "I would, though. I would like to."
    Was I dreaming?
    He offered me his hand. "I'm Peter Church, Logan's father, and you're his reah."
    "I am." I nodded, taking the older man's hand and shaking it. "It's a pleasure, sir."
    "Oh, Jin." He smiled warmly. "The pleasure is all mine. I can't even tell you."
    It was? Since when?
    "May I speak to you, please?" he asked as he finally let go of my hand.
    I gestured to the loveseat across from me before I sank back down.
    "Jin," he said as he sat, leaning forward, hands clasped.
    "You must forgive me. You see, I never found my reah, and so even though I knew of them, I'd never seen one myself. I thought that a reah was really the same as a yareah. I had no idea it was any different at all. I mean, how could it really be?
    Taking a mate or finding one, big deal."
    "But all this," I said, gesturing around at the milling crowd,
    "all these people, this has changed your mind?"
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    Change of