“Fuck,” the guy on the carpet groaned. “Security. Get to True’s place now.”
She wasn’t sure if he used a radio or a cell phone to call for help. She couldn’t look away as the two New Species exchanged punches. The sound was horrific as their fists made contact with flesh. True had Flirt pinned in the damaged wall. His ass and part of his back was actually inside the hole they’d created but his arms were free enough to hit back.
“Stop it!” She realized she’d been the one to yell.
They ignored her. Flirt managed to brace his body and shoved True away. He stumbled but regained his balance. Flirt jerked out of the wall, chunks of white crumbling to the carpet as he straightened. They snarled at each other and lunged forward at the same time. Their bodies slammed together hard, clawed hands tearing into flesh. Bright-red blood appeared on their skin.
Jeanie had to break up the fight, not caring that it would be dangerous. Flirt grabbed True’s throat in a move to choke him. True responded by bending his arm, throwing it forward with all his strength behind it and ramming his forearm into his opponent’s face. The feline’s head snapped back, blood exploding from his nose.
“STOP!” She rushed forward but a hand snagged her ankle. The air was knocked from her lungs when she hit the carpet on her belly. It took a few seconds to gasp in a breath. She used her arms to push her chest from the floor and look over her shoulder, ignoring the dull ache of her injury that throbbed from the impact with the floor. Tiger had tripped her.
“Don’t,” he warned. “Stay away from them.”
She tried to kick free of his hold, desperate. “Let go.”
“You’ll get hurt.”
She didn’t care. True and Flirt had separated enough to exchange punches again. Blood marred both their arms where they’d been clawed and it ran down Flirt’s face. His nose looked broken. True’s mouth had taken a hit if the bright red smeared over his lips and chin was any indication. The sounds of blows hitting flesh made her wince.
“Stop them,” she pleaded, looking away from the fight, unable to watch anymore. Her gaze locked on Tiger. “Do something.”
“I am. I’m keeping you safe until help…” he paused, cocking his head as if he heard something, “arrives.”
Four New Species burst into the bedroom. Two of them wore uniforms but two didn’t. A big blond male in a pair of black boxers grabbed Flirt when he stumbled back after True’s fist slammed into his chest. The new guy wrapped his arms around Flirt from behind and yanked him off his feet. One of the uniformed security officers grabbed his flailing legs, suspending him midair between them. He struggled but couldn’t get away.
The New Species sporting a pair of sweats and a tank top prevented True from attacking Flirt again by grabbing his arm, spinning him around and shoving him against a wall. The second uniformed New Species helped keep True pinned there as they whispered words at him she couldn’t hear.
“Never get between aggressive males.” Tiger released her ankle. “Especially if you’re what they are fighting over.” He sat up. “You’re a troublemaker, Jeanie Shiver.”
“This isn’t my fault.” She looked away from him to check on True. The two New Species prevented her from seeing much but he didn’t appear to be struggling to break free any longer. She should stand but hesitated when a deep rumble reached her ears. It was something she couldn’t identify and had never heard before.
A tall black-haired male stomped into the room, the source of the sound. A chill crept up her spine as she studied him. The New Species stopped making the disturbing noise but it didn’t make him any less fearsome. He was good-looking but there was something sinister about him. She could just sense it deep down as if he threw off vibes screaming “predator” and “danger”.
The room grew eerily silent and the hairs along her arms rose. The dark-haired News Species slowly assessed the room with his icy gaze until it lingered on her. He frowned, not something she took as a good sign, before he turned away to stride closer to Flirt. He stopped a few feet away.
“It’s about time you got here, Darkness. You took responsibility for this. Handle it.” Tiger got to his feet and paused next to Jeanie, offering her a hand. “Allow me to help you up.”
Jeanie put her hand in his, using her other one to keep the shirt from exposing the fact that she wore nothing under it as he pulled her to her feet. Her healing wound pulled a little internally but she doubted any real damage had been done. Her legs felt a little shaky but they held her weight. Tiger released her.
Darkness ignored Tiger, addressing the New Species holding Flirt off the floor instead. “Put him down.”
Both males deposited their burden on the carpet and backed away. Jeanie noticed no one made eye contact with Darkness and in fact, didn’t seem comfortable being near him. Flirt climbed to his feet and put a hand over his bleeding nose to pinch the bridge of it to stop the blood.
“Go to Medical,” Darkness ordered.
Flirt didn’t move. “I’ll leave if I can take her with me.”
“She stays here.” True sounded pissed.
“She’s not yours,” Flirt snapped. He began to circle around Darkness to reach True.
Darkness made that disturbing, low rumble.
Flirt stopped, retreated to where he’d originally stood and released his nose to wipe the blood covering his hand on the side of his pants. “He has no claim to her. She saved my life, too, Darkness.”
“She’s mine to protect.” True’s rage seemed to be growing worse, judging by his harsh snarl. “He can’t have her. I’ll kill him if he tries to take her.”
Darkness slowly turned, his scary gaze finding Jeanie. A sense of dread pitted inside her stomach and she took a step back. The guy was seriously unsettling.
