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"You're not one to heed anyone's opinion but your own, are you, Jonas?" Leo rose to his feet as well, his gaze going between Jonas and Rachel, that quizzical look in his eyes making Rachel intensely nervous.
"Leo, I'm not in the mood for your demands tonight, or your views on how your way is the best way and the only way to proceed. In my opinion, we were far better off when your wife was sneaking and helping Ely rather than having your arrogance infect Sanctuary on a regular basis." The statement was made calmly, even politely. The tension filling the room was anything but polite or calm.
"Leo, take your seat," Elizabeth ordered softly. "Now isn't the time for this."
He glared back at his wife. "The whelp has ignored every suggestion I've made for months, gone out of his way to ignore and avoid each of us, and tries to pretend he has no responsibility to the future of the Breeds in any way."
"If I felt such a way, then I wouldn't be busting my ass to keep our Breeds out of your path and off your radar when they try to make a life for themselves here," Jonas snapped back, his tone icy now. "You can't force them to duck and hide in a jungle while you play the innocent benefactor and pretend to age at a normal rate." Jonas sneered in contempt, his gaze encompassing the temporary wrinkles around the Leo's eyes, the artificially gray streaks in his hair. "You're not human, Leo, and all the wishing in the world isn't going to make it happen."
Lion's eyes narrowed as Elizabeth stared at Jonas in shock and surprise.
"Jonas, enough." Callan finally felt the need to intercede, far too late by Rachel's estimation.
"Suits me." Jonas shrugged as he laid his hand at Rachel's back and began directing her from the group once again. "I can always find something better to do than to argue with a man whose superiority far exceeds his logic."
Leo growled. A low, commanding snarl, a sound that demanded instant respect.
Jonas chuckled mockingly. "I can do that too, Leo. Mine sounds better though."
"Leo, no!" Elizabeth's cry was the only warning they had. A second later, Rachel found herself pushed back from Jonas as he flew across the room, landing on his back with a thud while Leo began to slowly advance.
Jonas rose slowly. "Callan, please excuse our father's manners," he requested snidely as Callan and Elizabeth both moved in front of the Leo. "I'm certain he must have forgotten to pack his manners when he made his hasty exit from Africa."
"A hasty exit to ensure you di
dn't fuck up any worse than you already had," Leo snarled as Callan grimaced. "Just as you're fucking up now, you manipulating little . . ."
"Whelp?" Jonas sneered. "A misgotten batch of DNA that should have been drowned at birth?" He was obviously repeating someone's words. Rachel prayed they hadn't been Leo's. "Been there, Leo, died without the T-shirt."
They all froze. Elizabeth turned around slowly, staring at Jonas in shock as Rachel's lips parted in horror.
Surely such a thing hadn't happened.
"Surprised?" Jonas's voice dropped, became so dangerously soft Rachel flinched. "Don't be. The scientist knew whose DNA I carried. One little zap to the heart and I was back again." His smile was pure ice. "And I died again. And again. And again. To prove I was the Leo's whelp." His gaze drifted to Elizabeth before jerking back to her mate. "Get fucked, old man. I haven't needed you since the day I was created and I sure as hell don't need you now."
Jonas stalked across the room only to stop in front of Rachel, his hand lifting as he held it out to her. She took it immediately, allowing him to draw her to his side as they began moving from the room.
"I didn't mean those words," the Leo stated harshly as they passed him, his golden gaze locked on Jonas now. "They were said in anger, Jonas. We both know why. It's just I'm willing to admit to it; you're not."
Jonas froze for a second before continuing from the room. He pushed through the double doors, his stride easy, matched to Rachel's, but quick enough to take them from the house and into the chilly night air.
"Jonas!" Leo's voice stopped him once again as they reached the Raider that pulled into the drive.
Rachel turned with Jonas, staring back at the proud, fiercely stubborn Breed watching them.
"I've given you every chance," Leo called out, his face filled with regret now. "Do something about it, or I'll take matters into my own hands."
Jonas was aware of Rachel standing at his side, her confusion mounting as he faced the man whose DNA he carried. He didn't dare call him his father. God only knew they couldn't be in the same room for more than five minutes without coming to blows.
"Hit me again, Leo, and I'll return the blow," he stated rather than answering to the other Breed's accusation. "I may be a whelp that should have been drowned at birth, but you content yourself with the fact that as far as I'm concerned, I was never your whelp."
He turned, opened the door to the Raider and helped Rachel into the seat as Erin and Amber moved around the Leo. Opening the back door, he waited, took the baby from Erin's arms and buckled her into her infant seat as Erin returned to the estate house.
Moving to the driver's side door, he couldn't help but look back at the man still glaring at him from the entrance to the house. Elizabeth and the others had joined him, all watching him with quizzical surprise.
"Show's over, Prime," he called out to Callan. "My apologies to your Prima as well as your family."
"You're family as well, Jonas," Callan answered clearly, reminding him they were bound by blood.
