“That’s what I thought.”
“Any other ideas?”
“If this had happened a few weeks ago, I would have said HUFSI was behind it.”
“They have been campaigning to have all Praeterns neutered,” Jody agreed, “and have come out strongly against the new Praetern rights bill.”
“There are plenty of militant splinter factions who aren’t going to be swayed by any ballot,” Sylvan said. “They’ve made regular death threats.”
“It’s certainly possible,” Jody said. “Historically, killing the figurehead doesn’t stop a movement from effecting change, but fanatics rarely learn from history. You have your doubts now?”
From inside the room, Marissa cried out. Sylvan felt Lara’s wolf straining for freedom and scented Lara’s wild pheromones mixed with a cooler, sharper element.
“She’s a centuri. Her wolf is strong. Eventually she’s going to shift,” Sylvan warned. “Will you be able to handle her?”
Jody smiled mockingly. “Vampires know how to handle Weres when we feed. Who else wants you dead?”
“Someone wants to create panic among the humans and discredit the Weres,” Sylvan said. “Maybe they think they’ll have a better chance of doing that if they also eliminate the leadership.”
“It may not just be a movement against Weres,” Jody said. “There may be a much larger assault coming on all of us.”
“Then it’s a good thing we’re on the same side.”
“It’s fortunate we have an alliance,” Jody said smoothly. “What do you plan to do?”
“My Pack has been challenged. That cannot stand.” Sylvan smiled, her canines fully exposed. “I intend to go hunting.”
“I didn’t report the shooting.” Jody shrugged. “I am a detective, but this is Praetern business. Let me know if you need assistance.”
“Just take care of Lara.” Sylvan nodded. “I’ll expect to hear from you soon about your search on the human victims, Vampire.”
“And I’ll await your report from your scientists.”
“Take care of my centuri.”
“Don’t insult me, Wolf,” Jody said.
“Good night, Vampire.” Sylvan strode rapidly toward the adjacent wing, eager to find her mate. She’d been away from her for too long.
Her wolf was restless and edgy. She didn’t want her mate out of her sight. She needed to touch her. She needed to taste her again. She needed to assert her claim.
Sylvan knew before she reached the other side of the building that Drake was no longer in their room. When she encountered Andrew talking to Niki in the center of the infirmary building, her eyes were completely gold and her face honed to a knife’s edge.
“You left the Prima unprotected?” Sylvan growled.
Andrew flinched. “She’s in the building, Alpha.”
“That’s not what I asked you.” Sylvan stalked him and he backed up.
“I’m sorry, Alpha. I should have gone with her.” Andrew turned his head away as Sylvan crowded him up against the wall.
She slid her claws into his abdomen, just deep enough to make him shudder. With her mouth against his ear, she warned, “Don’t ever do that again.”
“Alpha,” Niki said softly, carefully not touching Sylvan. “She’s all right. We won’t let anything happen to her.”
Sylvan swung her head around, her canines gleaming.
“She doesn’t understand Pack ways yet. She doesn’t understand the dangers from outside.”
“She doesn’t need to,” Niki said. “She’s the Prima. It’s in her blood.”
Andrew ran his mouth along the underside of Sylvan’s jaw. “We’re hers as we are yours.”
“Thank you.” Sylvan leaned her forehead against Andrew and stroked the back of his neck, withdrawing her claws. He sighed and closed his eyes. Niki sidled up against Sylvan and wrapped her arm around Sylvan’s waist.
“How is Lara?” Niki asked.
“She’s alive.” Sylvan draped her arm over Niki’s shoulder so Niki could rest against her chest. “We’ll need a temporary replacement for her in the guard. You two discuss it with Max and let me know your candidates.”
“I sent Max back with Jace and Jonathan to track the shooter’s scent,” Niki said, referring to the twin dominants—sister and brother—who were already lieutenants and prime candidates to be elevated to centuri.
“Good.” Sylvan’s blue eyes sparked gold. “We’ll leave as soon as I’ve seen to my mate.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Niki and Andrew said together.
Sylvan followed Drake’s scent through the building, her impatient hunger escalating until all she wanted was Drake under her, inside her, over her. When she pushed open the door to the lab, the only thing she saw was Sophia with her hand on Drake’s bare shoulder. With a roar, she leapt for them.
Chapter Thirty-One
Drake swept Sophia behind her with one arm, blocking her from Sylvan, whose wolf rode so close to the surface that her eyes and face had partially shifted. The shimmering sheen of arousal on Sylvan’s bare torso misted Drake’s skin and her sex swelled, readying for her mate.
“Back away from her,” Sylvan snarled in Sophia’s direction, her whole body shuddering with the effort not to tear Sophia apart.
“Sylvan,” Drake murmured, pressing her mouth to the bite on Sylvan’s chest. She had felt Sylvan calling out to her long before she’d reached the room, had felt her power—hungry and demanding. Her own need had grown in the short time they’d been separated until she could barely remain in the lab. She’d wanted to stalk through the Compound until she found Sylvan and reminded the Alpha and anyone near her exactly who Sylvan belonged to. She scraped her teeth over the bite and Sylvan shuddered. “I’ve missed you.”
Growling ominously, Sylvan grasped Drake behind the head and yanked her forward, covering her mouth in a ferocious kiss. Sylvan’s nipples were hot and hard as diamonds as they chafed Drake’s chest through her thin shirt. Drake pressed her hips into Sylvan’s and raked her blunt claws down the center of Sylvan’s abdomen. She drew Sylvan in, welcomed her questing tongue, her demanding mouth. The more she gave—the more she took—the calmer Sylvan became, until finally Sylvan released her mouth. Sylvan dragged her canines down Drake’s neck and kissed the bite on Drake’s shoulder. Heat washed through Drake and her stomach clenched.
“You have nothing to growl over,” Drake murmured. “I hunger only for you.”
“She was touching you,” Sylvan said fiercely, her arm around Drake’s waist, her pelvis tight against Drake’s.
“I needed her to draw blood for some tests,” Drake said, stroking Sylvan’s face.
Sophia, who had quietly withdrawn to the far side of the room, said, “It’s my fault, Alpha. I know better than to be alone with her now.”
“What tests?” Sylvan whipped her head around, fixing Sophia with a flat, hard stare.
“We want to repeat the mitochondrial DNA analysis,” Sophia said.
“Why?” Sylvan’s body coiled tightly, driven by a primal force stronger than any other to protect her mate. She would allow nothing to harm her.
Drake smoothed her hands up and down Sylvan’s back and kissed her neck. “I need to be sure the changes in my cells are stable. That I’m not carrying any kind of mutagen that could be a danger to you or—”
“You’re fine,” Sylvan snarled. “You’re my mate. Do you think I couldn’t tell if there’s something wrong?”
“I’m not a born Were,” Drake said gently, knowing this barrier could prevent the rest of the Pack from accepting her as Sylvan’s mate, even if Sylvan refused to acknowledge the problem. “We don’t know if you’ll be able to sense everything about me as you would if I were regii.”