“Should we break it up?” Shadow rumbled, anger in his tone.
“No,” Brass growled back. “Ven has gone too far. So be it if Wrath kills him. He went after a female. He’s unstable.”
Lauren was shaking badly as she leaned against the doorframe. Their words sank in and so did their meaning. She inched over enough to peer around them and the sight shocked her. Vengeance and Wrath were attacking each other but it wasn’t like any fight she’d ever seen. They were kickboxing, exchanging punches and wrestling at times as she watched. The men collided at one point and rolled on the floor. Sharp teeth slashed and they clawed each other until they broke apart. Both men sprang to their feet.
Vengeance kicked out suddenly, trying to nail his opponent in the stomach. Wrath dodged the heel and threw a roundhouse kick that hit Vengeance in the face. The man was thrown backward into a wall. He hit it hard, grunted, and spun. He snarled as he flashed deadly looking teeth and tried to tackle Wrath around the waist to take him down. Wrath snarled back, showing his own scary teeth, and twisted out of the way to avoid Vengeance’s outstretched arms. His clawed hands slashed at Vengeance and both men slammed into the floor again. They rolled, exchanging slashes and fists. Blood smeared their bodies.
Lauren pleaded, horrified at the show of pure violence. “Stop them.”
Shadow reached back to grip her arm gently. “They fight over you. Wrath has to do this and Vengeance needs to learn he can’t harm females.”
The two men sprang apart again, snarling at each other. Vengeance suddenly howled and lunged. It was apparent that he was going for Wrath’s throat but Wrath threw his arm up, shoving Vengeance’s clawed hands to the side. His elbow slammed hard into Vengeance’s neck. The man made a choking sound and hit the floor. Wrath dropped down on top of his back and his arm hooked around Vengeance’s throat, squeezing tightly.
“You touched her again,” Wrath snarled. “You took her from my bed. You are out of control.”
Vengeance tried to lift his body enough to roll but he couldn’t do it. He collapsed back to the floor.
“I should kill you. I should snap your neck. If you ever even look at her, go within scenting distance of her again, you will die,” Wrath snarled, enraged.
Wrath’s arm muscles bulged while Vengeance choked and gasped. His body jerked and his fingers clawed the concrete as his face turned a sickly color from lack of oxygen. Vengeance’s eyes rolled up into his head and he went limp. Long seconds ticked by before Wrath softly cursed. He released the man’s neck and climbed to his feet.
Blood was smeared around Wrath’s mouth and down his chest. More of it was on both arms and ran down his torso to the waist of his boxers. Even one thigh and one knee were bloodied. He glared at Brass.
“He is not fit for this mission or to be around others. I will kill him the next time I see him if you don’t send him to the Wild Zone of Reservation. He should be with the other untamed males. He is lucky to live.”
Brass nodded. “I will guard him and call for them to pick him up. He will not leave the Wild Zone.”
Wrath growled. “He’s dead if he’s here in the morning. He’s dead if he steps foot from the Wild Zone.” His furious gaze turned to Lauren. His voice came out unusually deep but he stopped growling. “Let’s go to my room.”
Lauren’s legs wouldn’t move, shock holding her still. She wanted to do whatever he said but her body didn’t respond. Wrath slowly stalked toward her but paused a few feet away. He took a deep breath.
“Until he is gone you are going to my room. Turn around, Lauren. I don’t want to touch you with blood on me. Please go now.”
She managed to get her body under control and turned around. Wrath stayed close behind her until they entered his bedroom. The door slammed behind them. Lauren jumped, spun, and stared wide-eyed at Wrath. He still appeared furious, his eyes black from his rage. She tried to remember it wasn’t directed at her.
“I’m going to shower to wash off the blood. Sit on the bed and don’t move.” He drew in a deep breath. “I won’t let you out of my sight until Vengeance is gone.” He took another deep breath. “Go to sleep and know this won’t happen again. He’s dead if he comes after you again.”
