Wake A Sleeping Tiger (Breeds 22)

“As you neared the ravine?” Draeger asked with a bit of surprise. “I was in the ravine and almost at this position before I caught the scent.”

Propping his hands on his hips, Cullen let his gaze sweep through the night as he ignored Draeger’s comment.

“This is downwind of the house,” Draeger pointed out, resting one hand on the sidearm at his thigh. “Would have been easy to hide here, it’s farther out than we patrol.” He breathed out heavily. “Bastard.”

“Where’s Tobias?” Cullen asked him.

Draeger tapped his ear, indicating the small communications device he and Tobias used. “He said to tell you the dinner smells coming from your house every evening are killing him.”

Cullen let a grin edge at his lips. He’d end up gaining weight at this rate.

He looked around once again, asking himself what the hell Ranger was doing watching his home.

Home.

It had always just been “the house” before; now, because of Chelsea, it was home. It was the soft glow of lamps lighting the room, the smell of something she was cooking drifting through the house, the scent of lemon furniture polish after she straightened each room and now, the faint glow of the kitchen night-light she’d plugged in at the counter, a welcoming invitation of warmth.

It was also a perfect tool used by predators to detect movement in the house.

“Let’s get back to the house.” Cullen turned and headed back the way Draeger had moved in.

Concentrating on Chelsea with that little edge of power he’d released, he realized he could sense her. She was still sleeping, a deep, heavy sleep that she rarely slipped into.

Sliding beneath the arch of the covered patio, he eased behind one of the stucco columns, drew two of the cigars he carried in his pocket free and handed one to Draeger.

“’Preciate it.” The Wolf nodded. “Fucking Tobias found my stash and I haven’t had a chance to replace them yet.”

“He’s still alive?” Cullen asked, his voice low but amused as he lit his own cigar before extending the lighter to the other Breed.

Lighting the rolled tobacco, Draeger gave the lighter back to Cullen.

“I fucking hate Dane for getting me started on these,” he growled.

Cullen shot Draeger a wry look. “His family makes these damned things in Africa, just for the Breeds. The blend was specially created so it doesn’t block our senses or linger in them once we’re finished. All the pleasure, none of the pain,” he drawled.

“Hmm.” Draeger made an agreeable sound. “This is some good stuff, though. I can be madder than hell and ready to rip someone’s head off. Smoke one of these fuckers and I’ll consider letting them live for a while longer.”

Holding the slender cigar between two fingers, Cullen considered it for long moments. Maybe he should have Graeme check them out. Lifting it to his lips, he drew in the fragrant smoke once again. Hell, he’d been smoking them this long, a few more days wouldn’t hurt.

“You know, Tobias and I were at the Cerves compound meeting with a contact when Chelsea busted through those gates with that little girl of Samara’s.” He leaned back against the column beside him, facing Cullen. “We saw you rush her out of there as fast as hell, before Samara came looking for her. I was terrified that kid would be dead before they got her to the doctors waiting in the estate and certain Samara would kill Chelsea if that happened.” Compassion flashed in his expression. “Instead, she’s spent weeks since searching for the woman who rescued her little girl and gave her those final days with her.”

“Doesn’t sound like the stories of the Blood Queen, does it?” Cullen remarked. “I didn’t see you there. You were keeping yourselves well hidden.”

“We were there for intel and stayed in the shadows,” he sighed. “You know they took the kid because the Cerveses refused to use their informants to keep the Council apprised of Breed movements in the area.” A bitter smile touched the Wolf’s expression. “See, little Louisa loved all things Breed. And if Louisa loved it, then there wasn’t a chance in hell they were touching it. So those Coyotes took her daughter instead. She’s childless and looking for a daughter. I have a feeling, after that little meeting you told me about at Lobo Reever’s, Samara Cerves thinks she’s found a daughter.”

Cullen hadn’t missed Samara’s affection for Chelsea before they’d left the Reever estate. The other woman, though grief stricken, had remarked that she’d always imagined Louisa would have the same gentle soul Chelsea had, as well as the same reckless courage.

“Not as long as she’s a criminal.” Cullen shook his head. “Chelsea won’t have it.”

Draeger chuckled at the observation.

“When Chelsea was attacked by that Coyote I wondered if that had something to do with her rescue of Louisa,” the Breed admitted then. “Then came the Morales hit and I was sure of it. So I did a little checking and finally found the Coyote’s partner. Tobias and I had a little talk with him earlier today. It seems the one who attacked Chelsea told him the hit came not because of anything she’d done

.” He paused, watching Cullen carefully.

“It was because of me,” Cullen guessed then. “Someone guessed I was getting ready to take her as my lover.”

Draeger nodded with a short, abrupt movement before inhaling from the cigar, then lowering it to his thigh.