Dawnlark Plains then they called me, too

Truthfully, his stomach did churn a bit at the thought. She could find herself a good man, an honest man, not of the Sameth bloodline. . .but could just as easily stumble into someone bad, unwilling to love her for her, to treat her with the respect she deserved. The Sameth men were honorable; even Murdock, the cad, had his dignity. He couldn't give the same blanket judgment to any other bloodline.

"We have a lot to discuss, between the two of us," Shale responded, referring to himself and Pema, not between the brothers. "We talked a little about it, in the mountains, but. . ." He trailed off, still unsure how to think about that night. Her embrace under the stars, which at once had given him so much hope and yet added more weight onto his already heavy heart.

Perhaps this was the new standard of true affection, for Shale to feel at once overjoyed and incredibly guilty. He hadn't felt it with anyone else; this girl was obviously different. "We'll see, Day," Shale sighed, his voice noncommital. "I'll see how it plays out." He paused, smiling ruefully. "At any rate, she may not stray outside the bloodline, after all. Did you know Murdock's made moves on her?"