Snow jerked to a halt, his eyes widened in shock and his nose flared. He paled, staring back at Darkness.
“Get out.”
Snow didn’t move. He did, however, school his features to hide his emotions. “You need to step out now.”
“Get out,” Darkness repeated.
Snow tried to crane his neck to view the female but Darkness knew he couldn’t see much. The Species would be able to hear her, though, and smell her desire. She was breathing rapidly, almost panting. Darkness growled to draw his focus. The male responded by growling back when their gazes clashed.
“You are to step outside.”
“You don’t give me orders.”
“Justice does. Some new information has come in. Outside now.”
He gave a sharp nod. “I’ll be there in a moment.”
“Now,” Snow demanded.
Darkness turned and rose to his full height. He had to release Kat to do it but he stepped to the right to keep most of her blocked from the Snow’s view. He snarled, “Leave. I’ll be there in a moment.”
Snow hesitated but then backed out. He left the door open. Darkness tried to leash his temper but failed. He turned and looked at Kat. She stared at him and had to notice his attention on her breasts. They rose and fell rapidly with her breathing. A sheen of sweat coated her skin. He would have liked to take time soothing some of her tension but Snow would return.
“I’ll be back.” He reached out, lifted her and carried her to the table where he gently set her on top of it.
He strode across the room without a backward glance. He felt guilty leaving her in that condition though he couldn’t afford that useless emotion. He closed the door to the interrogation room. It was soundproof so she wouldn’t hear anything they said. He stepped closer and used his chest to push Snow back. It was a display of dominance but he was furious. He did make sure the front of his pants didn’t come in contact with the male. It would be awhile before his dick softened.
Snow stumbled back but righted, his fists clenching at his sides. “What the hell were you doing in there?”
“My job. Never argue with me in front of a prisoner.”
“You were about to mount her.”
“What is going on?” Justice turned the corner and stopped, apparently reading their body language.
“Darkness was touching the female,” Snow accused.
“Would you have preferred I beat on her? I would never treat one of them the way I do a male.” He straightened his shoulders and glared at Justice. “I wouldn’t have actually mounted her. She refused to tell me who she really works for. Unfulfilled sexual frustration can be more effective than inflicting pain, if done right. Do you have a problem with my tactics?”
Justice opened his mouth, closed it, and then sighed. He shook his head. “I trust you. You didn’t hurt her at all?”
“No. I don’t molest females.” He shot a dirty look at Snow. “Or beat on them or inflict any kind of pain on them.”
“Enough,” Justice stated. “I had Snow pull you out because we know who sent her. We got a call from Jessie’s father.”
“The Senator?” Darkness frowned. “What does the human government have to do with this? Is she military?”
Justice hesitated. “He has a friend with the FBI. It seems they sent an agent to Homeland today. We’re unclear of why she is here but we’re certain she is their agent.”
“The Senator couldn’t give you more details?” Darkness wanted to return to Kat and find out.
“We’re lucky we even learned they were sending someone in. Jacob’s friend knows Jessie lives here and was worried about her safety. He asked if she was in danger and if they could be of more assistance since only one agent had been assigned.” Justice paused. “He thought we’d requested one of their agents. We didn’t.”
Darkness crossed his arms over his chest, trying to think of why they’d secretly send an agent to Homeland. He couldn’t think of a reason.
Justice seemed equally at a loss. “Jacob and I discussed the matter. Do you remember when they sent agents here to question Jeanie Shiver? They weren’t happy with our refusal to hand her over to them. I’m having True and his mate transported to Reservation right now. Their helicopter should leave in twenty minutes.”
“You believe she came here to kidnap True’s mate to be handed over to the FBI?” Darkness was furious.
“Possibly.” Justice’s eyes gleamed with the same emotion. “It won’t happen.”
“I’ll escort her to the front gates and walk her out.” Darkness turned but Justice gripped his arm.
“Wait.”
Darkness hated the way his stomach churned. He faced Justice. “She caused no harm to us. You said she works for the FBI. It means she was given orders. They aren’t ones we agree with but I don’t believe she should be taken to a holding cell or transported to Fuller Prison. Allow me to escort her off Homeland. She’ll go back to the FBI empty-handed and that will be punishment enough. She’s not from Mercile or a hired mercenary. She’s law enforcement, as misguided as her mission was. We also owe her something for effectively handling the threat at the gates.”
Justice released him. “I was thinking more along the lines of allowing her to stay and pretend we believe her cover story.”
The stunning words cured Darkness of his painful erection. “Why?”
“We assume she came here for Jeanie but what if she’s here for another reason? I’m curious.”
None of it sat well with Darkness. “Why else would they send someone here?”
“I’d like to find out. Jeanie will be safe. We’ll allow the FBI agent to teach classes while we keep an eye on her every move. She’ll let her guard down and reveal the truth.” Justice smiled coldly. “Then we’ll decide what to do about it. I’m having Security clone her cell phone and install tracking devices on her belongings in case she slips by our officers at any point. We’ll constantly have her under electronic surveillance. I’m sure, with her training, she’d spot anyone in physical proximity. I’ll assign someone to stick within sight, though, or she’ll become suspicious.”
