“He is,” Ryan confirmed.“Otherwise I’d be telling you to get the hell out of the room.”
El’s Pantera half had been news to them all until last night when the beast had revealed itself to them in a pique of jealousy.
They hadn’t had time to share it with anyone, never mind the Pride or the supernatural world at large.
Their visit today had been with the Pantera Council.The need to discuss just who El’s mother might be was at the top of their conversation topics.
Now the secret was out thanks to the big cat roaming around their land, and once a Wolf knew that the Pride leader’s mate was Pantera?
Well, hell.The news was going to spread like shit hitting a fan.
He rubbed El’s head, watching as the officer stepped forward.
“Didn’t know there was a Wolf on the PD,” he remarked, letting his fingers curl around El’s ear.
Bailey cleared his throat.“I’m new, sir.Fresh from the academy.”
Ryan tilted his head.“Still, thought I’d have been informed.It’s important leaders know who they can call on in times of need.”
Bailey’s nerves bled across the room, and a rumble escaped El in response.
Her dominance shouldn’t have surprised him, but it did.
She wasn’t a dominant woman.Nor was she all that submissive, he supposed.But her beast’s response to what she would perceive in that form as weakness stunned him.
Not that he let it show, he just carried on stroking her head and trying to show her he was calm.
Well, that wasn’t a lie.
He was calm.
As calm as a man who’d just been involved in a bomb blast could be.As serene as a male whose mate was being targeted, whose people and property had been infiltrated by unknown enemies.
His beast rumbled in outrage at the acts perpetrated against them and their people.
Somebody would be made to pay for what had happened today, for the good men and women they’d lost.
His nostrils flared with anger, but his voice was collected as he murmured, “Forgive the lack of ceremony, Officer.I was injured in the blast.”
“Bailey, sir.The name’s Bailey.”Ryan ceded that with a nod.“And I understand.We weren’t aware as to your status; it’s a relief to know the Pride seat is as secure as it ever is.”
Ryan studied the other man a second, then nodded again.
Surprisingly enough, there was relatively little beef between Pack and Pride.Usually, the trouble came from between the different species of felines.
They’d always had trouble with Tigers, and the Pantera had only become a problem this century when territory had shifted and humans had taken over more of their land.
With the Pack, however, the Pride had no trouble.It was why not knowing there was a Pack officer in the PD came as a surprise.
It was an oversight he put down to a new Alpha being in place.
Ryan prompted, “Does the Alpha know of your position in the department?”
Bailey blinked, apparently surprised at Ryan’s continued line of questioning on this matter.He wasn’t sure why he was pissed off about it; just that being kept in the dark agitated him in his current frame of mind.
“I doubt it, sir.The new Alpha has more on his mind than a new uniform on the Force.”
“The rumors are true, then?”Ryan asked quietly.
