Yep, that hit him right in the heart. Probably did the same to everyone gathered here. They all cared deeply for the female who had probably, at one time or another, saved each of their lives. She’d be saving Crux, too, when she guided him through his transition, which was a dangerous time for Seminus demons. But there was no one Blade trusted more to help his brother than Masumi.
“Masumi, youarefree,” Mace said. “As free as someone who requires a bond to survive is, anyway.”
She gave them each a fond smile as she shook her head. “I cannot choose. I love you all, and I will be honored to accept any of you as my new master.” She folded her arms across her chest and gave them all a questioning look. “Now, if none of you is going to use my services, I’m in the middle of a movie.”
When no one took her up on her offer, she waved anddematerialized back into the vase.
Well, that hadn’t been helpful at all.
“Why don’t we draw straws?” Mace suggested. “Short straw is the winner.”
“That’s stupid.” Rade idly spun the ring on his finger with his thumb. “We need to first rule out if anyone is unsuited to take her bond.”
“You mean you,” Mace said.
Rade’s head swiveled around to Mace, his gaze unreadable and cold. Rade had always had dead eyes. “She would be miserable with me. Better to find someone else. Someone who won’t be mated anytime soon.”
“Then it should be Sabre,” Mace said, his mouth quirked in a mischievous smile. “Since he’s not in any danger of mating Aleka now.”
Sabre shot Mace the finger.
“Mace,” Blade piped up, “you could take her. You’re probably the least likely person to ever get mated.”
Mace was always saying he wouldn’t mate until he was nears’genesis,when all Sems turned into evil, shape-shifting monsters with an insatiable drive to impregnate the females of any appropriate species by any means necessary. So, he’d be a great choice to take Masumi’s bond.
Bullshit. You want Mace involved with a female so he’ll take his focus off Scotty.
“Maybeyoushould be the one to bond with her,” Mace shot back. “That way, if you ever lose your injector and get in trouble again, she’ll sense it and can alert us.”
You son of a bitch.
Heat rose in Blade’s cheeks as Rade’s and Sabre’s heads jerked around to stare at him, clearly wondering what Mace was talking about.
The tension in the room thickened into a cloud that Blade could practically see as they glared at each other. Gold flecks began populating the dark irises in Mace’s eyes, and Blade figured his peepers looked the same.
Even through his anger, he realized this was bizarre. When was the last time they’d been angry at each other? Hell, they rarely even got mildly irritated. Now, Blade was bracing for a physical confrontation and wondering if Mace would go for a head or body shot right off the fly. The chances of either were about fifty-fifty, but if he went for the head, he always followed with a sharp uppercut. If he went for the body, the next blow would be to the temple.
That was how well Blade knew Mace. He knew how he thought, how he fought, and how he liked his females. They were best friends,basically brothers, and now, they were facing off like the captains of rival teams.
Over Scotty.
Which was why they’d sworn the pact in the first place.
“Dammit, Mace,” he growled. “You said everything was cool. If this is going to be an issue, let’s deal with it now.”
“Hey, boys,” Sabre said, sounding so much like his father that Blade glanced over to see if Eidolon had snuck into the room. “Let’s step off for a second. What’s going on?”
Mace’s nostrils flared as he clamped his jaw tight, never taking his smoldering gaze off Blade. “Nothing,” he gritted. “It’s fine.” He shoved to his feet. “But I’m not taking Masumi’s bond. I’m out.” He made a curt washing-my-hands-of-it gesture and bounded up the stairs to his chambers.
Typical. Mace loved a good confrontation, but not if he was a main character. He liked to stir pots, but once the heat splashed onto him, he was out the door.
Rade leaned back on the sofa, watching Blade the way he watched the people he interrogated. With his ability to delve into people’s minds, he was the most sought-after interrogator in the world, loaned out by DART on a case-by-case basis. But even without his specialized Seminus skill, his ability to read body language and situations meant he was always a couple of steps ahead of everyone else.
“What’s his deal?”
“Let it go,” Blade muttered. “It’s not important.”
Sabre snort-laughed. “Bullshit. In all the years I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you guys fight.”
