The plea in her voice softened his reserve to keep the males outside. He grimly nodded and allowed her to tug him into the house. “I’m watching them though. I will attack if one of them touches you.”
Justice cleared his throat. “We won’t.”
“No,” Fury agreed. “This is interesting.”
“I have a feeling things just got more complicated.” Justice sighed. “Shit.”
Chapter Sixteen
Alli had to practically wrestle the stiff Species into a seated position on the loveseat and sat next to him in case he tried to attack Justice or Fury. She wouldn’t put it past Obsidian to start a fight with either of them. She gripped him firmly, ready to tackle him if he tried to stand. He had no idea how important both of them were to his future life at the NSO.
“Please,” she whispered, leaning into him. “Let me handle this and just be quiet.”
Rage flashed in his glare.
“Do you trust me?”
It hurt, seeing the indecisive expression wafting over his face as he debated the answer. “Yes.”
Relief swept through her. “Thank you.”
She relaxed slightly but kept hold of him. She gave her attention to the two men who settled on the couch across the coffee table from them. Justice appeared a bit stunned and Fury stared, his expression grim, at her hands gripping Obsidian’s arm. They might be checking on the newest member of the NSO but she had a sneaking suspicion it was about her fate. Justice confirmed it when he spoke.
“We held a meeting this morning about what you did, Allison.” He paused, holding her gaze. “Your plan worked. Don’t think we aren’t grateful for that.”
Her stomach felt as if it lodged in her throat. Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good. But?—there is always one of those coming when someone talks that way. She ignored her rapidly beating heart while trying to outwardly appear calm and collected since she sure wasn’t on the inside.
“We are,” Fury agreed. “You were very brave to put your life at risk. He could have woken feral and killed you.”
“You should have contacted Trisha to detail your ideas on how to wake the male. I realize she was at Reservation but we have procedures you agreed to follow. Rules.” Justice paused. “You betrayed the trust of everyone by using the friendships you’ve made to smuggle Obsidian out of Homeland. The medical staff knew you had access to him and no one realized you posed a threat to his security. The officers at the gate allowed you to pass without searching the truck because you’ve always shown them kindness when they came in for ailments you treated.”
Guilt weighed on her. “I know.”
“Part of me wants to ignore the things you’ve done because I believe the reasons were pure. You had no malice in your heart.” He glanced at Obsidian before staring at her. “You are an excellent doctor.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t know what else to say. A spark of hope that she might keep her job ignited at the compliment. It died quickly when Justice resumed speaking.
“Unfortunately, the trust has been broken. We can’t have someone who does irrational things when she or he is told no. That’s what you did. Do you understand how fortunate it was that the members of the task force found you, instead of our enemies?”
“I know.” Tears burned behind her eyes but she blinked them back, unwilling to break down. “In my defense, may I point out that no one outside of the NSO knew we were missing? You were the only ones looking for us.”
“We’ve had breaches of information leaked to our enemies in the past.” Fury cleared his throat. “By trusted human employees. There could be more of them that we haven’t discovered yet. What if they told someone that you and Obsidian were out there within their reach? You risked his life and your own.”
She couldn’t argue with that, even though she wanted to. “I’m really sorry. It was an extreme situation. He was wasting away and Trisha wasn’t here. I really believed my plan would work but it was shot down.” She stared at Justice. “You said no but you were wrong.” Her chin lifted, knowing she had nothing to lose. “You hired me to save Species’ lives and that’s what I did. That’s my job and I was doing it, despite the limitations you put on me. Can we at least agree that while I was wrong to take him, you were wrong too, by denying my requests? We both made mistakes. I’m no threat to the NSO. I’d never hurt or willingly endanger a Species if I believed there was a real danger to their lives. I was sure we’d be safe at that farm. I get the fact that I screwed up somehow because we were found but the bottom line is Obsidian is right here with us.”
Justice wasn’t angry, judging by his calm expression at her tirade. “I agree. We both fucked up. That’s why we won’t hold you criminally accountable for stealing him.”
She rapidly blinked to prevent tears from slipping out. She wasn’t going to prison. Her shoulders sagged a little in reprieve. “Thank you.”
“We don’t trust you anymore though. What kind of message would we be sending if we allowed you to continue to work for us?” Fury leaned forward. “We don’t want to throw you into the out world though, unprotected. It’s too dangerous if anyone discovered your prior association with us. Justice made some phone calls this morning on your behalf and we came up with a solution. We are grateful to you for all you’ve done.”
“I have spoken to Jerry Boris. He heads a special department assigned to us by the government.” Justice paused. “He’s not an easy man to work for but they could use a doctor at the facility he runs. It is self-contained, as the NSO is, and you’ll be assigned living quarters. The pay and benefits will remain the same. You’d be treating humans.”
Fury held her gaze. “This is classified information. Fuller is a prison that contains captured Mercile employees and others who have harmed Species. They would be your patients along with the staff. It’s a completely human facility. You can accept the job or enter the out world. It’s your call.”
