The quiet reflection in the other woman’s voice had her head lifting, her eyes meeting Sofia’s surprisingly somber gaze.
“He’ll do what he thinks he should.”
“He’ll get you killed,” Sofia warned her.
“He knows what he’s doing,” Anya gritted out.
Sofia smiled. At first, a sad, wistful curve of her lips, then one of the mockery Anya was more used to.
“Oh well, if you die, I guess we’ll find out if Breeds really can mate a second time. I heard Mercury Warrant did. Maybe a Coyote Breed can as well.”
She turned and strolled from the kitchen then, flipping her hair over her shoulder with an air of interest, as though she were determined to find out one way or the other if she had a chance of playing coya now.
Anya stared down at the water before her, blinked back her tears and pushed back the hurt. Hurting wasn’t going to fix it.
During the hours she spent with Del-Rey in their rooms, she knew the man she wanted, the one she couldn’t help but love. Once those doors were open and the alpha emerged though, she found that the commander, the leader, was a much different man.
Her status at Base had changed drastically with that memo stating that there had been a change of plans in the official ceremony. The order of separation had demanded her status as long as their relationship remained unresolved. It had been a protection for her, the other alpha leaders had explained. She had never imagined it was an illusion that would dissolve as quickly as the separation order had been dissolved.
Yet it had. The relegation from a place of respect to one of watchful challenge grated on her pride. But then again, few Breeds of any species gave respect where their alphas didn’t. Anya, a human, weaker physically and for all intents and purposes without another Breed officially accepting responsibility for her and her actions was then less than the dirt on their feet.
It was the way of the world in which she now existed, and she had no idea how to change the impression they had been given.
Del-Rey read the morning reports, signed off on memos and sipped his coffee as he frowned over the day-to-day admistrative end of his job. He had shit in his inbox he’d never had before. Complaints. Requests. Bitches over the Feline and Wolf teams. Ingratiating emails that always ended with a request. Hundreds of them.
He sat back in his chair and glared at the holographic computer screen, before activating the link at his ear.
“Yes, Alpha?” Brim’s voice was calm. Too calm. The same tone he had used for three days now. It was pissing him off.
“Get in here,” he ordered.
When the door opened, he glared at the other man as he waved his hand to the computer screen. “What the f**k is this?”
This. Two hundred and twenty-seven emails from pack leaders, soldiers, Breed Enforcers and others that he had no way to identify.
Brim moved around the desk and stared curiously at the screen.
“Ah yes,” he finally said. “The reversion of duties.” He shrugged.
“What the f**k,” Del-Rey snarled, “is that?”
Brim crossed his arms over his chest before he leaned against the wall beside Del-Rey’s chair.
“Reversion of duties,” Brim stated. “The responsiblities of the coya, Del-Rey. There is no longer a coya. Her email address was revoked and all emails addressed to her are returned to their proper owner. Namely, the alpha.”
“You did this?” Del-Rey growled.
Brim’s eyes widened. “Not I,” he chuckled. “That happened at Haven when the memo went out. The server processes the emails. When the official ceremony was called off, Haven had no choice but to cut off the email address. It’s part of the bylaws of the society. Didn’t you read them?”
No. He hadn’t read the f**king bylaws, because he wasn’t part of the society. Protocol bullshit. Societal responsibilities. They were a military base, not a f**king home for wayward Breeds.
“Assign someone to answer this bullshit.” He waved his hand to the computer. “Anya’s probably ecstatic she doesn’t have to deal with it anymore.”
Brim was silent.
Del-Rey stared at the emails again and blew out a hard breath.
“I could assign someone,” Brim finally stated. “Sofia should still be lounging around somewhere; I’ll put her to work.”
Del-Rey stared back at him slowly, his lips lifting in a silent snarl.
Brim shrugged. “As you stated, Anya was probably glad to be rid of the responsibility. It leaves her more free time to spend with you.”
Del-Rey turned and stared at the screen again, saying nothing.
“Should I assign that duty to Sofia, Alpha Delgado?”
“No,” Del-Rey snapped. “Just get the hell out of here.”
He waited until the door closed behind his second-in-command before activating his link to an outside line. He waited until Wolfe Gunnar came online.
“How can I help you, Alpha Delgado?” The other man’s voice was cool.
Fuck he was getting tired of this.
“Fuck with me, Wolfe, and I’m going to come down there and rip your dick off. We’ll see how much your lupina enjoys you then.”
There was the faintest chuckle before the sound smoothed out. “That doesn’t tell me what you need.”
What did he need? Besides Anya, besides that something missing inside him that felt so f**king lost he couldn’t figure out where the hell to find it.
“The interrogation of the bartender. Why have you rescheduled it yet again?”
“We have new intel we’re awaiting,” Wolfe told him. “That was forwarded to your email yesterday evening. You should have received it.”
“I’m sure it’s in that mess somewhere,” Del-Rey growled.
Wolfe’s chuckled was amused. “Yeah, if it weren’t for Hope, I’d be overrun with complaints and requests. I assume you’re dealing well with them though. A military base is a hell of a lot more convenient than home, I would imagine. I don’t envy you the mass emails though. Have you assigned an assistant yet?”
Del-Rey pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just bring me up to speed if you don’t mind.”
“We’re awaiting more intel that Cabal St. Laurents, a Bengal Breed with Sanctuary, is looking into. I’d like to have that intel, which involves the possibility of a Breed having planned these attacks to begin with. If he can identify the Breed and the bartender can confirm involvement, then it would help us pin Engalls and Brandenmore. I’ll give you a call when that information comes in.”