New Species 02 Slade (42 page)

claimed you, and I’m too angry at what was done to my

home to be aroused by your tempting female scent. He’ll

be back for you.” Valiant growled low. “He knows I’d

kick his ass if he left a human with me for more than a

day. I have some cleaning to do. Relax. Sleep. Just don’t

leave. There is a bathroom by the front door in case you

need it. The intruders who breached my domain didn’t

damage it. Brass is going to help me right everything.”

“I am?” Brass stood in the doorway.

Valiant nodded. “I’m bigger and I say you will help

me.”

“Works for me.” Brass winked at Trisha. “I’m going

to go help the large feline clean up.”

“I’ll be right here resting and not helping,” Trisha

teased.

Brass chuckled before he turned and followed

Valiant out of the living room. Trisha finished her muffin

and lay down on the comfortable couch until she

realized her hands were still bloody from Harley’s

wounds. She’d been so distracted by all that had

happened, she hadn’t noticed it before.

She stared at the dried blood and fought the urge to

be sick. She stood and went in search of the bathroom,

knowing it was a losing battle. Her stomach heaved and

she barely made it in time before she lost her snack. Ten

minutes later she stretched out on the couch. Exhaustion

helped her fall asleep quickly.

* * * * *

gaze meeting Tiger’s, and he blew out a deep breath.

“Harley survived surgery. Justice sent a human team to

back up Moon. Guard him with a few more of our men.

He’ll be safe.”

“We’ve heard from the authorities. They wanted

permission to go to the crime scene but Justice is

handling it with Fury’s help. We can’t allow them to go

into the wild zone and I had one of our males sent to

retrieve all of the doctor’s belongings. We don’t want any

trace of her left there in case the police manage to talk

Justice into allowing them to see where the attack took

place.”

“Thanks.” Slade leaned back in his chair. A hand

lifted to run through his hair. “I could have lost her.

Again.”

“But you didn’t. This is why I don’t envy you for

having a human.”

“One day you might meet one you can’t resist.”

“Don’t make threats.” Tiger glared.

A grin curved Slade’s lips. “It’s not so bad.”

“You’re going to be a father. You’re biased. Your

woman has given you a miracle.”

That reality kept making Slade’s heart race. “I am,

but she is one to me before I ever learned of the baby that

grows within her. I’m happy but worried. She’s not

Species. Humans aren’t as tough as our women. I think of

all the things that could go wrong.”

“Stop. She’s a strong female of mind, if not of body.

That matters.”

“She is pretty tough.”

Tiger snorted. “You should see your face.”

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s just obvious that you care deeply for

her. You look proud and happy.” Tiger stood to pace the

office. “They are never going to leave us alone and just

allow us to live in peace.”

Slade knew Tiger meant the humans who hated

them. “I know but we can hope. I’ve been told that

people fear what they don’t understand. Perhaps with

time they will learn more about us and see that we aren’t

their enemy. We’ve even segregated our lives from theirs

for the most part to assure them they are safe. A lot of

them fear we’re unstable or that we’d attack them

without provocation.”

“Perhaps that is the problem. Maybe setting up our

own living environments wasn’t the best way to have

them accept us.”

“I don’t know but think of all the lives that would

have been taken if they could attack and pick us off one

by one. It may not be the best way to get them to accept

us but it’s the best way for us to survive. They don’t

seem ready to be our neighbors just yet. At least not all

of them. Time is something we need to learn how to live

with each other. Some Species hate humans. Remember

the reason Reservation is necessary.” He blew out a deep

breath. “I’m glad I don’t have Justice’s job. Mine is to

finish Reservation, to make it a safe haven for our people

and to protect Trisha. Anything beyond that is more than

I want to think about right now. Trying to handle our

own people is difficult enough without trying to deal

with the humans too.”

“We’re going to have to tighten security again. I

don’t know how we’re going to do it. Our men are

already tired and overworked. We’re overrun with

humans who may not be here just to do construction.

Those males who attacked the cabin purposely took jobs

seeking an opportunity to kill some of us. Justice is

going to switch some of our men out to give them a rest.

I’ll just be happy once we’re fully functional here and can

close the gates to restrict which humans enter.”

“It won’t be too much longer.”

“I know.” Tiger leaned against the wall. “I’m just

grateful your doctor wasn’t harmed and that she was

able to save Harley. That was amazing. It would have

destroyed you to lose her and hurt all of us if we’d lost

him. Where are you on the whole issue of you being a

danger to her? Do you still believe that you claiming her

as your own will put her life more at risk?”

“I’ve learned that she’s in danger whether I’m a part

of her life or not. She chose to work with us. She’s

dedicated. I’m just happy that she’s decided to give me a

second chance. I won’t let her down again.”

“I know you won’t.” A grin curved Tiger’s features.

“Did you ever think you’d revolve your entire life

around a human? Or a woman at all, for that matter?”

“No.” Slade grinned back. “But this time I’m happy

that I was wrong. This is the good kind of surprise that

life threw my way.”

“Don’t dump all the work on me.” Tiger growled. “I

know you won’t want to leave her side but Brass did a

fine job protecting her and I can’t finish Reservation

without you. We’re a team. You can protect her and our

people.”

Slade nodded. “Securing Reservation will secure her

safety. It’s one and the same now.”