She nodded mutely, not sure what to say. She was badly shaken. Her legs were so wobbly she barely made it to the bed where she collapsed. She lay on her side, facing away from Wrath, and stared at the wall. Tears filled her eyes and she trembled.
Wrath’s heart raced and he needed to put space between himself and Lauren. Adrenaline from the battle surged through his body until his skin itched. The urge to run, to howl, or to keep fighting had him on edge. He could have killed Vengeance, nearly had, but he’d regained control in time to prevent it. That should have counted, calmed him some, but he didn’t trust himself to be near her.
His rage over Lauren being attacked in his room by a male who was intent on taking her body and claiming her had boiled over into violence. The scent of her fear had flipped a switch inside him, one that had sent him into pure bloodlust.
Vengeance’s blood and his own coated his skin as he entered the bathroom but the violence and rage of battle quickly turned to desire and the need to claim Lauren before another male could attempt to take her away from him again. His dick swelled with blood at just the thought of returning to his bedroom and stripping her bare. His hands clenched as he breathed through his mouth to lessen the stench of blood. The primal side of him wanted her so bad it hurt. His body trembled from the need to go after her.
Brutal images filtered through his thoughts and it cooled his heated blood enough to keep control. He would hurt her in the state he was in. He’d take her roughly, without consideration, just to satisfy the need to make her his. He’d be worse than Vengeance if he did it. Wrath knew it was wrong to force a female to become his mate.
His cock throbbed painfully and he knew he had to attend to his own needs before his instincts overrode his control. She was human and not his. He guarded her and she trusted him. For one instant he remembered all the human women who had been used in videos to torment him and the craving to seek revenge struck.
It scared him, knowing what he was capable of doing in that moment. Lauren wasn’t his enemy and didn’t deserve to become the vessel of his revenge. She was soft, nice, and hadn’t done him any personal harm. He wouldn’t mean to hurt her but at that moment he had no gentleness to give. His hands unclenched and he frantically stepped inside the shower stall. He needed cold water and a way to unleash his building aggression. He had to remember that he was strong enough to keep his baser side leashed. Hurting Lauren wasn’t acceptable and it was the last thing he wanted to do. Unfortunately, the urge to claim her lingered.
Lauren tried to keep it together. Falling apart in front of Wrath after he’d just brutally fought to rescue her wouldn’t be something he needed to see. He’d done more than enough already without having to hold her hand through a sobbing scene. Men hated tears, she knew that, and didn’t want to inconvenience him further.
The sound of water didn’t surprise her. Wrath had said he planned to shower but the door hadn’t closed between them. She turned her head to peer in the direction of the bathroom and was shocked when Wrath’s blood-streaked back was in clear view. He bent, jerking down his bloody boxers. His ass was as tan as the rest of him, no tan lines there, and his butt was a thing of beauty.
Her lips parted in silent surprise. He’d said he wouldn’t let her out of his sight but showering with the door open was taking it a bit far. He stepped inside the shower stall and the glass door was clear enough to see every exposed inch of him. Wrath didn’t glance her way as he lifted his chin and shoved his face under the spray. He reached up to rub at the blood on his arms.
Water ran red as it sluiced down his back and she knew she should face the wall again. It was rude and totally wrong to spy on him but she just couldn’t make herself stop. Wrath had the best body she’d ever seen in her life. He was so fit, muscular and attractive
that she couldn’t resist. His back stayed to her and he seemed oblivious to her watchful gaze.
He turned sideways and tipped his head back under the water. His eyes were closed as he scrubbed his face. Her breath caught as his palms slid down the column of his throat to his chest. It was a great one—broad, smooth. He didn’t have any hair on his chest. Those hands blindly reached out, captured a bottle of body wash, poured some into one palm, and returned to soap his skin.
Lauren couldn’t stop watching his hands as they lathered dark, taut nipples and dipped lower to his belly. She didn’t even want to blink. His stomach was hard and flat, the ridged muscles well displayed. She bit into her lower lip as her fingers twitched. She envied his hands, touching all that beautiful skin. She’d bet he felt as good as he looked. Her physical reaction was surprising as her nipples tingled and her stomach clenched. Wrath was incredibly hot.
