“Events?” Zandy sat down hard in her chair. “That sounds like such a tame word for what happened. I keep thinking about how much worse it could have been.”
“What else do you want me to call them? It’s fucking horrific. I shudder to think what could have happened or how many New Species could have been killed if they’d used more explosives. Did you see the damage to the gates? It twisted part of them.”
“I saw.”
Richard got up from his desk to crouch in front of her and stare into her eyes. “Are you okay? You really seem shaken by this.”
Tears filled her eyes. “No. It could have happened here.” She thought about Tiger, Creek and everyone else she had met. “New Species are so great. Why can’t those assholes leave them alone?”
Richard took her hand. “I know, honey. It’s upsetting. We can’t control the idiots of the world but this time it worked out in our favor. None of the New Species died. We help where we can. That’s why we read all this shit that comes in. Just concentrate on work and maybe we’ll find a real threat today. That’s how we find and stop the morons we can. Okay?”
She squeezed his hand. “Thanks for the pep talk.”
“No problem.” He straightened and released her. “We’ll have lunch brought to us. We’ll put in as many hours as we can today. Throwing myself into work always helps me.”
“Thanks.”
He shrugged. “Oh. I brought you perfume.” He opened one of his desk drawers and lifted a small bottle. “I was planning on giving it to Creek today to get to you.”
She smiled. “Thanks and please thank your wife.”
His smile returned. “She loved hearing about women going into heat. She said it was really interesting.”
Memories of Tiger in her bed made her lower her gaze. It was flat-out sexy. It was some of the hottest sex she’d ever had. She couldn’t wait for a repeat later when Tiger came to get her to take her to his home. She wondered what his house would be like.
They worked through lunch, her mind still on Tiger, and she was startled when her desk phone rang. Richard stared at her as she met his gaze.
“Answer it.”
She reached for it. “Hello?”
“Hi, Zandy.”
Tiger’s voice was music to her ears. “Hi.” She turned away from Richard, ignoring his curious stare.
“I had to fly to Homeland this morning after it was attacked. Did you hear about that?”
“I did. I’m so sorry. Is everything okay? Are you okay?”
“Our males will recover and the situation is improving by the hour. I’m stuck here though. I’m not sure I’ll be able to return tonight.”
Disappointment struck. “I understand. You need to do whatever you can.”
“I wanted to make you dinner at my home.”
“I wanted that too. We could make plans to do that tomorrow night.”
“It sounds good.” He hesitated. “I’ll call you tonight around nine. We can talk longer then. I have a meeting to attend.”
“Do you have my cell phone number?”
He paused. “Give it to me.”
She gave him her number and he said, “I’ll talk to you tonight. Be careful.”
“I will.”
He hung up and Zandy returned the phone to the cradle. She knew her coworker watched her.
“Was that Angel?”
“Yes.”
“Why does he have to be careful? What does he do for a living?”
“Don’t you have work to do?”
“Fine. Don’t spill the beans. Leave me pondering about this mystery man. It sounded as if you’re planning another date with him. Do you know what that tells me?”
“What?” She twisted her chair to face him.
“The third time is the charm.” Richard winked. “So much for not getting serious. How many dates will that make?”
“I’m not keeping track,” she lied.
“She protests too much.” Richard wiggled his eyebrows. “Do you know what that sound is?” He cocked his ear.
She didn’t hear anything and eyed him with suspicion. “What?”
“I think I hear distant wedding bells.”
“Shut up.” She threw a paperclip at him, which he caught.
She turned back to her computer screen and smiled. The idea of getting serious with Tiger didn’t fill her with fear anymore.
* * * * *
Tiger was stressed and tired. It had been a long day and the evening wasn’t getting any better. He stared at the males who shared the helicopter with him and knew they were all more than ready to return to Reservation.
Thoughts of Zandy filled his head. It would be after ten by the time they landed but he planned to visit her to make up for not being able to call. He wanted to climb into her bed and just hold her. She’d still be in heat. His cock came to life just remembering the previous night.
Motion drew his attention and he met Zest’s cool stare. The male tossed a headset his way and he put it on. They’d reach Reservation soon.
“Long day.”
“Yes,” Tiger agreed. “I’ll be glad to get home.”
“Would you like to go for a run when we arrive? I doubt I can sleep. The stress was palpable. I thought Justice was going to have a stroke yelling at the local law enforcement for not giving the NSO enough support.”
“No. I have plans. The last thing I want to do is something outdoors.”
The other male grinned. “Which female is it?”
Tiger pulled off the headset and tossed it back, smiling. Zest caught them and laughed. He hung them back on the wall next to the pilots behind his seat. Tiger closed his eyes and tried to ignore the way the wind battered the helicopter. Flying wasn’t something he enjoyed, a firm believer he’d have been born with wings if he were meant to fly.
Something dinged metal in a rapid succession. His eyes flew open as the helicopter suddenly dipped drastically. An alarm bell screamed and he saw flashing red lights coming from the cockpit. Zest threw him a headset and he put it on as the helicopter rose and fell again. It was a violent movement that made all the males glance at each other with dread.
