His gaze narrowed, and for just a second she could have sworn she saw a flash of confusion mix with the anger that ignited in his gaze.
"Are you one of those humans that believes we're nothing but animals that don't deserve to live?" Jonas accused her, the rabid fury in his voice at odds with the cool control she knew he was famous for.
She didn't flinch, she didn't cower back in her chair, but God she wanted to. She did flinch though as Styx jumped between her and Jonas, a fierce Wolf's snarl vibrating from his throat.
"Back off, Jonas!"
Navarro moved slowly into position to jump between the two Breeds if necessary.
The other Breeds moved behind Jonas, as though flanking him, protecting him.
"I want that chip, Styx," Jonas snapped. "The implications of this have gone beyond one woman's life. Don't doubt for a second I won't do whatever it takes to force what I want from her."
"Jonas, enough."
All eyes turned to the woman who had stepped into the room.
Rachel Broen. "Hell, all we need now are the Breed alphas and a few Council members to complete this little meeting," Storme stated, forcing the mockery in her voice as Rachel stepped forward.
Jonas's assistant and new wife looked concerned as she moved to her husband's side. What Storme saw then had her chest clenching in some emotion she didn't understand.
Jealousy perhaps? Envy? Storme knew whatever it was had regret flaying her and a hunger rising inside her that she couldn't control. An emotional, overriding hunger she didn't understand and refused to look too deeply into.
For a second, the icy fury in Jonas's eyes was replaced by worry, pain, and a split second of agony that was gone just as quickly as it had come.
His wife walked to him slowly, her gaze focusing on Storme, her navy blue eyes heavy with concern.
"You shouldn't be here, Rachel," he grated, though his hand settled at the small of her back with the utmost gentleness as she neared him.
Rachel Broen was human. There had been several articles in major newspapers about the marriage of the Bureau director and his assistant. The woman had a child if Storme remembered correctly, an infant. There were rumors in the underground anti-Breed networks that Phillip Brandenmore, a silent partner with the Council, had found a way to use this woman's child to get something he wanted.
What Brandenmore had wanted no one seemed to know, but Storme knew what Brandenmore had been doing. He had been trying to replicate a project from the Omega labs and had actually believed the girl would want to see her father's work resurrected.
"It seems that perhaps I should have been here earlier," Rachel said softly. "What are you doing, Jonas, trying to terrify this young woman and fight with one of your best Enforcers?"
There was an edge of chastisement in his wife's voice now, one that had Jonas staring back at Storme with a promise of retaliation.
Yeah, retaliation. She could see who wore the pants in this family, and it sure as hell wasn't Jonas Wyatt. Though the thought was mocking, Storme was still fascinated with it. Rachel wasn't more dominant; it was more that Jonas seemed to be that attuned to his wife, perhaps that much in love?
Could a Breed love? Didn't one have to have a soul to love?
"Ms. Montague." Rachel stepped around her husband, then the hulking form of Styx. "I'm afraid you're going to have to come to Sanctuary ..."
"Haven." Styx moved between them again as Jonas stepped closer to his wife.
"Sanctuary would be better, Styx," Jonas stated harshly. "We can sneak her easily into the underground cells ..."
"The hell you will. She goes to Haven," Styx stated again. "She goes with me."
"She's not yours, Styx," Jonas stated again.
At this point, enough was enough. "I'm not a bone between an oversized cat and dog," she informed them all bitterly. "Why don't I just settle this little argument myself?
I'll just be going on my merry way if you all don't mind."
She rose from the chair, until Styx turned so suddenly she came to a hard stop.
Hands braced on the arms of the chair to hold herself up, she stared up at him in surprise.
His expression wasn't furious, but rather so dominant and intense she sat back down in her chair slowly. A primal sense of self-preservation seemed to kick in. It wasn't the same warning sense that kicked in when she knew she was dealing with a dangerous animal. It was different.
"Maybe I'll just wait a minute," she stated calmly.
"Maybe you'll get ready to take another ride," he stated, his voice harsh. "We're going to Haven."
"She's needed at Sanctuary, Styx," Jonas argued again. "We have to have that data chip."
"Then it seems you'll be coming to Haven for a while," Styx stated.
The brogue was gone. There was no accent, no tonal shifts.
Jonas's jaw clenched as Rachel turned back to him. "We'll go to Haven, Jonas."
"Like hell," Jonas growled. "Rachel, this isn't the plan."
"Then it appears the plan is changing," Styx informed him coolly before turning to the other Breeds. "Get her stuff together. I'll be transporting her to Haven. Navarro, get the Range Raider ready to roll and have one of the wolves outside pick up my cycle."
"My, aren't we the dominant Breed here." Crossing one knee over the other, Storme smiled back at Styx mockingly. "Why bother, Styx? You performed well. You captured the dangerous little girl, you can run back home now, little Wolf. I don't care to take a trip to Sanctuary. I hear the Felines can be very sociable when they want to be."