Numbers (7 page)

“Calm down, Paul,” Becky urged.

“Stay out of this.”

Dana winced. “Don’t talk to her that way.”

“I’m the bad guy?” Paul threw up his arms. “I woke and you
weren’t here. Then I find out you’ve been lying to me and hanging out with
Mourn. I told you to stay the hell away from him. He’s not right in the head.”

“He lost his mate, and he’s been struggling with that. I’ve
been there, remember?”

“Yes.” Paul nodded. “You were nuts after you lost your
husband. We all worried you’d take a self-inflicted bullet to the head.”

“Paul!” Becky rounded the island and grabbed his arm. “Stop
it.”

Paul closed his eyes. “I’m sorry.” He took a few breaths,
and opened his eyes. “I was scared shitless that Mourn would hurt you. He’s in
Medical all the time after picking fights with men. They aren’t like regular
guys, Dana.” He looked past her. “Tell her, Darkness. Mourn is a danger to his
own kind, and she’s not one of your females. My kind killed his mate. He could
take it out on my sister.”

Dana glanced back, realizing Darkness stood directly behind
her. He was so close, she could move her hand a few inches and touch him if she
wanted. He glanced down at her, and then frowned at Paul.

“She makes Mourn stable. He sees her as a reason to live. He
wouldn’t harm her, just the way I told you earlier, Paul. He does have a lot of
rage directed at anyone associated with Mercile, but what Species doesn’t? He’s
aware that your sister is nothing like them. He’s interested in her as a
female.”

“Fucking wonderful,” Paul muttered.

Dana stared at her brother. “Mourn isn’t going to hurt me.”

“How do you know? You only spent a few nights talking to
him. I’ve known him far longer than you have, and I’m the one who keeps seeing
him brought in with injuries. He’s got a death wish.”

“I know him better than you do.”

“Bullshit. You are being naïve, Dana. You know nothing about
Species. I’d rather you hook up with one from the Wild Zone than Mourn. You
don’t even know what that means, but at least I’d know one of them would never
turn on you. They call it the Wild Zone for a reason. Some of them are almost
feral, but Mourn is crazy. He lost his mate and he snapped. He attacks people
who try to befriend him. Hell, he attacked the man standing behind you. Take a
look at Darkness. Only a crazy son of a bitch would pick a fight with him. He’s
scarier than shit.” Paul glanced over her head. “No offense, man.”

“None taken,” Darkness murmured.

“You’re upset, and you were worried. I get that, and I’m
sorry.” Dana wanted to defuse the situation. “We overslept or I would have been
back before you woke up. Mour—”

“You slept with him?” Paul lowered his head to stare at her
clothes. He paled, and then jerked his gaze up. “You just slept, right?” He
jerked out of Becky’s hold. “Did he fuck you? Tell me you didn’t let him touch
you.”

“Calm,” Darkness ordered, his tone harsh.

“Did you let him have sex with you?” Paul reached for Dana.

Darkness suddenly hooked her around her waist and jerked her
back against his body, retreating a few steps in the process. He snarled, the
sound scary and menacing. “Don’t touch her in anger.”

“I wasn’t going to hurt her.” Paul let his hand drop.
“That’s my baby sister.”

Darkness released her waist and stepped to her side, staying
close. “You’re the one acting crazy, Paul. She’s a fully grown female who
shared sex with Mourn. It was consensual. They are bonding, and Mourn is moving
into one of the cottages so they have a place to spend private time together.
She’s attempting to tell you that, but you won’t allow her to speak.”

Paul backed up and bumped into the island. He gawked at
Dana. “Is that true?”

“I wouldn’t have worded it just like that but yes. Mourn
asked me to move in with him, but I told him I wasn’t ready for that. We’re
going to spend more time together and see how that goes.”

“Have you lost your mind?”

She could see how upset Paul was. She hated being the cause
of it. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“You’re right. I don’t. He’s the last person you should get
involved with. He’s emotionally unstable. I know you feel sorry for him, but
this is taking it way too far.”

She’d just dropped a bomb on them so she was willing to
forgive Paul for being a bit of an ass. She could even understand why he’d be
upset, but she needed to rectify his last statement.