“Mayday,” the human pilot yelled in the headset. “This is Reservation Blade One. We’re under attack from armed fire coming from the woods and have taken damage.”
Shock reverberated through Tiger. He wasn’t even sure what that meant. Something else hit the helicopter and the glass spider-webbed on the door across from him. He realized someone had fired some type of weapon and struck them again. The alarm from the front grew louder and the pilot shouted out coordinates and veered so hard to the right that Tiger would have been thrown out of his seat if not for his belt.
“We’re going down,” the pilot shouted. “They hit a fuel line and we’re losing pressure. Mayday, I repeat, mayday. This is Reservation Blade One. We’re under fire from the ground and we’ve suffered multiple hits.”
Tiger’s gaze met Zest’s, saw the other Species’ fear, and knew his own expression must mirror it. He glanced at the two other males. Both stared at him for guidance until the power cut out and everything went dark.
“Brace for impact,” the pilot yelled at them. “We’re going down.”
The helicopter tilted dangerously to one side. The feeling made Tiger’s stomach protest and the engines that were usually so loud just cut out. No one yelled. It was a sick feeling as they dropped in the eerie silence.
Seconds later they hit something hard, stunning Tiger since he had expected to fall for a while. Glass and metal took the brunt of the impact with the treetops. The helicopter seemed to roll over before it slammed with bone-jarring force into the ground.
Pain gripped Tiger around his middle where the belt held him in place. His leg and arm ached badly. Lights flickered inside the damaged interior and he saw movement from the bench across from him. Something wet blinded him and he tried to wipe his eyes. One arm refused to move and dizziness gripped him.
“I smel
l gas,” a deep voice growled. “Are you alive?”
He knew that voice but his brain couldn’t identify it. He hurt and breathing caused stabbing pains in his chest. The stench of blood and gas did seep into his fogged senses. A hand touched his throat.
“Tiger?”
He fought to open his eyes and when he did, he could barely make out Zest’s face. The male was bleeding from his nose and had a cut along his forehead. Tiger tried to speak but nothing came out.
“I’ve got you, Tiger,” Zest growled. “The helicopter is leaking gas. We need to get you out of here. I’m sorry. This is going to hurt.”
The pressure around his waist suddenly disappeared and hands caught him. He snarled from the pain and nearly blacked out. He knew he was being lifted and another pair of hands gripped him under his arms. His leg bumped something and he cried out. It felt as if that leg had just been torn away from his body.
* * * * *
Tiger woke to the sound of moaning. His eyes opened and flames blinded him. He blinked a few times to try to clear his vision but the fire was too bright. He thought he could make out the outline of the destroyed helicopter on its side somewhere in the high flames.
A big male dragged someone away from the fire and he recognized Zest’s back. He brought whoever he pulled closer and Tiger knew that was the person making those horrible sounds.
It was the human pilot. The injured male had some burns on the arm he waved in the air when Zest backed away after releasing him. His friend dropped to his knees, blood staining his side and a howl tore from his open mouth.
* * * * *
Tiger woke again when someone touched his face. He peered into a pair of blue eyes. Zest looked like hell with his bloodied face and his matted dark hair with streaks of blood.
“Hang on, Tiger. We got you out before the helicopter caught fire but the pilot wasn’t so lucky. He’s got some severe burns.” Zest put his hand over Tiger’s forehead, holding it tightly. “You have broken bones. We crashed close to Reservation. Help is coming.” He turned his head. “Ascend?”
“They are close,” the other male answered. A howl came from him and a distant one answered in seconds. “Hear them? They aren’t that far.”
Zest leaned in. “Did you hear? They will be here soon. Medical will be on alert and ready for you. Don’t give up. Fight to breathe, Tiger. Do not die on me.”
Tiger closed his eyes, too dizzy and weak to try to focus his failing sight anymore. He wouldn’t be climbing into Zandy’s bed tonight. He’d probably never see her again. Agony stabbed at him with every breath and his head felt as if it were in pieces. A pair of beautiful green eyes filled his thoughts and the memory of her face was all that kept him fighting to live.
He never should have gotten involved with Zandy Gordon. She’d grieve his loss and he’d exposed her to the kind of hatred that most likely had killed him. The helicopter had been shot down. They’d been approaching Reservation when the attack happened. It couldn’t have been unintentional.
He wouldn’t be around to protect Zandy anymore. She’d be defenseless against the humans who hated Species and they’d come after her for working for the NSO. It would only make her a bigger target if anyone found out she’d shared sex with him. He wanted to roar in rage at the thought of anyone hurting her.
Regret filled him. He’d been selfish to be with her and should have thought of her safety first. Fury had taken Ellie as a mate and humans had tried to shoot her. Slade and Trisha had nearly been killed by hunters who’d stalked them after striking the vehicle they’d been traveling in. Valiant’s Tammy had been kidnapped just for being his mate. Justice couldn’t fall in love without it causing a bombing at the gates of Homeland from the idiots who believed Species and humans shouldn’t form relationships.
