Cross Breed (Breeds 23)

“Do you have a suicide wish?” The low, feline sound of wrath whispered through the room. “Sinclair may not care much for his daughter’s mate, but he is her mate. He’ll kill you.”

Yeah, he’d guessed that the day before when Sinclair tried to beat the hell out him. He’d taken that beating. He hadn’t struck back, because he understood, he even expected it.

“If I don’t beat him to it.” The rasp deepened, the sound of the primal, fully emerged, causing the hairs at the back of his nape to lift in warning.

“The request wasn’t intended as an insult,” Rhyzan assured the other Breed.

“You stank of your prejudice, your dislike and disgust toward her.” Those demon eyes flared as Jonas spoke. “You stood in front of an innocent young woman, one who has known nothing but danger, nothing but the risk of the horrors that could await her, since she was a child, and insulted her with such base disregard that every Breed on that Cabinet was thirsting for your blood.”

Yeah, he’d got that before he left. It would have been damned hard to miss. Unfortunately, it was exactly what he’d intended. He’d had no choice in what he’d done, though.

“The missing child—”

“There is no missing child.” The growl deepened; canines flashed along with silver eyes. “Kenzi told you she thought she heard the guards discuss a child. There might have been a child. You lied.”

Oh, there had been a child—Rhyzan had no doubt of that—but it really wasn’t the child who concerned him. His initial investigation assured him that the girl was safe, possibly better protected than any of them.

The girl was a weapon, nothing more. A weapon he needed to threaten the freedom of the Coyote Dog and draw out an enemy he’d been stalking for years.

“I lied,” he agreed. “But I’ll continue to lie if I must. If I have to, I’ll have Dog dragged into a cell in chains and his mate languishing beside him if that’s what it takes. I’d hate it,” he assured the animal tensing to attack. “Believe that, Jonas, it wouldn’t be a choice I made unless I’m left no other recourse. And all I can do is pray to God it doesn’t come to that.”

He wouldn’t have a chance against a Primal Breed without some hellacious luck, Rhyzan admitted silently. Jonas could move with incredible speed when that creature came out to play, and avoiding those claws would be next to impossible.

When Jonas didn’t speak, didn’t move, Rhyzan blew out a weary breath.

“The disrespect you and the Cabinet scented was forced,” he admitted. “I have the highest regard for Cassie and hated doing it. Just as I hated messing with the mating compatibility tests after she mated with Dog.” Grimacing, he felt the tension rising, felt the Primal gathering itself to attack. “I suspect his grandfather is one of the twelve who head the Genetics Council. And his spies are here, in Window Rock.”

Stepping across the room carefully, he strode to the safe inset in the wall, activated the panel that hid it and pushed in the digital code. Opening it, he retrieved the file he kept there and tossed it to the coffee table in front of the director.

“I’ve followed them for years,” he told Jonas as one claw-tipped finger flipped the folder open. “The grandfather, then Dog and Cassie.” There were pictures, many pictures.

“Sit,” Jonas growled, with a jerk of his head to the couch next to him.

Stepping to the couch, Rhyzan sat down and leaned forward as Jonas placed three of the pictures next to one another.

The first, an army officer, the second a navy SEAL officer, and the third, the Breed Dog. Lifting a fourth picture, Jonas laid it above Dog’s and sat staring intently at the collage he’d made.

“Light.” The growl was still a harsh rasp, but it no longer had Rhyzan’s hackles raised.

Reaching to the lamp on the table next to them, Rhyzan flipped it on, watching the glow spill over the pictures.

“Why didn’t you bring this to my attention?” Still rough, but easing a fraction more, the voice rumbled with displeasure.

“I would have, if I hadn’t needed your anger, as well as Sinclair’s, to lend credence to my supposed threat.” Balancing his arms on his knees, he stared at the pictures. “I found reason to suspect some of the Wolf Breeds here at the Bureau feared Cassie, that their prejudice toward her genetics was making her a target. When word hit that she’d mated Dog, a transmission was picked up from the Bureau to his residence.” He stabbed his finger at the army officer. “He showed up here at the Bureau yesterday, but before he arrived he met with the two Wolf Breeds Dog confronted outside her suite. He left when he learned Dog was back in town after having ran with Cassie.”

From the corner of his eye, he saw the claws tipping Jonas’s fingers slowly ease back beneath the perfectly manicured nails and had to fight a breath of relief.

“He’s a hybrid.” Jonas glanced to him, his expression thoughtful.

“He’s a hybrid.” Rhyzan nodded. “And he’s mated a hybrid. According to the belief many scientists share, hybrids will give birth to Breeds that can’t be identified even with the deepest genetic testing. There will be no way to tell them from a human, and no way to eradicate Breeds completely if that happens.”

“A true Cross Breed,” Jonas murmured.

“He was here, Jonas.” Rhyzan stared at him intently. “And the interest he’s showing in the accusations against Dog and Cassie isn’t normal. Just because he left doesn’t mean he’s going to let his grandson go.”

Rhyzan turned his gaze to the pictures. When laid side by side, it was impossible to deny they were related. Grandfather, father, son, and above them, a young, blond Coyote female.

“What happened to the parents?” Jonas asked.