New Species 11 True (9 page)

“He calls it that but it’s not an actual mating. He’s not
Species. I say it, too, because I don’t want to hurt his feelings.”

“Ellie and Doc Trisha aren’t Species but they are mated.”

She bit her lip, hesitated, and sighed. “Our males do the
mating, True. They are the ones with the strong instincts to cement the bond.
Human females are submissive enough to allow it to happen. Human males aren’t
dominant enough for a Species female. I have very strong feelings for my human
and he usually makes me happy but there is distance between us. Do you
understand? He isn’t in tune to my needs the way a mate would be. I’m fine with
it for now but that doesn’t mean I don’t have moments of envy for real mates. I
can guarantee he’ll never carry my scent around with him or need to rush home
to mount me just because it’s been a few hours.”

“Why?”

“He doesn’t have our strong sex drive.” She stood. “Humans
can stand the touch of others after they claim a mate. Species can’t because
other females smell bad after they bond.”

“Your mate seeks other females?” It horrified True.

“Do you see him in a body cast? Fear is a strong motivation
for him to stay loyal since I’ve made certain he knows I’d smell her on him if
he is ever unfaithful, even if he showers afterward.” She paced. “That’s enough
about my life. I don’t want to discuss it. Tell me everything your human said
about this Agent Brice. I’ve been reading mystery novels. I’m good at figuring
out clues.”

True growled. “The task force called Fuller to transfer her
there.”

“It’s going to be difficult to ask her more questions when
she wakes if she’s no longer here. We need those answers to figure this out.”

He inched closer to the bed. Polanitis lived at Fuller and
it was clear that he’d been responsible for whatever had happened to Jeanie. “I
won’t allow them to take her near that monster, Polanitis.”

“It won’t be your decision. You need to share what we’ve
learned with Justice.”

True growled, his temper building to a red-hot sensation
inside his chest. He didn’t like the idea that her life and future were in the
hands of another male. “Harris released her from his care so they could
transfer her to Fuller, correct?”

“Yes. She’ll need regular checkups but any doctor will do.
We don’t keep human prisoners here after they are out of danger.”

“You’re sure she won’t suffer an overdose from the sedative
you gave her?”

“She’ll wake fine in a few hours. We’d know by now if she
had an adverse reaction.”

He scooped Jeanie into his arms, cradling her gently against
his chest and turned. “Tell them she’s with me. She is staying at Homeland.”

Midnight’s eyebrows rose. “I don’t think that will work.”

He growled. “I’ll fight anyone who attempts to take her away
from me. She’s mine to protect.”

“You need to clear that with Justice.”

“I don’t. I take full responsibility for her. Give me five
minutes before you make the call to inform them that I’ve taken her home. She’ll
be safe with me.”

“At the men’s dorms?”

“Yes.”

“True, be reasonable.” Midnight stood. “Just let them know
what is going on and we won’t send her to Fuller. I’m sure that Justice, Fury
and Slade will be happy to come here to discuss this with you if you are
worried about leaving her alone. I wouldn’t allow anyone to take her until you
return if you wish to go to the offices instead. I’m your friend and you can
trust me to protect her.”

“She’s been through enough. I just want her to wake
someplace safe.”

The female Species shook her head. “I think she’ll feel
safer if you return her to that bed and I’m the first face she sees. I wasn’t
the kindest to her but that’s because I believed she was our enemy. I’ve
learned otherwise.”

“Tell them she’s with me.” He stalked forward, the urge to
take her home too overpowering to resist. “She’ll stay inside my home until she’s
no longer in any danger of being sent to Fuller.”

“I want to help you figure this out.”

He paused at the door. “Share what we’ve learned with our
people. I’ll talk to her when she’s not drugged and get more details. Thank you
for your help.”

“Wait!” Midnight grabbed a blanket and covered Jeanie with
it. “She chills easily.”

True expected stares when he entered the men’s dorm with a
female cradled in his arms. The blanket was tucked around her enough to hide
most of her but her sex was obvious from her small shape and her long hair
falling over his arm. The males watching the sports game on the large TV turned
their heads, all gawking at him.

