New Species 11 True (21 page)

“I tried to explain why she should be my mate and how it
would protect her.”

“What did she say?” Query arched an eyebrow.

“She didn’t say yes. That’s the bottom line. It’s
frustrating.” He held Jinx’s stare. “So is refraining from punching you when you
challenge me and preen in front of her, Jinx.”

“I don’t preen.”

“You so do.” Flirt threw out his arms and puffed out his
chest. “Look at my muscles, female.” One hand lifted and he wiggled his
fingers. “The hand works perfectly to touch you with.” He flipped him off. “I
know she got the doctors to work on it so it isn’t useless and you had to make
sure she noticed that to remind her that she once cared about you. The way you
bowed over the table to get in True’s face was just to appear larger than him
in an attempt to draw her attention.”

“I’ll get in your face,” Jinx threatened. “Keep insulting me
and we will fight.”

“Enough!” Query glared at them.

“At least my name isn’t Flirt,” Jinx spat. “You’re the one
who preens enough to earn that title and you actually fought with him in front
of Shiver.”

“I’m just friendly. You’re a klutz! You must be the most
uncoordinated Species alive.”

“I chose my name because it’s bad luck to make me angry. Do
you want me to prove that?”

True cleared his throat. “I need to return to Jeanie.” He
glanced around the room, making eye contact with every male. “Jeanie is mine. I
won’t hit you in front of her but there will be reprisal if you attempt to
challenge me for her interest.” He stared directly at Jinx, then Flirt. “Am I
clear?”

“Perfectly,” Query answered. “Go to your female and be
patient.”

True nodded. “Thank you for helping her. We’ll meet with you
just after first shift starts.”

He spun, marched to the double doors and threw them open. He
heard Flirt and Jinx exchange another round of insults before one of them
snarled and a chair crashed to the floor. He felt satisfaction that they’d
suffer the aftermath of being struck repeatedly since he’d been denied that
pleasure. Jeanie would notice bloody knuckles if he got into another fight.

His light mood faded as he exited the elevator on the third
floor and made eye contact with the officer in the hallway. He walked by him,
not in the mood to have another discussion with the male. He needed to convince
Jeanie to be his mate. Her future couldn’t depend on whether they were able to
identify the human pretending to be an agent. She meant too much to him. There
was a chance she’d return to the out world if she was cleared of all charges
and that made his chest hurt. He couldn’t lose Jeanie forever.

Jeanie sat on the couch when he locked the door behind him.
He glanced around as he inhaled. There was no sight or scent of Luna. “She didn’t
stay?”

“I wanted a few minutes alone.”

He tensed, automatically becoming suspicious and glanced at
the wall where a phone should be. There wasn’t one. Flame hadn’t transferred
the line yet. The tension drained out of him as he approached her, certain she
hadn’t attempted to contact the out world.

“Are you well?”

Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m a little tired.”

“Did you eat?”

“No. I’m still stuffed.”

He crouched, his knees spread to make room for hers between
them, and gripped the edge of the couch on both sides of her thighs. “You need
sleep.” He glanced down and wished she needed sex instead. His dick hardened in
response to her feminine scent and her closeness. “We’ll go to bed.”

She reached up and her palm hovered near his cheek but she
didn’t make contact.

“Do it,” he urged.

Her touch was light as she stroked his face. “You’re so good
to me.”

I’d like to be a lot better.
Thoughts of stripping
her bare ran through his mind until he had to lower his knees to brace them on
the floor just to accommodate how tight the front of his pants had become. The
crouching position wasn’t comfortable.

“Why were you sad earlier? I saw that emotion.”

She looked away, obviously displeased with the subject.

“Jeanie?” His voice deepened. “Don’t avoid my questions.” He
leaned in closer. “I’m not going anywhere or allowing you to move away until
you are honest. Don’t bite your lower lip. You do that when you are undecided
but there’s no choice. Talk.”

She met his gaze. “I hate that you always have to defend me
and that you’ve gotten shit from other New Species. You even got into a fight
with your friend over me. I feel guilty, okay? All I ever wanted for you was to
have a happy life but I’m screwing that up.”

Her heart was soft. He liked that about her. “I am happy and
Species males are aggressive. I’ve fought with plenty of them and will again.
It’s just our way.”