Tiger admitted that was real reason he’d been so reluctant to ever consider taking a human mate. He’d watched all his friends suffer the terror of having the females they fell in love with tormented in some way. Being with a Species had caused them grief. Guilt ate at him, knowing a stronger male would have thought of that before it was too late. He’d been selfish to expose Zandy to danger.
“Tiger?” Zest kept hold of him. “I hear engines. They are so close. Hold on, my friend.”
His mouth parted. He wanted Zest to swear to guard Zandy with his life. The male was his friend and would do it. A soft groan came out but no words. He tried to focus harder but he was slipping away. The pain intensified and everything faded into blackness.
* * * * *
Zandy stared at her cell phone. Tiger hadn’t called and it had been over an hour since he said he would. She lifted her gaze to the clock with a loud sigh. It was almost ten thirty. She had to work in the morning, needed sleep, and tried not to feel hurt that he must have forgotten about her.
She stood and carried her glass to the kitchen. A string of excuses formed in her mind. He could have been stuck in a meeting or was so exhausted he’d fallen asleep. Whatever the reason, she missed hearing his voice. She longed to talk to him but had no idea how to contact him. She scooped up her cell phone and turned off the lights as she headed to bed.
It was empty and cold without Tiger’s big body and his heated skin. She tossed and turned, thinking maybe he’d forgotten her phone number. He could have misplaced the number. Maybe the switchboard had been too busy to connect his call.
“Fuck,” she sighed. He hadn’t called. It wasn’t the end of the world. He had a life and more important things to do than tell her good night. An emergency had happened at Homeland and he should be focused on that.
She tried to drift to sleep. She’d see him at some point tomorrow, hopefully. They’d have dinner at his house. She wanted to tell him how she really felt. He might dump her when she admitted that she was falling in love but at least they wouldn’t be pretending their relationship was just sex anymore.
Chapter Fifteen
Zandy had overslept and was running late when she opened the front door to greet her escort. She had missed breakfast. Someone had left a covered dish on her coffee table but she hadn’t had time to eat any of it.
Smiley and three other males were grouped together in the courtyard when she stepped outside. Four pairs of grim gazes turned her way. Some of them looked so angry that she winced.
“I’m sorry I’m ten minutes behind. I had a rough night. I hope I haven’t made any of you late.”
Smiley walked closer. “It’s not you. We’re upset about what happened last night.” He glanced at his watch. “I didn’t even notice. I should have driven you to work already. Let’s go.”
“What happened last night?” She fell into step with him as he led her toward one of the Jeeps parked at the curb.
He stopped and his gaze met hers. “You didn’t hear what happened yet?”
“No. I didn’t even turn on the TV this morning.” Her heart plummeted. “Was there another attack at Homeland? Did one of the injured officers take a turn for the worse?” She really hoped not.
“Last night one of our helicopters was shot down. We’re still trying to figure out how they did it but it crashed. It happened right outside NSO walls. They were incoming to land but didn’t make it.”
“Oh my god. Is everyone who was on board okay?”
He hesitated. “One of the human pilots is touch and go. He has burns and broken bones. Most of our males had injures but Tiger is the worst of them.”
Her knees almost gave out beneath her. “What?”
He blinked. “I’m sorry. You know him. Tiger was on board.”
She clutched Smiley’s arms just to keep from falling. Hot tears quickly filled her eyes. “Is he alive? Where is he?”
The tall Species grabbed her hips to steady her and frowned. “Zandy, you are very pale suddenly. Are you ill?”
“Is Tiger alive?” Her nails dug into him where she had his arms. “How bad is he hurt?” She refused to believe he was dead. Fate couldn’t be that cruel. “Where is he, Smiley?”
He studied her eyes and softly snarled. “You shared sex with him, didn’t you?”
“Is he alive?” she yelled, frantic to get an answer.
“He’s alive but in critical condition. He suffered multiple broken bones and a head injury. We were told the pilot was able to get them to a low altitude before the engines seized. He did some kind of maneuver to halt their momentum. They estimate that the helicopter fell about a hundred feet into the tree branches at the crash site. That cushioned the crash somewhat but it landed on the side where Tiger sat.”
Every word he spoke was like a dagger to her heart. Tears slid down her cheeks. She’d been sleeping and Tiger had been fighting for his life. It was beyond horrific. Someone should have told her when it happened. She’d have been at his side.
“His ribs are fractured, as well as one arm and his leg. He suffered cuts and a blow to his head. Our doctors suspect swelling in his brain but they aren’t sure how extensive the damage is.”
“Take me to him.”
Smiley frowned. “He’s not here, Zandy. His injuries were severe and our doctors felt he needed a neurosurgeon. We don’t have one of those. He was airlifted to a trauma center a few hours from here last night. He is under heavy guard and protected where he is.”
“Where? I want to go there.” The desire to get to Tiger’s side was nearly overpowering. She just had to see him to make sure he was really alive. Inside she was falling apart. “I need to get to him.”
“How many times have you shared sex with Tiger? You’re really upset by this. Did you share sex with him? You didn’t answer me.”
“What does it matter?” She wanted to shake him. “Where the hell is Tiger?”
Smiley’s hold on her hips tightened and he leaned down enough to stare into her eyes. “Answer me.”