{"product_id":"stygians-honor-isbn-9780425246078","title":"Stygian's Honor","description":"Window Rock, Arizona, is the last known location of Honor Roberts, who vanished when she was just thirteen. It was her only sanctuary from the Breed research that would surely have ended in her death—one such insidious experiment should, indeed, have killed her. That she lived is both a miracle—and a great mystery. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStygian’s mission is to find Honor Roberts, no matter the cost. Now, with the help of Liza Johnson, assistant to the chief of the Navajo Nation, he is closer than ever to his goal. But will the discovery of Honor Roberts mean the destruction of the mating heat that has developed between Stygian and Liza?\"Lora Leigh delivers on all counts.\"—\u003ci\u003eRomance Reviews Today \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“When it comes to this genre, Lora Leigh is the queen.” —\u003ci\u003eRomance Junkies \u003c\/i\u003eLora Leigh dreams in bright, vivid images of the characters intent on taking over her writing life, and fights a constant battle to put them on the hard drive of her computer before they can disappear as fast as they appeared. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLora’s family, and her writing life coexist, if not in harmony, in relative peace with each other. Surrounded by a menagerie of pets, friends, and a teenage son who keeps her quick wit engaged, Lora finds her life filled with joys, aided by her fans whose hearts remind her daily why she writes.\u003cb\u003echapter 1\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003eWatching Diane Broen entering into a fight while the Breeds around  her were taking bets on who would win, who would lose and how many blows  it would take to do them in seemed fascinating. Still, Megan and Braden  were forcing her away from the fray.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eActually, it was insanity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe very Breeds who at first appeared intent on abducting her and the  human enforcer, Diane Broen, now seemed to be working on the Bureau  Breeds’ side. They had even encouraged the betting with the promise that  if Diane won, they would walk away without the prize they had been paid  to collect.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNamely, Liza herself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe watched until she was pushed into a Dragoon and couldn’t see  anything more. Damn them, she wasn’t a child anymore, yet that was  exactly how she was being treated.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the scene vanished from view, she turned and faced forward, her arms crossed beneath her breasts as she remained silent.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe earbud, all but hidden in her ear canal, was silent, deactivated  at Cullen’s end. It wouldn’t be activated again until they arrived  wherever she was being taken, or until the network’s agents following  her lost sight of her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUntil then, she was on her own.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSwallowing tightly, she tried to put another inch of distance between herself and the big Breed sitting next to her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStygian Black. He was a bit of a lone Wolf according to the  information Cullen had managed to acquire. A Wolf Breed who worked  exclusively on missing cases that involved hidden Breed labs and\/or  missing Breeds or their mates.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe wasn’t a Breed who worked well with others, the report said. And  he was one that would just as soon kill a man, or a Breed, who got in  his way as he was to look at him. Yet, he’d been working with the Bureau  of Breed Affairs for years, and he did so without killing anyone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWas it a testament to Jonas Wyatt’s skill as a commander or simply  his control over the animal genetics that were so much a part of the  Breeds he commanded? Whichever it was, she could do nothing but admire  his ability to work with a man whose animal was as close to the surface  as this one’s was.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis gaze turned on her every few seconds as though to be certain she  was still sitting there. Black eyes gleamed with amusement each time she  caught him watching her. Each time she caught him, he would  deliberately allow his eyes to flick to the upper mounds of her breasts  where they rose above the exercise bra.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs she felt his gaze pin her once again, she turned her head and  glared up at him through the veil of her lashes. The fact that she could  tell when he was staring down at her, and all that had moved were his  eyes, was distinctly disconcerting. Bothering her even more was the fact  that her nipples were hardening further with each look. Having such a  response to a man, any man, wasn’t a situation she wanted to deal with,  especially with a Breed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Are you comfortable?” his voice rumbled with a primal, erotic rasp that sent a shiver of sensation racing up her spine.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Not really,” she muttered.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe was distinctly uncomfortable with the warmth traveling across her  nerve endings as the sensitive flesh of her clit tingled in interest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs far as she was concerned, this was the wrong man, or Breed, and the wrong time for such an attraction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You could sit on my lap,” he suggested with a slow smile as he patted a hard,  well-muscled thigh. “There’s plenty of room.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOh,  hell—\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe real problem where that question was concerned was that she was way, way too tempted.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“No, thank you.” Jerking her head forward, she stared between the front seats to the road beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I’d be more than happy to accommodate you.” Leaning closer, he all but whispered the words in her ear.