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stood up and walked towards the opening of the tent, ducking outside with practiced ease. Filene squeezed my hand comfortingly and motioned towards the opening. I followed her out and found what appeared to be the entire den gathered around a large pit near the market that was lined with stones. The people parted, mostly males I noticed, and upon closer inspection, I saw that the pit was filled with burned logs and lined with black rocks.
    Lynk and Tavian were standing apart from each other. Lynk's posture was straight as an arrow, his arms folded over his chest and his eyes blazing. Tavian looked calm and even excited to see me. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. A part of me, a big part, liked the idea of having two men to love, but remembering how Lynk had talked about how unusual sharing a wife was led me to think he wouldn't want to have anything to do with Tavian. I shook my head at my strange thoughts. Just yesterday I was entirely alone in the human world, shunned from my own people and without companionship for nearly a year. Now...what? Now I was standing in front of two men who were both attracted to me - hell, I was attracted to both of them - and I was going to be tested on my attraction. Nothing good was going to come from this, I just knew it.
    Adriel cleared his throat and silence followed as everyone stopped whispering and focused on him. His voice was clear and authoritative as he spoke, "According to our laws, when a mate-claim has been uttered to a bride already claimed by another in the den, the mate-scent test must be performed. This test will determine if there is a connection between Shaylee and both Lynk and Tavian. If there is no connection, then Lynk's mate-claim stands unbreakable and solitary."
    I waited for him to say what would happen if there was a connection to both men, but he didn't and it hung in the air like wet rags. I knew what would happen. I would tear their family apart. Already they didn't know what was happening with their little sister Daeton, and they had no idea where their brother Griegs was. If Lynk and Tavian fought over me, which seemed to be the only outcome judging from Lynk's angry posture, then one of them would be leaving their family.
    I felt the tears building behind my eyes and I fought not to cry. Filene eased my jacket from my shoulders as Adriel stepped over to me. She folded my coat over her arm and handed him two pieces of black cloth. "We're going to bind your hands behind your back, Shaylee, and blindfold you," Adriel said quietly.
    My heart stopped. "What?" I took a step back. "Why?"
    Filene put her hand on my shoulder and smiled reassuringly. Adriel said, "You can't have the ability to touch them. Touch can alter your senses and we're focusing on scent alone for this test, which is why you also need to be blindfolded. You're perfectly safe here, Shaylee. No harm will come to you."
    I slowly let out the breath that had caught in my throat and looked at Lynk and then Tavian. Tavian said, "It's okay, Shaylee. This is for the best, really."
    Lynk's body tensed and he growled, "Stop acting as if you're even a consideration, Tavian."
    Tavian snorted, "I know what I felt, Lynk. You wouldn't be so pissed if you didn't know it was the truth."
    Just seconds before the blindfold covered my eyes, the tears welled up and I ground my teeth together hard until the sting disappeared. My hands were pulled gently behind my back and a soft cloth tied them loosely but securely. Filene said, "Shaylee, one at a time, the boys will come to you and put their arm in front of your nose. You're to take a deep breath, more than one if you like. After you have scented both men, you'll be asked which one came first to you. If you can tell them apart by scent, then the mate-call does not apply to Tavian and you and Lynk can carry on. If you are unable to tell them apart, then they are both your mates and you'll have a few decisions to make. Are you ready?"
    I nodded, even though I wasn't