Crucible of Fate

just talking about Ipis, yes? This scenario can be used on the whole world. Why can’t people just get along? They’re all human.”
    I shook my head. “It’s not the same thing.”
    “Of course it is.”
    “Panthers must adhere to the law. We are all bound to our semels and our tribes. The semel made a mistake allowing these two factions to coexist within his tribe. He compounded his error by allowing them to elect their own people to take their complaints to.”
    “Yes, but now they all have to learn to get along within what they’ve constructed.”
    “That’s crap. If Yuri comes back and tells me that these two djehus are unreasonable, I will take men back there, sit everyone down, and talk it out. If that doesn’t work either––then I will discipline.”
    She was glaring at me.
    “What?”
    “These things are not so simple,” she tried to impress upon me.
    “Sometimes they are,” I said, and then something occurred to me. “So Ammon was aware of these problems as well.”
    “Yes.”
    “So it’s been going on a long time.”
    “The struggles with these two groups are ongoing. Everyone knows that the tribe itself has a conflict going on within it, a civil disturbance. But the semel never reached out to Ammon.”
    “He didn’t reach out now; it’s Ehivet Milar, who is being kept from his son, who has reached out to me. If Hakkan Tarek didn’t want someone in his business, he should have sent the boy back to his father.”
    “Perhaps there is a reason for his silence.”
    “Well, Yuri will find out or has already. He’ll have a full report for me as soon as he gets home.”
    She appeared sad.
    “Why are you making that face?”
    “Oh, nothing, I just—I wish I’d known that Yuri was going out there. I would have loved to tag along and see the catacombs.”
    “You can go once we know what’s going on.” I snickered. “I’ll send a delegation with you to keep you safe.”
    “Maybe next time I visit,” she said, her eyes warm as she studied me. “So how many men would you send with me? The same as you sent with Yuri?”
    She was being funny, but the question made me realize I had no idea how to answer her question.
    “Domin?”
    Why didn’t I know that?
    “How many men did you send with Yuri?”
    I had no idea. “I’m not sure, besides Constantine. He was the only Yuri mentioned.”
    “So it’s possible that your mate left simply with one of your khatyu.”
    “He’s the captain of the house guard.”
    She was studying me. “You really don’t know who went with your mate?”
    I never did. Yuri took care of himself. He could, of course—he had been a sheseru, he knew what he needed to do to protect himself. Didn’t he? “Yuri doesn’t need me to coddle him or second-guess him or oversee his preparations.”
    She furrowed her brow. “You’re being very defensive, and I’m not attacking you.”
    “I—”
    “And I beg your pardon, but, yes, he does. The man is your mate, the mate of the semel-aten. He does nothing alone anymore. You are responsible for him, you make the law, and he follows it.”
    But I had watched Logan tangle with Jin, and Logan never won. “A semel should not rule his mate. He should—”
    “A semel should talk to his mate and let them make decisions, yes, but the mate of a semel is a precious thing and should be treated as such.”
    “I know that.”
    She didn’t seem convinced. “You treat Yuri as I suspect you always have. You put no boundaries on him.”
    “I want him to know he has his freedom.”
    “At what cost?”
    “At no cost,” I snapped. “He’s safe, I know he is, and if his damn phone had reception, I’d prove it to you.”
    “I thought he had a satellite phone?”
    “He does.”
    “Then how is it not working?”
    “Just—never mind.”
    Her eyes widened. “Did he misplace it or—”
    “He took the wrong one.”
    “And you didn’t insist that he come back and get the right one?”
    “No, of course not.”
    “Why?”
    “Because he was already— Why are you questioning me?” I almost yelled.
    “Because even though Ammon was a monster, he was far more possessive of me than you are of Yuri. He never loved me, and yet took far greater care for my safety than you take of Yuri’s.”
    “That’s not true.”
    “It is. You think because Yuri’s a man that the same confines are not needed for him, but you’re wrong. Your mate is your most precious possession; all care should be taken at all times. He