“I could go back in there and continue working on her. I’ll find out why she’s here and what she was ordered to do.”
Snow snorted. “You mean you just want to mount her after you got her all hot and bothered?”
Darkness took a threatening step toward him and snarled.
The male held his ground and flashed fang, prepared to fight.
“Enough!” Justice’s voice deepened. “Snow, leave Darkness alone. He’s good at what he does for a reason.”
“Step into that room and breathe deep. You’ll know what he’s been doing.” Snow frowned. “He’s good at attracting a female. I couldn’t get away with those tactics if I were allowed to interview her.”
“You don’t have his background or his control over his physical responses, Snow.”
“I saw how much control he had and you would have too if you’d looked at his crotch when he stepped into the hallway.” Snow glanced at the front of Darkness’ pants. “He’s got it under control now.”
“I wouldn’t have mounted her,” Darkness growled. “What is your problem?”
“Stop,” Justice snapped. “Darkness is an excellent judge of what it requires to get a prisoner to talk and each prisoner is different. Darkness, I know you could learn her secrets but she is FBI. I’d rather take a less aggressive approach since she comes from a government agency. Let’s call it a professional courtesy and do it to appease my curiosity.”
“Fine.” Darkness inclined his head. “What would you like me to do?”
“Go in there and blame someone on our end for the mistake. Pretend to buy everything she tells you and take her to human housing. A team is there now to make sure every room is covered. She won’t do anything without us knowing about it.”
“All right.”
Justice glanced between them. “I’m leaving now. I have some calls to make. The pr
ess is going crazy over what happened at the gates and every law enforcement agency is calling us to ask if we need assistance. No fighting. We have enough to deal with. We’re all stressed.”
Darkness waited until the sound of Justice’s footsteps faded. He glared at Snow. “What is your issue?”
“I can see why you didn’t want me to go in there with you.”
“Do you know the female? Is there a personal connection?”
“No.”
“Then what is your problem?”
Snow clenched his teeth. “I want experience with interrogation. You didn’t want the job so I thought I could work here full-time doing it.”
“You mostly live at Reservation.”
“I want to stay here.”
“Then tell Fury and Slade not to assign you anywhere else.”
“I don’t want to walk perimeter or work the gate. I want to do something useful.”
Darkness sighed, relaxing. He hadn’t liked the idea that the male had a personal interest in Kat but it wasn’t about the female, it was his job. “I don’t do interrogations often and only with special cases.”
“Only important ones.”
He studied the Species. “What is really going on?”
Snow hesitated. “I feel useless.”
“You aren’t.”
“There are Species who stand out and get special treatment. I want that.”
“I don’t stand out. I get no special treatment either. I live in the men’s dorms, as you do.”
“Our people fear you and you have special skills. You heard Justice. You can seduce a female prisoner and he doesn’t even question it. I’d be sent to Medical for evaluation if I did that. They’d worry about me having a meltdown.”
Frustration rose but he pushed it back. “I didn’t force any of that. She was the one to initiate my actions. We’ll discuss this later. Right now Justice is correct. We’re all stressed because of the attack. It’s normal to feel ineffective after such an ordeal. You wish to do something to help our people.”
He wasn’t good about dealing with males who were experiencing emotional upheaval but he liked Snow. The male was easygoing most of the time and had a quick wit. He also didn’t avoid direct eye contact, something Darkness appreciated.
“We’ll work out a solution. I need to go in there and act stupid. It will be difficult.” He smirked.
Snow nodded. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
“It hasn’t been a good day. Why don’t you work off some of your energy by helping with cleanup? The front of the security building is a mess. They’ll need to rebuild as fast as possible and that means removing the debris.”
“I’m on it.” Snow stalked away.
Darkness watched him go and took a few deep breaths. Kat, or whatever her real name was, worked for the FBI. It alleviated his fear that she was a hired killer sent by someone associated with their enemies but that didn’t make her a friend either. She’d come to Homeland for an undisclosed reason. He was going to figure out what it was. He just wouldn’t be doing it by keeping her on that table. Part of him regretted that, while part of him felt relieved. She was too tempting.
He opened the door and entered. She slid off the table and watched him. He closed the door behind him and approached her slowly.
“We need to talk.”
Wariness filled her eyes. “About what?”
“Someone in Security messed up. They are new. Some Species are learning their jobs and this one was in charge of running your background check.” She’d accept the excuse easily if he gauged her right. She desperately wanted them to believe her cover identity. “Another ran your information and everything came back just as you said. Your name is Kathryn Decker and you work for the Bakersfield Police Department as a crime technician.” He grimaced, hoping it passed for a show of regret. “I apologize.”
She blinked rapidly and he could almost see that information spinning in her mind. “Good.” She licked her lips and straightened, her shoulders going back. “Great. I told you that.”
