know, and I was just trying to get him to talk to—”
“It’s alright, lighten up,” she said as she patted my knee. “We should eat while we have a chance.”
It was an excellent suggestion.
Dennis returned a half an hour later, explaining that his maahes had arrived. Our dinner was taken care of, which we thanked him for, and as we followed him upstairs, he said again what an honor it was to meet a reah.
The rooms on the second floor were private and luxurious. We followed Dennis to the last one, and he held open the door. Inside, we found a long table with a man sitting at the head, a woman at his side, and five others clustered around him.
The second the door closed, the man leaned forward.
“My idiot manu thinks you’re a reah. Speak your lineage now to me.”
“Who are you?” I asked instead.
He scoffed at me. “I’m Blake Dempsey, who the fuck are you?”
“I’m Jin Rayne of the tribe of Mafdet, reah of the semel-netjer, Logan Church.”
It was fun to watch his face drain of color, his mouth open, his pupils dilate. I could smell the fear in the room. The others, so defiant moments ago, ready even to hurt me or Delphine, sat there in shock, staring, utterly still.
Every semel who had attended the feast of the valley in Sobek had returned with a version of a story about me, Jin Rayne, the panther who was first a reah and second a nekhene cat. Reahs were rare, a million-to-one rare, but a nekhene cat was off the grid. As I stood there and saw their faces, I understood why they were frightened and excited and awed all at once. I was unique among our kind, and I would use their feelings toward me to my advantage.
“Ruslan Church is the brother of my mate. I humbly request his return, and I would speak to your semel if that could be arranged, maahes.”
His eyes ran all over me.
When I bowed my head in deference, everyone rose at once. Chairs squeaked on the floor as they were hurriedly pushed back from the table, each man going down to one knee, the woman standing, preparing to kneel.
“No.” I stopped her, moving fast, offering my hand.
I watched her shiver as her hand clasped mine. “Reah.” She bit her bottom lip. “It’s an honor.”
“You are?”
“I’m Liza Dempsey, mate of the maahes of the tribe of Deshret.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Her dark-brown eyes locked on mine. “Reah, may my mate and I accompany you to the home of our semel, Miguel Garza?”
“I would be honored.” I smiled at her.
Her indrawn breath was shaky as she nodded. All the men stood after that, and I felt the whole room exhale as I turned back to Blake Dempsey. “May I please see Ruslan Church?”
“Of course,” Blake breathed finally, turning to one of the men. “Bring both Russ and his friend Tony,” he said sharply before his eyes were back on mine. “Once he joins us, we should go immediately to see my semel.”
“Of course,” I agreed, offering him my hand.
He took it gently in both of his and tugged me forward without meaning to, just wanting me closer. If Yuri had been there, the impropriety would have never happened, but I was alone, so whatever I offered could be accepted.
I felt his hands around my one, watched him breathe me in, my scent.
“May I introduce the sister of my mate?”
He turned to meet Delphine, and Liza did as well, and then I met the other men, all speaking with lowered eyes that quickly flicked to my face when I took their hands.
“Oh, what the fuck.”
I turned to the door and there, with a split lip, black eye, and various scrapes on his knuckles, cheek, and chin, was Russ.
“Jin, why did you come?”
I stalked over to him. “Because, you fuckin’ idiot, your girlfriend called me.”
“Shit.”
I grunted, reaching for him. “Are you alright?”
He sucked in a breath, and I watched him swallow hard.
“This was really stupid,” I said, putting my hand around the back of his neck, stepping into him, easing his head down onto my
“It’s alright, lighten up,” she said as she patted my knee. “We should eat while we have a chance.”
It was an excellent suggestion.
Dennis returned a half an hour later, explaining that his maahes had arrived. Our dinner was taken care of, which we thanked him for, and as we followed him upstairs, he said again what an honor it was to meet a reah.
The rooms on the second floor were private and luxurious. We followed Dennis to the last one, and he held open the door. Inside, we found a long table with a man sitting at the head, a woman at his side, and five others clustered around him.
The second the door closed, the man leaned forward.
“My idiot manu thinks you’re a reah. Speak your lineage now to me.”
“Who are you?” I asked instead.
He scoffed at me. “I’m Blake Dempsey, who the fuck are you?”
“I’m Jin Rayne of the tribe of Mafdet, reah of the semel-netjer, Logan Church.”
It was fun to watch his face drain of color, his mouth open, his pupils dilate. I could smell the fear in the room. The others, so defiant moments ago, ready even to hurt me or Delphine, sat there in shock, staring, utterly still.
Every semel who had attended the feast of the valley in Sobek had returned with a version of a story about me, Jin Rayne, the panther who was first a reah and second a nekhene cat. Reahs were rare, a million-to-one rare, but a nekhene cat was off the grid. As I stood there and saw their faces, I understood why they were frightened and excited and awed all at once. I was unique among our kind, and I would use their feelings toward me to my advantage.
“Ruslan Church is the brother of my mate. I humbly request his return, and I would speak to your semel if that could be arranged, maahes.”
His eyes ran all over me.
When I bowed my head in deference, everyone rose at once. Chairs squeaked on the floor as they were hurriedly pushed back from the table, each man going down to one knee, the woman standing, preparing to kneel.
“No.” I stopped her, moving fast, offering my hand.
I watched her shiver as her hand clasped mine. “Reah.” She bit her bottom lip. “It’s an honor.”
“You are?”
“I’m Liza Dempsey, mate of the maahes of the tribe of Deshret.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Her dark-brown eyes locked on mine. “Reah, may my mate and I accompany you to the home of our semel, Miguel Garza?”
“I would be honored.” I smiled at her.
Her indrawn breath was shaky as she nodded. All the men stood after that, and I felt the whole room exhale as I turned back to Blake Dempsey. “May I please see Ruslan Church?”
“Of course,” Blake breathed finally, turning to one of the men. “Bring both Russ and his friend Tony,” he said sharply before his eyes were back on mine. “Once he joins us, we should go immediately to see my semel.”
“Of course,” I agreed, offering him my hand.
He took it gently in both of his and tugged me forward without meaning to, just wanting me closer. If Yuri had been there, the impropriety would have never happened, but I was alone, so whatever I offered could be accepted.
I felt his hands around my one, watched him breathe me in, my scent.
“May I introduce the sister of my mate?”
He turned to meet Delphine, and Liza did as well, and then I met the other men, all speaking with lowered eyes that quickly flicked to my face when I took their hands.
“Oh, what the fuck.”
I turned to the door and there, with a split lip, black eye, and various scrapes on his knuckles, cheek, and chin, was Russ.
“Jin, why did you come?”
I stalked over to him. “Because, you fuckin’ idiot, your girlfriend called me.”
“Shit.”
I grunted, reaching for him. “Are you alright?”
He sucked in a breath, and I watched him swallow hard.
“This was really stupid,” I said, putting my hand around the back of his neck, stepping into him, easing his head down onto my
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