Elijah gripped the arms of the chair hard, nails digging deep. “There is no redemption for what I’ve done.”

Delgrotto smiled. “Even the sacred high council can be wrong. Who can measure the worth of a man but his own sense of honor?”

Elijah looked away from the warmth in those old eyes. “If I can’t forgive myself, how would I ever accept forgiveness from others?”

“No council can turn away the request of asylum, of sanctuary. It matters little where you were born. There are few true shifters left in this world. We can’t afford to lose any of them.” The elder moved into the shadows of the verandah, shedding his clothes and packing them carefully in the traditional leather bag he strapped around his neck before shifting.

There was a long silence. Rachael sighed. “I really wanted to detest that man.”

“He’s a good man,” Rio said. “He’s right to believe in the laws that govern our people. We can’t be judged by human standards and we can’t take our problems to the police. We have to protect and patrol our own ranks.”

“I see what’s going on here,” Elijah said. “Only a man who has found his mate refers to her as sestrilla or hafelina. You can’t have Rachael. You can’t possibly protect her from Armando. I didn’t keep her alive this entire time to let her die out here in this jungle.”

There was a whip to his voice and Rachael winced visibly. Ignoring Elijah, she took a bowl of the vegetable soup and a cup of coffee to Rio. “Eat all of it, you need it,” she encouraged. “And don’t give me any guff over your precious elder. He isn’t a bad man, he’s just not as wise as a woman.”

Elijah groaned. “Don’t get her started with the women being superior to men argument, we’ll get nowhere with this. Rachael, you can’t stay. I can tell you feel something for this man, but you can’t stay.”

“I’m in love with him, Elijah.” Rachael said it quietly, staring into her brother’s eyes as she handed him a bowl of soup.

“Damn it, Rachael.”

Rachael huffed out her breath in exasperation. “Why is it men always say that to me? I seem to bring out swearing in the male species.”

She curled up across from Elijah, settling on the arm of Rio’s chair, her arms curving around his neck. She had to touch him, her fingers smoothing his shaggy hair. She wanted to inspect his body and make certain there were no scratches to get infected in the humidity of the forest. She had to be content with teasing the nape of his neck with her fingers.