“Ellie!” Fury yelled.
* * * * *
Fury hated being restrained inside a cell when he awoke in the security office. Justice paced the floor. Fury’s memory returned at that point.
“Where is Ellie? Is she all right?” He’d sprang to his feet to grab at the bars that contained him.
“She’s at the doctor’s.” Justice faced the bars, looking grim. “You forced her?”
“No,” Fury snarled. “I would have explained that to you if you hadn’t attacked and knocked me out.”
“You had her tied down and she screamed.” Justice’s normally tan face appeared unusually pale. “I never would have believed you’d harm her now that I know how strongly you feel about her if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.”
“I didn’t force her.”
Justice snarled. “This is the kind of shit we feared when some of us started to show stronger animal traits with our honed instincts. You were aware of them though, we’ve discussed it at length, but you didn’t control yourself.”
Anger rolled through Fury. “I’m aware that I am unreasonable when it comes to Ellie and that I have mated her. It goes beyond sex. I’ve claimed her as mine but I would never hurt her, Justice. You have the entire situation wrong.”
“You’re out of control!” Justice moved fast, grabbed the bars inches from Fury’s fingers, and barred his teeth in a vicious snarl. “We know all about force, don’t we? You love her? Then you shouldn’t have tied her down and made her take your cock.”
“I didn’t,” Fury snarled.
Justice released the bars and backed away. “I want to trust you but…” He shook his head. “You’re the first one of us to take a mate. You’ve allowed your animal instincts to rule you enough to take it to that level. We aren’t fully human, no matter how much we pretend to be for the sake of peace between them and us, and there are no cameras here. Is it that bad, Fury? The need to take her so strong you would force her?”
“I didn’t!” Fury tried to calm down by releasing his death grip on the cell bars and retreated a few steps. “I won’t lie. I’m obsessed with her. I breathe and live Ellie. My heart beats for her, Justice. She is everything to me. I think I’m addicted to her scent. Without it around it’s all I can think about. Despite all of that I’d never do anything to cause her pain. You have the situation wrong.”
“I need to hear it from her. Until we see how this mating takes and what side effects you suffer from it, I’m sorry but I can’t allow you to speak to her.”
Fury moved forward quickly, gripped the cell door, jerked on it, but it was locked. “Let me out. Is she hurt? I need to get to her.”
“You are going nowhere until I talk to her. Securing a woman and tying her down is force. Have you lost your mind?” Justice softly growled. “You’re insane when it comes to the human, damn it. I’m stunned and—” He cleared his throat. “How could you do this?”
“I wasn’t hurting her. You know me. You know she’s everything to me. I would never harm her. We were making love.”
“The years inside the testing facility have driven you to insanity if you believe forcing a female by tying her down and her screaming from pain is making love. You’ve become twisted inside your mind, Fury. I have to leave. My heart is breaking.”
Justice spun away, quickly moving toward the door.
“Justice? Come back! Release me. It’s not what you think. I’m not insane and I would never hurt my Ellie.” He violently shook the cell bars but they held.
He spun and howled out in rage. Ellie had gotten hurt and he couldn’t go to her. His best friend believed he’d gone insane from mating.
Chapter Fifteen
Ellie knew something was wrong even before she fully awoke. Her head throbbed with dull pain. She opened her eyes only to stare at a light and study a ceiling she didn’t recognize. Confusion hit her. Where am I? What happened? Someone leaned over her, getting between her and the light source from above.
Ellie recognized Doctor Trisha Norbit instantly and frowned. Why is that woman standing over me? The Doctor’s hair had been pulled back into a messy ponytail and her neat appearance was gone. She looked worried as her blue eyes blinked down at Ellie.
“You’re okay. I gave you some pain medication. Would you like to sip some water?”
Ellie frowned. “What happened?”
Trisha frowned back at her. “You don’t remember?”