Her fingers slid into his hair. “We had to move into a new
apartment. Exactly how many times have you had to do that before I came into
your life?”

The sensation of her fingernails lightly scratching his
scalp turned him on even more. It was a reminder of how they’d felt raking down
his backside while he’d fucked her. “Never, but males don’t usually visit me.
We meet downstairs or at other locations. He came into my home looking for a
fight and he found one.”

“Have you ever exchanged blows with Flirt before?”

“Yes. I train with many males.”

“You know what I mean.”

“We settle disagreements sometimes with physical gestures.
It’s in our nature.” A new thought occurred, a possible reason she might refuse
to agree to be his mate. “Are you fearful that I’d ever hit you? I wouldn’t.”
He glanced down her body, appalled at the notion. There were a lot of ways he
wanted to touch Jeanie but it would only be to create pleasure. He stared
deeply into her eyes. “I give my word. I could be enraged but I swear I would
never cause you pain.”

She sat up a little, getting close enough that a deep breath
from him would press his chest against hers. “I know that, True. You had every
reason in the world to strike out at me when we were at Drackwood but you never
did. You could have hurt me if you’d wanted to. I always ignored the safety
protocols when I came into your cell.”

Jeanie had the ability to melt away all the coldness inside
him that had built up in his lifetime. “Why did you trust me if you were aware
of the danger?”

“I just wanted to be closer to you.” Her voice softened as
she lifted her other hand to place it over his heart. “I couldn’t resist.”

He couldn’t either as he closed the distance between them
and took possession of her mouth. Her soft lips parted in welcome as he kissed
her. He wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her firmly against his body.
The urge to carry her to his bed was strong but he resisted, trying to take it
slow.

True slid his thumb into the back of her pants, hooked them,
and lifted her off the couch with his other arm. She gasped against his tongue
but didn’t protest. He shifted his hold and began to tear them down her legs to
free her of the material. He had to move away from the couch to do it but
achieved his goal of getting her bare when she helped by wiggling and kicking
them free.

He refused to stop kissing her as he lowered her to the soft
cushions. Kissing her was incredible but he needed more as he broke away and
gasped in air. He studied her flushed features. Her beautiful eyes opened and
she stared up at him.

“Lean back,” he demanded.

She did it, to his joy. His gaze lowered and he hated the
loose T-shirt covering her lap. Her pale thighs were exposed but he wanted to
see every inch of her remarkable body. He hoped she didn’t notice that his
touch wasn’t as gentle as it should be when he gripped the cotton and tugged.
Her arms rose to help him get her out of it. He just tossed the discarded top
next to him and gripped her thighs.

Jeanie gasped when he lifted, manipulating her body easily
by sliding her ass to the edge of the seat. He spread her legs wide, exposing
her sex to his view. She wasn’t wet enough to take him yet but she would be
soon. He planted his face right where he wanted to be most.

Her surprised sound should have slowed him down but he was
too intent on her scent. She was everything good to him as his mouth opened and
he fastened his lips around her clit. He sucked, licked, and growled in
pleasure when her hands tangled in his hair. He didn’t care if he’d shocked her
or even if she attempted to tug him away. He had to have Jeanie.

Soft moans filled his ears and she caressed him instead of
trying to fight him off. He nuzzled in tighter, her inner thighs squeezing a
little against his cheeks. It amused him if she believed they were strong
enough to distract him. He growled again, louder, knowing what it would do to
that sensitive bundle of nerves he played with. Females loved vibrations and
Jeanie responded by rubbing her pussy against his mouth.

“True,” she panted. “Oh yes. God. Don’t stop.”

He wasn’t about to. Nothing would get him away from her. Her
taste drove him wild, his dick was rock hard, and the urge to mount her grew
stronger with each passing second. Her fingers knotted in his hair and she
sucked in a loud breath. Her clit was stiff, swollen, and he knew she was about
to come. He applied more pressure with his tongue, rubbing furiously against
the spot he knew she liked best. He had to grab her hips instead of her thighs
when she began to buck, almost escaping from his ministrations.

He pressed down, pinning her under him as he lashed her with
the tip of his tongue. Jeanie came with a shout of his name and True enjoyed
every quiver of her body as he slowed his licks, savoring the way she jerked as
pleasure tore through her body. He’d given her that and now it was his turn.

