Their security appeared top notch. Comparable to her former lab. “Long ago, right?”
“Actually, just last year. A mole from a rogue pack stole genetic data from Dr. Becker’s lab.”
“And here I thought werewolves were all knowing.”
Steele laughed. “I wish.” He stood. “I’ll call Rylee and check if Manny has found any breaches in security from within.”
“If there is a mole from Kiara’s pack, he or she could have gained information on how to frame me.”
“I believe so.”
“Why the hell would she do that, knowing you would be her mate?”
“A werewolf knows when their mate loves another.”
“That’s a given, but she had you and your title to boot.”
He frowned. “Precisely.”
“And why frame me for your niece’s attempted murder? She could have framed me for Cricket’s murder or published an article outing werewolves and using my name as a byline.”
“Trying to kill my niece made it personal against not only me, but against the king.” He narrowed his eyes. “In order to frame you, Kiara must have hired Tomlin.”
“Why risk execution or a werewolf lobotomy?”
“Knowing Kiara, she’d make sure there was no cyber trail between her and Project Sabertooth.”
Gaby frowned. “No way to prove it.”
“Only if she confessed, and I don’t see that happening.”
“All that trouble just to make you her mate.”
“Like you mentioned, my title alone is worth a sham of a mating. After Queen Myra and my niece, Margo, she’d be the most powerful princess.”
“Or if you become king, she’d be the queen.”
“Not such a remote idea. Max, my alpha nephew has given up his title, my niece is a beta and vulnerable to an alpha’s influence. The queen became infertile after her last litter underwent the change. No more children.”
“That’s odd after having pups she’d suddenly become infertile.” Gaby had learned all werewolves were first born as wolves until bitten by the alpha of the pack. Upon reaching wolf adulthood at three years, they then underwent the change and shifted into a twenty-one-year-old human with all the knowledge of an adult. Magic rather than science. Max and Margo were now twenty-three years old.
“Actually, she hasn’t gone into heat. They are seeking help from a clinic in Norway.”
“What if her lack of heat was intentional?”
He shook his head. “Again, you speak of betrayal within our ranks.”
“Humans throughout our history resorted to whatever means possible to gain power. Poison, false accusations or beheading got rid of people to gain ultimate power. Certainly, werewolves are not immune to this.”
Steele’s face reddened and he lowered his head. A pained or rather shamed look on his face. “No they are not.”
He’d never discussed his father, King Conall with her, but Cricket hinted to his father somehow betraying their kind. An oath breaker. He’d been quietly eliminated before word spread to the packs. Then there was his brother Maccon who carried the taint of Griswold and later killed by enforcer Dominic. In time, Steele would confide in her about such skeletons in the closet, but why bring up the painful past? Especially since Steele, like his father was now an oath breaker. Change the subject. “I think we should focus on destroying Tomlin and Project Sabertooth.”
“Agreed.”
“One thing about Tomlin, he’s not going to meet me alone. Too many predators will do my bidding. Knowing him, he’ll bring a small army.”
“It might be fun to meet at a local zoo,” he chuckled.