“Let me go,” True demanded. “Jeanie? Come to me.”
She would have done it if her feet didn’t feel glued to the floor as Darkness stared at her without blinking. Her heart pounded and her mouth turned dry. There was nothing she wanted more than to run to True and hide behind him if it meant feeling safe, something she lacked at that moment.
“Species shouldn’t kill each other.” Darkness paused. “Decide now before one of them dies. You may stay with True, go with Flirt, or I’ll return you to Medical where guards will be assigned to watch over you. Answer me now. We’ve lost enough of our people because of humans and I refuse to allow it to happen again.”
“True,” she managed to get out.
The second he turned away, she could breathe normally again.
“You heard the female,” Darkness calmly stated. “She chose True. Flirt, get your ass to Medical and you’re banned from this floor while she’s here. There will be no more fighting or it will be against me. I’d hate to ever kill another one of our males but I’ll do it. Am I clear? No female who picks another male is worth the loss of your life.”
Flirt refused to look at her as he gave a sharp nod, spun on his heel and marched out of the room. Jeanie watched him go, filled with sadness. They’d once been close but she felt as if she’d somehow let him down. It didn’t make any sense that he’d attack True. Did he think she was in danger? She could understand his desire to protect her after she’d done the same thing for him at Drackwood.
Darkness crossed the room and both New Species released True and stepped out of the way. “Do papers need to be sent here?”
True didn’t answer.
Darkness remained quiet for at least half a minute. “Figure it out and don’t forget we need answers from that female. You should know all the facts before you make a decision. I would hate to see you hurt.”
“I understand,” True acknowledged.
“Good.” He turned his head, studying the damaged wall. “Please ask first before you remodel your home. I’ll notify someone that you need a few panels of drywall to repair that unless you just kick out the other side to open up the space. You might want to get someone to look at it first. The damage might be structural.”
“That’s not amusing.” Tiger shook his head. “I’ll have a building engineer come take a look at it. In the meantime, you should move into one of the empty apartments down the hall. The front door is broken so you won’t be able to lock it.”
“Let’s go,” Darkness ordered. “Move out. The couple needs some alone time to talk.” He directed a pointed stare at True. “Talk. We need answers. It’s possible more Species are out there being held in captivity, which takes priority over your physical needs. The human she claims to have worked for knew of two locations. Don’t forget that.”
“I won’t.” True circled around the male, walked to Jeanie and stood at her side.
“I expect information very soon,” Darkness insisted as he departed.
True watched the males leave his home and heard them attempt to close the broken front door. Soft curses implied they didn’t have much success. All the anger over Flirt attempting to steal Jeanie drained away, leaving only regret. Humiliation and embarrassment were emotions he knew only too well after surviving Mercile. The staff had gone out of their way to destroy any sense of pride a male possessed but it was much worse to have Jeanie witness one of those moments.
He needed to apologize. The silence in the room was uncomfortable but he wasn’t sure how to explain why he’d lied. His mistake had been grinding his hips against the side of the bed. Once he’d made her cry out his name, he’d wanted to hear it again. As relieved as he’d been that he wouldn’t be the one to have to cause her the pain of being mounted for the first time, it had also been a sobering realization that other males had touched her. Jealousy wasn’t a pleasant emotion to experience but he had. Anger, possessiveness and determination had driven him to make certain he was the male who brought her the most pleasure. He’d held off mounting her until it was too late.
“Are you okay? You’re bleeding. Do you have a first-aid kit?”
It took a lot of inner strength to turn and look into her eyes. He feared he’d see pity but instead she peered up at him with concern. “I’m sorry.” Those two words were difficult to say.
“For what?” She glanced at his bloody arms. “We really need to clean and bandage those scratches. Fingernails are dirty and they appear pretty deep. Is your kit in the bathroom or do you keep it in the kitchen?”
He reached out, unable to resist touching her. “I shouldn’t have lied to you but I didn’t want to admit I lost control. It’s been a long time since I had a female and I hurt enough to rub myself against the side of the bed in an attempt to hold off until you were prepared for being mounted. The stimulation and my excitement were too great.”
“I’m actually flattered.” Her lips curved upward with a hint of a smile. “No one has ever gotten off while going down on me before. That’s a pretty amazing thing in my book.”
He wanted to believe she wasn’t just saying that to be kind. Jeanie had a soft heart. “It wasn’t an absolute lie though. My pants wouldn’t easily have come off until I had a few minutes to recover.”
Color rose to her cheeks but she spoke. “Why? The fact that you were, um, wet should have meant they weren’t as tight…um…”
“Canine males tend to swell at the base of their dicks. I knotted while tucked down my thigh, making the pants too tight, and…” It was difficult to explain to a human, especially her. “It would have been painful if I’d forced them off until the swelling went down unless I tore the material. You being out of sight would have helped me soften.”
She took that information well, not asking more awkward questions.
“We need to treat your injuries. Where is that first-aid kit?”
“In the kitchen under the sink.”
“I’ll get it.”
He hated to let her go. “I’m going to shower first. I need…” He refused to tell her his seed had spilled down his thigh as well as staining the front of his pants. “To get clean. It will wash off the blood and it will help me heal faster.”
