Slade

  “Four.” Brass frowned at Slade. “She’s our prime priority and yours. No one is to have access to her who is not New Species. No humans whatsoever.”

  That information made Slade blanch a little. “No humans at all? We’re in the middle of large construction jobs and we have humans crawling all over Reservation. I have hundreds of them here twenty-four hours a day to complete all the projects we need done as soon as possible. We’re doing things in a matter of a few months that should have taken a good year to finish. It took almost four hundred humans three full weeks just to build those security walls to enclose the property. We have them working in two shifts around the clock, seven days a week. We’re still wiring the walls for security purposes and I have a hotel being refurbished at breakneck speed. We’ll need the housing completed so our people aren’t living in tents and a clubhouse is being built still. We have another project going on for the offices to prevent us from permanently being stuck using a trailer. On any given second, on any given day, there are well over four hundred humans here. Does Justice want me to shut down everything so we can’t get any work done until the threat is over? He’s been pushing me hard to get it all done.”

  “No,” Harley stated. “He just wants her put somewhere safe on where humans aren’t permitted. Moon and I have been going over the layout and we believe we should hide her inside the center of the wild zone. No humans would dare go there and they are forbidden in that area. I’m aware that some of our people have already been relocated and that makes it even better since no full human would get past them.”

  “That wouldn’t be safe for her. She’s full human.” Slade’s rage seemed to intensify. “Sure, no humans would ever be stupid enough to venture there and survive it, but it would be baiting them. I believe they would attack if you took her inside their territory. They are very unstable. The second we relocated them, they started marking territory and have been vigilant to make certain no humans breach it.”

  “We will protect her,” Brass promised, his voice firm. “They won’t attack her.”

  “They are insane,” Slade snarled. “Some of them will never calm and hate humans to a degree that is beyond what you can imagine. They go into rages just by picking up the scent of one.” He pointed at Trisha. “She’s seen us but not the failures. Don’t you think they would scare the hell out of her?”

  “What failures?” Trisha glanced at the men.

  Slade glared at her. “We look mostly human but not all of our people were so fortunate. Some appear more animal than human. We have a few dozen who survived. Some of our people were tortured until they were left insane or hold hatred for humans to the point they would kill one on sight. Those are the ones we relocated here. You would not be safe inside the wild zone. It’s where we put the most antisocial of them.”

  Brass bent and placed Trisha on her feet when she indicated she wanted down. He held her waist until she steadied on her shaky legs. He moved back a foot when he became certain she wouldn’t collapse. She stared up at Brass.

  “What do you think?”

  “I think the wild zone is best. They will not hurt you. After we were freed, they used females to help care for all New Species since we don’t attack them. I’m sure that holds for the wild ones as well. We will be with you and they will stay back. We can’t get lost any better than that, Trisha. It would be smart to put you in the center of the territory since they’ve claimed it. They are fiercely protective of their domains. They would help keep everyone at bay.”

  “Damn it,” Slade growled. “I’m running this, not you. I will not allow her go in there since I know what I’m talking about and you don’t. I’m the one who’s spent time with them. I know that she wouldn’t be safe. We’ll set her up at the hotel where the top floor has been finished. We’ll close off all access and keep her there.”

  “No.” Brass crossed his arms over his chest. “Justice put me in charge of her security. I can and am overriding you. No offense but I want her where no humans can get to her, Slade. What if one of those terrorist assholes decides to pose as a workman and sets fire to the hotel? Nothing can happen to her. The wild zone is the answer. Are there any homes there? I am aware we also have some RV’s here and we could take one. It would be tight living but it would work. We are to keep her away from everyone but New Species.”

  Slade was furious. His lips opened and his sharp teeth showed when a deep growl rumbled from him. “Fine. You can have my home. It’s only a three bedroom but I’m sure you can manage. It sits away from all other buildings.”

  “We’re taking her into the wild zone. The decision has been made.” Brass glared at Slade.