“She’s fine,” he called out. “She’s just sedated.”

Book stood. “Who is she and why do you have her?”

“She’s human.”

Darkness exited the bathroom and halted. “What is going on?”

True turned to stare at him. “This is Technician Jeanie
Shiver.”

“She’s the human the task force team wanted me to
interrogate? I said I wouldn’t do it. Take her back to Medical. I haven’t
changed my mind.” His nose flared and he growled. “It smells as if you
terrified her enough without me. I have no stomach for menacing a female.”

“That’s not why I have her. They were going to transfer her
to Fuller. I won’t allow it.”

“Why?” Book took a few steps closer, openly curious.

“She’s not my enemy and she doesn’t belong with the humans
who live there.”

“Security allowed you to just walk off with her?” Darkness
lifted one eyebrow and didn’t look convinced. “What have you done? I know
protocol.”

“I took her from her bed at Medical.” True tensed, prepared
to fight anyone who interfered. “She wasn’t safe there. The task force called
Fuller for pick-up.”

“Justice approved this?”

“No.” True showed his sharp teeth. “I didn’t ask. He has no
say about what happens to her. She’s mine to protect.”

“She’s your mate?” Book took a step back. “She agreed to
that?”

“She’s not my mate but I owe her my life.”

Darkness approached him but stopped three feet away, his
confusion clear. “What are you talking about? I read her file when they
approached me to perform the interrogation. She worked for two suspected
research subsidiaries of Mercile Industries. One of them was where you were
kept.”

“Yes. She saved my life in New Mexico. I haven’t figured out
what is going on yet but I believe she was there helping save the lives of
Species.”

Darkness shook his head. “She was a valued and obviously
trusted employee of high rank to work at both facilities.”

“She drew blood from me but she wasn’t a doctor or a
high-ranking employee,” True growled, angry the male stood too close. “There is
a human pretending to work for the NSO who used her. She believed she was
helping us through him. That’s why she was at Cornas where she was captured.
She thought she was saving our kind by giving him information.”

“What human?”

“I don’t know. I need to figure that out. He claimed to be
an agent and sent her to the last location.”

“You have proof?” Darkness backed away a step but withdrew
his cell phone from his jeans pocket. “Let’s deal with this in a rational way.
I’ll call Tim Oberto and Trey Roberts.”

“She told me this while drugged.”

“There is no proof then.” The male touched the face of the
phone.

“Don’t do that,” True demanded. “Hear me out first before
you get them involved.”

“They are already involved. They work for us, deal with the
humans.”

“I don’t want them near her. They didn’t believe what she
said, but I do.”

“He is highly attracted to her,” Book whispered. “Look at
how tense he is and the protective stance. Don’t get close to her again,
Darkness.”

True growled, turning his head to shoot the male a dirty
look. “This isn’t about attraction. It’s about a debt. I owe her enough to
allow her to prove her innocence. She can’t do that from Fuller.”

Book lifted both hands, palms out. “She smells good. I
totally understand the desire to just take her home with you. I’ve been there
myself. She is out cold, so easy to just pick up and walk off with, and you
probably imagine she’ll wake happy to be naked in your bed. I’d be tempted to
do the same. I’ve had that fantasy but I’ve been assured they would scream and
not be as impressed as we would wish at the sight of an aroused male, ready to
pounce on them for shared sex.”

“Shut up, Book.” Darkness sighed. “You’re not helping.”

“Fine.” The male shrugged. “I was attempting to talk him
down from the ledge.”

“What ledge?” True snarled.

“It’s a saying.” Darkness drew his attention. “A stupid one
that doesn’t apply here. You can’t just steal a female from Medical and bring
her home. We have rules and regulations. You believe something she said and
think she was set up by another human? Is that the gist of it?”

He was relieved someone had listened. “Yes.”

“Do this through proper channels. We’ll return her to
Medical and put one of our males at her door to make sure she remains there.
You and I will sit down with Justice, Fury and Slade to discuss this.”

He debated it. “What if they don’t believe her?”

