Trusted Bond

Calmes

    He slowly got off the bed. ―Sleep some more and I‘ll check on you,
    and next time you wake up, we‘ll talk about you maybe getting out of
    bed.‖
    ―Okay.‖
    ―Okay.‖ He bent over and kissed my temple, and I smiled and closed
    my eyes. Instantly I saw a hand, and a cloth covered my mouth. I jerked
    hard.
    ―Jin?‖
    I looked up, and there was Delphine hovering over me.
    ―Hi, sweetie,‖ she whispered, leaning over to touch my hair.
    ―Logan‘s just talking to Martine Soto, he came by to see you, and… so
    Logan told me to come in here and take care of you while he got
    everybody settled down to a very, very late dinner.‖
    I just stared at her. I‘d fallen asleep that fast and had a nightmare just
    as quickly. It was a little spooky.
    ―What can I get you?‖
    I shook my head. My heart was pumping and I was shaking. Instant
    terror, and it was hard to get my body to realize I didn‘t need to run. It was
    fight or flight, and I was a runner.
    ―Here,‖ she said, walking around the bed to get in from Logan‘s
    side, crawling over to me. She lay down in front of me, curling her body
    into mine, her back pressed to my chest. ―Hold me, you‘ll feel better.‖
    Panthers craved touch, it was soothing, and me holding her was
    better than her holding me, because I could move if I wanted to. I
    wouldn‘t feel trapped. I spooned her, putting my left arm gently around
    her waist, my face in her hair, my head down on my curled right arm. She
    was warm, and she smelled like honey and vanilla. I inhaled her. I felt her
    tremble in my arms, saw the goose bumps rise on her skin. I pulled her
    tighter, but I couldn‘t relax.
    ―I gotta get up,‖ I told her, rolling over onto my back. ―I can‘t sleep
    anymore, anyway.‖
    ―Okay.‖ She rolled her head so she could look into my face. ―I‘ll
    help you.‖
    ―Could you go get Logan?‖
    She couldn‘t hide her disappointment. ―Of course.‖
    I didn‘t have the energy to console her. I just wanted my mate.
    ―Thanks.‖
    Trusted Bond

    237

    She left and my eyes drifted closed. In seconds, it seemed, I had a
    hand on my chest. I opened my eyes and he was standing above me.
    ―I need to get up,‖ I almost cried.
    ―You need to sleep,‖ Logan said. ―Can I hold you, or is that not okay
    right now?‖
    I swallowed hard. ―No… that‘s always okay.‖
    He got on the bed, crawled over to me, and laid down behind me.
    ―Are you sure this is all right?‖ His breath was warm on the side of my
    neck.
    My whimper was low, husky.
    ―I see,‖ he said, grabbing me tight, wrapping me in his arms and
    tucking me against his chest. He nuzzled his face into the back of my neck
    and inhaled deeply.
    It was instant. As soon as he touched me, I settled, relaxed, and felt
    my body get heavy. And I loved Delphine so much, she was the sister I
    never had and always wanted, but the difference was like night and day.
    Like crawling under warm blankets on a cold night, he just soothed me so
    I could breathe. I couldn‘t press my body back close enough to his.
    ―Go to sleep.‖
    ―Logan,‖ I sighed, twisting around in his arms, turning so I was
    facing him, staring into his beautiful topaz eyes.
    His hand slipped down to the small of my back so he could press me
    forward against him. ―Take me with you from now on, okay? Don‘t leave
    me.‖
    ―I won‘t.‖
    ―Promise?‖
    ―I promise,‖ I whispered.
    ―Okay.‖ He let out a deep breath.
    Lying there in bed, looking at the man I loved, I felt better than I had
    all day.

    238

    Mary Calmes

    Chapter 17

    I WAS supposed to be resting again. Even after eating and drinking, even
    after a shower and a long nap, Logan had ordered me to stay in the suite
    and just lay around. I was allowed to do nothing more strenuous than
    lounge in the hammock outside on the veranda.
    As it was the following night, the night of the heru-ur, I had no
    company. Everyone else was gone.
    ―What is the heru-ur exactly?‖ Delphine had asked me as she eyed
    Yuri, Mikhail, and Crane. They were obviously restless waiting for Logan,
    chomping at the bit to go.
    ―It‘s a big orgy,‖ I told her.
    Her eyes got huge.
    I smirked at her.
    She gestured with the tray of meat she was taking to Markel. ―And
    so they‘re all gonna do what?‖
    ―Fuck anything that moves,‖ I told her.
    ―Eww.‖
    ―Tell me about it,‖ I chuckled before noticing that she looked
    stunned all of a sudden. ―What?‖
    ―Markel wanted