Her mind blanked for seconds. They were offering her a job treating criminals but she’d be living in a highly guarded location where she’d never have to worry about NSO enemies coming after her for payback for her time spent at Homeland. She’d been warned of that possibility before she’d agreed to work for them. It was a good, fair solution. It just made her sad that she’d have to leave the home and friends she had made.
“You can think about it.” Justice rose to his feet. “We’ve hired your replacement and he’ll arrive tomorrow evening. We need your answer in the morning so we can arrange for you to move out of this house.” Sorrow filled his eyes. “It’s the best we could do. I hope you understand.”
“I do.”
Obsidian had been silent the entire time but he growled low, alarming Alli. She turned her head to stare at him.
“Don’t.”
He was too strong to hold on to when he stood, almost knocking her off her perch on the edge of the loveseat when he tore out of her grasp. “I go where she does.”
Fury stood. “Fuller is heavily guarded and secure but they aren’t equipped to have one of us live there. It’s in direct violation of its purpose. We send our enemies there to be punished by fellow humans. No Species are allowed. It would be too tempting to kill the prisoners.”
“I go with Alli.” He snarled, hands fisting at his sides, ready to do battle.
She grabbed his thigh, clinging in case he lunged at one of the other men. “Obsidian? Look at me.”
He glared down.
“Stop. You don’t understand what is going on but I do. Trust me. It’s really nice of them to offer me this job and not send me to prison…on the wrong side of the bars.” She shot Justice a grateful look. “I’ll take the job. I don’t need to think about it. I know my contract clause says if I leave the NSO that I’m banned from here but can I visit him?” She glanced at Obsidian, then back at the NSO leader. “Please? Fuller is a subdivision of the NSO, right? That would mean the no-contact clause isn’t in effect, right?” Desperation clawed at her from the inside out, terrified he’
d tell her she’d never again get to see the man she loved. “Please?”
Justice’s features softened. “We could arrange visits.”
The tears wouldn’t be held back anymore and slid down her cheeks. “Thank you so much.”
Obsidian growled loudly. The rage refused to be contained anymore. He’d allowed it to build while he listened to his Alli talk to the two males. She’d asked him to trust her but it was clear she had no control of the outcome of her fate. He did.
The males backed away, alarmed. They should be. He wanted to beat on both of them. “She is mine!” he snarled. “I go where she does.”
“Obsidian?” Alli hugged his thigh tighter, on her knees at his feet. “Don’t!”
“Silence.” He bared his teeth and growled at the males. “Try to take her from me and you will die.”
“Fuck,” Fury muttered. “I think Moon understated their involvement.” He raised his hands. “Easy. No one is going to attack you.”
“He’s not feral.” Alli hugged his leg tightly enough to restrict the flow of blood in it. “He’s really possessive of me. I’ll calm him down and explain things after you leave. Please go. You’re only aggravating him. I’ll handle this.” She softened her voice. “Obsidian? Please look at me instead of them. Please?”
He glanced down. “Release my leg and go to your room where you will be safe. No one will take you from me.”
She frantically shook her head, refusing. “You can’t fight Justice North, damn it. He’s the leader of the NSO. That will earn you a one-way trip to the Wild Zone and I won’t be able to visit you there. No humans are allowed except one who is a mate. That’s where they keep the more irrational Species who aren’t social.”
“You’re my mate.” His head lifted and he snarled at the males again but focused on the one with the strange eyes. “I don’t care who you lead. Not me. She’s mine!”
“Obsidian?” Justice remained eerily unruffled. “She’s your mate?”
“Yes.” He snarled, tried to intimate them by drawing closer, but only dragged Alli along the floor. He stopped since she wouldn’t let go and he didn’t want to cause her harm.
“We won’t take her from you.”
They were trying to confuse or deceive him. He glowered at the male in charge of the Species. “You want my guard down to steal her from me.”
“No.” The male shook his head. “We’d never separate a male from his mate. We have our own and know how much they mean to us. We just thought you two were sharing sex. She’s considered one of us, as your mate. We won’t allow her to be a doctor here but no one would ask her to leave our lands.”
“He’s telling the truth,” Fury verified. “Your mate stays at Homeland with you.”
“Leave!”
The males backed slowly to the door. Justice smiled but it was tense. “I’ll have someone bring the paperwork. We fill out forms—Allison can help you with them—to make her officially your mate. It’s that simple.”
“Moon will bring them,” Fury offered. “You trust him and he will explain our laws regarding mates. You don’t know us well or trust us yet but you will learn to.”
“Good idea,” Justice muttered. “Let’s go.”
“After you.” Fury opened the door and both of them fled, closing it after them.
It was difficult to release the anger that raged inside him over someone daring to take Alli from him. He looked down at her and noticed how pale her features had grown. She just gaped at him but her hug on his thigh had vastly loosened.
“I can’t believe you did that. They think I’m your mate.” Her voice rose. “They are bringing papers, Obsidian! You don’t know what that means but it’s binding.” She released him and fell back on her ass to sit on the carpet, still watching him as though he’d done something so shocking she couldn’t wrap her mind around it. “Legal. Forever.”
