Go. Fear filled the pale vision. You have to hurry. Come …
She floated past Cassie, moving through the door as though it didn’t exist, as Cassie bit back a curse and jerked open the door, following her.
Dog’s mother? The fairy had been Dog’s mother.
All those years it had been Dog’s mother coming to her, leading her from danger, guiding her through her childhood?
For Cain to survive, you had to survive, the form stated, her melodic voice whispering around Cassie as she raced through the halls of the Bureau behind it. For him to find happiness, to flourish, for my and his father’s deaths to have not been in vain, you had to survive, Cassie …
All this time, the ghost of a conniving, manipulating mother had been leading her to her equally conniving son? Oh, this was one she was definitely not going to forget for a long time.
When all is well, and the time is right, the spirit promised as Cassie pushed through the stairwell doors, I’ll come to you. I’ll tell you of his father, and of a love so perfect a killer found a soul and the Breed he loved learned joy. Later, Cassie, when Dog is safe …
“What is he doing?” she panted, tearing down the stairs, holding the rail and jumping from one level to the next to keep up with the spirit. “Where did he find Major?”
Breeds believing they were righting a wrong. The spirit’s sigh whispered around her. They held the key to the puzzle and did not know it. I tried to keep them from Cain, but Cain is stubborn. Determined. I could not turn him away when he found them.
“Go figure,” she said with a snort as they reached the garage level. The spirit passed through the door as Cassie slammed it open and raced into the secured underground lobby.
Hurry, Cassie, the spirit urged, waiting at the doors leading into the garage. You must hurry.
She burst through the doors, heard the snarl that ripped from her throat as she heard the vehicle, saw the lights heading for the down ramp. Pushing herself, her lungs burning, she vaulted over the hood of a car veering to cut her off and sprinted the final distance, jumped over the cement barrier. She came to a crouch, one hand braced on the asphalt as she planted herself in front of the limousine, glaring at the oncoming lights.
Brakes screamed, the tires laying black marks as the vehicle came to a hard stop, the grill only inches from her face. Coming slowly to her feet, her weapon in both hands and leveled at the driver, she snarled again.
“Dog, you mangy fucking Coyote,” she screamed, furious at whatever he was trying to do. “Get your goddamned ass out here.”
• • •
She was amazing.
Enraged and wild, black hair flying around her as she vaulted over the barrier, landed in a perfect crouch and forced Mongrel to bring the vehicle to a stop.
“Let her go,” the senator’s aide advised him, his voice quiet. It wasn’t a warning; it was a reminder. “You don’t want her there, Cain.”
“Mutt.
” He clenched his fingers into fists, rage burning in his gut at the order he knew he had to give.
“Aw, come on, man,” Mutt muttered, the low tone doing nothing to disguise the plea. “Don’t make me do this.”
“Now.”
“Dog, you mangy fucking Coyote. Get your goddamned ass out here!” Her scream, so filled with anger, with confusion, ripped at his guts.
“Now, Mutt.” He’d gone too far to turn back now.
“I fucking hate you,” Mutt growled, but he pushed the door open and exited the vehicle.
Not more than he hated himself.
• • •
Cassie watched the door open, her heart racing, the beat of it tightening her throat in horror as Mutt closed the door slowly and walked toward her.
Swinging the weapon on him, she bared her teeth, her breaths strangling her at the regret she saw in his face.
She could feel his determination to stop her and knew her mate had sent him to do so. Her mate. He was leaving her and he couldn’t even face her himself. The rage she’d felt building inside her all her life began beating in her head, flooding her veins and tearing aside the shields she’d used to hold it back.