Read Trusted Bond for Free Online Page B

on his brother
    one last time.‖
    ―Fine, I will speak to Yuri while I wait.‖
    ―He saved my life,‖ I blurted out, feeling like I needed to defend my
    sheseru.
    ―Your life needed saving?‖
    I talked too much when I was nervous. ―No, not exact––‖
    ―In your own home, you were in fear for your life? You didn‘t just
    fight; it was a fight for your life?‖
    There was nothing I could say to make it better. He was going to go
    ballistic, and there was no way to stop it. All I was doing was postponing
    the inevitable. I could not even imagine the fallout.
    ―How many men were in my house, Jin?‖
    ―Counting Abbot, there were four.‖
    ―Four?‖
    ―One of them ran. I don‘t know who he was or where he is.‖
    ―Four,‖ he repeated to himself.
    ―Yuri knows everything.‖
    ―Then I‘ll speak to him while I wait.‖
    ―It‘s nobody‘s fault.‖
    ―Where were Crane and Markel while Yuri was saving your life?‖
    Shit. ―They were there.‖
    ―Help me understand how Markel, a former sheseru, Crane, your
    beset, and my sheseru could not contain four panthers?‖
    ―There were only three. One ran––‖
    ―Even better,‖ he said, cutting me off. ―Three panthers against four,
    if we‘re counting you. How is it even possible that you got hurt?‖
    32

    Mary Calmes

    ―It‘s not as simple as that.‖
    ―Why not?‖
    ―It‘s just isn‘t.‖
    ―Who took care of you afterwards, my reah?‖
    ―I… I had to send everyone away.‖
    ―You sent my father away?‖
    ―He had to go talk to Avery.‖
    ―How did he know the panthers fled to the tribe of Pakhet?‖
    ―Avery called to speak to me, but I wasn‘t––I couldn‘t talk.‖
    ―Christophe was with me in New York at his sister‘s mating
    ceremony—whatever decision Avery made, he made of his own volition.‖
    ―I know. He hates me, it makes sense he would give sanctuary to the
    panthers that attacked me.‖
    ―Avery doesn‘t hate you,‖ he said, exhaling. ―Quite the opposite. It‘s
    doubtful he knew what they had done when he granted them sanctuary.
    What‘s more likely is that they told him they were running from Yuri, and
    that‘s what prompted his agreement.‖
    The explanation made sense. Avery and Yuri‘s bad blood predated
    my arrival.
    ―I will call and speak to Christophe.‖
    ―Sure.‖
    ―While I await your return.‖
    He still wanted me home. ―It‘s late. You‘ve gotta be tired from
    your––‖
    ―I want you home now.‖
    ―Logan.‖
    ―Did you hear me?‖
    I had. No way not to.
    ―Jin?‖
    ―I heard you.‖
    ―Good. Now hurry,‖ he said before he hung up.
    I did.

    Trusted Bond

    33

    Chapter 3

    THERE was nothing to do but think on the way home, and because I
    would drive myself crazy if I kept obsessing about Logan, I started
    thinking about my best friend instead.
    I was worried that if Crane was not accepted soon by Logan‘s sister
    Delphine, he would want to leave. I didn‘t want him to go anywhere. He
    was my touchstone. Just looking at him reminded me of who I was and not
    to take myself too seriously. I was scared of becoming someone else if he
    wasn‘t around. Crane had become beset of a reah, or companion of a reah,
    the minute it was discovered what I was. He had chosen me over his
    family, our tribe, over his whole life. Ever since I was sixteen, it had been
    him and me, and the thought that he would, or could, leave was fairly
    overwhelming to think about.
    As lost in my thoughts as I was, it took me a couple of minutes to
    realize that the front gate of my home was not opening even though I had
    just swiped the key card across the panel.
    ―Good evening, my reah.‖
    I turned to the voice and found Ivan Tenchenko and two other men I
    didn‘t know on the other side of the gate.
    ―What are you guys doing out here?‖
    His smile was trying really hard to stay in place as he nodded to
    another man and the gate slowly started to open. ―Logan wants the
    grounds guarded now, and