Remember what? The last thing I remember is…memory slowly returned. Ellie struggled to sit up. She frantically searched the room for Fury. She had somehow ended up inside a small bedroom but he wasn’t there with her.
“Where is Fury?”
“They have him in lockup.”
“Why?”
Trisha took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Someone informed Justice that the new director had gone to your home.” She took a deep breath. “Justice went to see you and Fury to ask what Tom Quish wanted. He knocked but when no one answered, he and his security officers let themselves inside after they heard you scream and they heard Fury yell out. They ran into the kitchen and saw him hurting you. They believe he tied you down to prevent you from fighting him off.”
“Hurting me?” Ellie’s mouth fell open. She was so astounded it took her seconds to respond. “We were having sex.”
Trisha bit her lip. “You hit your head hard on the edge of the island you were secured to. I had to give you a few stitches at your temple.” She paused. “I can have a rape councilor here within an hour if you want to speak to someone. Your head is going to be fine. You might have a slight concussion but I’m sure you’ll be physically fine. Emotionally…” Trisha reached over and took Ellie’s hand. “I’m here for you. I think you should talk to a rape counselor. No one will know. Justice North is waiting in the other room to talk to you when you’re ready. He promised they will punish Fury severely for what he’s done but if you want to contact your outside police he will do that for you. It’s your call.”
Ellie yanked her hand away from the doctors. “Justice!” She yelled his name.
The bedroom door was thrown open in seconds. Justice looked like hell. His shirt had been torn, he had a busted lip, and sported a bruise over one eye on his forehead. He stepped into the bedroom and froze.
“Let him go now.” Ellie’s voice shook with anger and horror. “He didn’t hurt me. You did. Let Fury out right now, damn it!” She started to yell but didn’t care. “What the hell is wrong with everyone? Fury wasn’t raping me!”
Shock blanked Justice’s face. He opened his mouth but nothing came out.
Ellie grabbed the blankets covering her, threw them back, and felt grateful she wasn’t naked. She hadn’t been sure until she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Someone had dressed her in a two-piece light-pink, baggy pajama set. She put her feet on the floor. Her head ached enough that she nearly regretted leaving the bed as she used it to push up to stand.
“Don’t get up,” the doctor demanded as she grabbed for Ellie. “You’re drugged. You need to stay down.”
Ellie slapped at the woman’s hands and turned her anger on Justice. She managed a step before her knees gave way. The doctor grabbed her but they were both heading for a crash onto the floor when Justice suddenly lunged forward to wrap his arms around both women. His strength showed when he gently positioned them to angle their fall to the bed. Ellie hit it and the doctor came down next to her on the soft mattress. Ellie lay there glaring up at him as she fought tears.
“He wasn’t hurting me. How could you think that?”
He hesitated. “You were tied down and screaming. He’s the reason you’re injured.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. “We were having sex and it was great until you tackled him and threw him away from me, you son of a bitch. We were having fun, laughing, and then…” Her voice broke as she just stared at him. “You hurt me, not him. You did. Everything would have been fine if you hadn’t run in there, attacked Fury, and I wouldn’t
have taken a header off that island.”
Justice backed up a step and grew paler. “But I heard you scream when we walked up to the front door. You were tied down when we rushed inside.”
Ellie looked at the doctor. “Don’t their women get loud sometimes at the end of sex?”
The doctor shrugged. “I don’t know. Some of our females have loud sex. That’s true.”
“He tied you down,” Justice reminded her softly. “That’s force.”
“It wasn’t. Are you deaf? We were playing and having a great time. Didn’t you notice he put a dishtowel around my wrists to keep the tape from touching my skin? Do you think if he tried to hurt me that he would have cared if I got red marks from the tape?” More hot tears tracked down Ellie’s face. “Where is he? Did you hurt him? Let him go. I want Fury right now.”
Justice turned away. “I’ll get him.” He walked out of the bedroom and slammed the door closed behind him.
Ellie turned onto her side on the bed and covered her face. She couldn’t stop crying. A hand brushed her back, the doctor trying to comfort her, and Ellie sniffed.
