He almost laughed at the statement. "Ely, every Breed alive can manipulate and calculate until hell freezes over. Brim, Del Rey, Callan, Wolfe, any of them could do what I do and not cause nearly as much trouble doing it. You're just prejudiced because I don't let you sit around and feel sorry for yourself when others do."
He teased her. He refused to let her sink into despair of the lapse she'd had when the drugs spreading through her system had eroded her judgment.
Ely was a fragile little thing, despite her facade of strength. She had seen too much in the labs at too young an age, had been forced to harm too many Breeds while there. She lived with the nightmares of those years, and now she lived with the nightmare of nearly being forced to do it again.
"No, you don't allow me to feel sorry for myself," she agreed quietly. "But I should stand aside and watch you allow this woman to destroy you. Would you do the same, I wonder, if the tables were turned?"
He pursed his lips and stared back at her for long moments before saying, "I've been allowing it, little cat. Do you think I haven't figured out who your mate is, and that you know it as well?"
She blanched, her brown eyes skittering away from him as fear flashed across her face.
"Do something about it soon," he warned her.
"As you are?" she shot back, anger filling her voice now.
"I think I'd try a different venue there if I were you," he retorted as he left the office. "A far different one. Kiss him. I really don't think he'd object."
Closing the door behind him, he moved through the hall, back to the flight of stairs that led to the main level of the house.
He was trying to force himself to leave Sanctuary. Leaving was the best thing he could do for Rachel. If he didn't get the hell away from her, then he was going to end up taking this decision out of her hands.
"Jonas." Mordecai met him in the hall as he reached the main level, his expression hard. Several Enforcers followed him.
"What now?" he growled, sensing the trouble that was sure to follow.
"You have a problem."
It wasn't "we," as in the Breeds had a problem; it was "he," as in shit was about to hit the fan.
"And that problem is?" He propped his hands on his hips and regarded the Enforcers with a frown.
"Devon Marshal," Mordecai sneered. "He claims he's the father of Rachel's child. He's at the gates with his lawyer as well as a county official. They have papers signed by a judge out of D.C. demanding Amber be relinquished to Child Protective Services until the matter of custody can be resolved. The papers state Amber's safety is in danger due to Breed carelessness." Mordecai slapped the file into Jonas's hands. "I don't know about you, but I say we shoot the fuckers, bury the bodies and deny they were ever here. Because trust me, you don't want to turn that baby over to him."
Jonas stilled.
He was aware of the Enforcers backing away, even Mordecai, and glancing at each other as though uncertain about even their own safety.
Jonas grinned. He knew it must have been a frightening sight; the scent of nervousness began to pour from the three Enforcers, who watched him with varying expressions of concern.
"Well, then, Mordecai, perhaps you should appraise Callan, Kane, the Leo, of course, and the rest of the Pride that we're about to have a burial. I'll see you outside when you've finished."
With that, he moved toward the main doors, distantly aware of the growls vibrating in his throat and the rage tearing through his body.
Devon Marshal was a dead man.
CHAPTER 12
Jonas had made a claim on Rachel's child before she had even drawn her first breath. Sheltered in the womb, her senses much like that of an animal's, reaching out to him and her mother, the animal inside him had accepted her as his own.
The man who claimed paternity had deserted Rachel in Switzerland, stolen her passport and what money she possessed when his parents had cut his funds when they learned Rachel hadn't aborted the child, and left her stranded.
Throughout the pregnancy and Amber's birth, Devon Marshal had been absent from her life.
Jonas had a feeling he knew exactly why the other man was standing at the gates of Sanctuary with a team of lawyers, Child Protective Services and Buffalo Gap's sheriff.
Devon's parents, Greg and Marsha Marshal, were opponents of Breed Law and critical of the world's acceptance of the Breeds. They had poured huge amounts of funds into the legal teams that had worked to fight against Breed freedom, and even now used their vast influence to attempt to halt the growth of Breed society.
They were there for that child, but not because she was part of the Marshal legacy. News reports of the explosion of Rachel's house had stated that she and her child were now residing in Sanctuary, along with the director of Breed Affairs. There was speculation as to their relationship, as well as a story that had claimed there was proof that Rachel and her child were now living in his cabin.
As he drove the Raider toward the security checkpoint, he came to a stop as another pulled into the road ahead of him.
Eyes narrowed, he watched as Cassie Sinclair, dressed in her best conservative lawyer's outfit, a slim below-the-knee skirt, white blouse, black jacket. Her long hair was pulled back into a neat, low ponytail, and she carried a bulging briefcase.
He'd known she would be there. With Cassie, he could always be certain she was where she needed to be.
The door of the Raider opened and she stepped in.
"They have papers signed by the magistrate," she stated as she pulled a folder free of her briefcase. "What the magistrate is unaware of is that we have the papers Devon Marshal signed just after Rachel began working for you, where he signed over all rights of the child to Rachel. I was there, if you remember." She grinned precociously. "I bet he remembers too."
Jonas put the Raider in gear as her driver ahead moved the other vehicle out of the way.
"How much trouble are we going to have?" he asked her.
Cassie shrugged. "They won't get her out of Sanctuary legally, I can tell you that much. I have all those bases covered, in triplicate. I also have the papers you signed accepting Amber Broen as a part of Sanctuary, with all the rights that entails." She pulled free the papers he had signed just after Amber's birth.
"I also have the papers signed by the Breed ruling cabinet, accepting her as a part of the Breed community, and Jess Warden is standing by to fly out of D.C. if we need her."
Hell, he hoped they didn't need the Breed's head legal counsel. Jess was still pissed over Amburg's disappearance after he was captured. She was certain he was being held by Jonas, and refused to believe otherwise. She harassed him every time she saw him.
"What's going on here, Cassie?" he asked her.
Cassie was different; that was the only explanation Jonas could give for it. Some people swore she talked to ghosts; when she was smaller, she claimed to have a fairy that warned her of impending danger.
She was considered a psychic by others, while still more simply called her a freak.
"What's always going on?" she retorted absently as she set a pair of glasses on her face and arranged the papers she had brought with her. "I have the investigative report on Devon that we had done just after we hired Rachel, along with pictures and detailed reports of many of his associations with several drug dealers. I also have the reports of his contacts with known terrorists against Breeds. I have enough to keep him away from Amber for the time being. We'll just have to see what they come up with next."
Jonas pulled up to the security post, exited the Raider, then walked to the side and helped Cassie out. Another vehicle rolled in behind them.
Jonas wanted to curse. He stood still, watching as Rachel jumped from the Raider, her green eyes narrowed on Devon Marshal as he stood at the gates.