“You must comply with their decisions.”

“I won’t.” His temper flared again. “Not when it comes to
her. She saved my life.”

“I understand you believe whatever she said.” Darkness
lowered the phone and returned it to his pocket. “This isn’t the way to handle
it though. You don’t comprehend how wrong your actions are.”

The elevator doors opened and Flirt strolled out. The male
paused. “What is going on?” His nose flared. “Who is that female? Why is she so
still?”

True was grateful to see the male. “Tell them I’m not
irrational.”

“Okay.” Flirt shrugged, glancing at Darkness. “He’s not
irrational.” He looked back at True. “Why do you have an unconscious female in
your arms? I’m trying not to judge but she smells of fear. Did you scare her enough
that she fainted and now you’re pulling a caveman stunt to carry her off to
your room to kiss it all better?”

“No.” He clenched his teeth, trying to calm his quickly
escalading temper. “I didn’t steal her for sex. Why would you think that?”

“Um, the half-naked human you’re holding and she isn’t
exactly telling us she wants to be here.” Flirt chuckled. “That hot, huh?”

“It’s Technician Jeanie Shiver,” True growled.

Flirt’s expression sobered. “What?” His nostrils flared
again as he inhaled before he quickly advanced, trying to get a better look at
her. His hand rose as if he planned to remove the blanket to see her more
clearly.

True snarled in warning. “Don’t touch her.”

Flirt’s catlike blue gaze narrowed. “She smells different. I
want to see her face.”

“It’s her.”

“Let me see. Do you think I’d harm her?” He appeared
outraged. “What is wrong with her? What did you do?” His voice deepened. “Give
her to me.”

Darkness moved between them. “Don’t fight. She could be
harmed.”

“What did you do?” Flirt roared. “I’ll kill you if you hurt
her.” He extended his arms. “Gently hand her over to me.”

“What is going on?” Darkness glared at both of them.

“I’m protecting her,” True stated to Flirt. “They wanted to
send her to Fuller. I won’t allow it.”

“The human prison?” Flirt calmed enough to speak in a normal
tone. “She doesn’t belong there.”

“I know,” True agreed. “I was taking her to my home to keep
her safe. The males believe I’m going to molest or mount her. I’d never cause
her harm.”

“What is wrong with her?” Flirt inched closer.

“She’s drugged with a sedative. She’ll wake in a few hours.”

Darkness sighed. “You’re from the New Mexico facility, too,
Flirt. You knew the human as well, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” Flirt nodded. “She’s not bad. It’s not irrational to
want to keep her from being sent to a prison. Take her upstairs, True. I’ll
help keep her safe. Don’t try to stop him, Darkness. I will fight to protect
her.”

“What the hell?” Book gasped.

“Everyone needs to calm down,” Darkness ordered. “I’m not fighting
with anyone. I’m just trying to figure out what is going on.”

“She’s Jeanie Shiver,” Flirt growled. “I’d die to protect
her.” He turned his head, studying True. “Are we in agreement? No harm is to
come to her.”

“I stole her to prevent that.”

Flirt glared at Darkness. “I’d have stolen her too if I’d
known she was at Homeland and in danger of being sent to prison. Let him take
her upstairs.”

Darkness backed away. “Why is she so important to you? True
said she saved his life. I just want to understand what is going on and why
both of you are ready to attack others in defense of that human.”

Flirt reached down and gripped the waist of his shirt, tore
it over his head and tossed it to the floor. The scars covering his chest,
belly, and back were revealed. They were thick in some places, thin lines in
others. “This is what happened to me when they moved us from Mercile to
Drackwood. The abuse increased until I nearly died, often. Jeanie Shiver kept
me alive by sitting at my bedside during the worst of the pain and told me
stories that made me fight to keep breathing just to hear the end of them.” He
paused, his eyes sheening with tears. “One of the guards took it too far before
I was freed.” His hand rubbed the thicker scars near his lower belly. “He
gutted me with a knife. The doctor didn’t want to operate to save me,
complaining I wasn’t worth his time. The operation would take hours. Shiver
shamed the male into it. She argued with him until he agreed and she stayed
with me to make sure he wouldn’t break his word. I’d kill to protect that
female. I was still recovering in bed when the NSO came. I wouldn’t have
survived long enough to be here and know this life if it weren’t for her.”

