Trusted Bond

end.
    ―Logan?‖
    ―What other guy?‖
    ―Is Yuri there?‖
    ―Yes.‖
    ―Just––talk to him and then call me back. I promise to pick up.‖
    ―No, you have my summons. You will appear before me now.‖
    ―You know I don‘t have to––‖
    ―Are you confused about the law, that which you know so
    thoroughly?‖
    ―No.‖
    He cleared his throat. ―Just tell me where you are, and I‘ll come to
    you.‖ His voice had softened to coaxing. ―Or put Mikhail on and he‘ll tell
    me.‖
    ―No, I‘ll be right there.‖
    ―Answer me this: how badly were you hurt?‖
    I made a noise in the back of my throat. ―Kinda bad.‖
    ―Are there marks on you?‖
    ―Yes.‖
    ―Marks you haven‘t been able to heal yet?‖
    ―Logan––‖
    ―Answer me.‖
    ―Yes, there are marks I haven‘t healed yet.‖
    He coughed softly. ―You have a half an hour to be in this house, or I
    will simply go to Christophe and demand that he hand over the panthers to
    me, beginning with his own sheseru.‖
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    31

    ―I need to pick up my Jeep. I don‘t want it to get towed and––‖
    ―Fine, Mikhail will go with you and follow you back.‖
    ―You don‘t trust me,‖ I said flatly.
    ―I want you home,‖ he said ominously. ―I want to look at you. I want
    to see you and know you‘re really all right.‖
    ―I am.‖
    ―Come home and show me.‖
    ―I‘m coming,‖ I told him, standing up and walking toward the door.
    ―I just need to say goodnight to Artem‘s mother and check on his brother
    one last time.‖
    ―Fine, I will speak to Yuri while I wait.‖
    ―He saved my life,‖ I blurted out, feeling like I needed to defend my
    sheseru.
    ―Your life needed saving?‖
    I talked too much when I was nervous. ―No, not exact––‖
    ―In your own home, you were in fear for your life? You didn‘t just
    fight; it was a fight for your life?‖
    There was nothing I could say to make it better. He was going to go
    ballistic, and there was no way to stop it. All I was doing was postponing
    the inevitable. I could not even imagine the fallout.
    ―How many men were in my house, Jin?‖
    ―Counting Abbot, there were four.‖
    ―Four?‖
    ―One of them ran. I don‘t know who he was or where he is.‖
    ―Four,‖ he repeated to himself.
    ―Yuri knows everything.‖
    ―Then I‘ll speak to him while I wait.‖
    ―It‘s nobody‘s fault.‖
    ―Where were Crane and Markel while Yuri was saving your life?‖
    Shit. ―They were there.‖
    ―Help me understand how Markel, a former sheseru, Crane, your
    beset, and my sheseru could not contain four panthers?‖
    ―There were only three. One ran––‖
    ―Even better,‖ he said, cutting me off. ―Three panthers against four,
    if we‘re counting you. How is it even possible that you got hurt?‖
    32

    Mary Calmes

    ―It‘s not as simple as that.‖
    ―Why not?‖
    ―It‘s just isn‘t.‖
    ―Who took care of you afterwards, my reah?‖
    ―I… I had to send everyone away.‖
    ―You sent my father away?‖
    ―He had to go talk to Avery.‖
    ―How did he know the panthers fled to the tribe of Pakhet?‖
    ―Avery called to speak to me, but I wasn‘t––I couldn‘t talk.‖
    ―Christophe was with me in New York at his sister‘s mating
    ceremony—whatever decision Avery made, he made of his own volition.‖
    ―I know. He hates me, it makes sense he would give sanctuary to the
    panthers that attacked me.‖
    ―Avery doesn‘t hate you,‖ he said, exhaling. ―Quite the opposite. It‘s
    doubtful he knew what they had done when he granted them sanctuary.
    What‘s more likely is that they told him they were running from Yuri, and
    that‘s what prompted his agreement.‖
    The explanation made sense. Avery and Yuri‘s bad blood predated
    my arrival.
    ―I will call and speak to Christophe.‖
    ―Sure.‖
    ―While I await your return.‖
    He still wanted me home. ―It‘s late. You‘ve gotta be tired from
    your––‖
    ―I want you home now.‖
    ―Logan.‖
    ―Did you hear me?‖
    I had. No way not to.
    ―Jin?‖
    ―I heard you.‖
    ―Good. Now hurry,‖ he said before he hung up.
    I did.

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    33

    Chapter 3

    THERE was nothing to do but think on the way home, and because I
    would drive myself crazy if I kept obsessing about Logan, I started
    thinking about my best friend instead.
    I was worried that if Crane was not accepted soon by Logan‘s sister
    Delphine, he would want to leave. I didn‘t want him to