Free Gravity by Dannika Dark Page A

rank, and his greed and treachery made his current position
    even more dangerous. Tarek’s younger brothers had privately disowned him after he raped his
    kindred spirit, but now they were forced to heed his call.
    “How can he be a leader after what he did to me?”
    Logan shook his head angrily and the black rims around his amber eyes intensified. “You’re not
    a Chitah, so nothing he does to you matters in their eyes. Female or not, we cannot impose
    punishment on other Breeds. Crimes like these fall through the cracks because leaders don’t want
    to instigate war between one another. With Tarek in a position of authority, there’s nothing we can
    do. He’ll be in power for fifty years. Until the next open challenge, the only ones who have a right
    to challenge for his position are his brothers.
    “Fifty years,” I breathed. “What about your Pride? Did anyone challenge your Lord?”
    Logan explained that each Pride alternates years so a complete shift in leadership wouldn’t
    occur all at once.
    “I’m not sure if Leo will go for it. We have a fair leader, although his views are old-fashioned.
    He’s respected.”
    “Tarek can’t come after you, can he? Now that he’s in power?”
    “He only has power over his own Pride. We’re divided by territories, and he has no dominion
    over mine.”
    “Maybe his people will stage a coup,” I said hopefully.
    Logan slid his hand around the back of my neck and lightly ran his fingers against my sensitive
    skin. The oversized window in his living room loomed behind the sofa, offering little privacy from a
    curious eye.
    “I wish there was more progress with Nero,” Logan murmured. “It burns me to know he walks
    this earth.”
    I touched his wrist. “Justus said there are dozens of Neros out there, and eventually all of them
    will be caught.” I paused for a few beats. “Eventually. We had a long talk about it and I see his
    point. I can’t live my life for revenge, or else I’m not living at all. Someday…”
    “Yes, someday. He’s hurt you once, and I don’t like that he’s still free to do it again.” Logan
    squeezed my leg. We couldn’t accuse Tarek of associating with Nero to help bring him down
    because slander was punishable if not proven.
    “How’s Finn getting along with Lucian?” I noticed a small wooden carving of a cheetah on the
    table that I’d never seen before. “It’s so quiet around here; I wish he lived closer so I could see
    him more often.”
    The Cross brothers had been rotating Finn between homes so they could each bond with him
    and his animal. Shifters and Chitahs—while similar in nature—faced different challenges. Chitah
    siblings often live within the same house or building when there is a sister to protect. Finn was a
    wolf, and it suited him to live in a pack environment. He had never received formal education, so
    Lucian, being the brains in the family, tutored him.
    “Little Wolf is doing well. He’s got it in his head he wants to be a lawyer,” Logan said with an
    unwavering smile.
    “He does?” I asked, poking my head up. “Seriously?”
    Logan nodded. “I wouldn’t put it past him. He has drive that most men only dream of, and
    after what he’s been through, he wants to protect those who the laws have not. The Breed can
    always use good lawyers.”
    “Ugh… Breed law. I should invite him over to take away all those bigass books that Justus
    keeps on his shelf. Our history is biased, making other Breeds look bad. Makes me wonder what
    you guys have on your shelves; no wonder all these rivalries exist.”
    Logan laughed and nudged his fingers against my rib. “I think we should encourage him, don’t
    you?”
    “Now that you mention it, we have to make sure our child gets nothing but the best in this
    world.” I sniffed out a laugh.
    The motion was so fast I could only gasp; Logan pulled me onto his lap and locked his luminous
    eyes on mine. A look of possession crashed through him.
    “What’s