Trusted Bond

not simply myself. You‘re an abomination, a
    corruption of our breed, and as such should be killed or locked away
    safely until you die.‖
    He didn‘t want me, he wanted to execute me or imprison me, and
    these were the only two options he could see.
    ―The priest doesn‘t see the threat,‖ Logan told him.
    ―He‘s an old man entranced with mythology and history. He sees Jin
    as a link to the past, not as the threat to our future that he is.‖ He looked at
    my mate. ―You think I‘m a monster, but my concern is for all tribes,
    Logan Church. You think only of your own tribe, not the global
    community.‖
    ―And how was killing me going to help?‖ Logan asked sarcastically.
    ―Because if your concern is truly for all tribes, then mine cannot be
    excluded.‖
    ―Yesterday I thought if you were dead that Jin would willingly
    submit to imprisonment.‖
    ―And you,‖ Logan said coldly. ―Willingly submit to you.‖
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    Mary Calmes

    He shook his head. ―No. I will admit to wanting to taste your reah,
    semel-re, but that was before I saw the horror that lives in him. You don‘t
    fear him, but you should. When he takes your life, I myself will lead the
    hunt to claim his head.‖
    Logan‘s eyes were flat. ―You will tell everyone that men disguised
    as your khatyu tried to kill me, forcing my mate to save me yet again.‖
    ―And if I don‘t?‖
    His eyes swept over the assembled Shu warriors. ―I have these men
    to bear witness with me, as well as the fact that the dead men were your
    khatyu following your orders. How hard will that be to prove?‖
    He growled in the back of his throat, standing, moving the shirt he‘d
    been holding against his wound, hurling it to the ground in frustration. He
    wasn‘t bleeding anymore, and neither did he appear weakened.
    ―You make things right with Jin saving my life and—‖
    ―I was not trying to—‖
    ―You‘re a fucking liar, and we both know it!‖ Logan roared at him,
    stalking over to the semel-aten and fisting his hand in his gallibaya. ―You
    tried to kill me last night, and you tried to do it again today. I never
    fuckin‘ thought you‘d be so stupid as to try it again with my reah watching
    over me. You sacrificed good men to a selfish cause, and you can stand
    there and try and defend it for the disgraceful act that it was. You wanted
    my reah, and when you couldn‘t have him, then I couldn‘t either. Since
    you can‘t kill me, your next thought is to lock him up,‖ he finished,
    slapping Ammon across the face hard. ―Fuck you and fuck this place!‖
    The man made a move like he was going to strike Logan, but my low
    snarl froze him where he stood.
    ―You think you can get to me before he gets to you?‖ Logan asked
    him.
    He took a step back, wary eyes on me.
    ―I was thinking about challenging you, semel-aten,‖ Logan said
    flatly.
    Ammon‘s eyes were locked on his.
    ―But I don‘t want any of this; I just want to go home.‖
    ―You think you could take—‖
    ―Oh yes,‖ Logan assured him. ―I could take everything from you.‖
    Long, scary silence as the two men stared at each other.
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    223

    ―Let there be peace between us for the remainder of the feast, semel-
    aten,‖ Logan said softly. ―Stop the bloodshed between our houses.‖
    ―Only my men are dead, semel-re.‖ He shivered hard, and I was
    certain that at least some of it was relief.
    ―On your command, they attacked me and my reah; you alone sent
    them to their death. Your own greed killed them, nothing else.‖
    After a minute, he nodded.
    ―Will you call a truce?‖
    ―I have no choice.‖
    ―There‘s always a choice.‖
    ―Yes, there is,‖ He agreed before sighing deeply. ―Let us call a
    truce.‖
    Logan cleared his throat. ―I need you to make the announcement that
    commends the action of my reah and will confirm his innocence.‖
    ―Agreed.‖
    ―Good,‖ Logan said, offering the semel-aten his suddenly shifted
    hand, claws where fingers should have been. ―We are agreed, and this is
    maat .‖
    ―This is maat ,‖ Ammon echoed, grasping Logan‘s wrist, his too
    shifted, the claws of each man buried in the other‘s forearm, drawing
    quick blood.
    When they pulled back, each drank the mingled blood, sealing their
    bond. Ammon cast one last look at me before he turned quickly and
    descended the stairs from his private box into the coliseum.
    I was shaking with the release of tension and then felt hands on my
    face. When I