Crucible of Fate

me.”
    “What do you mean how ?”
    “The child was born four months after they got home from Mongolia. How?”
    “Oh, well, that’s simple. Jin’s child is the son of a nekhene cat,” I said matter-of-factly. “As it was explained to me, the werepanther in his blood overrode everything else so the gestation was not human, but cat.”
    “Meaning?”
    “Meaning, as you know, the average gestation for a big cat is ninety to ninety-six days. For a leopard, I think its 101 days. Jin’s child was born three months after the surrogate was inseminated.”
    “That’s amazing, right?”
    “It would be for anyone but Jin Church.”
    “His DNA must be something. I’m sure any scientist in the world would love to get their hands on him.”
    I snorted. “As if Logan would allow Jin or his child or the surrogate who bore his child anywhere near a human hospital.”
    “I’m not arguing. It’s just an observation.”
    “I know.”
    “Is it true about the baby?”
    “What?”
    “Was he really born in his werepanther form?”
    “Yes.”
    “So there’s no doubt that he’s a semel, then.”
    “No, everyone there said they’d never seen anything like it. I mean, none of us ever shift before adolescence, but Jin and Logan’s kid comes out shifted.”
    “Well, Jin and Delphine’s kid,” she corrected.
    “Make no mistake,” I cautioned her. “Logan’s bloodline mixing with Jin’s—that is only their child.”
    “No, I know I just… it’s… I can’t imagine.”
    “I know,” I agreed. “Apparently it took Logan holding his son for him to shift to human.”
    “Not Jin?”
    “No, I guess Jin’s pheromones just made his son want to shift to full panther.”
    “So, wait,” she said, making sure she’d heard me right. “The only cat Jin the reah can’t soothe is his own son?”
    “Yeah, and apparently he’s all in a twist about it. I know you don’t know Jin that well, but I will tell you there’s no way he’s taking something like that in stride. I’m sure he’s feeling very hurt and useless right about now.”
    “But he’s still his son’s father.”
    “But you know as well as I do that semels bond with their fathers and not—”
    “Jin is his father.”
    “I mean, semels bond with their fathers who are semels . So Ilia will naturally relax around Logan, will want Logan. It’s just how it is.”
    “But that’s not to say that Jin isn’t necessary.”
    “No, but if Jin were a woman, he would be giving his son nourishment, but as he’s not….”
    “Oh, I see: what precisely is he doing, then.”
    “Exactly. Nothing. I’m sure he feels utterly worthless.”
    “Poor Jin.”
    “I should probably let Yuri go to him.”
    “Maybe another, instead.”
    Only she and Yuri gave me any counsel—ever. “Crane?”
    “Yes. Just think how the reah must be missing his beset, especially now.”
    “I could never do that to Crane.”
    “Do what?” She eyeballed me. “Take his maahes status from him?”
    “Yes.”
    “But perhaps it will be taken from him if he loses in the pit to Elham.”
    “You just don’t want to have to be the man’s mate.”
    “No, I don’t, but I also don’t want to watch him flay Crane’s skin from his body.”
    “If they’re in the pit together—”
    “It’s not that kind of challenge. He gets to have one of his men fight one of Crane’s. A fight for the position of prince is not done by the maahes and the challenger, but by men that they both pick.”
    “So Crane won’t be in the pit to fight for his position?”
    “Of course not.” She was scowling now. “Have you talked to your sylvan about this?”
    “No, my sylvan’s been too busy disciplining his people and having sex with my hathen!”
    “Your house is in disarray, my lord.”
    “You think?”
    She tipped her head sideways as she regarded me. “May I ask a question?”
    I gestured for her to go ahead.
    “Why do you stay? Why do you remain semel-aten?”
    I didn’t answer because I wasn’t sure what she meant.
    “Domin?”
    “Fate.”
    “I’m sorry?”
    How to explain…. “So I was a semel, and then that was taken from me, but now I am a semel again.”
    From the expression on her face, I could tell she had never considered that before. “But you could step down, release the seat to Elham, and then he wouldn’t go after Crane, he wouldn’t even begin this campaign to usurp you.”
    “Is this your advice?”
    “No, I simply wonder at you. Are you trying to hold