“Stop right there. I don’t feel sorry for Mourn. I actually
really care about him. I haven’t felt anything for anyone since Tommy.” She
paused, shifting her gaze to include Becky as she glanced between them. “Mourn
makes me
feel
. I know it’s irrational, and a few days ago I’d probably
be thinking what you are. You don’t know him the way I do. He talks to me, and
I can open up to him too. He also wouldn’t hurt me. I trust him. He’s sweet and
really wonderful, Paul. I don’t know how to explain this so you’ll understand,
but I want to give a relationship with Mourn a try.”

The silence in the room was terrible. Dana could see Paul’s
anger.

“You don’t know what it’s like to watch someone you love
die, or the kind of pain that comes with it. I put on a brave face, and tell
people that time heals all. That’s bullshit, Paul. There’s this gaping hole
inside me, and I exist every day with just the hope that I’m going to feel
something besides the loss and loneliness that has become my life. For the
first time, I wanted to be touched by someone. I slept without dreaming about
Tommy or waking up to the realization that he’s dead. It’s like reliving that
loss over and over, ripping off a scab and making it bleed again. I opened my
eyes this morning to Mourn holding me. I wasn’t alone. I didn’t even think
about Tommy until now. Do you know how wonderful that was? How great?”

Tears filled Paul’s eyes. “Dana, I’m sorry. Why didn’t you
tell me what you were still going through?”

“I knew it would tear you up, and there was nothing you
could do to fix my problems. I realize I can get my heart broken if things
don’t work out with Mourn, but I’d rather try this than go home to the life I
left behind. It sucked, Paul. Mom setting me up with every loser she could find
made it worse. You think Mourn is nuts? At least he doesn’t live in his
mother’s basement, or give our mother pelvic exams.”

“What?”

She glanced back at Darkness’s horrified expression. “It’s a
long story but trust me, you don’t want to know.” She faced Paul again. “I
don’t expect you to be overjoyed, or anything. I want to get to know Mourn
better, and see if we can be happy together. I need to do this, hell, I want to
do this. I’m taking a big risk, but guess what? It’s living instead of just
existing. I’m scared and nervous that this could be a disaster, but I’m also
excited to see where it leads. I’m pretty sure that I’m falling in love with
him.”

Becky walked over to Dana and hugged her. “We support you.”

Paul still didn’t look thrilled, but the anger had drained
out of him. “I will kill him if he hurts you.”

“Fair enough,” Darkness stated. “I’m going to arrange for
Mourn to get new living quarters, and make phone calls to explain this
situation. I take it that everything is fine here now?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Darkness.” Paul nodded at him.

Becky released Dana and Paul hugged her next. He held her
close and sighed.

“I worry. That’s all. Couldn’t you have picked anyone
besides Mourn?”

“No.” She held onto him. “We’re a lot alike.”

“Why are your clothes damp? Do I even want to know?”

Dana laughed at Paul’s question. “This was Mourn’s attempt
to seduce me. You asked.”

He groaned, eased his hold on her and stepped back. “These
guys aren’t normal. I’ll forget I’m your big brother for the moment, but I’m a
nurse. Are you okay? Did he hurt you in any way? Bite?”

Becky gasped. “Shit. I forgot about that. Did he bite you?
That means he wants to mate you. They mark their territory.”

“Mourn wouldn’t bite me. He didn’t hurt me at all.”

“It’s not to mark territory. I think it’s more like getting
a taste of their mate’s blood.”

Dana gave him a dirty look. “You’re just saying that to
scare me.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “No. That’s a New
Species trait, and it’s classified. They aren’t fully human. They get those
urges. He might bite you at some point. The good news is, he’ll be careful not
to tear your skin with his fangs. Just don’t fight him if it happens. Hold
still. Promise me.”

She nodded, hoping he was full of shit. She’d seen Mourn’s
fangs. They were big, like everything else on him.

Paul suddenly tensed. “Tell me he used condoms.”

Dana shook her head.

“Son of a bitch!” Paul shouted, and stomped across the room.
He punched the wall. “I’m going to kill him.”

“Calm down, honey.” Becky left Dana’s side to rush to her
husband. She grabbed his fist and inspected it.

He jerked out of his wife’s hold, glaring at Dana. “Don’t
let him touch you without a condom.”