“Did they hurt Fury?”
“I don’t know,” Trisha admitted. “I treated one of the officers who came in with you. Fury did some damage before they took him down.”
Alarm at that news shot through Ellie and motivated her to sit up, wiping at her face. She stared at the doctor. “But you didn’t have to treat Fury? That means he’s okay, right?”
The doctor hesitated. “I don’t know. I’m sorry. If he’d really been hurt you would think they would have brought him here too or called an ambulance to treat him.”
“God!” Ellie rasped. “Why the hell did this happen? We were laughing and making love. Then this.” She shook her head and regretted it instantly when it made her dizzy from the movement. “Why can’t everyone leave us alone?”
Trisha’s look softened. “No one knows what to expect. I’m sure Mr. North and those two officers thought they were saving you.”
“From Fury?” Ellie ignored them as more tears slid down her cheeks. “Fury wouldn’t hurt me.”
Trisha reached over and took Ellie’s hand. “I’m sorry.”
The bedroom door almost exploded inward and Ellie and Trisha both jumped as Tom Quish entered the bedroom. His gaze jerked from Ellie to the doctor. “What the hell happened? I just received word that there’s a big problem here. Security informed me one Species is locked up and Ms. Brower had to be carried into your home unconscious by two Species men who looked as if they’d been involved in a brawl.”
Great, Ellie thought. Just fucking great. She couldn’t even speak. Now the director was involved in her worst nightmare too.
Trisha released Ellie’s hand. “How dare you come bursting into my house? This is my bedroom, Director Quish. As for what you heard, an unfortunate accident happened and that’s all.”
She moved forward, putting her body between Ellie and the director. He looked confused.
“What happened?” He sounded calmer.
Trisha straightened her shoulders and glared at the director. “What happened is that someone got past your security and scared Ms. Brower. She screamed. Mr. Fury, Mr. North, and the security officers were at the house,” the doctor lied. “I told you I saw some idiot with a camera today sneaking around by the clinic. It could have been the same guy.” She twisted her head to stare at Ellie with wide eyes. “Was the guy you saw peering into the window a short blond man wearing jeans and a green shirt?”
Ellie stared at the doctor, trying to hide her stunned surprise that this stranger would tell lies to protect her secrets but managed to nod. “That sounds like the guy who startled me.”
A frown marred the director’s face. “Then why is Mr. Fury in lockup?”
Relief flashed over the doctor’s face before she faced the director again. “Because he wanted to hunt the son of a bitch down and kill him. Ms. Brower was startled, fell back, and hit her head. It knocked her out cold when she struck the edge of the counter. You know how protective of women these guys are. She’s a guest in his home and some flash-happy jerk scared her, she got hurt, and he lost his temper. You know they can hunt and track with those animal instincts. Mr. North thought it would be a bad idea to allow Mr. Fury to kill the man since he’s a human. They didn’t see eye to eye in the heat of the moment. Mr. Fury is being detained until he can cool down.”
“That’s true,” Slade agreed from the doorway he leaned against. He wasn’t wearing the NSO uniform this time, instead he sported jeans and a black tank top. “I came over here to take a statement from Ms. Brower about the man she saw at the window. If you’ll excuse us, Director, I’m off duty but I’d like to get her statement as fast as I can. Maybe you could get your security guards to search for this guy before he causes more problems?”
Ellie watched Tom Quish’s face, seeing anger there. “Fine. If that’s the story you want to tell, I’ll run with it.” He gave Ellie a grim frown. “Are you all right, Ms. Brower? Is there anything I can do for you?”
“I’m fine now,” she promised softly. “But thank you for caring.”
He spun on his heel to march out of the room. Ellie stared at the doctor, still surprised that the woman would help her by lying. The doctor shrugged.
“I told you that you can trust me.”