Darkness lowered his head, nodding grimly. “I understand.”
He held True’s gaze. “Take her to your home. I have no idea what the blowback
on this will be but you have my support.” He stared into Flirt’s eyes. “I
respect a life debt. Help him keep her here until something is worked out. I’ll
do my best to convey why she’s worth breaking some rules. I’m not big on
following all of them either.”

“Thank you.” True nodded and strode away. He pushed the
button to call the elevator.

“Are you sure she’s okay? She’s so limp.”

He didn’t like Flirt standing so close to his side or the
way the male fondly gazed at the female. “She is highly drugged but fine.”

“Hand her to me.” He opened his arms. “I’ll carry her.”

“You won’t touch her,” True warned.

Flirt growled low. “She doesn’t belong to you. She saved my
life.”

“She saved mine too.”

They glared at each other until the doors opened. True
stepped inside, keeping to the corner as far from the male as possible in the
confined space. Flirt refused to give up easily.

“We should take her to my home. She will be happy to see me
when she wakes.”

Jealousy raged inside True. “You don’t know that.”

“She spent a lot of time with me.” Flirt puffed out his
chest. “I was injured more frequently than you were. They had me on some trial
for drugs to mend broken bones. I made her laugh. Did you?”

“She asked me to help her, not you.”

“I didn’t know she was here or I would have gone to her.”

The doors opened at the third floor. True stepped out and
stomped to his apartment. He tugged his keycard out of his front pants
pocket—leaning back a little to balance her weight in his arms—as he tried to
ignore the male following too close to Shiver.

“You can guard the door.”

“I think she’d feel safer if she wakes looking at my face,”
Flirt protested.

True spun, snarling. “She’s mine to protect.”

“She’s mine too.”

A horrible thought struck. “Did you agree to Polanitis’
deal? Did you mount her?” He wasn’t sure what he’d do if the male said he had.
He’d want to kill him for sure.

“No!” Flirt snarled. “Did you? Polanitis offered you a deal
to mount her?” He snarled again, his hands fisting. “Is that how he got back at
her for making him angry? Allowed you to hurt her?”

“I never touched her.” He fought the urge to punch the male
in the face but only because of the weight of Shiver resting against his chest
and in his arms. He’d have to put her down and out of the way first to fight
the male. “What do you know of Polanitis?”

“He came into the clinic room a few days before we were
rescued. She was there with me and he demanded she go with him. She said she
was busy but he grabbed her arm. He was furious. I wanted to kill him when he
dragged her out of her seat but they had me chained down. He struck her across
the face before he forced her to go with him. She returned a few hours later
with bruises on her arms. She refused to tell me how they got there but I
thought he’d done it. You’re telling me he offered her to our males, to mount
her as punishment?”

True felt a stabbing sensation in his chest. It hurt hearing
confirmation of why Shiver feared Polanitis. He’d been in charge of Drackwood,
therefore responsible for all that had been done to her. He was convinced now
that she’d been forced into breeding experiments.

“It seems so.”

Flirt snarled. “Who accepted? I want their names.”

“I don’t know. I didn’t touch her.”

Flirt closed his eyes and turned away. “Ask her or I will. I
want to know if any of our males hurt her.” He took a few ragged breaths. “They’ll
pay if they did. She was kind to everyone they brought in for medical treatment.
I was there a lot and saw her interaction with our kind. She didn’t deserve
that.” He slowly turned, opened his eyes, and studied True. “You know that,
right? She wasn’t like the others.”

“I know.”

“She had a heart.”

“I know.”

“I saw pain in her eyes often when we were hurt. She cared
about us.”

“I know that too.”

“She was afraid. I asked her once why she would work for
them.” He hooked his thumbs in the loops of his jeans. “Do you know what she
said?”

“What?” True really wanted the answer.