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOh, she just bet he would.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“No.” She didn’t have the breath to put that “thank you” in there a second time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChills were racing over her skin, tearing up her spine and, she  swore, sizzling in her lower stomach. Her fl esh was warming, her  nipples sensitive and the need for touch was like an ache just under her  flesh. An ache she had no idea how to assuage because she was damned if  she thought it was completely advisable to sleep with him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut, yes, she did want to sleep with him. She wanted him to touch  her, to hold her, to give her what she had so far managed to deny  herself. To share a bed with a man, or with a Breed, and to learn all  the things sexually that she hadn’t really had an interest in until now.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd why now?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNever had she ever had a reaction like this to any man, let alone a Breed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs he sat back in his seat, she peeked up at him, swallowing deeply  at the impression of pure raw power that surrounded him like an  invisible mantle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDark- skinned, more so than any other Breed she had seen before, he  was rumored to have the DNA of a rogue black Wolf and a voodoo  priestess, and the dark bronze tone of his skin refl ected both.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis eyes were as black as midnight with what appeared at times to be  small pinpoints of blue. His jaw was so hard, so arrogant and savagely  hewn she knew he would be as stubborn as hell.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHigh cheekbones, strong, arched brows, and such long thick black lashes, they simply made her jealous.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis skin fascinated her. Darker than the strongest tan, but it wasn’t  black. It was simply such a dark, dark earth tone that she wondered if  it held the warmth and vibrancy of the earth it so reminded her of.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe name, \u003ci\u003eStygian Black\u003c\/i\u003e; the name suited him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe black eyes, the nut brown flesh, the air of power and strength.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDamn, she could feel him watching her again. Her shoulders were tingling.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNarrowing her eyes, she glanced up,  glared—\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe could do without another  once-over, if he didn’t mind. If she  became much more interested in the fact that he was glancing at the  upper curves of her  breasts—\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe sound of Braden clearing his throat from the driver’s seat as he  slid the driver’s-side window down an inch or so had a flush of raging  embarrassment staining her face. It was probably staining her entire  body, damn it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFlattening her lips, she considered kicking him, but he was wearing  those damned black boots Breeds wore with their mission uniforms. She’d  read they were so tough that a snakebite couldn’t even penetrate them.  She doubted he’d even feel her foot slamming into his shin.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe smiled.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe bastard.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Leave me alone.” Pushing the words through clenched teeth as she  clenched her thighs against those stirrings of arousal, she wondered if  there wasn’t some way to get the door open and just push him out of the  moving vehicle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“How am I bothering you?” he murmured with such false innocence that the Breed on the other side of her actually chuckled.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf only she had a few more years’ training on her. That  vehicle-tossing thing was something Callum was really good at; perhaps  she could have convinced him to teach it to her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs it was, in a physical confrontation with a man like Stygian, her only hope was in simply running.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd she had a feeling she couldn’t run far enough or fast enough to get away from this Breed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf the look in his eyes was any indication, running wouldn’t be an option.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo, a Breed would expect her to mildly stand in place until he gave her the order to do otherwise.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe didn’t think so.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTurning back to stare out the front window, Liza tightened her arms  beneath her breasts and gave him something to look at. Or to slobber  over, she thought. He was definitely acting like a dog.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYeah, she knew the sports bra plumped her breasts and left her belly  bare. She knew her running pants were a little snug and she wasn’t  wearing panties beneath them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut did he have to act as though he knew it as well?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecause each time his gaze flicked over her, the warmth that suffused  her flesh was just irritating. She didn’t need this. This was the last  thing she needed. An attraction to a Breed would completely foul up her  plans, and she really didn’t need that at the moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA hard turn to the right threw her against him before she could brace  herself. Instantly, his arm went around her, the powerful, bare flesh  of his forearm heating her skin where it touched her lower arm, while  his hand quickly gripped her hip.