He leaned back more and turned her way as he washed off the soap. Her mouth dropped open as her gaze lowered to his waist. His cock was displayed clearly through the glass. It was hard, thick, and the guy had balls. Big ones and no hair covered him there at all that she could see. He either shaved or naturally didn’t grow it in his groin area.
Lauren turned her head and stared with wide eyes at the wall. She didn’t want him to catch her gawking at him if he opened his eyes. She swallowed hard but the image of a naked, wet Wrath was burned into her brain.
New Species were circumcised, or at least Wrath had been. He was also larger than any guy she’d seen in person. Magazines and porno videos didn’t count but he could hold his own in a size comparison to them. She’d heard adrenaline could be an aphrodisiac but hadn’t believed it until that moment. The attack she’d suffered should have turned her off men, sex especially, but instead it only seemed to heighten her emotions. Watching Wrath lather up his muscular body was making her feel plenty.
She glanced back at him, unable to resist the temptation. He was proportioned big all over. His hands had moved lower, the movement more of a caress now, at least in her mind. Her breath halted when his fingers curled around his cock, slid lower down the shaft and opened to cup his heavy balls. The hand lifted, fisted his cock again and slowly stroked from tip to base. She jerked her head around until she couldn’t see him anymore. Is he masturbating? Shock tore through her. He can’t be. No way. I’m right here and the door is open!
Long seconds ticked by but she had to look. Her head turned in his direction and she glanced at his face first to make sure his eyes were still closed. They were. She braved trailing her gaze down his sleek, sexy body, and that hand still worked his rigid cock. Heat warmed her face as she watched. He was soapy there, his fingers gripped the shaft tightly and his other hand lifted to brace against the shower wall. His hips slowly rocked back and forth in a sensual way that made it possible for her to imagine him fucking someone in that slow, provocative method.
Her breasts ached and she could feel how damp she’d grown between her legs, turned-on by the sight of what he was doing to his body. It made her hotter, knowing he was unaware that she watched him. It made her feel naughty and downright wicked. A decent person would keep her back turned but she couldn’t move, her focus locked on his every movement. His dick seemed to grow even larger and his body tensed, muscles strained, were more defined as he came. His head tipped all the way back, his lips parted and his canine fangs flashed. She heard him groan.
“Oh fuck,” she whispered, turned her head before he caught her watching him like the voyeur she was, and stared at the wall. Her heart pounded, her body tingled, and her clit throbbed. Wrath was so sexy that she felt warm all over.
She figured he had been affected by the violence too since he obviously had gotten turned-on. Of course with men it was probably caused by the aggression of fighting but her arousal was totally his fault with the peep show he’d given her.
Her feelings were slightly wounded. Why hadn’t he hit on her if he wanted sex? She glanced down and stared at her body. Wrath was perfect and she wasn’t. Tears burned behind her eyes and she fought them back. She knew it was stupid to feel the way she did but it hurt. She knew her emotions were running rampant after all the stress she’d gone through. Don’t go there and feel rejected, damn it. She forced her thoughts away from her weight. Men like that don’t go for women like you. They date those skinny chicks with big boobs that a plastic surgeon perfectly aligned.
She heard the water turn off, the shower door opened, and she sat there staring at the wall while she imagined Wrath using a towel to pat all over that sexy body of his to get dry. Seconds ticked by into a good minute.
“I’m done with my shower.” His husky voice startled her, sounding close.
She twisted her head to stare at him over her shoulder. He had a towel wrapped around his waist but wore nothing else. He stood by the dresser, bent and pulled out a fresh pair of boxers. Their gazes met when he straightened and faced her.
“I’m going to drop this and put on my boxers. You might want to close your eyes.”