Alli wouldn’t lie to him. The papers must be real and so where the words the males had spoken. They wouldn’t take her away from him to be a doctor for the prison. He wouldn’t have to worry anymore.
“Good.” He inched away from her to stare in the direction of the kitchen. “I am hungry for food. You said you’d teach me how to cook.” He stared down at her and offered a hand to help her up. “Now is a good time.”
She didn’t take his help, unmoving except for blinking. Her little nose flared a few times as she breathed hard.
“Alli? I am ready to learn.”
“Do you understand what you just did? They are drawing up mate papers.”
“It means they can’t take you from me.”
“Mating is forever here, Obsidian.” She spoke low, her words slow. “As in ‘until we die’.”
“Good. Teach me to cook.” He faced her and offered his hand again.
She ignored it. “You will be stuck with me. You won’t be able to be with other women—females of your kind.”
“Good. I only want you.”
“For now. What about next month? Next year?”
“I won’t want another. Take my help to stand.” He bent and grabbed her hand, pulling but she refused to straighten her legs, instead just sliding a few inches along the floor. “I am hungry.”
“Obsidian!” She altered from shaken to irritated in an unsettling short span of time. “You have to tell them you changed your mind or just said that in the heat of the moment. I can’t be your mate. You don’t know what you want. You haven’t been free long enough to even leave Medical except to come to my house. That’s insane.”
“You’re mine.” He fought down his irritation. “I say this often. Do you understand?”
He didn’t wait for a response but bent, released her hand, and hooked her in his arms. She gasped when he lifted her against his chest and stalked into the kitchen. He half expected her to punch him but she just watched him warily. He paused by the long island in the center of the kitchen and deposited her there.
“What is the first thing I need to be taught to prepare food?”
“You really want to ignore this argument and pretend nothing is wrong?”
His patience was gone as he spun to grab her hips, jerking her to the edge of the counter to go nose to nose with her to stare deeply into her eyes as he bent a little to make them even in height. “You are mine! There is nothing to fight about. I will win.”
Her hand lifted and he tensed, expecting a slap. He didn’t block it. She wasn’t strong enough to really harm him but he feared he might bruise her tender skin if he threw up his arm. No pain stung his cheek. Her fingers slid into his hair and wrapped around the back of his neck.
“Listen to me. You will regret this and I can’t take that.”
“You make no sense.”
Tears swam in her eyes. “I love you.”
His heart stuttered and he forgot how to breathe.
“I’m in love with you and that’s why I can’t allow you to make a mistake this big.” Those tears spilled over her lower lids and slid down her face. “I would do anything for you and I wish I really was the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with.” She took a shaky breath while he did too. “This is too fast though and you have no idea what is out there or what your future could be like if you weren’t tied to me.”
“I want you.” All his instincts clamored to claim her, kiss her and mount her. He didn’t care in what order. She loved him. He knew what that meant. It meant her heart belonged to him as well as her body.
“A selfish person would sign those papers and keep you. Don’t think I’m not tempted.” More tears fell and she cleared her throat after her voice broke. “You have no idea how much I want to just hold on to you and never let go.”
He tried to kiss her but her hand fisted to painfully pull the hair at the base of his head. He growled.
“I. Love. You.” She paused. “That’s why I can’t allow you to lock yourself to me. You need time and freedom to be sure I’m the one you want. Tell me in six months that you want me to be your m
ate and I’ll type out the forms myself. We’ll frame them over our bed.”
“You are mine.”
Alli was falling apart inside as emotions raged. Everything in her screamed to shut up and allow him to kiss her. It would be so easy to say yes and just sign the papers. She’d be at his side when he ventured out into Homeland. All the women like Kit could look and wish he were available but he’d be hers.
He might fall in love with me, her heart argued but her head knew how unfair it would be to lock him to her so early in their relationship. In a matter of days he was willing to make a lifelong commitment. So am I though, that little voice whispered.
Reason was a bitch and dates with other men played through her mind, a memory montage like This Is Your Life. She knew Obsidian was one in a million. She had slept with a couple of guys and had the life experience to be sure that he was who she wanted. All Obsidian had to compare her with were memories of a mate he claimed was forced to be his. No other woman had even kissed him.
Jealousy reared its ugly head when she just considered him putting his lips on someone else’s mouth. She pushed away unwanted thoughts of the other things he’d do with them, unable to stand the agony of picturing him in bed with a woman. He deserved a chance to know what his options were before he committed to a lifetime with the first woman he met after gaining his freedom.
“You’re mine,” he rasped.
And she wanted him to be hers. “I’m not saying no. We just need to slow things down.”
“You’re not leaving me.”
She didn’t want that either. “I’ll stay but no mate papers. You can ask me in six months.”
“That is a long time.”
It would feel like an eternity. “I want us both to be sure this is what will make you happy and it’s what you really want.”
“I know already.”
He looked so certain that her resistance began to melt. Don’t, she warned herself. Love him enough to do the right thing. Her fisted hold on the fine hairs of his neck loosened. “Humor me.”