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe had to swallow tight as she held on to the edge of her seat, refusing to look at him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBreeds had no true body hair, she’d heard. What they had were tiny,  almost invisible hairs more closely resembling a fi ne pelt.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe believed it now.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe could feel it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach invisible, silken hair caressed her overly sensitive flesh everywhere they touched.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Desert Dragoon bounced across the rough terrain until it hit the  smoother road leading to the hotel and, thankfully, stopped jostling her  against him every other second.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, it did nothing to force him to remove his arm.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf it hadn’t been for that strength wrapped around her and the  fingers gripping her hip, however, she would have been thrown into the  driver’s seat when the vehicle came to a screeching stop at the back  entrance of the hotel.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBreeds piled out. Stygian Black lifted Liza from the vehicle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen, surrounded by big, burly bodies, she was pushed through the  entrance to an elevator. Within seconds, she stepped out onto the secure  fifth floor, which was reserved for Breeds alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWould explanations now be forthcoming?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThey damned well better be. The last she’d heard, Breeds were not  exempt from the legal repercussions of kidnapping. Jonas Wyatt, the  goons’ boss, better have some damned answers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd didn’t it just figure that he wasn’t there?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInstead, a team of Breeds were in place with their electronic bug detectors.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach member of the team that had brought her in was scanned  thoroughly before Stygian took the device from one of the team members  and turned to her with a grin.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Just get it over with,” she ordered, frustration running rampant through her body as she lifted her arms and waited.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd prayed the earbud and skin tags were as undetectable as Cullen was certain they were.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Testy today, aren’t you?” Stygian grinned before moving the  paddle- shaped device over her body.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You’d think with all the technology you guys have going for you, you  wouldn’t be working with such antiquated electronics.” She eyed the  twenty-year-old device skeptically.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Don’t let looks fool you,” he murmured as he ran the wand over her head.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer heart nearly tripped from her chest as he paused at her ear. A  second later the device was moving again, then pausing on the other side  as well.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThank God Cullen had instituted shutting the earbuds down completely when in the presence of Breeds.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGiving her a small, flirtatious little wink, he turned and handed the  device over to the Breed next to him before, surprisingly, striding to  the door and leaving the suite entirely.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLiza turned to Megan questioningly. “Where’s he going?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“He’s part of the independent security force,” Megan answered, her dark brown gaze amused. “Trust me, he’ll be back.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTrust her? At one time, years ago, she had trusted Megan Fields with  her life. Now, trust wasn’t so easy. She was a Breed mate, and because  she was a Breed mate, her fi rst thought was for the Breed community,  rather than friends, and in many areas, even family.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTrust her? Trust any of them?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLiza looked around the room, taking in the hard gazes and ready stances of each person in the room.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe really didn’t think so.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStepping into the connecting room, Stygian glanced at the monitors on  the wall, watching as Ms. Liza Johnson shifted uncomfortably and gazed  around with a resigned expression.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTurning to Jonas, he was at fi rst taken aback. He always was,  whenever he saw the  hard- assed, merciless, manipulating director of  the Bureau of Breed Affairs cradling the  too-delicate toddler he’d  taken as his own.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmber was curled against his chest, delicate and frail, her normally  bright blue eyes closed, her breathing gentle and easy for a change.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt was one of the rare times he hadn’t sensed the baby’s pain when in  her presence. For now, despite the hell she’d been through in the past  two years, she was at peace.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Just keep your voice low and you won’t disturb her,” Jonas assured him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWiping his hand over the back of his neck, he pushed back his  frustration before grimacing. “They attacked, as we knew they would.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJonas nodded, thoughtful for a moment before replying.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Malcolm’s team moved in the minute they thought she was  unprotected,” he murmured as Stygian watched him closely. “I was  listening to the reports as they came in. Lawe and Diane are fine, by  the way. They’re heading back to the hotel now and should show up in the  next five minutes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“She kicked his ass then?” Stygian asked with a grin as he thought of the cocky, traitorous Malcolm.