He was quite simply spooky on a good day. Unless you had grown up getting to know him, as Cassie and Mica had done for the past fifteen or so years.
And Callan, though less terrifying, was definitely not comfortable to be around when one was disagreeing with him.
“Well, if you have no comment on Cougar, what about Navarro? Though personally, I am partial to the Lion Breeds.”
No kidding. Mica only shook her head in reply to the prima’s preference.
“There’s not much known about Navarro,” Merinus continued. “Sherra and I were checking into his lab files, and they’re amazingly light on information.”
That didn’t surprise Mica in the least. Wolves were much less prone to allow what few files existed on them into the shared data bank. It seemed that for the most part, the Felines were less concerned about who knew what. Their attitude was that they were badasses, they knew it, and they didn’t care who else knew it.
Wolf Breeds on the other hand felt it much better to keep such information in-house. Or preferably to themselves.
“And your matchmaking point is?” Mica asked in amusement.
Merinus frowned back at her. “I’m actually just completely curious. As I said, there’s no information available.”
“As you said, Wolves’ files are amazingly light on information,” Mica reminded her. “I’ve asked, but no one I’ve talked to seems to be answering.”
A little moue of displeasure pouted the other woman’s lips. A charming expression of good-natured displeasure that reminded Mica why she so enjoyed this woman’s company and loved her like a favorite aunt.
“So, you’re stuck here for a while, as I hear it.” Merinus finally stared back at her more seriously.
“Jonas said the heli-jet would be arriving this evening to fly me to Haven.” But Jonas wasn’t above lying if he felt he needed to.
“And it was supposed to be.” Merinus nodded. “But we had a call from Russia. It was needed there immediately, and it may be a few days before they’re finished with the extraction. You’re safe here, while our enforcers are looking at a tight situation if transportation isn’t available.”
And that was the final word on it. Mica couldn’t argue the need to save enforcers when she was just as protected here as she would be in Haven.
“Have my parents been notified?” She knew her mother and father would be haunting Haven, waiting for her to arrive.
“Your father is screaming because your pack leader Wolfe is refusing to allow him to travel to Sanctuary to bring you back himself. Your mother has petitioned the Lupina, Hope, for help in getting here.” She smiled sympathetically. “I’ve talked to both your parents, as has Callan, and assured them of your safety.”
That wouldn’t help her father though. She was his only child, his daughter, his princess as he called her.
He wouldn’t trust anyone to protect her unless he was there himself.
“It’s a good thing Cassie and I wear the same size clothing then,” she sighed. “At least I’ll have something to wear while I’m here.”
“I’m sorry about this, Mica,” Merinus expressed gently. “But at least you won’t feel too homesick.
Jonas has ordered Navarro to stay as well. It seems you’ve acquired a Wolf Breed bodyguard that does more than follow you at a distance. This one was told to stay as close as possible to your ass, if I heard Jonas correctly.”
She’d been raised around Breeds, she knew to hold back her reactions, but Mica consoled herself with the fact that everyone slipped sometimes. If the look on Merinus’s face was anything to go by as Mica’s head jerked up from her coffee, then she had definitely slipped.
Merinus’s brow arched. Mica felt herself flush in awareness that she’d been well and truly caught.
Then Merinus smiled. Mica had known the other woman for more than twelve years. Like Cassie, she’d spent vacations at Sanctuary, been hidden there during times of danger, and had gotten to know this family as well as she knew Wolfe and Hope Gunnar, the pack leader and lupina at Haven.
And she knew Merinus could smell interest. And that was all it took to get her matchmaking instincts shifting into overdrive.
“Well, perhaps your visit will be more exciting than we anticipated.”
And that was the one thing Mica was both terrified of, as well as looking forward to.
CHAPTER 5
Breeds were trained from childhood to exist on little sleep, to take power naps, eyes open if necessary. Outside of training, they had learned how to set an internal clock while leaving their primal senses open, in order to slip into a deep, healing sleep for as long as possible.