  Slade cursed and growled again. His gaze locked with Trisha’s. “Tell him no. Listen to me. Those men out there are not stable and you’re a full human female. You are a Doc to boot, two things they will want to kill you on sight for being. You will die if you agree to them taking you out there. The wild ones were cared for by females once we were freed but then they were taken to remote locations without them. They have spent months on their own and I’m not certain they’d still resist attacking a woman. I’m also not willing to chance it.”

  Fear inched up Trisha’s spine as she stared at Slade.

  “Trust me, Trisha. I would never let you down,” Brass promised softly. “I know what I’m doing. The wild zone is the safest place for you to be. They will not hurt you and I would never allow anything to cause you harm.”

  “Trisha?” Slade shook his head at her, watching her closely. “Trust me. Tell them to put you up at my house while I move into the hotel.”

  She managed to refrain from flinching. She could stay inside his house but he’d move out. “Brass?” She turned her head and tore her gaze away from Slade’s. “I know you will protect me. Whatever you think is best is fine with me. It’s your call.”

  Brass smiled. “We’re going to the wild zone.”

  Slade growled viciously and cursed. “Trisha? Get over here now. We’re going to have a private talk.”

  She tensed as she slowly faced him. “Excuse me? You’ve known how to reach me for weeks if you wanted to talk to me. You should have tried to tell me before now if there was anything you had to say that I needed to hear.” She started to walk toward the Jeep.

  She heard someone snarl and spun back around in time to see Brass move quickly as Slade lunged for Trisha. Brass got between them and snarled back at Slade. Slade stopped. Both men were tense as they glared at each other. It looked as though they were going to fight.

  “Brass? I really don’t feel well,” Trisha urged quickly, not wanting them to come to blows. “Can we go? Thank you for your concern, Mr. Slade, but I have total faith in Brass, Moon, and Harley to protect me.”

  “So that’s how it is,” Slade snarled. “Fine. There’s one empty cabin out that way. You can have it. I’ll send someone with supplies immediately. It’s a one-bedroom but it sounds as though the four of you won’t mind sharing a bed together.” He spun on his heel and stormed toward one of the buildings.

  Trisha watched him go and fought tears. “Did he just call me a slut in a roundabout way?”

  Moon laughed and wiggled his eyebrows. “I wish you were. I’d even be willing to share with them if it meant having you in a bed naked with me.”

  She laughed, knowing it was meant as a joke. Moon could always make her feel better. “You keep wishing. You guys get the floor if there’s only one bed.”

  Brass relaxed and smiled at Trisha. “Not a problem. You definitely get the bed. You wimpy humans would never survive sleeping on a hard floor. Us males don’t mind sleeping on hard surfaces.”

  Harley chuckled. “Speak for yourself. I love beds so maybe I’ll take the night shift and sleep in it when Trisha isn’t in it.”

  “I am good at snuggling.” Moon wiggled his eyebrows at Trisha again, making her chuckle. “If you get cold just let me know and I’ll keep you warm. I’ll even behave if you don’t make me sleep on the floor.”
r />   “I’ll have them bring out mattresses,” Brass groaned playfully. “When did you guys become so soft?”

  “When we were given choices,” Harley shot back. “Let’s get out of here before Slade returns to snarl at you again. Dealing with all these humans has really made him testy. I don’t know what crawled up his ass but I hope he has a need for toilet paper soon.”

  “Gravity would definitely be Slade’s friend,” Moon chuckled softly.

  Trisha laughed. She loved the guys. She was pretty sure she’d be crying after her confrontation with Slade if it weren’t for them. Brass helped her into a Jeep while Moon and Harley climbed in the back. Brass took the driver’s seat. He looked at the other Jeep with a New Species man waiting with their bags.

  “Do you know what cabin Slade spoke of?”

  He nodded.

  “Lead the way,” Brass ordered. “We’ll follow.”

  Harley handed Trisha her seat belt. She mutely put it on and flashed him a grin. He nodded at her. “Always buckle up.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Trisha stared at the beautiful scenery they passed—lush grass, big, pretty trees and rolling hills. She caught sight of a deer at the edge of some trees. It was such a beautiful place that she was able to push thoughts of Slade from her mind. It was hard to do but she didn’t want to break down in tears.

