“They’re still seeing each other?” he asked her curiously.
“Loki?” Her lips twitched at the name. “Considering Navajo history, I would have thought she would know better.”
Thankfully, her sister wasn’t so easy to fool. Just because her father had named her Kandy Sweet didn’t mean she tried in any way whatsoever to live up to that name.
“Miss McQuade.” Jonas surprised her when he turned to her. “If you’d join us, I’d like to introduce you to one of the Breeds’ greatest assets, Cassa, and her husband, Cabal St. Laurents.”
“I’ve followed many of your stories, Mrs. St. Laurents.” Gypsy shook her hand, pleased by the firmness of her grip.
“Thank you.” Cassa smiled back at her as she looped her arm over her husband’s elbow. “It’s nice to see Rule looking like the arm candy he should be rather than glowering at the other mates for enjoying the position.”
The Bengal at her side muttered something as Gypsy held back the frown that would have pulled at her brows. She sure as hell didn’t want one of those popping cameras to catch a frown on her face.
“Oh.” Cassa’s eyes widened. “Sorry, dear, the mate reference just slipped out.” She smiled at Gypsy again, a friendly, warm smile. “Rather like referring to one as a date.”
Gypsy’s lips twitched. Even she knew better than that, but she allowed the reference to slide.
“I hear your parents have accepted the contract Jonas offered for their services,” Cassa remarked then. “I’ve been telling him for a while now that image consulting begins at the individual level, but he never seemed overly fond of the idea.”
“You have good ideas sometimes, Cassa,” Jonas drawled mockingly. “It’s just so very rare that they’re compatible with Breed Law.”
Now Breed Law, she definitely knew about—the laws that governed every legal or contractual, criminal or enterprise endeavor involving any Breed, or Breed affiliate, including but not limited to wives, children, siblings, parents, lovers or intended spouses, and how the government had to deal with them. More than a century of detailed horrific experiments backed up by recordings of some of the most vile acts humanity could commit had ensured that nearly every government that had been sued by the Breeds at the onset of their discovery had been willing to pay up rather than face the combined individual lawsuits that would have been brought against them in international court.
Cassa rolled her eyes at Jonas’s remark as they stepped into the ballroom entrance and began moving down the wide staircase.
The alphas of each community stood at the bottom of the stairs along with the president of the Navajo Nation, Raymond Martinez.
Gypsy had never personally cared for Ray Martinez, though along with everyone else, she adored his father, Orrin, and brother, Terran.
Accepting the elbow Rule held out to her, she descended the stairs along with him, aware of the flashing bulbs and the knowledge that by offering his arm to her, Rule Breaker, considered one of the most eligible Breed bachelors, had ensured that her picture, as well as that of her parents and their reason for being there, was splashed across every society page known to man.
This was more than she could have hoped for where her parents were concerned. But she also acknowledged that it would begin making it much more difficult for her to collect the information the Unknown depended on her to collect. She was the neutral party, so certain individuals hadn’t cared to brag about strikes being planned against the Breeds by the groups determined to destroy them. Just as she had been told of Breeds in hiding, trying to escape or to find a place to rest before traveling farther. Usually, the information she received was of Breeds traveling through the area looking for work that wouldn’t require an ID. Many wanted to stay under the radar of humans and Breeds alike. Those Breeds, the Unknown were well equipped to help.
As they grew closer to the line of the alphas and their wives and the president and Mrs. Martinez, the president’s chief of staff moved to him, whispering something in his ear.
Gypsy watched as he listened attentively before making his excuses and moving away.
“Is everything okay?” she asked Rule, knowing that the almost invisible little earbud communicator he wore would ensure that he knew every little detail of every little thing going on.
He nodded easily enough, but she could see the look on his face as Ray and Maria moved from the ballroom.
“Is Claire here tonight? Or Liza?” She hadn’t seen either girl for weeks and realized she’d missed their steady, friendly presence as she met up with them a few nights a week.
“Jonas and Stygian didn’t want to risk their safety for a party.” He shook his head. “They’re secure for now.”
“Are they allowed visitors?” She needed to see them, to reassure the Unknown they were indeed fine and content with their security.
He glanced down at her. “The three of you are good friends, aren’t you?” he said softly.
“I like to think we are,” she replied. “I’ve missed them.”
“I’ll discuss it with Jonas later,” he promised, and then the formal introductions to the alphas were made.
Callan Lyons and his wife, Merinus, seemed more relaxed and at ease than Wolfe and Hope Gunnar, while Dash, Elizabeth, and Cassie Sinclair gave the appearance of indulged amusement at the pomp and ceremony the Navajo Council had insisted on.
Well, not the Council, she’d heard. One of the president’s aides had informed her the night before that it was Ray Martinez who insisted on pretending he had the same bearing and presence of any foreign dignitary. But then, Ray had always thought himself far better than others in the same social class as himself.
Shay Anderson, Raymond Martinez’s presidential aide, and a close friend of Gypsy’s, had stopped by the apartment before Gypsy had left for the evening, furious at some of the president’s comments where the Breeds and tribal chiefs were concerned. Those comments nagged at Gypsy. Bothered her for some reason she couldn’t put her finger on.