She drifted on waves of relaxation, distantly amazed when he rolled her to her back, finished drying her hair, then went to work separating the mass into sections and combing the tangles from it. Patiently murmuring his appreciation of the silken texture, the unruly curls, he worked the comb through them. And when he finished with the nearly dried strands he weaved them into a loose braid and secured them.
At no time did he seem frustrated with the task, or in the least impatient. Amazingly enough, she thought as she drifted into sleep, she could have sworn she sensed his enjoyment.
• CHAPTER 5 •
Cassie awoke just before dawn the next morning, alone, all too aware that she shouldn’t be. The clock on the bedside table assured her that she hadn’t slept for more than a few hours despite the fact that her internal clock assured her it was time to wake up.
She’d spent most of the evening and night completing reports and ensuring that her Bureau files were ready for whomever Jonas chose to take her place among the agents who worked to pull in information concerning the Genetics Council’s attempts to sabotage the Breed community. Establishing a base on Navajo lands hadn’t come easy. Ensuring it survived would be even more difficult if they weren’t diligent in keeping the Council out of it.
As she’d filed the reports before lying down, there had been a heavy regret, though. She’d enjoyed working with Jonas and the agents he’d assigned to her. Stepping away from it hurt. But better to do it willingly, her head held high, than to be forced to relinquish her job.
Breed Law itself wouldn’t allow her to hold the position. Her mate wasn’t part of the established Breed community. He was actually considered “rogue,” a Breed who refused to declare his loyalty to the Breed community and worked often with the Council.
Smothering a yawn, she sat up in the bed, aware of her nakedness, the sensitivity of her skin, and the tenderness between her thighs and at her breasts. Just as she was aware that her mate wasn’t in the suite with her.
So, where the hell was he? she wondered, rising from the bed and heading for the bathroom. She hadn’t heard him leave. Hell, he hadn’t even told her that he would be leaving.
Genetics Council business? she wondered bitterly as she washed her face.
Twenty-four years of achievements, of ensuring everyone could overlook her Coyote genetics, if not forget about them, and what did she go and do? She hadn’t just mated a Coyote, she’d mated one known for the fact that he often worked for the very monsters who created and tortured Breeds for so many decades.
And not just any Council Coyote either. Hell no, she’d mated one of the most notorious, lethally dangerous Coyotes known. A hell of a way to convince Breeds and humans alike that her Coyote genetics didn’t matter.
She applied her makeup quickly, paying close attention to the shadows under eyes before she brushed her hair back and secured it with a clip. She pulled on black silk slacks and a sleeveless violet blouse. Pushing her feet into black heels, she checked her appearance in the bathroom mirror.
At least she looked no different than she had the day before, she told herself silently as she strode through her bedroom and into the living area of the suite. Dog’s pack still sat next to the door, though he’d at least cleaned up the beer bottles and remains of the sandwich he’d had the night before.
According to Anya, Coya of the Coyote packs in Citadel, she often had to threaten the Coyotes there to get them to pick up after themselves in the community rooms.
Striding to the desk on the other side of the room, she picked up her mobile phone and activated the power.
When the screen came up she stared at the message displayed with a sense of disbelief.
ACCESS DENIED
She could feel her throat tightening, a band of impending anger forming in her forehead as she placed the phone carefully on the desk and picked up the tablet next to it.
ACCESS DENIED
The message displayed when she powered it up had her fingers tightening on the device before she carefully replaced it on the desk and turned toward her laptop and powered it on. The same message again. Picking up the slender black purse at the edge of the desk, she retrieved her personal mobile phone, activated it, and stared down at it with such a sense of overwhelming betrayal that that she had to fight to process it.
ACCESS DENIED
“Well, that didn’t take long, did it,” she muttered bitterly.
Turning on her heel, she moved back to her bedroom and went to the small jewelry box she kept on the dresser there. There, she extracted her watch and latched the leather band around her wrist.
She was often teased about the piece of jewelry whenever she wore it, but no one would give it a second thought. More to the point, when she passed through the scanners outside the elevator in the lobby, the small chip hidden within it would be undetectable. If worse came to worst she’d be able to send an emergency signal to her father. But other than that, she was now unprotected. She had no idea where her security detail was, or her parents for that matter. And she wouldn’t be able to roam the Bureau searching for them. Furthermore, she’d be damned if she’d beg anyone to contact them.
Collecting her purse, she left both her work phone and her personal phone lying on the desk next to the tablet and strode quickly to the door. Opening it, she nearly betrayed her shock at the two Breed Enforcers outside her door.
She was now considered such a risk that guards were securing her room?
Wolf Breed Enforcers. Wonderful. And two she didn’t recognize.
She could sense the instant distrust and instinctive aggression they kept in check. It was in their gazes, in the hint of censure in their expressions. And telling herself it was natural, even instinctive, didn’t help. When it was all said and done, it was her own fault. She’d allowed herself to be mated to a Coyote no one, even his own species, trusted. She could blame no one but herself.
Keeping her head high, she turned to the elevators, aware she was being followed by one of the enforcers. Stepping into the elevator, she ignored the Breed as he followed.