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Logan asked him.
    Markel nodded as Logan left my side to face him. I turned and
    walked further out on the balcony, leaning my face into the breeze.
    ―You wanted her for me, that‘s why.‖
    I turned my head and found Crane.
    ―That‘s why you missed her falling in love with Markel; you were
    focused solely on what you wanted.‖
    ―I‘ve been so stupid.‖
    He shrugged before he took up his spot beside me, shoulder to
    shoulder with me, the way we normally stood.
    ―I didn‘t know Markel was a good guy.‖
    ―Like I said‖—Crane gave me the grin I was missing earlier—―he‘s
    an artist, and she likes that. They‘ll be mated soon, I‘m sure.‖
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    ―And you really don‘t care?‖
    ―My heart was never in it,‖ he said as he leaned against me. ―My
    heart‘s never been in anything yet but this.‖
    And by ―this‖ he meant me and him.
    ―I don‘t want you in the pit,‖ I said, exhaling, turning to study his
    profile.
    ―But I gotta be,‖ he told me, giving me a trace of the lopsided grin I
    loved. ―I get a second chance, Jin, how many people ever get one? I
    fucked up and let you get hurt, but now I can hurt one of the men that hurt
    you. It‘s like Christmas came early this year.‖
    I took a deep breath.
    ―Jin.‖
    I looked over my shoulder at Logan.
    ―I‘m taking Markel and Delphine with me to talk to my father.‖
    I nodded. ―Okay.‖
    ―Would you like to come?‖
    ―No,‖ I said, turning back to the view of the courtyard. ―I‘m gonna
    stay here with Crane and Yuri.‖
    ―Okay.‖
    ―Just make sure you tell the priest as soon as you‘re done.‖
    ―I‘ll take my father with me.‖
    ―Good,‖ I breathed out, my mind spinning with the day ahead and
    with what I now knew about my own house.
    ―Jin,‖ he whispered, suddenly beside me, hand fisted in my hair,
    staring down into my eyes. ―You think you don‘t take care of me or any of
    the rest of them, but it‘s all you do, my reah.‖
    I gazed up into the honey-colored eyes of my mate and breathed.
    ―You have given me everything I could ever want,‖ Logan told me.
    Our eyes stayed locked for long minutes.
    ―The challenges don‘t start until noon. Mine is the first of the day.
    I‘ll be back before then for you, my reah.‖
    I nodded.
    He bent and dropped a kiss on my forehead before he left with
    Delphine and Markel. As soon as he moved, Yuri took up position on the
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    other side of me. I was sandwiched between him and Crane.
    ―You will be careful,‖ I said, my blanket statement to both men.
    I felt Crane lean more heavily against my shoulder and heard Yuri‘s
    deep sigh in answer.

    EVERYONE had drifted off to do something, Crane to run, Yuri to walk
    by himself, and Logan had yet to return with Markel and Delphine. I was
    alone except for Mikhail. He thought I should eat something. Logan and
    the others were skipping lunch, as they would be fighting in the pit. I
    needed to keep my strength up, and I agreed. So I was following my
    sylvan, right beside him, ready to make our way to the banquet room with
    its never-ending supply of prepared and displayed food, when he opened
    the door and there were strangers there.
    Two men I had never seen before were staring at us. Lately I was
    wary of strangers, and so I was watchful and ready. The first said my
    name, and the second nearly spoke over him, saying that their need to
    speak to me was urgent. My sylvan shoved me behind him and faced
    them. Both men fell to their knees, and as they did, I stepped around
    Mikhail.
    ―My reah,‖ he snapped at me, trying to wedge me back behind him
    without looking like he was.
    ―For crissakes, Mikhail,‖ I groused at him. The second they had
    knelt, I had known I was in no danger. He needed to understand that as
    well.
    ―You need to be—‖
    ―Stop,‖ I grumbled at him, moving so I was facing the two kneeling
    men. ―I‘m Jin Rayne.‖
    ―Reah,‖ the first man breathed out, lifting his hand toward me.
    I took it even though Mikhail growled under his breath, and the
    moment our skin touched, I knew I was looking down at a sheseru. There
    was a time not too long ago, even when I had first met Yuri, that I couldn‘t
    tell what kind of cat I was looking at. But suddenly it was getting a lot
    easier for me to tell.
    ―Who are you?‖ I asked him.
    ―Robert Kingman of the tribe of Dendera,‖ he said softly, reverently.
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    ―I am— was —Laurent