“We do not stink,” one of the men behind her growled.
“Was she talking to you?” Nikki asked him sweetly. “We didn’t pull your chain, big boy.”
Pale blue eyes narrowed fiercely. “You have a smart mouth, woman,” he bit out.
“Oh, you just realized that? Aren’t you the smart one?” She used the tone Charity knew was reserved for only the most obtuse.
“You wasted your time bringing us here,” Charity bit out. “And trust me, Aiden won’t be pleased. You better be finding a hole to hide in…”
“There is nohole deep enough,” Aiden’s furious growl interrupted her as he stalked into the room. Following him were over two-dozen Wolf Breeds, their rifles raised warningly as they stepped into the room.
“Well, looks like the cavalry has arrived,” Nikki sniped.“All male and all pumping testosterone.Morons.”
Charity sighed. Nikki wasn’t pleased. It wouldn’t be a pleasant return trip.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Aiden stood in the entrance of a smaller cave farther atop the mountain the Coyotes had taken as home base. The cave was accessed by several long tunnels, then a ladder that led into a natural opening into the floor of the upper cavern. There, within the outside entrance, the leader of the Coyote Pack had set up a long distance telescope aimed into the Breed compound.
“We’ve been watching you for months,” he commented as Aiden focused the telescope with its night vision sight and watched the movements below. “When I first learned that several of your women were experiencing problems similar to Anya’s, I started sending the messages. When there was no answer, I grew desperate.”
The moving red targets below flitted between trees and natural shelters as they patrolled the perimeters of the compound. Aiden knew there were also several others protected against the night vision sights who were keeping careful watch within the large trees of the area.Both inside and out.
“When did you first realize who our spy was?” he asked, knowing Del-Rey’s messages as well as his means of drawing an answer were designed to keep his own identity hidden, as well as his location.
“Several days ago,” the other man sighed. “I received information of the attack several hours before it happened. I sent yet another message. Once more it was ignored.”
Aiden grunted.
“Were you able to identify the spy?” He wasn’t in the mood to play games. He wanted the identity of the man who had dared to betray them.
“Breed Law demands death,” Rey mused softly. “Sometimes the answer isn’t always so cut and dried, Wolf.”
Aiden rose from the sight of the telescope and pinned the other man with a hard look. “Breed Law exists for a reason, Del-Rey.”
The Coyote sighed wearily as he stared out into the night sky. “Being a Breed makes us much different from others,” he said softly. “I’ve learned this, as I know you have. Full humans are varied in their consideration, their acceptance and their own codes of honor. To exist in this world we may have to make allowances.”
Aiden watched him for long minutes then. The Coyote’s shoulders were defiantly straight, his expression resigned. He leaned against the entrance to the cave, staring out as though the answers to their problems could be found there, in the concealing shadows of the night.
“Get to the point,” he bit out. He was more than eager to head home and to take care of the problems threatening the peace of his relationship with Charity, and his people. The other man turned to look at him slowly.
“The Wolf Breed Packs have, in some ways, adopted the residents of the town, trusting them, believing in them and the propaganda of their officials that the Breeds are welcome. You treat it as though it were a place deserving of your loyalty, when in fact the hatred breeding there could eventually be the downfall of
the Wolf Breeds.”
Aiden took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was to come as he met the other man’s gaze directly.
“What have you learned?”
“Many interesting things.”He gestured back to the entrance to the main caverns. “I kidnapped Anya outside a Council Lab in Russia. The information I learned from her was rather surprising. There are quite a few groups forming eager to see all the Breeds wiped from the face of the earth. Men whose fathers and grandfathers before them have perpetuated the Race wars of the past have found a new fight. The Breeds will never find acceptance, Aiden. We will always find death no matter which course we take or which land we settle. And the conspiracy against them will beginhere, centered around this compound Wolfe builds to protect his people.” Del-Rey’s voice was soft, consoling as he spoke of yet more treachery, more deceit and death.
“No man is an island, Del-Rey,” Aiden reminded him softly. “There are many good people out there, willing to put their lives on the line right alongside the Breeds. We can’t discount them. And our numbers are too small to do anything but pray that acceptance will come, in time.”
“The Breeds are treading many fine lines,” Del-Rey sighed. “And if what I am learning from my own sourcesare true, the Council will never be disbanded. Their funds are too plentiful, and those who would help them, number too high.”
“Who is the spy within our compound?” Aiden asked again. “The rest we will deal with, but he comes first.”
“And if it is not a he?” the Coyote asked patiently. “If your traitor is female and well liked within your community, how then will you justify her execution?”