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made me feel like I was around someone important.
    “The pleasure is all mine,” he said with a nod. “Come.” His arm fell around my shoulders and he guided me to a private corner of the room. I folded my arms to hide the obscene writing on my shirt and we faced each other.
    “I want to be frank with you, Silver. I’m much older than Logan is and I watched him come up as a boy. He was an impulsive child with a brave heart, but always getting himself tangled up with trouble. When this was still bear country, a grizzly pissed him off something fierce and Logan flipped his switch.” Leo laughed and his eyes sparkled with memories. “Had I not been there, he’d still wear claw marks down his chest. Sometimes he has no sense of what is a danger to him.”
    Leo was the kind of man who didn’t look away in conversation and I found the direction of my gaze drifting to his lapels.
    “In order to ensure that our line is continued, we only mate with our own kind,” he said. “I think we both know that a Mage and a Chitah mix like oil and water. You two have a number of strikes against you.”
    My face cooled when the blood drained from it, and I looked at a piece of lint on his sleeve, feeling just as small.
    His fingers lifted my chin. “That being said, I think you two are both equally stubborn and need to come to a decision about your relationship. Logan carries a dark past that has nothing to do with you and yet—everything.”
    “I know about his woman and all that he lost. What makes me nervous is how sure he is about us. Look at me. If he saw me tonight he would—”
    “Show you off proudly. I don’t want to watch him spiral back to the man he once was. Tell him what he needs to hear before it breaks him—a decision. My brother will court you for as long as it takes, but he’s doubtful where your feelings lie. That doubt is eating him alive. Any other male it wouldn’t matter, but this is Logan.”
    Leo was afraid that his little brother would revert to the cold-hearted killer he once was.
    Elegant cocktail dresses and suits swirled about the room and I realized how poorly I had played my hand.
    “I appreciate your concern Leo, but it’s complicated. Don’t put my back against the wall and force me to rush a decision I’m not ready to make. You know how unfair that would be for both of us. There’s no time limit on courtship.”
    Leo sighed and touched my shoulder. “You should also know that the Gathering is coming.”
    “I know. I told him to go.”
    “This is what bothers me. You don’t seem to understand the risk in holding him at arm’s length.”
    “What risk? Logan finding his soul mate? Who am I to deny him what Chitahs so fiercely believe in?”
    Leo slid his hands in his pockets. “If Logan goes in his condition, he’s likely to make a poor choice. Can you live with that?”
    “What condition? He seems fine to me.” I huffed out an irritated sigh. “And what choice? I’m not going with him so he can pick out a wife.”
    “He’s a man who doesn’t know where his female stands; that is a condition. You are putting him in a position where potential mates who have waited for their chance will do everything within their power to win his affection. Had he not been damaged, I wouldn’t be as concerned. A long courtship gives us the opportunity to show what we have to offer. I’m afraid it’s not your fault as you are a Mage and do not know the customs of how a female behaves in such situations. You continue to send mixed messages by pushing him away, and I’m only looking out for his best interest.”
    I knew he could scent my anger, jealousy, and confusion. His nostrils flared.
    “He’s been a solitary man for many years,” Leo said. “After his mate’s death, he was inconsolable. You brought him back to us, Silver. Men don’t always make sound decisions when they’re not sure if their love is reciprocated. I won’t lie and tell you that it will be an easy road if you