BENGAL'S QUEST - Lora Leigh
A Novel of the Breeds , Book 30
Berkley
ISBN: 978-0-425-26546-8
June 2015
Paranormal Romance

Window Rock, New Mexico - Present Day

For thirteen years, Cat has hidden within the identity of Claire Martinez, but with Claire's father about to stand trial for his crimes against the Breeds, Cat is done hiding and ready to let her inner tigress out. Human turned Breed in order to save her life from a genetic defect, Cat's first twelve years were spent in the Council's labs with Honor, Judd, and Gideon, the Breed who saved her life. At twelve, she believed Gideon was killed, and only when she realized her and Judd's escape had been made possible by Gideon did Cat realize the person who means everything to her had left her behind. In spite of that betrayal, she did what she could to save his life, only to have him threaten to kill her when he found her. She's spent thirteen years without him, but now it's time to face her past.

Gideon was created to be the ideal Breed, but his intelligence surpassed anything the Council could have hoped for. Unfortunately, the side effect was that he wasn't quite sane. Cat quieted his mind for a while, but when she transfused him with her own blood to save his life, she inadvertently created a monster. The last thirteen years have been a mission of vengeance for Gideon and, now, as Graeme Parker, he's finally ready to claim what is his.

The search has been on for Gideon for some time, and while many suspect his identity, in BENGAL'S QUEST it is confirmed. Cat has always known that she came to the Council at four days old, after the death of her mother. The treatments and therapies that were forced on her may have saved her life, but they were painful, often leaving her begging for death. She may have shared her confinement with Judd and Honor, but Gideon was the only person she believed cared about her. His desertion and betrayal destroyed her world, but even though she hated him for it, she still protected him to the best of her abilities. Now, the family that has sheltered and protected her for thirteen years does nothing to stop her from leaving, and once again Cat is alone in the world. Almost everything Gideon has done since he was eleven years old and Cat was placed in his arms has been for her survival. He knows his actions have hurt her, and now he needs to convince her that what he did was for her protection. Though his identity has changed over the years, and he now answers to Graeme, neither the man nor the Bengal has ever forgotten the woman who belongs to him.

The Breeds series is very complex, and much of what is happening in this novel has its basis in the previous ones, so it may be best to read them in order. While there are brief visits with several of the other characters, BENGAL'S QUEST is all about Gideon and Cat, and is an intense yet enjoyable read.

Jennifer Bishop