“You did.” He reached in his pocket, located the key to her cuffs, leaned over and unlocked them. She withdrew her wrists and rubbed the skin. “I am sorry for what you suffered at my hands.”
Her cheeks colored and she broke eye contact. “You have nothing to apologize for, except for being a tease. I’ll survive.”
He could still smell her. His dick stirred but he quickly imagined the worst moments of his life. That killed his sexual desire. “I’m certain you’ll want to leave us now, rather than being escorted to guest quarters. Your car was damaged but we can provide your passage home. We’ll return the rental to the company you leased it from after repairs are done to it. It’s the least we could do.” He knew she wouldn’t go. She was formidable and didn’t disappoint.
“No. I came to teach classes. Shit happens. I’m good. I wouldn’t mind some clothes though.”
He admired her spirit. Some females wouldn’t recover quickly from facing a difficult situation to dealing with a new one. The only flaw in her armor was the slight trembling of her legs. He noticed everything about her.
“Of course. Stay here and I’ll retrieve your clothes. Would you prefer someone else bring them to you? I’m sure I’m not your favorite person.” He couldn’t resist baiting her.
Color rose in her cheeks again. “I don’t care who brings them.” Her chin lifted and she held his gaze with determination.
She was so appealing. He wanted to smile but kept the grimace in place. “Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?” He purposely lowered his gaze down her body. “I owe you.”
He caught the quick intake of her breath and the way her eyes widened. He’d shocked her with his subtle sexual offer. She didn’t answer immediately.
“It’s probably best for both of us if we leave it as is. Just get me some clothes. It’s cold in here. It would be nice to know if my suitcase survived so I have something to wear tomorrow. It was in the trunk of my car.”
“I’ll look into that. Relax, Kat. Welcome to Homeland.” He spun and stalked to the door, picking up his discarded tank top on the way. “Someone will be in shortly with your things. Stay here. There are a lot of males outside who would enjoy the view of you in so little.”
He walked out and closed the door behind him. He’d be keeping a close eye on that female and she’d be dealing with him often. First he’d have to change his current living arrangements. He looked forward to seeing her surprise when he became her neighbor.
Chapter Four
Kat walked around the small home after her shower and appreciated how well the NSO accommodated guests though she wasn’t allowed to leave without picking up the phone and calling for an escort. Visitors weren’t permitted to roam Homeland without one.
The two-bedroom cottage had charming furnishings and a comfortable feel. Her suitcase had been searched and delivered. Some new damage showed on the plastic case but she was grateful it had survived the explosion. All her clothes had been put away in one of the bedrooms that faced the cute little patio area.
The doorbell rang and she tensed, not expecting anyone until morning. She opened it, though, feeling safe. NSO had security up the ass. A female stood there, one she hadn’t met before, and held out a covered tray.
“Darkness asked me to deliver your dinner. I know you’re stocked with food supplies but he told me this is his way of apologizing for being mean to you.”
Kat was surprised. “Thanks.”
“Move and I’ll bring it in.”
“I’m Kat, by the way.” She stepped aside and waved her arm. “Come on in.”
“I’m Sunshine.”
The tall feline New Species was pretty. “I love your hair.”
The woman turned and flashed a smile. “Thanks. It’s natural.”
That surprised Kat. The woman’s tresses had to be at least six different colors. She didn’t mention that it reminded her of her neighbor’s pet or that
she could guess what breed of cat they’d gotten her DNA from. She’d never look at Calicos the same way again.
“I know the layout. Most of these cottages have the same floor plan.” Sunshine walked into the kitchen and placed the tray on the counter. “Are you okay? I figured Darkness must have done something really bad to ask me to deliver food. He’s frightening.”
“I’m great. There was just a little mix-up at the gate.”
The woman arched her eyebrows. “We were attacked and you made the bad guys go kaboom!” She grinned. “Everyone is talking about it.”
Kat had to admit she hadn’t thought about much else since she’d been shown to the cottage. Men had died. They had planned to do harm but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to have some issues to deal with. The report she’d have to write when she returned to her office would be a nightmare. She would also want to look up their backgrounds. It would probably help ease some of her distress about the incident when she checked their priors.
“Great.” She hoped her sarcasm didn’t come across.
“We got lucky. None of ours died, although my friend Breeze was trapped under part of the ceiling. It collapsed on top of her.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yes. Breeze is tough. The roof actually fell on top of the desks but she’d hit the floor first so it didn’t crush her. She just needed a shower once she got home. The males took over the only working showers so all the females on duty came to the dorm to get cleaned up. She was just angry that it happened.”
“It shouldn’t have.”
“The main gates are closed. They are going to have crews come in tonight to work on them but it’s going to take at least two days.”
“That’s fast.”
“Money talks, bullshit walks.” Sunshine beamed. “Is that the right saying? We pay out a lot of money by having contractors working around the clock when we need something done fast.”
“You nailed it.” Kat wanted to change the subject. “Do you know anything about the classes I’m supposed to start teaching tomorrow?”