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Was there any doubt?” Jonas grinned. “She’s a hell of an addition to  the Bureau, though Lawe has definitely bowed out of the assistant  director position.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat wasn’t really a surprise.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Lawe prefers the field and now he has a mate to share that with,” he agreed as Jonas’s lips tightened.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe director had been certain Lawe Justice would take the position of assistant director.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThose who knew Lawe had known better.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJonas glanced at the monitor then, watching Liza thoughtfully, before murmuring, “Ms. Johnson wasn’t alone either, was she?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStygian grunted at the comment. “That girl is never alone. She had  two shadows on her ass and two lying farther back from the minute she  left her house, just as she’s had every morning. And they’re damned  good. They’re always damned good. And she knew they were there.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJonas turned his head, his brows lifting curiously at the information. “Really?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Damned straight,” he growled. “To add to it, she has a deactivated  earbud tucked completely out of sight in that dainty little ear of hers  and three skin tags. One on each hip and one on her left shoulder.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Then her shadows are friendly?” Jonas leaned back in his chair  carefully, propping one expensively shod foot on the coffee table as he  ensured not so much as a shift of movement disturbed his toddler.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe didn’t budge. One little hand lay at his neck, the other beneath  her cheek. The soft pink- and-white frilly dress she wore looked at odds  against the black shirt and shoulder holster it lay against on Jonas’s  chest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The shadows are friendly.” Stygian nodded. “Between her and them is  the enemy.” He sighed. “The ones I glimpsed the other morning as she  went to work are not part of Dog’s team. But we already knew that.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJonas nodded slowly as he gently, rhythmically, rubbed his daughter’s back.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe was the reason Jonas was there; the reason he was searching desperately for ghosts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“What do we have, Stygian?” he asked as he stared out over the tiny head tucked beneath his chin.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe girl’s once-brown locks, still thick with a slight curl, were now   tricolored. Golden blond and sunset red streaked the once dark brown  strands as though nature hadn’t yet made up her mind what color the  child’s hair would be.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Hell if know.” Stygian breathed out roughly. “She’s important to  someone  though—damned important. She and her housemates, Claire and  Chelsea Martinez.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Cousins,” Jonas said softly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStygian nodded. “Before the attack on Malachi’s mate, only Liza  Johnson and Claire Martinez had these shadows, though. Chelsea picked up  hers after her sister’s attack.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Liza was bait this morning then,” Jonas suggested.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStygian nodded. “The earbud was active until Braden and Megan rushed  her to the Dragoon. It disconnected before she entered the vehicle and  hasn’t reactivated since.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You have the frequency locked yet?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStygian nodded again. “We managed that before we took the Jammer over  it. Their connection should be interrupted for the next few hours.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Let’s let her wait for a while then,” Jonas suggested. “See if her  shadows come out of the woodwork again. I want an ID on them.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You think if we hold her here long enough they’ll make a move?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat was Jonas, manipulating and calculating as hell when he was after something.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOr someone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this case, he was after two women and two Bengal Breeds. The two  girls had disappeared twelve years before, and many believed they were  dead.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOf the two Breeds, they knew one was alive and killing his way  through the lab techs and scientists who had run the secret experimental  labs of the pharmaceutical company Brandenmore Research.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I don’t think they’ll make a move.” Jonas smiled. “Unjam the  transmission, let’s track it back to her friends when it reactivates and  see what they know.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStygian’s brows arched. “They could have abandoned the link once it was jammed. That seems to be normal procedure.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“But we also blocked the locator tags,” Jonas pointed out. “If she were important to you, what would you do?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eClenching his jaw, Stygian knew exactly what he would have done,  whether she was important or not. She was a woman and part of a mission.  There wasn’t a true Breed alive who would have walked away.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA true Breed was one whose sense of loyalty and honor was greater  than those of the Council Breeds, whose honor was closer to those of  human criminals.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhich was exactly where most of the genetics of those particular  Breeds—Honor Roberts, Fawn Corrigan and the Bengals Judd and  Gideon—had  come from. “I’m a Breed,” Stygian finally stated after considering  Jonas’s question of the choice he would make. “Her shadows are human.  