Slade blew out a heavy breath. “I think I’ll go have a seat in the living room to prevent anyone else from barging in.” His gaze slid to Ellie. “They are bringing Fury to you and he should arrive real soon. He’s pissed as hell but fine.” His gaze swung to the doctor and he grinned. “You lie good, Doc.” Slade winked at her and softly closed the door behind him.
Trisha’s shoulders sagged. She sat down next Ellie on the bed. “I’m not the best liar. Was that at least passably good?”
“Pretty good. He left, didn’t he?”
Trisha studied Ellie. “You need to take it easy for a few weeks. You really whacked your head good on that counter. If you suffer headaches, dizzy spells, or just don’t feel right, you need to call me immediately. I want you to take it easy and try not to have sex for at least a week. You need to remain calm with no physical activity. Keep the area where I stitched you as dry as possible. I used dissolvable stitches and I won’t need to remove them. I doubt you’ll see much of a scar.”
“Great.” Ellie couldn’t hide the anger that flared or her sarcasm at that bit of news.
“Could I ask you just a few questions?”
“Like what?”
“Well,” Trisha scooted to face her, adjusting her body on the edge of the mattress. “I read some of the medical records on New Species and realize Fury is canine. It says their penises swell during sex.” She paused. “Does the swelling hurt?”
“No,” Ellie shook her head. “I can’t believe this happened.”
“How long do you usually have to wait until the swelling goes down?”
Ellie frowned at the doctor.
“Please? I want to know.”
“So you can help other people if a woman decides to sleep with one of them?”
Trisha hesitated. “For my own benefit. I’m attracted to one of them.”
Ellie relaxed. “Oh. Well, in that case, it’s not painful. The swelling only lasts a few minutes. Maybe three.”
“Thank you. Any surprises?”
“I love him more than my own life.”
Trisha stood. “You can go home with him tonight. Just remember what I warned about your head and Mr. Fury is going to need to wake you every few hours to make sure you’re okay. If he has any trouble rousing you, he is to call me immediately. I’ll get you pain pills to help with the headache you’re going to have after the medication wears off.”
“Thanks, Doctor Norbit.”
“Just call me Trisha.” She left the room.
Ellie heard voices a few minutes later. The bedroom door swung open and Fury stalked inside. Ellie gasped. Bruises marred his face and someone had given him a s
hirt that looked as though it had been shredded in places. He crossed the room in just a few strides, leaving the bedroom door ajar. He sat down carefully and reached for her, his arms wrapping gently around her. He picked her up and lifted her carefully onto his lap to hug her tightly against his chest.
“Are you all right?”
She wound her arm around his neck. He had a bad black eye but it wasn’t swollen closed. She studied the damage to him. One of her hands trembled as she touched his face, pressing her palm to the only area of his skin that didn’t seem injured.
“I needed some stitches on my head. Are you all right? What happened to you?”
He growled. “They tried to stop me from reaching you.” His gaze lingered on her forehead. “There are stitches under the bandage?”
“Just a few. I’m fine though.” Her hand left his face and she reached for the shirt he wore. She pulled the neck of it away from his skin and peered down the front of it, spotting red marks on his chest. Her horrified gaze flew up to stare into his eyes.
“I’m fine. Major communication breakdown.”
Ellie fought a sob. “This was more than that.”
Fury held her a little tighter. “Yeah but it’s cleared up now. I’ve learned an important lesson from this.”
“What’s that?”
“We’re going to barricade the doors next time.”
A smile tugged at Ellie’s lips for his sake, appreciating his attempt at humor. “I want to go home. Trisha said I can leave. She’s getting me some pain pills right now. We’re banned from sex for a week and you’re supposed to wake me up every few hours to make sure I’m okay.”
Fury flinched. “A week, huh?” His brown eyes softened. “I’m just glad you are all right. I heard you scream. It terrified me when you fell, you weren’t moving, and I smelled your blood.”
“I’m fine.”
Fury stood, shifting Ellie inside the cradle of his arms. “Let’s go home.”