  * * * * *

  Slade paced inside the forest on the other side of the buildings, hiding from everyone, and knew he hadn’t taken seeing Trisha well at all. The sight of her in another man’s arms had nearly sent him into a jealous rage.

  Brass had carried her in his arms, spoken as if he had a right to speak for her, and she’d allowed it. A snarl tore from his lips. He’d sacrificed his sanity to stay away from her, gone against his instincts to be near her, and she’d defied him when he’d just wanted to protect her.

  He stiffened, his fists balled, as his pacing ceased. Pain tore through his chest at the thought that she no longer wanted him. He should have told her why he’d avoided her but he had believed she’d talk him into ignoring her own safety if she felt even a tenth for him of what he felt for her. It would have weakened his resolve, staring into her eyes and if she’d touched him, he would have lost that battle.

  A slight noise drew his attention and he turned his head to stare at a Species male seeking him out. “What is it?”

  “The architect wants a word with you. There’s something wrong with the blueprints for one of the modifications you asked for at the hotel.”

  Rage burned inside him. Work had taken up all his hours. He barely slept but it kept his thoughts off Trisha for the most part. He needed to keep busy now more than ever. Otherwise he’d jump in a Jeep, drive to the cabin, and…rip off her clothes and fuck her until she knows she’s still mine.

  He pushed back his thoughts, knew he couldn’t allow his desire to rule his actions. She was pale and ill. He worried about that. She needed rest, obviously, but then…damn! Stop thinking about stripping her naked and making her realize I’m the male for her. Now is not the time.

  “Slade? Is everything all right?” The Species male cocked his head, staring at him with concern.

  “It’s fine,” he lied. “Let’s go. The faster we deal with these issues, the faster all the work gets done.”

  He’d deal with the doc later after he had some time to think and evaluate the situation. Her being at Reservation totally changed things. She was in danger regardless, whether he was with her or not. He had to calm down before he decided what to do. It wouldn’t be smart to talk to her until he got a leash on his jealousy.

  * * * * *

  The A-frame cabin had probably been built sometime in the seventies if Trisha had to guess, based on the interior. She grimaced over the wallpaper in the small kitchen and the old shag carpet covering the living-room floor.

  “All that is missing is the disco ball.”

  “I don’t get it.” Harley stared at her.

  “Welcome to the nineteen-seventies, gentlemen. Notice the avocado-green appliances and the orange wallpaper? Another dead giveaway is the wood paneling and that shag carpet went out fashion in the late seventies. It looks solidly built though and I love that fireplace.”

  “It doesn’t have a bedroom. It has that.” Brass pointed to the stairwell.

  “It’s called a loft bedroom.” Trisha walked up the stairs to realize the room was actually pretty large. “It’s roomy and, wow, there’s a half bath up here. That’s a nice surprise.”

  “The bed is too small for all four of us to fit on unless we call a dog pile,” Moon stated suddenly.

  Trisha started to laugh. She turned and grinned at him, seeing all three men had followed her upstairs. “I get to pile on last if you do. That way I won’t get crushed.”

  “We could all sleep as though we’re hot dogs inside a package,” Harley offered. “When one of us wants to turn we could all just shout out ‘roll’ and be like those synchronized swimmers who all move at once.”

  “Wouldn’t work.” Moon chuckled. “The person on the outside in the direction we turned would end up falling on the floor.”

  “More room for the three remaining.” Brass winked at Trisha. “I think we should put Moon and Harley on the outside edges, just to be safe.”

  Moon’s smile died and he lifted his head. He turned, sniffed, and nearly leaped down the stairs. “Someone is near,” he warned with a snarl.

  Brass grabbed Trisha and shoved her onto the bed. “Sit.” He rushed to a window.

  Harley ran down the stairs after Moon. Trisha heard the front door open. She turned to stare at Brass, fighting alarm. He had unfastened the handgun he kept strapped to his thigh. He had the curtain open and she heard him softly curse.

