Trusted Bond

too.‖
    ―Why?‖
    ―Because you‘re scary,‖ I assured him.
    ―What?‖
    I glanced at the others for backup.
    ―It‘s true,‖ Yuri sighed. ―I would not want to ever meet you one-on-
    one in the pit.‖
    ―Me either,‖ Mikhail agreed.
    ―Yeah, me either,‖ Domin told him, ―which was why I put it off for
    so long when I was faced with that decision. I don‘t think you realize how
    frightening you are.‖
    Logan growled his frustration, and I understood. His choices were
    being taken from him. ―Kellen Grant will hand his men over to me
    because if he doesn‘t it‘ll be his head I take.‖
    I shivered.
    ―It can‘t be helped, Jin.‖
    ―They forfeited their lives the second they put their hands on you,‖
    Yuri assured me, his eyes flat, cold, his voice devoid of feeling. ―The only
    end they have is how well they choose to die in the pit.‖
    My mate nodded. ―The moment we get to the feast, I will ask for
    an… audience… with the priest of… what are you doing?‖ He chuckled
    suddenly, looking at me.
    ―What?‖ I asked, distracted, smiling back. The way he was looking
    at me, how soft his eyes were, made my stomach flutter.
    ―Why are you looking around?‖
    ―Don‘t you smell that?‖
    ―Smell what?‖
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    Mary Calmes

    How could he miss it? I looked at Yuri. ―Can you smell it?‖
    He shook his head. ―What should I be smelling?‖
    ―I only smell Domin,‖ Koren chimed in.
    I rolled my eyes.
    ―What is it?‖ Mikhail asked me. ―What do you smell?‖
    I had no idea how they were missing it. I could taste the smell, it was
    so strong. ―Really? You don‘t smell that?‖
    ―What is it?‖ Logan asked, reaching out to touch my hair. He
    couldn‘t keep his hands off of me.
    ―Like eucalyptus,‖ I said slowly, looking around. I knew the scent,
    but it made no sense in the kitchen, since there were no windows open,
    and as far as I knew, there were no eucalyptus trees on the entire
    mountain, much less our property.
    ―I don‘t—‖
    Logan was cut off when there was a slight whistle, and Yuri grunted
    before he turned to look at me and then sank to his knees, crashing hard to
    the floor. I went to move, but Peter and Mikhail collapsed around me.
    Delphine said my name and fell forward onto the table. Markel slumped
    sideways out of his chair, dropping to the floor. Turning my head, I saw
    that Koren had collapsed over a prone Domin. Ivan was crumpled beside
    the table, shattered glass and pooling orange juice around him.
    I was going to yell for Crane, to warn him, but Logan shoved me
    behind him, distracting me. Before I got my hands on him, wanting to
    touch him, he fell back against me, forcing me to my knees so I could
    guide him in his slow slide down my body to the tile floor.
    I clutched at him as the kitchen filled with eight men, all looking
    very normal in T-shirts, jeans, army boots, and—the oddity—Kevlar vests.
    They were all carrying rifles with scopes, and I noticed the darts then,
    instead of bullets, as one man loaded them. It was surreal, and I was
    terrified for myself, but even more so for Logan.
    ―Get out of my house,‖ I ordered them instead of asking what they
    were doing there. I hardly cared; I just wanted them gone.
    ―We have come for you, reah,‖ one of them told me.
    ―Did you‖—I had to swallow my fear as my eyes flicked down to
    Logan—―is it poison?‖
    Trusted Bond

    77

    ―It‘s a drug that will wear off,‖ another man promised me. ―Fear not,
    reah, we were not paid to kill the semel.‖
    ― My semel,‖ I corrected him as the men advanced on me. I put a
    hand over Logan‘s heart, which I could feel beating strong and steady. It
    comforted me.
    ―We‘re here for you,‖ he said as he lifted his hand, leveling the gun
    at me. Trapped under Logan‘s massive frame, I could barely move. Any
    attempt at escape would be futile.
    ―Why?‖
    ―Laurent Bruyere wants to see you.‖
    I caught my breath at the mention of the man‘s name, a ghost from
    my past. The sting was only momentary; I felt a wave of heat an instant
    before my vision blurred and then went black.

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    Mary Calmes

    Chapter 5

    I OPENED my eyes and it was dark. I had no idea where I was, and there
    wasn‘t anything around me as far as I could tell. I put my hand up and
    couldn‘t see it in front of my face. I waited for my eyes to adjust, but there
    was nothing to adjust to. When I tried to sit up, it hurt. There were sharp
    pains shooting down