He pulled away and lifted up just enough to see her face.
Her lips were parted, her eyes closed and sweat beaded her upper lip and
forehead. She was so appealing to him, the most sensual sight he’d ever gazed
upon. He let go of her hips to grab the front of his pants. It was a wonder he
didn’t tear them to get his cock free. It sprang out as soon as he lowered
them, feeling heavy and achy.

Females needed a little time to recover but he just couldn’t
give her any. The need to be inside her was too strong. He grabbed one of her
ankles and lifted it, resting her leg against his chest. It spread her enough
for him to position his hips just right. The broad tip of his dick brushed
against the seam of her slick, wet pussy and he pushed, breaching her.

She was tight, hot, and he clenched his teeth to hold back a
howl as he sank into her welcoming depths. It would have felt good to just
pound in and out of her but he took her with care, sinking in an inch at a time
until he completely filled her. He stayed there a moment, the muscles inside
her still quivering, and enjoyed the soft noises she made.

“Look at me.”

Her eyes opened and she stared at him with the look of a
female still in the throes of passion. He withdrew his dick a little, loving
how her pussy seemed to clutch at him, almost resisted releasing him. He
withdrew until just the head of his cock was still inside her and suddenly
thrust forward in a rapid motion. Her lips parted and she moaned.

He withdrew slowly, thrust forward fast, and kept that
steady pace until her breathing grew choppy. He knew she was about to come
again when her muscles surrounding his shaft squeezed him almost painfully
tight. Her hips ground against him faster, urging him to join her.

He reached down and flattened his hand on her lower belly
and pressed his thumb pad over her clit. She cried out his name as he rubbed
her there, too, knowing the added stimulation would make her climax harder. Her
fingernails dug in to his forearm where she clutched at him.

“True,” she pleaded. “Oh shit. God. I’m going to…”

He knew exactly how she felt and what she meant. He wanted
to explode, fill her with his seed, and experience heaven. Jeanie was that to
him. His heaven on Earth was contained within the small female body he rode as
he slammed his hips against the cradle of her thighs, sharing his passion with
everything he had.

She stopped breathing, holding it in her lungs, and her eyes
closed as she threw back her head. He watched her face as she came, felt her
from the inside, and totally lost himself in her as his own pleasure took hold.
He rode it out until he’d emptied everything he had inside her.

“Mate me,” he panted. “Say yes.” Jeanie didn’t respond. It
took him a few seconds to realize that and he growled in frustration. “Jeanie?
Say you’ll be my mate.”

“That’s not fair,” she finally got out. Her eyes opened and
she frowned. “Don’t ask me that after you blow my mind.”

True paced back and forth between the kitchen and the
bedroom door, more than aware that Jeanie watched his every move. Her refusal
to agree to be his mate frustrated and angered him. He couldn’t understand why
she kept saying no. He paused, catching her gaze.

“I could make you happy.”

“I know you could. I’m more worried about the reverse.”

Her answer stunned him. “You already make me happy.”

She shielded her body with his shirt, covering her breasts
and lap. “There’s so much more to a happy, long-term relationship, True. We
shouldn’t make that kind of commitment yet.”

Query had warned him that she would need more time and that
humans had to think too much instead of relying on their instincts. He was
certain he wanted Jeanie as his mate but she obviously had doubts. Patience was
needed but he lacked that ability when it came to her. He resumed pacing. It
helped calm his temper.

“You’re going to wear out the carpet,” she warned.

He didn’t know if that was possible but didn’t care.

“You’re upset. Talk to me. Please?”

He halted. “Do you realize the human who read your email or
got your message might not be the one who pretended to work for the NSO? Tim
and his teams aren’t going to drop this. He wants to send you to prison over
something I know you didn’t do. You wouldn’t survive long there, Jeanie. It’s a
harsh place. The sex we share is very good and all you have to do is sign
papers to become my mate. It will make you an official New Species with the
same rights and protections I have.”

Jeanie wished she could say yes but was wiser than True about
relationships. He’d known suffering and hardship in ways she couldn’t imagine
but he’d had little to no dating experience. Great sex wasn’t the best
foundation to base a lifelong commitment on. She loved him but he wasn’t in
love with her. Gratitude for saving his life just wasn’t enough, nor was the
strong physical attraction they shared. Only time would tell if he could fall
in love with her.

