Page 129 of Tamiko and the Two Janitors
“You make babies with the highest bidder?”
“That’s one way of looking at it.” She sighed and shook herhead. “I know reaver couples who are together because they love each other.They had the good fortune to meet at academy or during one of the skill camps.Butthisis more or less standard.”
Tami had questions about contracts, stables, and academies.Melissa could tell her cousin was having a hard time with reaverpracticalities, but Tami wasn’t passing judgment. Only trying to understand asystem that existed to protect and proliferate rare bloodline traits.
Nodding thoughtfully, Tami reached for the page with GlintStarmark’s seal. “And what do you think of Jiminy’s offer?”
“His pedigree is beyond impressive.” Melissa frowned.“Nobody in their right mind would turn down an applicant of his rank.”
“Excellent numbers, excellent references,” agreed Tami. “Isit rude of me to ask about your numbers? Are yours … lower?”
Melissa rolled her eyes. “Ninety-nine percent of the globalreaver community is lower.”
Tami smiled. “Granted.”
“I rank.” It was nice to confide in someone. “My biologicalfather is one of the top ten battlers in the States, and at graduation, Iplaced high—triple digits.”
“That’s good?”
“Exceptional.”
“So on paper, you’re great together.” Tami’s brows knit.“Doesheknow that?”
Melissa’s heart clenched, and her shoulders sagged.“Probably. Doon-wen has my assessment folio. And they’ve been matchmaking fromthe beginning.”
“But you don’t like Jiminy?”
“He’s … Jiminy.”
Tami laughed. “Okay, but how has he responded to all thematchmaking? Is he being pressured into applying for you?”
Melissa slowly shook her head. “That goes against wolfnature.”
“So his adoptive parents wouldn’t have sent you this withouthis knowledge.” She shuffled through the stack of papers, selecting one nearthe bottom. “But what about this? It almost sounds like they’re trying to operateoutside the system. If you and your childrenbelongto the wolves,aren’t they actually setting up a private breeding program?”
The document in question was unusual in the extreme.
Written in Jiminy’s own hand, he let it be known that anychildren born to his den would belong to the Nightspangle pack, and that theirupbringing and education would proceed according to wolvish tradition. Melissawasn’t surprised. Jiminy wouldn’t want to send any of his children away. As hehad been.
She admired his foresight, his resolve, his protectiveness. “Belongingto a pack isn’t confinement or enslavement. It’s family.”
Tami’s expression softened. “That part, at least, appeals toyou.”
Melissa hummed a cautious affirmative.
“So what’s holding you back?”
“This.” Melissa waved at the offending stack. “Everything isso awkward. It’ll seem like I changed my mind once I learned Jiminy’s rank.”
Tami’s eyes took on a shine. “Mom was right. You’re inlove.”
“Reavers don’t marry for love.”
“According to the paperwork, he’s not a reaver.” Tami raiseda hand, interrupting herself. “Which begs the question, why is he resorting toreaver courtship? Wolf traditions have to be more romantic.”
Melissa smiled wanly. What a time for Jiminy to decide torespect her boundaries.
Halfway through dinner, Tami realized something thatmight be important. The same rules and regulations that Melissa had explainedearlier might technically apply to her, as well. Her cousin had been fined forputting off her duty to the In-between. Once Tami’s status was confirmed, wouldthey expect recompense? That hardly seemed reasonable.
