Jonas sat down slowly on the corner of the desk, his gaze going to Cavalier. “You witnessed what happened?”
“I came in as he grabbed her.” Cavalier nodded. “She slipped, causing a blade that had been laid at the side of the table to slice her leg. Jax tripped and, as he tried to right himself, more or less threw her across the room. I admit, it was an accident. There was no clear intent to harm, only to frighten.”
A growl rumbled in Del-Rey’s throat. “And that is still unacceptable,” he snapped. “No man on my base has leave to touch a female in any such way, no matter the reason. Jax knew this, and he knows the punishment for it. He will be dealt with.”
“And you have him with you in your search for your coya,” Wolfe pointed out, his voice ice.
“Because he’s the best f**king tracker I have,” Del-Rey snapped. “He found her. A vehicle left the house and left Haven’s grounds. I want to know where my coya is.”
“Safe.” Hope spoke up. “From you and from your men until such time as she deems herself ready to face you again. Go back to Base, Del-Rey,” she said scathingly. “Maybe her absence will make your heart grow fonder.”
He stared back at her silently, long enough that the male Breeds in front of him began to bristle. His fingers ached to curl into fists beneath the leather of his gloves, and he could feel his hackles rising as he faced off with the other men seconds later.
“Do you know where my coya is?” he asked one last time.
Breaking the alliance wasn’t something he wanted to do, but he’d be damned if these Breeds were going to rule his life.
Wolfe stared back at him unblinkingly.
“You kidnapped your mate,” Del-Rey snarled. “I’ve heard the tales, Wolfe. You tied her to your bed and kept her there until you killed her demon mother in front of her eyes. Should I read into that what I want to? Should I decide you raped your mate and forced her compliance? Don’t forget, Alpha Gunnar, I know well the ways of twisting words and events to suit my own designs. Don’t play this game with me and don’t consider yourself more than my equal in this game we’re playing within the alliance. You will not control me simply because you think you control my mate.”
Jonas and Dash turned to Wolfe as he stared relentlessly back at Del-Rey. Finally the Wolf Breed alpha sighed. “Nikki won’t even tell Hope where she’s located. All we know is she’s safe and protected outside Haven. Where you can’t reach her.”
“Where I can’t reach her,” Del-Rey repeated, staring back at the other men with a sneer. “Fuck the three of you. To my knowledge out of this whole damned society Dash Sinclair is the only Breed to have treated his mate with any honor once he came in contact with her. I did my research. You can rail at me as you wish. Anya and I will feel our way through this mating the same as you were given the chance to. Unless your damned doctor manages to get her killed first.”
Wolf winced and looked at his wife. Hope was still glaring at Del-Rey, still furious.
“She came to us hurt and requested our help,” Hope snarled. “Did you expect me to simply send her back to you?”
“I expected you to allow me to see that my f**king mate was safe!” He throttled the demented screams that built in his throat. “I expected a chance to clean out my base and fix this problem. The same as any Wolf pack leader would be given. You have no right to do this.”
“She needed medical care.” Hope shrugged as though unconcerned, though he could smell her concern. It was thick, fierce. “You don’t have medical in that base that would safely treat a mate in mating heat. Her bodyguards brought her to a doctor who could treat her. She requested protection for a period of twenty-four hours.” Her smile was mocking. “I’m lupina. Trusted. My alpha’s equal where my responsibilities are concerned. I have the authority to grant that protection for a short amount of time.” She tipped her head to the side inquisitively. “Did your coya have even enough authority to order your man’s hands off her?”
No, she didn’t, because of his stupidity, because of his lack of knowledge in what he had done by stripping her of status in his attempt to protect her.
“The second I learned of her confrontation with Jax, her status was reinstated,” he growled. “The second, Lupina. Whoever the traitor is that I’ve been tracking in my base, he is now aware of her importance to me. Two attempts have already been made on her life. She was safe as long as she had no status outside my lover. Is she safe now that she’s in your care?”
Wolfe reached out and caught his wife’s hand. His fingers twined with hers as her lips thinned and he turned his gaze back to Del-Rey.
“For the moment, your coya is safe, of that I have no doubt,” he sighed. “But you’re right, Alpha Delgado, you have the right to ascertain that yourself. I’ll talk to Dr. Armani myself and see if we can’t learn her location. We’ll go in together.”
Del-Rey’s lips twisted mockingly. “I have forty Coyotes heading to Advert. Be kind enough to give your Wolves guarding my mate the order not to shoot them on sight.” His expression hardened. “I hear Satin and her enforcers believe the only good Coyote is a dead Coyote. I’d hate to see one of my men die because of her trigger-happy little fingers.”
“If you know where she’s at and who she’s with, then why come here?” Wolfe asked.
“The alliance bylaws demand it,” Del-Rey informed him. “That alliance means everything to me, and to my mate, as well as our people. You’ve been informed, Alpha Gunnar, I’m going to find my mate.”
He turned and stalked from the office, Brim and Cavalier following silently as they left the house.
Jonas turned to Wolfe. “Do you know where she’s at?”
Wolfe shook his head. “Nikki isn’t saying. We have a meeting scheduled for this afternoon, but she hasn’t given us the location yet.”
“She’s a rogue,” Jonas bit out. “She needs to be reined in.”
Wolfe snorted at that. “Sure, Wyatt, you go for reining her. Let me know how that works out for you.”
“We need our own men in Advert,” Dash stated then. “Cassie’s afraid this is going to end in bloodshed. She’s pacing the floors, Wolfe.”