Honored Vow

ourselves faced with a nekhene cat
    that none of us could control.”
    I waited for what came next.
    “Ammon has been placed under guard in seclusion, and he, too, has
    been ordered to change into his werepanther form. He has also requested
    that the final one-on-one trial between him and the challenger include the
    maahes so that now, your maahes will be unable to compete in the
    challenge of the heart. You must choose another to stand beside you.”
    He was acting like it was bad news. I would much rather have
    Domin with Logan in the final challenge than standing beside me in mine.
    “You must shift and tell me who will stand with your beset Crane
    Adams, Andrian Basargin, and yourself.”
    I looked at Crane and saw the concern on his face.

    Honored Vow

    189

    “Nekhene.”
    My eyes returned to the priest.
    “You were following the scent of the assassins back to Ammon and
    would have disemboweled him, as well, had you found him.”
    I was scared to hear what I had done.
    “Many of Orso’s khatyu were wounded before the counsel of your
    beset was heeded.”
    Again, I was looking at Crane.
    “It’s why you find yourself here, Jin; your beset had us release your
    semel, and he found you quickly and brought you here.”
    I had no memory of anything.
    “You would follow your semel anywhere, it seems.”
    Of course I would; the man was my mate, and I loved him.
    As soon as I thought it— mate —I was me and being pinned to the
    dirt floor under two hundred pounds of shifted creature that was my semel.
    “Oh blessed be Ra,” the priest gasped, and even though I knew he
    was right there, knew everyone was watching us along with him, I just
    didn’t care.
    “Logan.” I breathed out his name, laughing because I couldn’t help
    it. He was squashing me.
    He moved fast, and I felt a hand on the small of my back telling me
    not to move, not to run, before both clawed hands were on my hips, lifting
    my ass in the air. The swipe of tongue over my right cheek gave me an
    idea of what he wanted.
    The first purr was involuntary, as was the second one, when his
    fangs traced down the curve of my buttocks to the back of my thighs. He
    inhaled deeply, my musky scent apparently just as alluring as his was to
    me, and even as I wondered at his agenda, I realized I didn’t really care.
    “Jin.”
    Crane’s voice cut heat like nothing else, and the fog of passion
    cleared enough for me to lift up and look over my shoulder at my mate.
    His eyes were golden slits of primal, carnal need, and his mouth was
    open, panting. The urge to submit had me teetering on the verge of
    begging.
    He let his pheromones breathe between us, and when he heard my
    deep, dark moan, he came forward, his sweat-damp fur sliding over my

    190

    Mary Calmes

    own slick skin until his engorged shaft notched into the curve of my ass. I
    leaned forward to angle down so I could take him inside me.
    “Jin.”
    Logan bristled instantly at the intrusion, and claws scraped my skin.
    “Honey.”
    I lifted my head so I could see over Logan’s shoulder and find
    Crane.
    Honey.
    He never called me honey. The last time he had used it had been in
    Sobek after I had a panic attack.
    “Can you come out?”
    Out? Why the hell would I want to leave my mate? The nekhene in
    me was uneasy with the thought.
    “No,” Domin commanded, and all eyes were on him.
    “Do not let your power rise, you spoiled fuckin’ brat. Get the hell
    out of there; we’ve got a sepat to finish, and you’re not allowed to fuck
    your mate right now. Think about Logan seeing you and then having you
    taken away and then given back—how screwed up do you want him to
    be?”
    He was talking about my mate, whom I loved. My semel… and I
    was his reah.
    I took a breath, steadying myself, before I leaned free of his grip,
    crawled forward, and stood up. I was looking down at him for only a
    second, and then he was mirroring my movement, rising, staring at me. I
    took a step back and he followed instantly, stalking me. This was, after all,
    his favorite game.
    “Shit,” I whispered, knowing there was no way I was getting out.
    “I can go in and distract him,” Mikhail suggested.
    “He’ll tear you apart,” Yuri assured him.
    “Jin.”
    I glanced at Crane.
    “Just put him on the ground, on his knees, and let him know it’s
    okay and then walk out.”
    How could I explain that even when Logan was a man, he liked this
    game? There were private things between my mate and me that