and extortion by human standards.
That’s what worried me.
There was the section under Clause 14.3. Whereby the signatory is believed by either party to be victim to the transgressions listed in Clause 10 to Clause 12.8, proof must be obtained and presented to an impartial clan.
The impartial clan would make the judgment and, if deemed guilty of a transgression, the offending party’s deal would be nullified.
But what constituted as proof?
I didn’t want Sandra dragged before an impartial party. She’d be compelled for sure.
I jotted the word proof down and circled it.
Rubbing my temples, I closed the rule book. I’d read it from cover to cover as many times as it took to know everything about the game. Sliding it aside, I picked up the much thinner volume beneath.
Mating Rituals & Blood Bonds
A Complete Collection
Ugh, I called Kyros mate last night. He’d been so lost and completely off base about why I felt so much guilt and fear.
The word slipped out. Far too easily.
During my pretending act around the fire, it even felt right to say aloud.
I woke alone in the house, in his bed, at 10:00 a.m. I couldn’t remember falling asleep but thank fuck he wasn’t there this morning. It gave me time for an appropriate freak-out session.
Kyros pretty much told me he loved me. I called him mate.
Cringe.
I mean, that’s technically what we were to each other, but I’d crossed a massive line in our relationship. One I shouldn’t have crossed while betraying him and his entire family.
Messed up didn’t touch what I’d done.
With the walls crashing down around me, I felt like Kyros needed to hear the truth from my lips and soon. If this lead with Sandra didn’t eventuate to anything, I had to come clean. At the very least so Sundulus could redirect their offensive strategy.
Kyros spent every Friday night with King Mikael, and after my latest stunt texting during the roll, it was a very real possibility the Fyrlia royals would tell Kyros what I’d done to drive a wedge between us.
A wedge should be what I wanted.
I shouldn’t care what Kyros thought.
I should be as ruthless in achieving my game as Agatha Le Spyre.
There were so many things I should be.
Opening the cover of the thin book, I flicked to the first chapter, which detailed the difference between mates and true mates. After that, it summarised the history of mating rituals through the ages, and the current fashion of forming harems over the mating ritual.
Harem trend. How did that even become a thing? Imagine if humans did that?
Snorting, I skimmed over the next chapters, which detailed the first four exchanges. I stopped at the chapter titled, The Fifth Exchange.
In following with the pattern thus far, the fifth exchange between true mates heightens the libido of both participants while furthering the exchange of power. The strength, speed, and healing capabilities of each party will improve, and the ability to be apart will decrease.
The paragraph went on to detail how the exchange usually affected normal mates.
I blew out a breath. One week left as I was. With the setbacks to my ears, I’d only started feeling comfortable with my new senses. The dizziness when I suddenly turned was gone. With each passing day, the overwhelming feeling from clashing stimuli decreased.
Yet Kyros was right. The clock was ticking.
If Fyrlia won, Mikael wouldn’t allow Kyros to continue the exchanges with me. In fact, I was certain that if I stayed in a Bluff City ruled by their clan, my life would effectively be over until I died.
I had to leave before that happened, and make sure everyone I cared about left too.
Kyros wouldn’t lead Fyrlia to my hiding spot, but I’d live separate from those I loved just in case. I didn’t spend much time amongst the working class, but I was confident that with better preparation, I could cover my real identity and live as economically as needed to stay off the radar.
When it came to the exchanges and my game strategy, I was determined to uphold my deal with the Indebted. Even with the very real possibility of Fyrlia triggering the end cascade, I had to push on with the mating ritual. I had to continue on as though winning was an option.
Because in no way, shape, or form did I intend to lose.
There was an answer to all this. I’d already found a potential solution with Sandra, really. Now, I had to make sure that it was bulletproof for her sake. And for Kyros.
I read