Honored Vow by Mary Calmes Read Free Book Online Page A

look.

    34

    Mary Calmes

    “What?” she snapped at me. “We just––our tribe wasn’t like that,
    Jin, you know that. And especially me and Koren and Russ, we didn’t
    receive any formal training in werepanther law at all. Only Logan got that,
    and even he didn’t get enough. Until Logan made Domin his maahes, I
    had no idea what that even was.”
    Domin.
    “He’s gonna kill you when he finds out you left.”
    “So guess it’s lucky for me that he’s not living at the house
    anymore.”
    She made a face. “I miss him.”
    “Me too.”
    “I hate this.”
    “What?”
    “Never mind.”
    “Just say it.”
    “No, I—it just sucks.”
    “What does? Domin and Koren?”
    “Yeah,” she sighed, finally turning to look at me from staring out the
    window. Her eyes were red-rimmed.
    “Awww, sweetie, don’t cry; they’ll figure it out.”
    “Oh, Jin, I don’t give a shit. If we’re being honest, I hope Koren gets
    home from one of his many business trips and finds out that Domin’s
    mated and adopting babies. It would serve him right to lose the love of his
    life because he’s too big of a coward to claim him.”
    I snorted out a laugh. “Really? This is your brother you’re bashing.”
    “I know, but look at my brothers: I have Logan, who knows exactly
    who he is and what he’s about, and Russ, who’s the same kind of guy, if
    you think about it, and then we have… Koren,” she finished, disgust
    dripping from her voice.
    I started laughing.
    “Who is a wishy-washy pansy piece of crap!”
    “He does love Domin.”
    “I don’t think so.”
    “Delph, you know he does.”
    “If he did, he would be able to make a commitment.”

    Honored Vow

    35

    “He’s bisexual and he’s not sure what he wants.”
    “The bisexual has nothing to do with anything and by the way––
    bisexual, my ass! I have never seen the man light up like he does when
    Domin walks into a room. He melts like butter. I don’t even make cow
    eyes like that and I’m a girl!”
    “Are you sure?”
    She smacked my leg really hard, which just made me laugh harder.
    “Ohmygod, Jin, how stupid is Koren? He knows who he wants to
    screw him and that’s about it,” she said irritably, obviously disgusted.
    “He’s so fuckin’ scared of taking a chance, he’s terrified of what my father
    will really think, and he’s worried about missing out on some perfect
    picture of the perfect family that he’s got stuck in his head. He’s
    absolutely terrified of making a choice one way or another just in case it’s
    wrong, so he’s not; he’s just dog-paddling on the surface and not diving
    deep.”
    “Huh, how very profound of you.”
    She growled at me. “I’m just saying, he’s scared of standing up like
    Logan and saying fuck you all, this is who I love, step up or step off.”
    “Now you’re gangster?”
    “God, I hate you right now!”
    I laughed harder and she shoved me, which was dangerous with me
    driving. “Speaking of Koren,” I said, “where was he when you left?”
    “He wasn’t there. Isn’t he out of town?”
    “No.”
    “Oh, that’s right, if Logan is, he can’t be.”
    I nodded. “Like the president and the vice president, can’t have them
    in the same place at the same time or both not at home. Somebody has to
    be protected and safe, either the semel or the heir.”
    “But where was Koren, then?” she asked me.
    I had no idea. I had not even thought about him when we were
    plotting our escape, and why was that? Why didn’t I….
    “Oh, I know,” she said quickly. “He had to go to Avery’s mating
    ceremony, remember?”
    “Shit, that was tonight,” I groaned, only then remembering that
    Christophe Danvers, the semel in Reno, had invited Logan and me to
    attend the mating ceremony of his sheseru, Avery Cadim.

    36

    Mary Calmes

    “I know Avery wanted you and Logan there, but since Logan was
    gone and you were on house arrest, Domin had to go, and Koren would
    have had to go too….”