“Shit,” Kyle said, throwing his napkin on the table. “They contacted you. ”

“Yes. ” He nodded. “The Jayronian ambassador is a good friend of mine. As soon as your message crossed his desk, he messaged me. ”

“Well, hells, Taz. ” Kyle lifted his chin defiantly. “I’ve told you from the first day I needed to contact my family, and you’ve refused to help me. ”

“I’ve told you your life in Lycanus is over. You’re with me now. You belong to me, and you’re my family. ”

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t work like that, Taz. I won’t just forget all about the family I’ve had all my life. ”

“You’d rather be with them than me. ” His voice was flat and emotionless, his eyes cast down at the table.

“No!” Kyle slammed his hand down on the table. “I’ve told you that you’re my mate. You must know by now what that means to Lycans and to my family in particular. I’ll never leave you, Taz, and I don’t know why you don’t believe that. Have I made any attempt to escape? Have I even asked you to let me go?”

Kyle stood up, too angry to sit still, and pointed his finger in Taz’s face. “Do you honestly think I would stay around here letting you make me into your little bitch if I hadn’t been in love with you? If I could bear to leave you behind? I’d have made you kill me first. I’d have killed myself!” He glared across at Taz, full of all the pent-up rage he’d felt since he was taken in the bar back on Leeria.

Taz jumped to his feet and slapped Kyle’s finger away. “You forget who you’re speaking to, Nobyo! I should beat you for going behind my back this way and embarrassing me. This stubbornness of yours is coming between us and it has to stop. I’ve told you before that your situation has changed and if you want to stay with me like yo

u say you do, then you have to accept it. ”

Kyle stormed across the room and sat down on the side of the bed, crossing his arms over his chest and refusing to look at Taz. He was afraid he’d take a swing at him and they’d have to fight. Taz followed him over to the bed and stood next to him, trying to intimidate him with his nearness.

“I told you I’d contact your family, and I did. I sent them a message that you were alive and well on Tygeria. I told them you were training as my nobyo and that you were no longer any of their concern. ”

Kyle rolled his eyes dramatically. “Well, you may as well have issued a direct challenge to them! Why not just spit in their faces while you’re at it? They’ll be coming for me, don’t you see? And if they do, you’ll fight them. Whether you kill them or they kill you, it’s all the same—it will destroy me! Can’t you see that?”

Kyle covered his face, horrified to feel tears prickling the backs of his eyes. Taz sat down beside him right away and took him in his arms, tipping his head back to make him look directly at him.

“I would never harm your family, Nobyo, but I have to break down this resistance you have to your new life. I think that worrying about them and what they might think about us has hampered you. I will break this resistance, Nobyo. Make no mistake about it. I have to become your whole world in order for that to happen. Your loyalty has to be solely for me. ”

Taz bent and took his mouth passionately. Kyle allowed it, even kissing him back, but pulled away and pushed at him until he backed off.

“No, you can’t just command me to forget my family and think I’ll do it. I have a brother, a twin like you do, though we don’t look that much alike. And all of my cousins are almost as close. I’d do anything for them as they would for me, and they’ll understand if I tell them you’re my mate. Most of them are mated themselves and they know how strong the bond is. Once they know I want to stay, it’ll be all right. ”

“It will be all right? I’m so glad to have their permission. ” Taz stood up and started pacing. “I think I have to punish you for this insolence, Nobyo. I can’t allow you to dictate to me. ”

Kyle jumped to his feet. “I don’t want to fight you, but I will if you try to do this. I’m warning you, Taz. ”

“You’re warning me? Really?” He took a step toward him and clenched his fists, raising his face to the ceiling. “I’d like to have you in the arena for a while. I would show you who’s in charge here!”

“Put me in the arena then!”

Taz looked at him in surprise. “You don’t know what you’re saying. You’d never survive it. ”

“Oh, you think so? Try me then. Let me face you in the arena. ”

Taz snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. ”

“Scared of me? Afraid I’ll win? Wouldn’t that be embarrassing? A noble Tygerian warrior beaten and humiliated by his own nobyo?”

Taz glared at him, his fists slowly clenching and unclenching. Kyle was a bit afraid he’d pushed him too far, but he had to keep on. If he could get him to agree, he might have a chance to win and tell his family to back off.

“Come on, if you’re so sure you can win this, then make a wager with me. Bet me that if you win it, I’ll drop this subject and become your loyal little nobyo. ”

“And if I lose?” Taz asked, his tone of voice clearly revealing he didn’t think it possible.

“Then I get to visit my family and explain that I’ve found my mate and that I’m happy living here on Tygeria. I return as your equal partner, and you forget this nobyo shit. ”

“Visit them?” Taz’s voice dripped with scorn. “You honestly expect me to believe you’d come back to me?”

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