Cassie managed to talk to Ashley and several of the other agents she’d been working with and updated them as to her new status, or lack thereof. She hadn’t met with Jonas, but each time she considered it, she rejected the idea just as quickly. Some instinct warned her that now wasn’t the time.
Her mother had arrived several hours after her father and Rhyzan left, clearly upset. Cassie had refused to discuss the earlier meeting with her, despite the fact that her mother obviously knew what had happened. Just as she knew Cassie had been given notice to leave.
Finally, that evening, there was nothing left to do but pack. Not that she had a lot to pack. Her clothes and shoes for the most part. She hadn’t brought much else besides a few pieces of jewelry when she’d come to Window Rock.
Dog had left and returned several times, his expression forbidding each time he’d come back to the room. What his plans were when they left, she had no idea. What his plans were while he’d been in the Bureau’s residence with her, she still didn’t know. All she knew was that whatever he was working on, he was determined to keep it to himself.
Council business? she wondered, but something in that thought simply didn’t feel right. That, or she was just trying to fool herself.
Aware of him moving around in the other room, she placed her luggage on the bed and began packing. She had her apartment; they could always go there. Or that was where she intended to go. Someplace reasonably safe while she and her mate battled out a few choices he needed to make quickly.
“How confident are you that you can block the Petition for Reconsideration?” Dog asked her from the bedroom doorway as she pulled clothes from her closet and carried them to the bed.
Placing the hangers of clothing on the bed, she straightened and stared back at him, her stomach sinking at the hard expression on his face and the brooding anger in his eyes.
“I can’t block it. I’d have to be able to access the articles of Mating Law. My security access was rescinded, as well any ability to file the proper paperwork without going through the Breed Tribunal to gain permission to access it.” She frowned as she considered the options she had. “All I can do is refuse to see him until the BRC agrees to hear my arguments. But they can still force me away from you until that time.”
Could she bear that? Even now, the need for him was a heated ache in her core, distracting at best, but she knew it could be much worse. Mating Heat and the need for one’s mate were an ever-present hunger until the hormonal changes that occurred in both the male and female ran their course or pregnancy occurred. According to Dr. Sobolova, the injection she administered would halt conception, but nothing could halt the Heat itself. It was unknown until recently that the Coyote Breed’s DNA hadn’t been coded with the mutation to block conception. That mutation was one of the reasons Wolf and feline Breed female mates experienced such extremes in their arousal and needs.
“You have five minutes to change and grab your pack.” He stepped into the bedroom, his glance taking in her clothes. “Brannigan filed his petition and I’d prefer not to give that bastard a chance to die today.”
Cassie could feel the blood draining from her face.
She could feel the knowledge that such a move would turn into a war. If Rhyzan actually managed to separate her and Dog, blood would spill. And that blood would stain the Breeds and Mating Heat forever.
She couldn’t allow this to happen.
If Dog killed Rhyzan for attempting to separate them, it would tear the Breed community apart, no matter the law that allowed it. Mating Law was filled with addendums, statutes and, in some places, vague language to allow for later clarifications on a case-by-case basis. Such as this one. But it firmly established the fact that mates couldn’t be separated by order or decree.
There wasn’t a Breed alive who was aware of Mating Law who would stand for even Dog to be separated from his mate. It was unthinkable. It would divide the Breeds as nothing else ever had.
“We can’t leave without being seen …”
“Let me take care of that. Four minutes, Cassie.” His expression hardened further. “The second he has confirmation that he can separate us, he’ll head up here with enough Enforcers to fill this suite. And trust me, I will die to keep my mate, and I’ll make damned sure I take a hell of a lot of them with me.”
It was his tone, the strength in it, the faint growl that rose from his throat, the wave of possession and determination that suddenly filled the room.
If he would die to keep Rhyzan from taking her, then he’d never allow the Council to take her either. The fear of that had been one she hadn’t been able to push aside, until now. That preternatural sense of coming events or possibilities woke inside her long enough that she knew whatever he was, whoever he worked for, he wasn’t loyal enough to them to turn her over.
Grabbing the clothes she needed, she quickly removed her slacks and silk blouse before redressing. Jeans, a dark T-shirt and overshirt and hiking boots.
Damn Rhyzan. What the hell was he trying to do? One thing was for certain: His blood was going to spill if he kept on this course.
As she hurriedly braided her hair, Dog strapped his weapon to his thigh. While she was securing the braid he was lifting the pack and looping one of the straps over his shoulder.
“It won’t take long for him to receive an answer.” She kept her voice low as she took the hand he held out to her.
“Then let’s not waste time. Stay behind me, stay quiet.” He led her through the suite, but rather than going to the exit, he pulled her into the spare room behind the small kitchen.
She watched in amazement as they entered the small walk-in closet there. Pausing at the back of the closet, she watched as th
e wall slowly slid back, revealing a narrow corridor.
God bless Jonas’s heart, but how in the hell had Dog known about the hidden access?
Following silently, she was aware of the access door closing behind them as her night vision kicked in, allowing her to see her way through the dark corridor.
It took only minutes to find a stairwell. Dog moved quickly, silently, despite his size, down the sound-absorbing steps until they reached another long corridor. Pausing, listening for long seconds, he then led her to the door at the far end.