“I highly doubt Mourn gave me a sexual disease. He’s only
been with his mate. I know
I
don’t have anything. I only had sex with
Tommy. He didn’t have any STDs.”

“Species don’t carry STDs. They are immune. Just use condoms
from now on if you insist on letting that bastard touch you, okay?” He looked
furious. “I need to get out of here. I can’t talk.” He marched to the front
door, yanked it open and slammed it behind him.

Dana winced. “He didn’t take that well.”

Becky came back to stand in front of her. “He likes to take
walks when he’s really upset, but he usually kisses me goodbye first.” Becky
looked at the door sadly and then back at Dana. “He just wants to protect you.”

Dana sighed. “I knew he wouldn’t be thrilled to find out
about Mourn, but I didn’t expect him to storm out.”

“He’ll be back once he cools down and has time to wrap his
mind around this. Are you okay? You look upset too.”

“I didn’t come to Homeland expecting to meet someone. I’m
having a tough enough time coming to grips with this sudden relationship with
Mourn. I didn’t need Paul to blow up like that.”

“You wanted a little emotional support and understanding,”
Becky guessed. “I’m happy for you.”

That helped. “Thank you.”

“Paul is right about the condoms though. Apply that no
glove, no love rule.”

“Why?”

“Paul has a lot of secrets he has to keep from me about New
Species. I never press because he gave his word to the NSO not to repeat
anything he learns about them. I do however read and watch TV. There’s a rumor
that their genetics can be transferred to humans via sex,” Becky whispered. She
suddenly grinned. “You might grow fangs if that’s true. They interviewed some
doctor with a long list of credentials, and he thinks that’s possible.”

Dana didn’t buy it.

Becky shrugged. “I didn’t tell Paul about that show, because
he’s asked me to avoid that kind of stuff. He gets really angry when they write
about or do shows concerning New Species. Some of it is total bullshit. One of
those talk shows interviewed some of the local residents who live a few blocks
from Homeland. They were worried that the NSO would kill them in their sleep so
their homes would go on the market after what is happening at Reservation.”

“Why would they think that?”

Becky pulled her over to the couch and they sat.
“Reservation is expanding. They’ve bought up some properties next to their
borders. Keep in mind that Reservation is in a little town up north, and most of
the properties they are buying are usually fifty-plus acres. The Wild Zone
started taking in rescue animals. You know how some people get illegal animals
like bears and lions as pets, but then they get too big to care for?
Reservation takes them in. The zoos can only accept so many of them and there
aren’t a lot of rescue places that can handle those types of large animals.
Anyway, some of the properties came on the market so the NSO bought them. They
offered to buy anyone’s land that adjoins Reservation, and they pay well over
market price. Idiots around here think the NSO might force them to sell by any
means necessary, but it’s stupid. They don’t plan to expand Homeland, and they
wouldn’t hurt anyone unless they had no choice. You know, like in self-defense.”

“They sound paranoid.”

“They are. The NSO would never intimidate or force people to
sell their homes. That’s bullshit.” Becky faced her. “You do realize there
could be some fallout if anyone finds out you’re dating Mourn, don’t you?
That’s probably part of the reason Paul is so upset.”

“I know. I do see the news and am aware of the stories about
women who were attacked because of their associations with the NSO.”

“There’s also the issue of your mom. Paul is probably
thinking about that too. It’s one thing for her to tell her friends that her
son works for a nonprofit organization overseas, but what would she say about
you? She’s used to him not being around. You’re her baby. She’s not going to
like it if you and Mourn get serious. It would mean you’d live here, and she
couldn’t keep you close.”

“I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.”

Becky grimaced. “I don’t envy you.”

Dana dreaded the thought. “Me neither.”

“Are you okay?” Becky studied her. “How do you feel about
spending the night with a man? This was your first time, right?”

“Since Tommy, you mean? Yes. I thought it would be a really
uncomfortable situation, but it wasn’t.” She felt a little heat rise in her
cheeks.

“You enjoyed it a lot.” Becky grinned. “I’ve heard New
Species have some serious bedroom skills. I’ll take that as fact.”

“I don’t want to go into details. Should I not stay here? I
don’t want to make Paul uncomfortable. Mourn asked me to move in with him. I
don’t think I’m quite ready for that yet, but I’d hate to overstay my welcome.”