faith washed over him, and his certainty of his place as my
guardian anchored me. We were bound together, the two of us, and every
day the bond got deeper and stronger.
Honored Vow
71
“Once everyone shifts back,” Justin said after long minutes, his eyes
on me as he took long steadying breaths, “I think we will all wait here for
Logan’s arrival.”
I nodded.
His smile wavered, but it was there. “You have to be a very strong
panther to withstand your pheromones, Jin; I feel very privileged to have
passed this test, though had it gone a second longer, I, too, would have
succumbed.”
“No, you wouldn’t have.”
His eyes were locked on mine. “Oh yes, I don’t think I’ve ever
wanted anything or anyone as badly as you.”
I looked away, unable to hold his gaze. My eyes found Domin.
“You are the mate of my semel, Jin,” he said tiredly. “I don’t think
of you as a man but only as my reah.”
“Yes,” Yuri said, and when I looked at him, he nodded. “Your power
is painful to bear, but I can withstand pain; I was made to stand between
you and anything, even yourself.”
The tears came fast as I squeezed his shoulder.
“Imagine how strong Logan Church is to have such a mate.” Yuri
smiled, and I saw him glow with pride.
“What now?” I asked Justin.
“Now we all wait for Logan.”
“I’ll order some food,” Domin suggested, climbing unsteadily to his
feet. “I’m starving.”
I walked over to the window as Yuri rose to his towering height,
positioning himself between me and everyone else.
“Tell me how Crane looks,” I asked him.
His eyes, when he looked at me, were slits. “He’s broken, Jin, he
won’t shift back.”
Shit.
“His father was the one with the knife.”
I braced myself on the wall.
“If I see him, anywhere, at any time, I’ll kill him. Pit or no pit,
Crane’s father is dead,” he said, and his voice was dark with purpose.
I nodded my agreement.
72
Mary Calmes
Chapter Six
THE knock on the door came just minutes after nine that night, and Artem
Varda, Yuri’s second, walked through the door a moment before Logan. I
stood, the whole room stood, and my mate waited. It was my place to go
to him, and when I moved, everyone stepped back. It was like I was a
leper or something; no one wanted me to touch them.
Logan drew me up against his side, tucking me there, and I inhaled
him, his scent, put my hands on him and leaned.
“Please.”
I opened my eyes and saw Miguel reach for the edge of the table and
grab it tight.
“Semel-netjer, I ask your forgiveness for my trespass against your
reah and humbly beg you to remove him from my territory. I have granted
your brother the status of duat and will offer him no further jeopardy as
long as he honors his place and never shifts.”
“What trespass did you make against my reah?”
“May I speak?”
Logan turned his head to Domin, who was standing between Yuri
and Artem. “The semel of the tribe of Deshret has given to your brother;
let us return the favor and depart.”
“Can we go home now?” I asked my mate.
“Yes,” Logan said quickly, his arms tightening around me. “Are you
packed?”
“I never unpacked,” I told him.
Honored Vow
73
The nervousness in the room was palpable, and I understood that it
was because they were uncomfortable sitting there in clothes from
overnight bags or ones that someone had had to go and fetch for them.
Miguel Garza and his people had all shifted; ripped through the clothes
they came in, and were wearing new ones procured from stores close by.
They wanted to leave, wanted to rinse away the night and forget that
another panther had turned them inside out, pulling them through their
shift, rendering them powerless. It was humiliating, and every instinct
screamed at them to simply slink away and hide. But that wasn’t the law.
The law said that Logan had to be greeted, and so they remained. If
Miguel had left to
guardian anchored me. We were bound together, the two of us, and every
day the bond got deeper and stronger.
Honored Vow
71
“Once everyone shifts back,” Justin said after long minutes, his eyes
on me as he took long steadying breaths, “I think we will all wait here for
Logan’s arrival.”
I nodded.
His smile wavered, but it was there. “You have to be a very strong
panther to withstand your pheromones, Jin; I feel very privileged to have
passed this test, though had it gone a second longer, I, too, would have
succumbed.”
“No, you wouldn’t have.”
His eyes were locked on mine. “Oh yes, I don’t think I’ve ever
wanted anything or anyone as badly as you.”
I looked away, unable to hold his gaze. My eyes found Domin.
“You are the mate of my semel, Jin,” he said tiredly. “I don’t think
of you as a man but only as my reah.”
“Yes,” Yuri said, and when I looked at him, he nodded. “Your power
is painful to bear, but I can withstand pain; I was made to stand between
you and anything, even yourself.”
The tears came fast as I squeezed his shoulder.
“Imagine how strong Logan Church is to have such a mate.” Yuri
smiled, and I saw him glow with pride.
“What now?” I asked Justin.
“Now we all wait for Logan.”
“I’ll order some food,” Domin suggested, climbing unsteadily to his
feet. “I’m starving.”
I walked over to the window as Yuri rose to his towering height,
positioning himself between me and everyone else.
“Tell me how Crane looks,” I asked him.
His eyes, when he looked at me, were slits. “He’s broken, Jin, he
won’t shift back.”
Shit.
“His father was the one with the knife.”
I braced myself on the wall.
“If I see him, anywhere, at any time, I’ll kill him. Pit or no pit,
Crane’s father is dead,” he said, and his voice was dark with purpose.
I nodded my agreement.
72
Mary Calmes
Chapter Six
THE knock on the door came just minutes after nine that night, and Artem
Varda, Yuri’s second, walked through the door a moment before Logan. I
stood, the whole room stood, and my mate waited. It was my place to go
to him, and when I moved, everyone stepped back. It was like I was a
leper or something; no one wanted me to touch them.
Logan drew me up against his side, tucking me there, and I inhaled
him, his scent, put my hands on him and leaned.
“Please.”
I opened my eyes and saw Miguel reach for the edge of the table and
grab it tight.
“Semel-netjer, I ask your forgiveness for my trespass against your
reah and humbly beg you to remove him from my territory. I have granted
your brother the status of duat and will offer him no further jeopardy as
long as he honors his place and never shifts.”
“What trespass did you make against my reah?”
“May I speak?”
Logan turned his head to Domin, who was standing between Yuri
and Artem. “The semel of the tribe of Deshret has given to your brother;
let us return the favor and depart.”
“Can we go home now?” I asked my mate.
“Yes,” Logan said quickly, his arms tightening around me. “Are you
packed?”
“I never unpacked,” I told him.
Honored Vow
73
The nervousness in the room was palpable, and I understood that it
was because they were uncomfortable sitting there in clothes from
overnight bags or ones that someone had had to go and fetch for them.
Miguel Garza and his people had all shifted; ripped through the clothes
they came in, and were wearing new ones procured from stores close by.
They wanted to leave, wanted to rinse away the night and forget that
another panther had turned them inside out, pulling them through their
shift, rendering them powerless. It was humiliating, and every instinct
screamed at them to simply slink away and hide. But that wasn’t the law.
The law said that Logan had to be greeted, and so they remained. If
Miguel had left to
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