them. None of us did, not even Logan.
Koren stopped like he‘d suddenly come to the edge of a cliff, and I
watched him stare at the long line of the man‘s back for a moment before
he charged across the room to him.
―Don‘t,‖ Domin warned him, turning his head to the left, away, as
Koren moved up on his right.
―Lemme look at you.‖
―I‘m fine,‖ he muttered. ―Don‘t you have somewhere to be?‖
The accusation was there in the wounded tone and the defeated
words. Koren had been running, and Domin wanted, needed someone to
stay. It was time.
I held my breath.
―I‘m where I should be.‖
Domin was silent.
―Don‘t be an ass.‖ Koren smiled slightly, leaning into Domin,
rubbing his chin on the man‘s shoulder and then his nose, smiling slightly
as Domin shook his head. The emotion there on display eased the vise on
my heart. No one could miss the familiarity between the two men.
―Don‘t rub your scent all over me,‖ Domin groused at him.
―Why the hell not?‖ Koren grumbled back, the grin that the other
man couldn‘t see absolutely wicked. ―I like you smelling like me.‖
Domin grunted, but I saw the shiver, the first sign of the thaw.
―I want everyone to smell me on you.‖
―When did—I….‖
72
Mary Calmes
I looked back at Logan, arching an eyebrow for him as he grinned
sheepishly, rubbing his head. He had been clueless about the whole thing,
which showed from his comment.
―Where have I been?‖
―Oblivious,‖ I assured my mate, smiling at him.
He lifted his eyebrows, sighing deeply. ―Apparently so.‖
Looking back at the two men whose relationship I had been losing
sleep over, I saw Koren‘s eyes drift closed. Domin‘s scent was obviously
intoxicating as he breathed the other man in. When Domin lifted his hand
and buried it in Koren‘s hair, leaning him into the crook of his neck, I felt
a wave of relief flood over me.
Domin drove me crazy. He fought me at every turn, and he was a
smartass who took great delight in pointing out my flaws for everyone.
And I liked him more with each passing day. Something about Domin
brought out all my nurturing tendencies to protect and love. I wanted
someone else to get it, get that the man was worth having, keeping, and by
Koren‘s actions, I felt like maybe, finally, he did.
Logan cleared his throat. ―Domin, tell me what happened when you
went to see Christophe.‖
He didn‘t turn around, but his voice, when it came, sounded better,
stronger. ―Christophe told me that Kellen‘s panthers ran. Their semel
called, and they went. Why Kellen would call for them knowing that both
of them, as well as him, have to answer to you for the attack on your reah,
Christophe has no idea. Avery didn‘t know either. All they did know was
that now they too have to challenge Kellen Grant.‖
―Because Avery, and so ultimately Christophe, is responsible for
both panthers,‖ Mikhail sighed deeply. ―God, what a mess.‖
―Why would Kellen call his panthers to him knowing that they
should face me?‖ Logan asked the room in general.
―Isn‘t it obvious? He doesn‘t want them to face your wrath.‖ Domin
sighed, tipping his head to the right as Koren pressed his lips, again, to the
side of his neck.
―Koren,‖ Peter Church said suddenly, his voice sharp, shrill. ―May
I—‖
Trusted Bond
73
―No.‖ My voice was louder, deeper, with more than a thread of
warning in it.
I was aware of the eyes of everyone in the room. Only Domin and
Koren weren‘t looking at me.
―I mean no disrespect, my reah,‖ Logan and Koren‘s father began,
―but he—‖
―No.‖ I shook my head before I turned to lock my gaze with his. ―To
be named mate of the maahes of any tribe is a great honor. But to be
named mate of a maahes who serves a semel-re is a gift.‖
―But surely—‖
―I know firsthand that not all tribes are like mine,‖ I told him, ―like
ours. But as the reah of my
Koren stopped like he‘d suddenly come to the edge of a cliff, and I
watched him stare at the long line of the man‘s back for a moment before
he charged across the room to him.
―Don‘t,‖ Domin warned him, turning his head to the left, away, as
Koren moved up on his right.
―Lemme look at you.‖
―I‘m fine,‖ he muttered. ―Don‘t you have somewhere to be?‖
The accusation was there in the wounded tone and the defeated
words. Koren had been running, and Domin wanted, needed someone to
stay. It was time.
I held my breath.
―I‘m where I should be.‖
Domin was silent.
―Don‘t be an ass.‖ Koren smiled slightly, leaning into Domin,
rubbing his chin on the man‘s shoulder and then his nose, smiling slightly
as Domin shook his head. The emotion there on display eased the vise on
my heart. No one could miss the familiarity between the two men.
―Don‘t rub your scent all over me,‖ Domin groused at him.
―Why the hell not?‖ Koren grumbled back, the grin that the other
man couldn‘t see absolutely wicked. ―I like you smelling like me.‖
Domin grunted, but I saw the shiver, the first sign of the thaw.
―I want everyone to smell me on you.‖
―When did—I….‖
72
Mary Calmes
I looked back at Logan, arching an eyebrow for him as he grinned
sheepishly, rubbing his head. He had been clueless about the whole thing,
which showed from his comment.
―Where have I been?‖
―Oblivious,‖ I assured my mate, smiling at him.
He lifted his eyebrows, sighing deeply. ―Apparently so.‖
Looking back at the two men whose relationship I had been losing
sleep over, I saw Koren‘s eyes drift closed. Domin‘s scent was obviously
intoxicating as he breathed the other man in. When Domin lifted his hand
and buried it in Koren‘s hair, leaning him into the crook of his neck, I felt
a wave of relief flood over me.
Domin drove me crazy. He fought me at every turn, and he was a
smartass who took great delight in pointing out my flaws for everyone.
And I liked him more with each passing day. Something about Domin
brought out all my nurturing tendencies to protect and love. I wanted
someone else to get it, get that the man was worth having, keeping, and by
Koren‘s actions, I felt like maybe, finally, he did.
Logan cleared his throat. ―Domin, tell me what happened when you
went to see Christophe.‖
He didn‘t turn around, but his voice, when it came, sounded better,
stronger. ―Christophe told me that Kellen‘s panthers ran. Their semel
called, and they went. Why Kellen would call for them knowing that both
of them, as well as him, have to answer to you for the attack on your reah,
Christophe has no idea. Avery didn‘t know either. All they did know was
that now they too have to challenge Kellen Grant.‖
―Because Avery, and so ultimately Christophe, is responsible for
both panthers,‖ Mikhail sighed deeply. ―God, what a mess.‖
―Why would Kellen call his panthers to him knowing that they
should face me?‖ Logan asked the room in general.
―Isn‘t it obvious? He doesn‘t want them to face your wrath.‖ Domin
sighed, tipping his head to the right as Koren pressed his lips, again, to the
side of his neck.
―Koren,‖ Peter Church said suddenly, his voice sharp, shrill. ―May
I—‖
Trusted Bond
73
―No.‖ My voice was louder, deeper, with more than a thread of
warning in it.
I was aware of the eyes of everyone in the room. Only Domin and
Koren weren‘t looking at me.
―I mean no disrespect, my reah,‖ Logan and Koren‘s father began,
―but he—‖
―No.‖ I shook my head before I turned to lock my gaze with his. ―To
be named mate of the maahes of any tribe is a great honor. But to be
named mate of a maahes who serves a semel-re is a gift.‖
―But surely—‖
―I know firsthand that not all tribes are like mine,‖ I told him, ―like
ours. But as the reah of my
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