She gave him her back instead, stared at the wall once more and heard him rustling around. She counted for thirty seconds and shifted her body as she changed positions to sit facing him again. Wrath had put on loose black boxers and picked up the towel he’d dropped. He gave her a half smile, returned to the bathroom and threw the wet towel over the top of the shower. He stepped back into the room.
“I’m going to grab that sleeping bag and pillow from the hallway where I dropped them when I heard you scream.”
He opened the door and stepped into the room. She saw his back there were multiple scratches with fresh blood running from them. The blood he’d washed away hadn’t just been Vengeance’s. She gasped. He turned and frowned as he stared at her.
“Your back is bleeding.”
He shrugged. “I was lucky.” He walked out of sight.
Lucky? Did he really just say that? What is so lucky about having deep scratch marks on his back? He returned carrying the bedding, used his foot to close the door, and tossed everything on the floor. He crouched and unrolled the sleeping bag.
“Aren’t you afraid someone will open the door and hit you with it? You’re kind of close.”
He shook his head. “Vengeance will leave first thing in the morning but we have a few hours before they’ll be able to transport him. He won’t get past me if he manages to escape from Brass and wants to try to claim you again.”
“Oh. Do you want me to bandage your back for you?”
He tossed down the pillow and straightened to his full height. His dark gaze swept the room before he walked to retrieve the small first-aid kit he’d used earlier to clean and bandage her wrists. He moved closer to her with the box in hand.
“That would be nice if you tend my wounds. Thank you.”
She accepted it when he held it out. He sat on the floor in front of the bed. She scooted closer and put her feet on each side of his hips. Her hands trembled slightly when she opened the kit, placed it on the bed next to her, and removed what she needed to clean and bandage the injuries. One look at them made her wince. They looked painful but weren’t bleeding too much.
“He scratched you badly.”
“It is our way when we fight.”
“What did it mean exactly when he wanted to claim me? I get that he wanted sex but it was more than that, wasn’t it?” Lauren wanted to be distracted from the fact that she was about to touch him and he was so close.
Wrath tensed. “It is always something that should be agreed to by both parties. What he did was try to force it upon you and it’s wrong. He wanted to claim you as his mate.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s similar to your human marriage but in Species’ terms it means for life. You only mate with the one you have strong feelings for. Species commit until one of them dies. After a time we scent imprint our mates. With some it happens very fast while in others it may take a few weeks.”
“What does scent imp
rint mean? I’ve never heard of that before.” She blew on the cuts she cleaned in case they burned. He didn’t flinch and his voice remained calm when he spoke.
“It is to help form a bond between mates. A male who scent imprints a female will only want her scent around him and she will only want his scent around her. It comforts each of them, smelling like their mate. Once it happens they can’t stand the way others smell.”
“They stink?”
He chuckled. “Not exactly, but others smell wrong or bad to a mated couple. I don’t know how else to explain it. They just need each other and no one else.”
“I read that a few women married a few of your guys. Did it happen to those women? You know, like me? Did they get all weird about the men’s scents?”
He glanced back and flashed her a grin. Amusement twinkled in his dark eyes. “No. They don’t have our sense of smell or memory of scents. We are strongly dependent on our sense of smell. The couple you would have heard about the most is Ellie and Fury. She loves him and he loves her. When we mate we are very caring of our females. He will make sure she never has a want or need he will not fill.”
Lauren was impressed. “That sounds kind of cool.”
“Do you want Vengeance to claim you?” Wrath turned his head toward her, the look in his dark eyes almost scary, his expression downright pissed.
“Hell no. I can tell you right now that if he’d claimed me it sure wouldn’t have been for the rest of my life. Well, maybe the death do us part would have worked because I would have killed him the first chance I got.”
Wrath relaxed. “I would have killed him if he’d forced you to mate with him. You could not kill one of us unless you got your hands on a gun. We are too big, fast, and strong for someone your size to do any damage otherwise.”
Lauren couldn’t disagree. “Yeah. I saw that. Thank you for fighting him and saving me. I was terrified.”