“Doc?”

Trisha didn’t have to look to know it was Slade who

rubbed her arm. She opened her eyes and he smiled.

“Hi. Did you have a good nap?”

She couldn’t resist reaching up to cup his face. The

guy warmed her in every way just by looking at him and

appreciating his pure masculine appeal. She smiled back

at him.

“It would have been better if you’d been sleeping

with me and we were naked.”

Slade’s smile turned into a flat-out grin.

“I didn’t need to hear that,” Valiant growled.

“Crap,” Trisha sighed. “We’re not alone, are we?”

“Nope,” Brass stated.

Trisha’s hand dropped away from Slade’s face. “I’ll

sit up if you move to give me room.”

Slade inched away, straightened and held out his

hand to help her up. “It’s dark outside now.”

She glanced around the living room, remembering

she was in Valiant’s home. The home’s owner sat on a

chair not too far from her and Brass had stretched out on

a lounge chair in the corner with his long legs spread

out. Slade pulled her to her feet.

“Thank you for the hospitality and for helping save

me.” She addressed Valiant.

“I’d say any time but I still have a lot of cleaning to

do before my house is livable.” He did smile at her. “It

was nice killing humans.”

She just blinked. “I’m glad?” What can I say to that?

She wasn’t sure. She hoped she passed muster on

comebacks and figured she had when Valiant appeared

amused. She turned her head and peered up into Slade’s

face. “I’m ready to go.”

He insisted upon carrying her since she didn’t have

shoes and Brass followed them to a waiting SUV parked

outside. Brass opened the back door for Slade to deposit

Trisha on the back seat. Both men climbed into the front.

“You need to crouch down when we drive closer to

the main areas,” Slade ordered softly. “I’m going to park

inside the garage when we arrive at my house. You can’t

go near any windows or outside once we reach it. No one

is to see you.”

“But―”

“No buts,” Brass growled. “You are to stay hidden.

You trust us with your life and we both agree that would

be the safest. No one is to know where you are.”

“Fine,” she conceded, too shaken to argue the point.

“Has there been any word on Harley?”

“He’s in critical condition but he’s tough and made it

through surgery,” Slade informed her softly. “Moon is

sure he’ll pull through. You saved him, Doc.”

“Good work, Trisha. I was sure he was gone.” Brass

gave her a grateful look. “I would have been devastated

losing my friend. He’s a brother to me in my heart.”

Trisha leaned back and relaxed, thrilled that her

friend would survive. “He’s tough and we all know how

tough all you guys are.” Her stomach chose that moment

to grumble. She chuckled. “I’m starving.”

“We’ll get you fed when we get to Slade’s house.”

Brass turned on the seat to continue to watch her. “We

won’t be able to get your clothes to you immediately.

The cabin is a total loss and I’ve been informed that they

removed your stuff but it is damaged or dirty. I’m afraid

you will have to wear Slade’s until we can get you more

or have yours cleaned.”

“Loss is right,” Slade sighed. “Tiger sent a man out

to pull the truck out of the living room and a large

portion of the loft totally collapsed. The entire structure

is unstable. Those assholes driving a full-sized work

truck through the front of it just made more construction

nightmares for me. It’s going to have to be leveled and

another one built.”

“Is there anywhere else I’ll be stashed or will I be

staying at your house for a while, Slade?” Trisha hoped

he’d keep her close.

“You’re going to be living with me. The house is far

enough away from the hotel area and the new buildings

being put up that there’s no reason for anyone to come

there. We just don’t want you peeking out windows or

stepping outside just in case anyone gets nosy. At night

we can take you for short walks outside to give you a

break from being contained. We remember how it is to

long to be outside. Brass is going to stay with you when

I’m at work and Moon should be returning sometime in

the next few days. Justice will send a replacement for

him to the hospital soon. We didn’t want to bring in a

new guard for you since the less people who know about

your pregnancy, the better.”

“But all my guards will be New Species, right? So

that’s totally safe. They wouldn’t leak any information

about the baby.”

“True,” Brass agreed. “But Justice is playing it safe.

You’re important to us, Trisha. You are our first

conceiving female.”

She frowned, not liking the term. “You make me

sound as if I’m a horse.”

Brass turned to face forward in his seat. He mumbled

something that made Slade laugh.

“What? That’s not fair. You know I couldn’t hear that!

Come on, guys. Play nice with me.”

Slade cleared his throat. “He said something to the

effect that with our dicks it wasn’t a bad analogy.”

Brass laughed. Trisha rolled her eyes and shook her

head. “Some people are full of themselves.”

Slade glanced back at her and his teeth flashed when

he grinned. “Want a reminder when we get to the house?

Maybe you’re forgetting my size and you need a visual

reminder.”

“I’ve seen horses when I worked for a veterinary

hospital. You wouldn’t be getting near me if you actually

resembled one from the waist down.” She paused. “But

you are larger than anyone else I’ve ever been with. Does

that sooth your manly pride?”

Slade growled. Brass chuckled. Trisha grinned from

the back seat until she was ordered to crouch down. It

was dark outside, she didn’t see the reason for hiding,

but she didn’t want the men to growl at her, something

New Species seemed to love to do when they were

irritated or emotional. Slade pulled into his garage and