“Do you want me to wait or should I just come in there while you’re in the shower?”
His dick began to harden just thinking about her sharing the small stall with him. “You are welcome to shower with me.”
Her mouth parted. “Oh. Okay.”
He inwardly winced. “That isn’t what you meant, is it?”
“I’d love to shower with you.”
He searched her eyes, seeing sincerity. “Go get the kit and wait for me in the bedroom. I’ll hurry.”
Jeanie appeared ready to argue but instead seemed to rethink it when she nodded in agreement. He watched her hurry out of his room. He glanced down at the front of his pants and wanted to howl in frustration. He spun and quickly stormed into the bathroom to start the water. The pants came off and he tossed them into the corner. The stream of water wasn’t as warm as he liked but he was in a hurry to wash away the evidence of his failed control before she saw him naked.
He hung his head, eyes closed, and took deep, calming breaths. It was his responsibility to get answers from Jeanie but he’d wanted her more than he wanted to do his duty. He’d failed to make their first shared sex a success and he’d fought with another male in front of her. It just wasn’t his day.
Chapter Nine
Jeanie’s hands weren’t very steady as she finished taping the gauze around True’s arm. He wore a pair of gray sweatpants and nothing else. His exposed chest and arms were a major distraction. Every drop of water from his damp hair drew her attention. The urge to use her fingertips to trace each one that slid down his tan skin was almost impossible to resist. Knock it off. He’s hurt. Stop thinking about sex. Focus on what you’re doing.
The deep scratches were cleaned and bandaged. He hadn’t complained or made a sound when she’d gently cleaned the wounds. It didn’t surprise her. The burning sensation from antiseptic would seem tame in comparison to the extreme pain they’d suffered at the hands of Drackwood employees and Mercile Industries before that. She placed the tape inside the kit and faced him, her gaze finding his.
“All done. Are you sure you don’t want me to call someone to get pain medication? You’re going to have some bruising.” She glanced at the red marks he’d sustained during the fight. “I know you’re tough but there’s no need for you to be uncomfortable when a pill will help.”
“I’m fine.”
She remembered another time when she’d talked to him about pain medication. He’d been chained in his cell at the time after sustaining a brutal beating. It had shaken her up when she’d heard he’d been hurt. Her first instinct had been to go check on him but that would have raised red flags if she had demanded an escort to his room. Instead she’d had to go home and worry all night that he might die. The next morning she’d smuggled in the pain pills from her dentist and taken them to him. Seeing what had been done to him firsthand had been horrifying but pure rage at the ones who’d done it had kept her cool enough to avoid falling apart in front of the camera in the corner.
“What are you thinking about?” He tilted his head slightly, peering at her with curiosity. “You’re paler than usual.”
She wasn’t about to share the memory. “Can I ask why you fought with 712? I mean, Flirt. Don’t you two get along?”
“He wants you and that isn’t going to happen.”
“You mean he feels protective. I just don’t understand why he thought you’d hurt me. I know you wouldn’t so why doesn’t he? Don’t you two ever talk?”
True caught her gaze and his eyes narrowed. “He wants to mount you. He’d like nothing better than to take you to his home and to his bed.”
It stunned her. “I don’t think so.”
“He does.”
“I spent a lot of time with him at Drackwood. He never indicated he was attracted to me that way. We were friends, if anything.”
“Species weren’t friends with the staff.”
She could understand why he’d protest that concept. “I wasn’t exactly like the other employees. I talked to him a lot and
kept him distracted when he was healing from injuries. When I wasn’t taking samples, I’d hang out in the treatment center. They were always understaffed and appreciated the help.”
“He wants you.”
She decided not to argue with True. He could be right but she doubted it. Flirt might feel protective of her after the times he’d seen her defy the doctors and properly treat his injuries. “I hate that the two of you fought.”
“I didn’t want to cause you distress.” He straightened his head.
“You could have been hurt.” She studied the bandages and the bruises forming on his torso. “Worse.”
True reached out and clasped her hand. “We need to talk. Sit.”
She liked the feel of his warm fingers wrapped over the top of hers. She took a seat to his immediate left. When she sat too close, his weight dipping the mattress left her no choice but to brace her feet to keep from sliding against his hip.
“The task force team and Darkness need answers. I believe there is a human out there who used you but they want proof.”
“I never deleted the texts on the cell phone. I was too busy reading the messages and typing responses to worry about anything but making sure no one approached me to see what I was doing. I’d shove it back inside the bag and bury it as fast as I could.”
“Where is it?”
She described the area by her apartment where she’d buried it in the loose dirt behind a patch of flowers next to some boulders. “I’m the only one who knew where I hid it. I didn’t even tell Agent Brice. He never asked though.”
“We’ll send someone to retrieve it.”
“Good.” It gave her hope that her story would be substantiated.
“We’ll need a detailed description of this male.”
“I can give you that. I also need to make that list of employees at Cornas. You’re sure no one else was arrested?”
He ran the pad of his thumb over the side of her hand. “Just you. The two males with you were dead.”