They’re wild cards.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCouncil Coyotes were more human than Breed, more mercenary and merciless than loyal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCouncil-loyal Breeds weren’t known as the most fastidious or the most  reliable. They were a boil on the ass of the Breed communities and  avoided at all costs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOr until the Council sent them out. In that case, any and every Breed  associated with the Breed communities jumped between them and their  goal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis time, Stygian was certain the Council’s goal was the same as the  Breeds’: the search for the four victims once held by the  pharmaceutical giant Phillip Brandenmore in a secret genetic and medical  experimental lab.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Wild cards or not, they’re protecting someone,” Jonas disagreed.  “They’re not imprisoning or attempting to apprehend or control. They’re  shadowing, and they’re protective. That’s the difference.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCrossing his arms over his chest, Stygian glared down at the  director. There were times when Jonas seemed amazingly naïve when it  came to humans, which was surprising considering the Breed’s  stone-cold  manipulation tactics.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJonas smiled back at him. “Review the vids the enforcers have made of  her shadows,” he suggested. “That’s what they are, literally, and she  knows they’re there. She communicates with them often through that  damned ear link and she has affection for whoever’s on the other side of  that transmission.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I’ve watched the vids,” Stygian growled.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe hated to admit it, but Jonas just might be right.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You’re a hell of a commander, Stygian,” Jonas stated then. “But the  lone Wolf thing you like to do hasn’t helped you to understand humans.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Who wants to?” Humans weren’t exactly his preferred type of company.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eComing into the Bureau hadn’t been easy for him, but once his team  had begun mating and settling down, Stygian had found himself at a  crossroads. The paths he had been offered weren’t exactly ones he would  have preferred.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTrain a new team, or take the position Jonas offered and command a  team already trained and needing only a commander willing to guide them?  They were Breeds he had known, Breeds he’d fought with on at least one  occasion, and Breeds he trusted. But nothing was the same as the team  you’d fought with, gotten to know and could count on no matter the  situation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You need to understand them,” Jonas warned him as Amber moved, a  childish little mumble of displeasure sounding from her pouty lips.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStygian’s gaze jerked to the little girl. She wasn’t emanating any pain, but something was distressing her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJonas continued to rub her fragile back, his gaze locked on the  little face that came into view when she shifted position and stretched  out against his chest. Her head lay in the crook of his arm before she  finished maneuvering for the position she was after.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe smile that quirked the director’s lips was damned surprising.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePure tenderness.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This meeting is over,” Jonas stated firmly though softly. “Go back  to her, keep her occupied. Once the link reactivates, I’ll meet with  her. Let’s see what happens when her friends learn what we’re really  searching for.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Is that a good idea?” Stygian had never been one to give the suspected enemy any information at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“She’s going to tell them anyway,” Jonas reminded him. “This way, we  can track the transmission to the source and identify her shadows. That  could help us figure out why they’re tailing her and why she’s working  with them.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Have you considered they could simply be friends who are worried  about her? Friends with the same paranoia and resources that you have?”  Jonas’s mate and wife, Rachel Broen-Wyatt, stepped across the open door  frame that led to the suite’s bedroom.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeaning against the wood frame, one hand tucked into the pocket of  her jeans, the other propped on a slender hip, love suffused her  expression as her gaze settled on the man and child across the room.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo Breed could ever doubt the pure,  soul-deep love that existed  between the couple. The room was suddenly scented with the power of it.  Sensual, yet pure, innocent and yet erotic, the emotions that swept  between the two were almost too intimate for Stygian’s comfort.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Hello, Stygian.” Rachel straightened from her position and moved  slowly into the room. “I see you’re once again enmeshed in one of  Jonas’s schemes.” Pure pride enveloped her despite the teasing tone of  her voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“So it would seem,” he agreed, suddenly uncertain what to do with himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShoving his hands into the pockets of his mission pants, he waited  impatiently as she crossed the room to her husband, then bent to him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer hair cascaded over her face, hiding the greeting kiss as Jonas’s  hand lifted, his fingers spreading to obviously cup her cheek or neck.