Change of Heart by Mary Calmes Read Free Book Online

pocket of his parka. "Don't try and be a hero, Mr. Rayne, because from the size of the prints, we're looking at a full-grown male cougar, and you don't want to mess with that."
    "No," I agreed. "I really don't."
    "Alright then," he said, turning back toward the stairs, casting a glance at first me and then Crane. "You both take care, and call if you see anything at all."
    "Yes, sir."
    I watched him take the two flights of stairs down to the ground before I turned my head to look at Crane. "Is it time for us to go yet?"
    "The sarcasm is not lost on me, but this doesn't mean anything."
    "How have I missed the fact that you're an idiot all these years?" I asked as I unlocked our front door and went inside.
    He tried to defend himself, but I cut him off as I wondered aloud how fast we could pack.
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    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes

Chapter Five
    Twenty minutes later, we were walking back to the restaurant. We had decided to go and say goodbye to Ray before we left. Leaving without an explanation was just not an option. The man had treated us both like members of his family, me even more so than Crane, and running out on him was bad karma waiting to happen. I wasn't looking forward to the scene where I would have to be purposely vague and he would press me for answers. I was so involved in thinking about what I was going to say that I didn't hear someone calling my name. When I finally registered a voice, I turned and saw Yuri, Logan Church's sheseru, standing beside a car with blacked out windows. He tried to wave me over. When I didn't move, another door opened, and a man I had never seen before climbed out.
    "Jin?" he asked, starting toward me, his black dress shoes crunching in the snow as he walked down the sidewalk. His heavy wool trench coat flapped around his legs in the wind.
    He was shorter than Yuri, but still taller than me, with brown-black hair and dark cobalt blue eyes. He was a handsome man, and his smile was warm.
    I took a step back, but he lifted a gloved hand for me to wait. "My name is Mikhail Gorgerin; I just need a moment of your time," he said, coming to a stop in front of me, the laugh lines in the corner of his eyes crinkling. He looked at me and then studied Crane before offering him his hand. "I'm Logan Church's sylvan, and you are?"
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    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes
    "Crane Adams," he smiled quickly, "pleasure to meet you."
    "And you, Mr. Adams," he said before he turned back to me, slowly extending his hand. "Jin."
    I took his hand, and he instantly tightened his grip so I couldn't pull away.
    "I have never seen or even met a reah," he said slowly, the awe there in his voice. "I don't know anyone who has."
    I nodded.
    "And Yuri says you have a mate."
    I looked at him, and his eyes didn't leave mine. It was one thing to lie to the sheseru, the muscle, the flail, the enforcer of the tribe, and completely another to lie to the sylvan, the crook, the shepherd, the teacher of the tribe. Everyone lied to the disciplinarian to get out of something. No one lied to the man who spoke on your behalf in tribal matters.
    "I had no idea that reahs could be male." His eyes narrowed.
    "Yeah, well." I forced a smile, shoving Crane forward so we could walk away. "Would you excuse us?"
    "Wait."
    "Give our best to your semel."
    "Please, wait."
    Ignoring the "please" was dangerous, so we stopped.
    Mikhail Gorgerin, sylvan of the tribe of Mafdet, did not even look at Crane. Instead, he stepped in front of me.
    "Jin, Logan Church needs to see—"
    I took a step back. "I can't. We hafta go; you heard my semel."
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    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes
    His brows furrowed. "This man is no more your mate than—"
    "We really need to—"
    "You misunderstand—"
    "I'm freezing out here." I smiled at him. My thick wool sweater, the parka over it, my beanie, my jeans, my hiking boots—I was dressed for the snow, but none of it was keeping the wind from slicing through me.
    "Jin, I only need you to