  “What is it?” Trisha whispered.

  “One of the local residents is outside. Shit. What is he doing here? Someone should have warned me they’d transferred him. He must have gotten a whiff of you and came to investigate. Moon is talking to him and Harley is securing the lower floor.”

  Curious, Trisha climbed off the bed and moved behind Brass. She knew that he was aware of her. He reached behind him and put his hand on her hip to keep her at his back. She hesitated and peered around him. It was still daylight and easy for her to spot the man outside—at least he was mostly man. The sight of his hair and features shocked her deeply.

  “He’s—”

  “Shush,” Brass ordered softly. “He’ll probably hear what you say. They have better hearing than most of us.”

  The big male had obviously been altered with feline genes and had an actual mane of reddish-blond hair. His eyes were cat-like, apparent even from a distance. He had a huge, muscled body. He was barely dressed, just wearing cutoff jeans and nothing else. His arms and chest were massive, as if he’d spent his entire life working out. His features were more animal than human with his strange nose and thick cheekbones.

  Moon paused about fifteen feet from the man who stood very still at the edge of the woods. He suddenly lifted his head and his strange gaze seemed to immediately locate Trisha. It seemed as if he sensed her somehow.

  A roar erupted from the scary guy’s mouth when he opened it. It was a loud, shocking sound to Trisha, one hundred percent not human. His entire body tensed and he stormed toward the house. Moon jumped into his path and threw out his arms to prevent the approaching male from passing. Moon spoke rapidly to the guy—she heard his voice but couldn’t pick up what was being said. Moon’s actions didn’t slow the man down one bit.

  She watched in horror when the big guy attacked Moon, just reached out a hand, grabbed him by his throat, and tossed him to the side as easily as if he were a rag doll. The son of a bitch moved faster, straight at the house, and quickly out of sight.

  A vicious snarl sounded from below and another roar erupted. Something loud crunched as if wood had been snapped in half, followed by a crashing boom. Brass spun around, grabbed Trisha around her waist, and swiftly placed her into the cor
ner. He put his body in front of hers, trapped her behind him, and faced the stairs as his arm rose to aim his gun. Terror griped Trisha as she heard the guy from outside pound up the stairs.

  “Stop, Valiant,” Brass warned loudly. “Moon, Harley, stay down there. I know him.”

  “You brought a human here?” the scary guy snarled. “A human? Justice promised us that none of them would ever come here. She’s in my territory. Mine. Because it is you, I will give you one minute to get her out of here before I kill her, Brass.”

  “Calm down.” Brass spoke softly now, perhaps trying to soothe the out-of-control male. “She’s pregnant with one of ours. She’s now one of us.”

  “You lie. We can’t breed.”

  Trisha edged a little to the left to peer at the terrifying male standing at the top of the stairs. He had to be six-and-a-half-feet tall and his hair was an amazing light-reddish color with thick streaks of blond running through it. It fell just past his broad shoulders. She couldn’t help but notice how beautiful and exotic it looked.

  Tan skin and thick muscles covered his mostly bared body. He had to be the biggest New Species she’d ever seen. His sharp teeth flashed when his lips curled back and he growled at her. His cat-like golden eyes narrowed and he growled deeper. Trisha would have hit the floor if she had been the type to faint—out cold over the ferocious appearance and actions. She noticed his fingers were tensed, claw like, at his sides and his fingernails looked sharp, the way an animal’s were.

  “She’s carrying a New Species baby.” Brass’ voice took on a firmer tone. “That does make her one of us. Justice sent her here because she’s not safe around humans anymore. No one knows about her pregnancy. It’s going to cause all of us a bunch of grief if the world finds out because they fear the idea of us breeding with them. She was brought here to be protected by us.”

  “Lie,” he snarled.

  “True,” Brass growled back. “Don’t call me a liar.”

  Valiant growled deep within his chest. “Move. I will smell her.”

  Brass didn’t budge. “You can scent her if you swear to me you won’t hurt her. She is carrying a New Species baby. She is just over a month pregnant.”