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat scent; Stygian had learned to associate it with the deepest  emotions shared between mates. What Jonas and Rachel shared was as deep  as that of couples mated for a decade, though.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt was rare to sense such depths of emotion after only a few years.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe kiss lasted only seconds. A true greeting kiss, but the impact of  the dedication between the two sent a chill racing up Stygian’s spine.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWithout one, the other would cease to exist, he thought, and such  realization would be terrifying for the babe cradled between the two,  should it ever happen.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen, as the mother drew back and her attention joined Jonas’s on the child, he felt a chill of foreboding tearing through him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmber had awakened, and suddenly what had been shared love between two became a circle of pure emotion.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere was nothing sensual or erotic in this. It went beyond soul deep  though, and for the first time Stygian could sense the enormity of what  Jonas was facing if he lost the battle for the little girl’s life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Momma, Da sings.” Amber lay back in Jonas’s arms and clearly told a  secret Jonas would have preferred she kept to herself. “Da sings purty,  Momma.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRachel’s laughter was filled with love as she straightened and stared  down at her mate. “Da sings, does he?” she asked the little girl. “What  does Da sing, Amber?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Uh,  Rachel—” There was a definite thread of amusement in Jonas’s tone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Da sing bad cotie go bye-bye.” Amber laughed, obviously aware she  was telling a great secret. “Ba’ cotie go bye-bye, boom boom,” she  suddenly sang as Jonas fought to hold back his laughter and Rachel  turned a look of mock anger on him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Jonas, shame on you,” she chastised him, though her tone lacked  anger. “I thought we were teaching Amber to be compassionate and kind?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“To be fair, it’s called putting them out of their misery.” Jonas  laughed, handing the little girl over to her petite mother. “Snitch,” he  accused the little girl, but his smile and tone of voice was anything  but chastising.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Da called me ‘itch, Momma,” Amber gave a mock little pout, though  her blue eyes were gleaming with childish laughter as her arms wrapped  around her mother’s neck as she turned back to her da. “Don’ call me  ’itch, Da.” She wagged a little finger at him, obviously mimicking his  actions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJonas chuckled at the childish order before moving to his feet and  stealing a kiss from the girl’s cheek. “Then don’t snitch on Da,” he  warned her, the laughter in his voice another surprise.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStygian would be damned if he could ever remember seeing laughter in Jonas’s gaze, let alone hearing it in his voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Come on, snitch, let’s get you bathed and dressed for dinner. Do you  think you and your da could refrain from the food fight tonight? Those  carrots were not easy for Erin to clean . . .”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe continued into the other room as her voice trailed off and  Amber’s laughter became indistinct, leaving Stygian to miss it more than  he was willing to admit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat moment of tenderness, of family intimacy was nearly more than  Stygian could bear. And in that moment, the young woman waiting in the  other room jumped into his mind.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSkin like the softest silk; eyes the sweetest, softest gray; and a  body that would tempt a monk. Full breasts confined beneath the sports  bra, gently rounded hips and toned thighs. Lips with the slightest  sensual pout and a temper that would test even the most patient Breed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeing next to her in the Dragoon had tested not just his patience,  but also his  self-control. He had wanted nothing more than to taste  those sweet lips before moving on to certain other body parts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Control your lust, Wolf, or I’ll start thinking she’s your mate,” Jonas murmured, amused.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStygian frowned back at him. “Hell, a Breed can’t even get horny anymore without being accused of mating.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJonas’s lips quirked in a hint of a smile. “True, Wolf. Very true.”  Then he nodded to the monitors. “Go on out there, distract her a bit.  Once the link reactivates, I’ll join the rest of you. Have the others  keep their distance from her in case the skin tags she’s wearing are  programmed to shut everything down once Breed body heat has been  detected.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBreeds had a body temperature that ran a degree or two higher than  humans and made some electronics much easier to shut down if they were  programmed correctly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStygian nodded, turned and headed back to the sitting room where the young woman waited.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd he started  praying—\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePraying she wasn’t his mate. Praying she was his mate.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd praying he could keep her alive.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Berkley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304024920293,"sku":"NP9780425246078","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780425246078.jpg?v=1767737469","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/stygians-honor-isbn-9780425246078","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}