Trusted Bond

club when the lights went off and the
    strobe came on and all you saw were fragments of images, snatches of
    forms, like a heartbeat, a pulse, barely a flicker. You never saw enough to
    know if what you were seeing was really there or not. Like a horror
    movie—the best ones only gave you glimpses of the creature, letting your
    mind fill in the blanks.
    I froze for a moment, moving from man to panther with agonizing
    slowness and then blurring speed. The alternating focus let them see my
    absolute mastery of my beast, an illustration of power that I had seen none
    of them match. When at last I reached the opposite wall from the couch, I
    turned to face Jamal, head lifted, standing proud in my panther form,
    meeting his gaze. The look in his eyes comforted me, as they were wide
    with wonder.
    ―Who are you?‖ Taj shouted at me as he closed the distance between
    us fast. ―What the hell are you?‖
    He wasn‘t mad, but he was close.
    ―You think I‘m a fool?‖ He roared that question as he stopped a foot
    from me, jabbing at the air with a pointed finger.
    ―Yes,‖ Shahid agreed, coming up beside Taj, his eyes locked on
    mine. ―Speak your lineage now, Jin Rayne.‖
    Hard to be scared of them, as they were both naked, but I knew they
    could hurt me in either of their forms, and I was feeling the effects of my
    shifting already. I was not strong enough to have put on such a controlled
    display of my skill. It had drained me. Again.
    ―Now!‖ Jamal commanded me as he joined the other two. ―Speak
    now!‖
    I took a breath, confident that from where I was, if I had to make a
    run for it, I could at least make it to the hall. From there I would have to
    figure out how to get back up to the ground level. There had to be an
    elevator or something.
    ―I won‘t ask again,‖ the phocal assured me.
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    115

    I did as I was asked, shifting back to myself and answering clearly:
    ―I‘m a reah.‖
    Jamal Hassan stared deep into my eyes as he advanced on me. ―You
    lie. I have never heard of a male reah.‖
    Only my display moments before saved me from being eviscerated
    where I stood. Had I tried to tell them first, before exhibiting my power,
    then I would have been in mortal danger. They were hard men, strong
    men, and they valued only that which was at their own level of dominance
    and above. Having witnessed my control, they were ready to at least listen.
    ―Not many have,‖ I assured him, letting out a deep breath. The fear
    had dissipated quickly, leaving exhaustion in its place. I was lightheaded,
    the shifting, my kidnapping and torture, the flight from the murderous
    sheseran, all of it was suddenly crashing down on me, stealing my
    adrenaline. When I took a step forward, fighting to remain upright, I had
    many hands on me at once.
    ―Whose reah are you?‖ Shahid asked harshly.
    I was freezing suddenly, my teeth chattering too hard for me to even
    answer him.
    ―I know who you belong to. You‘re the reah of the tribe of Mafdet,‖
    Jamal said, taking a step toward me. Before I realized, he had me off my
    feet and tucked against the warmth of his chest. They were all so much
    bigger than me. ―You belong to Logan Church.‖
    Yes, I did.
    ―Do you deny it?‖
    I shook my head even as I felt, for a moment, like I was floating.
    ―Enough of this.‖ Jamal‘s breath touched my face like a caress as he
    bent close to look into my eyes. ―I want my answers, and only one can
    give them to us. You are going to see the priest, reah, and he will decide
    your fate.‖
    I would have begged and pleaded to be taken to my mate instead, but
    I didn‘t think I had any sway with any of them. In the end it didn‘t matter;
    I couldn‘t even remain conscious.

    116

    Mary Calmes

    Chapter 10

    MY EYES drifted open slowly, and the warm glow of lantern light greeted
    me. I was outside on a chaise, the warm air fragrant with flowers and food.
    I smelled jasmine and the succulent aroma of something cooking. There
    was garlic and meat being roasted or smoked, I wasn‘t sure, but I couldn‘t
    keep myself from inhaling the thick, delicious air. I rolled sideways and
    accidentally slid to the ground. It hurt, the fall, and it was jarring. I had to
    brace myself on the marble floor for long minutes until everything stopped
    spinning. When I could, I rose to my feet and took in the palatial space.
    It was like something out of a movie, a private grotto that belonged
    to a member of the nobility, opulent and