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came carefully to her feet, staring at her irritated mate as he glanced back from the face-
off he held with Stygian, and a flame-haired Enforcer that scowled dangerously.
Her eyes narrowed as she felt offended fury course over her body.
 Excuse me? She heard the primal growl in her own voice, and would have been
as shocked by it as Jacob was if she hadn t been furious.
Jacob frowned at her again.  In a minute, Faith. He turned back to Stygian.
Faith felt her body tremble with hurt. His men stood around him, watching her
carefully, aware that she was the Alpha female of this pack, but his response to her had
placed her in the lowest level of the hierarchy instead. So much for Alpha intelligence.
 Was he shot in the head? She directed a look of pseudo-innocence at the Enforcer,
Stygian, ignoring Jacob s narrow eyed look.
Stygian cleared his throat carefully.  Not that I can tell. His look was assessing as
he watched her, wondering how she would handle her mate, and if she was strong
enough to stand with them.
She didn t blame them. With one thoughtless comment born of his own anger,
Jacob wiped out any initial respect they had for her.
 Is there an Internet connection available here? Once again she directed her
question to Stygian.  I will assume that the heat of battle has fried his brains, so I m
hoping you, at least, will have an intelligent response.
She ignored Jacob. It was that or shoot him.
Lora Leigh Jacob s Faith 141
 Well, I have a laptop 
 Get it, she bit out.  Satellite connection?
He glanced at Jacob.
 He didn t ask you, she reminded him.  I did.
Stygian shrugged.  He s boss. You get a laptop at his say so.
Which wasn t satisfactory. Before Jacob could reprimand him, Faith moved.
The bigger they were, the less they expected from a small, puny woman. He
blocked her intended blow, so he wasn t watching her feet. Her legs tangled with his,
throwing him off balance as she slid her legs expertly out of the way, pushed firmly and
watched him fall. As he landed on his back, she planted her foot firmly at his crotch.
Had she been the enemy, he would have taken her then. But had he been her
enemy, he would have already lost his balls, and then his throat.
Jacob cursed behind her.
 I m smaller, and he s the asshole that left his mate for six years to play jungle
tramp. He might not like it, and you might be under the impression you can follow suit.
But I am still your Alpha.
Stygian shuddered, but not from fear. Deep, hard chuckles welled in his throat and
shook his body as his hands reached out. He grabbed her ankle. Faith twisted in his
grip, executed a flip and landed in a crouch several feet from him.
 Damn. Boss, she s a live one. He came to his feet, facing her as Faith stood to her
full height. Which she admitted wasn t much when standing next to Stygian.
 That she is, Jacob growled in warning and a measure of respect she hadn t heard
in his voice before this.
 I don t need your help now, she bit out, staring at him furiously.
 No, you took care of it yourself, but it was me who should have been on my ass
again, he sighed wearily.  I have a laptop and satellite connection in the house. I ll
show you everything you need. You re right. You proved your place tonight, I
shouldn t have let my anger and worry for you get the best of me.
Shock held her still, silent.
 Damn. The boss just apologized, Stygian sniggered, his voice filled with mock
incredulity.
 And you re next. Faith turned on him with a feral growl.
He stepped back in surprise.
 Damned right I am. Stygian nodded respectfully then.  It won t happen again,
B.A.
Faith frowned.  B.A.?
 Bad ass! His head gave a sharp jerk of exclamation.  Damn, you don t just look
fine, but you move like lightning. Welcome to the Pack.
Lora Leigh Jacob s Faith 142
Lora Leigh Jacob s Faith 143
Chapter Twenty-Three
They finally ended up back in the living room, where Jacob hit the switch that
closed dark shades over each window and left the interior gloomy, intimate.
 Now, we have a problem. Jacob s voice was hard, cold as he flipped the four
small, glossy photos down on the coffee table.  My mission has nothing to do with
these women. And I think we ve just established that those Coyotes were after you, not
me.
Faith sighed wearily as she collapsed on the couch, staring down at the small
picture of herself. It was one that had been taken six years before, during their time in
the Labs. Hope s was only slightly older. The other two she wasn t certain of.
 Why? She shook her head in confusion.  If they wanted me, they had a better
chance of it before I came here. How many Enforcers do you have? Are there enough to
cover the other two women, if we can find them?
 I have enough, if I pull in the other packs close by, he told her.  Do you think you
can find the other two women? I can get started on my connections, but we ll move
faster with both of us working.
She pulled the comm. link off her head, but tucked the revolver into the back of her
jeans. It should have looked out of place, awkward on her, but the gesture bespoke a
quiet confidence, a strength he had never thought of her having. Faith was to be
protected; that she was unable to protect herself had always been his fears. Seeing
differently shook him a bit, he had to admit. She shouldn t have to defend herself.
Shouldn t have to live a life that required it.
 I can get started as soon as Stygian gets here with the equipment. She shrugged,
though Jacob could see that nerves and weariness were tugging at her.
 We need to get some answers fast, he bit out.  Those bastards were after you
tonight. A risky move, even for Coyotes. They ve never attempted to steal a female back
from the Pack, or target one specifically.
 Its not just the Breed females they are after, Faith reminded him.  Hope is
human, and so are the other two, if memory serves me right. And they were all
associated with our birth Lab.
Jacob knelt by the coffee table.
 Charity Dunmore and Honor Roberts. He frowned as he stared down at the two
women.  Charity is human. She was a technician at the Lab right before it went to hell.
Remember? Honor Roberts, is Honor Christine Roberts, the daughter of one of the
higher members of the Council. Last we heard of her, she was still in school when all
this happened. She disappeared from sight just after her father was imprisoned.
Lora Leigh Jacob s Faith 144
She knew this as well as he did. Her arms crossed over her chest, her hands rubbing
at them as though to warm herself.
 We need to find out where she s at, and figure out what connects us. Hope and
myself I understand. We re mates to two of the most powerful Wolf breeds alive. But
notice the Feline Breed s Alpha mate isn t in there. Merinus, I believe. Nor her children.
There are three now. None of the Felines are featured, so for at least this group of
Coyotes, the focus was Wolf Breeds. I need to contact Wolfe and make him aware of the
danger to Hope.
Jacob was staring down at the list and the small drawings beside each. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]