Then her eyes came back to mine. “If I claim both of you publicly,” she said, “what does that do for Rhain?”
The dragon in me went very still.
“Publicly accepting me makes you Ashenmere,” I said. “Not only my mate. Family on the clan ledger. And Ashenmere defends what is entered on its ledger.”
Her gaze sharpened.
“Every bond you carry becomes ours to defend,” I said. “Rhain’s included.”
“Even though Rhain is Norwegian.”
“Even though. The bond runs through you. To break it, Martin would have to go through Ashenmere first.”
“And he won’t bring his clan against Ashenmere for one son’s bond.”
“No.The price is too high.”
“So Rhain’s claim becomes protected through me.”
“Yes.”
“And I’m on the council record for the rest of my life. Bonded to both of you. Publicly. That’s the price.”
“Yes.”
Her face did not change, but the bond caught the weight of it. A door closing. Another opening. “And the alternative is Martin pulls his son away.”
“Probably.”
* * *
A deputy knocked at nine.
Catalina had fallen asleep again against my side. Not deeply. Enough that her body ignored the sound and mine did not.
A folded paper slid under the door.
I waited until the footsteps receded before I reached for it.
The message was written in Yuki’s hand.
Noon.
Nothing else.
Yuki had a gift for economy when the recipient already knew how much trouble he was in.
I set the note on the bedside table.
Catalina opened one eye. “Noon?”
“Yes.”
“Scolding?”
“Formal reprimand.”
Her eye opened just enough to be a question. “Worse?”
