“The attack outside the club was a singular attack, and Draeger and Tobias got to her in time,” Lawe pointed out. “According to their reports she was holding her own, though. She’s well trained and knows how to watch out for herself.”
And all that was true, but Cassie couldn’t discount Chelsea’s grandfather’s words either. She was in danger because she was too stubborn to accept help. Too stubborn to accept Cullen’s offer? But that offer hadn’t been an offer of help. Cullen wanted her out of it, period.
“Cullen won’t let this go.” Cassie breathed out heavily at that inner knowledge. “His recessed ge
netics are either emerging or going through some transition, but whatever’s coming awake inside him is incredibly powerful. More powerful than even Graeme suspects, I believe. Possibly even as Primal as his brother. Bengal Breeds are unknown variables the way it is; their genetics are far more wild than most other Breeds. Cullen is but one of a few that we’re aware of, and according to his files, he’s the twin to one of the most dangerous Breeds we know of. If he’s Primal as well, and his genetics are becoming active, then his focus on her could be more than just that of a protector.”
“You think it’s Mating Heat?” Rule asked. “There was no scent of Heat.”
No, there was no scent of Mating Heat; but then, Mating Heat had its anomalies from couple to couple. They couldn’t rule it out, and Cassie knew it.
“But her scent has changed over the past few weeks,” she said thoughtfully. “Sometimes she shows signs of the Heat, and then they disappear, as though the spark needed hasn’t fully awakened his Breed side.” She shook her head at the thought. “I’m still trying to figure it out.”
“So we could have a possible Bengal mating? A recessed Primal beginning to emerge?” The concern in Lawe’s voice wasn’t misplaced. Primals were highly unpredictable, just as their four-legged cousins were known to be. Secretive, powerful, savage when they erupted and so mysterious that even the few that had been tested rarely showed reliable readings from one test to the next.
“I just don’t know yet.” She shook her head, confusion threatening to turn to irritability.
Lawe and Rule exchanged looks, their silent communication not unknown to her.
“I’d have them tested for mating but we learned with Tanner and Cabal that even fully mated, their tests aren’t always conclusive.” Rule shook his head.
Tanner and Cabal were, for many years, the only Bengal Breeds known to exist. Tanner was part of the original feline Breed Pride that revealed itself to the world, and he’d been the head of Breed public relations for more than a decade. His mate was the daughter of a now-deceased general who had worked with the Council, trained and killed dozens of Breeds and nearly killed his own daughter as well.
“Ask Graeme for help,” Cassie suggested. “I believe he’s done extensive research on Bengal genetics. Perhaps he’s aware of something we’re not, or at least could give us a good guess as to what’s going on.”
Rule’s gaze jerked back to her. “How do you know that?”
Cassie shrugged at the question. “Graeme actually mentioned it to me at the dinner party the other night.” Now it made sense why he’d mentioned it. “I believe he’ll be expecting you to call.”
Evidently, like all Breeds considered less than sane, Graeme was just as manipulating as those she’d been raised among, if not more so, Cassie thought.
“I’ll contact Graeme,” Rule stated, his expression becoming thoughtful, cunning as he stared back at her. “You’ll stay on the operation as her handler and when Cullen comes demanding answers, I’ll give him the option of joining her. He can work with her or we’ll find a way to keep him away from her while she’s on it.”
That could work.
Cullen wouldn’t want to go against Rule, and he wouldn’t want to deal with the pressure Rule could put on the Covert Law Enforcement Agency.
“We’ll see how that works out for us.” She sighed heavily. “Let me know when you’ve discussed it with him. Once we know his answer, then I’ll let Chelsea know the plan.”
Rising to her feet, she left the room; the disquiet she could feel moving through her was more bothersome than she wanted to admit. She wasn’t used to handling this part of her life without the ghostly images that had aided her for so long.
They had been coming more rarely over the past years, replaced by that war-torn Coyote that never let her fully see him. If she could stare into the eyes of the image, then she would know the Breed he belonged to. She would know then if he was the Breed that haunted her nightmares and her fears.
The image trailed just behind her, though, shifting if she turned her head, if she tried to see him more fully, always just out of sight.
Was he the reason those who had helped her before didn’t appear any longer? Was the Coyote somehow keeping them away? And if so, why? The haunting presence could cause her to endanger the plan she’d had in place for years, and the delicate rescue operation she was working on. That operation depended on Cullen and Chelsea, as well as Samara Cerves and her husband and brother-in-law.
This had to work. It wasn’t just her own survival that depended upon the plans she’d been laying in place so covertly over the last years. There were others just as important. And one of them, one of those she was carefully drawing from hiding, wasn’t just important to her; she was Cassie’s only hope of survival.
Her only chance at freedom . . .
The operations center of the Western Division of the Bureau of Breed Affairs was as high-tech as it came and a much larger version of the mobile command Cullen used for the operations he oversaw.
Chelsea stood at the digital information table next to the Russian Coyote Breed female Ashley, watching as the other woman arranged and rearranged the photo and video files they’d taken over the week. With those files were the written reports of the Bureau agents involved in identifying the Breeds they encountered as well as the rumors and information they’d picked up in the weeks they’d been working the operation.
“This Breed.” Chelsea pointed to a hard-eyed, scarred Breed they’d seen only twice in the four weeks she’d been working with them. “He hasn’t shown up in any of the other files we have. We still haven’t uncovered his name or anyone else he associates with.”
Ashley pulled the digital file to the middle of the interactive table and, with one finger from both delicate hands, enlarged it before tapping it twice. The informational file included with the photo popped up next to it.