“I can’t become your mate just because you want to protect
me. I really do appreciate the offer, True. Mating is forever so it’s not a
choice to make until we’re both absolutely certain it’s for the right reasons.
You’re a wonderful man to offer to do this but I can’t allow you to make that
sacrifice.”

He growled, breathing hard. “So you’ll only accept my sharing
sex with you? That’s all you want from me?”

“You make it sound dirty.” Her temper flared. “As though it’s
just about sex.”

His expression darkened and his lips pulled back to reveal
his sharp teeth. He stomped over to her, bent down and yanked her to her feet.
The shirt she’d been using as a cover fell to the floor between them, leaving
her feeling exposed and vulnerable. He firmly gripped her upper arms but he
didn’t hurt her, regardless of the clear rage he expressed.

“The sex between us is the best. Why isn’t it enough to
convince you that I’d be the right mate for you? Do you believe Flirt or Jinx
would be better at it than I am? Is that the reason you refuse me? Do you want
to share sex with them to compare us before you can make a decision? Is that the
choice you speak of?”

She forgot about being naked and that he towered over her,
looking menacingly fierce. His accusations were a verbal slap. “I can’t believe
you said that.”

“You’re not denying it.”

“I shouldn’t have to. You’re being completely unreasonable.
What is wrong with you? How could you even think that?”

He snarled and stepped back, releasing her. “You won’t mate
me and it drives me insane.”

“I’m trying to be rational.”

“I can’t be, is that what you’re saying? Do you think my
animal side keeps me from being rational? You don’t mind an animal in your bed
but not as a mate?”

“Don’t put words in my mouth.” Jeanie’s feelings were stung.
“You’re out of line. I don’t think of you as an animal. You’re a man.”

He backed farther away. “I’m Species, Jeanie. Do your human
men have my teeth? Do they appear as I do? Do you not see me for what I am?”

“I see you’re being an ass,” Jeanie ground out. “You’re
insulting both of us and it’s pissing me off. I couldn’t care less about your
mixed DNA or your sharp teeth. Excuse me for taking this mate thing seriously
and not jumping into something we might regret down the road.”

“Regret?”

“Yes. You know, wake up one morning and realize becoming
mated was a mistake. It could happen. We could end up hating each other.”

His expression closed down and all emotion disappeared
behind a cold mask. “I’m going for a run. There is an officer outside the door
if you need anything.”

She couldn’t believe he planned to leave. “We’re arguing and
you’re just going to walk away in the middle of it?”

His hands clenched at his sides. “Yes. It’s taking every
ounce of my control to do that. I need to put space between us now.”

He turned, striding toward the front door. She rushed after
him and grabbed his arm. It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do but she
didn’t want him to go. They needed to work things out and she didn’t understand
why he’d exploded into a rage.

“True! Wait.”

He came to an abrupt stop and she actually ran into his
back. He turned his head, staring down at her. “Let go, Jeanie.”

The gravity of his demand wasn’t lost on her. Anger glinted
in his beautiful eyes and he threw off deadly vibes but she wasn’t afraid. “I
don’t want to fight with you. Why are you so angry?”

He seemed very unsettled. “I am being unreasonable. I’m
sorry. I don’t want you to hate me.” He turned to face her, twisting his wrist
enough to break the connection with her hand.

“I couldn’t. I’m just confused. You just…blew up.”

He slowly inhaled then exhaled, as if reaching for calm. “I
realize that. No one affects me the way you do, Jeanie. I need space to calm
down and running helps me think. You keep refusing to mate me. It hurts. I’ll
be back.”

He spun on his heel and unlocked the door.

“You don’t have shoes or a shirt on,” she tried as a
last-ditch effort to keep him in the apartment.

“I don’t need them.” He didn’t even glance back before he
was gone and the door closed behind him.

* * * * *

True sipped his soda and grimly watched Darkness. “I came
here to cool down.”

The male sighed. “Females are complicated. I knew something
had happened when I saw you enter the bar dressed in so little.” He glanced
down at True’s bare chest. “We don’t require shoes or shirts in our
establishments but most of us prefer to be fully dressed in public.”

“I apologize.” He took another sip and put it down. “I
should return. I made accusations I shouldn’t have.”

“You have doubts about her story?”

“No. I became insecure. I was only bred once at Mercile,
never at Drackwood, after they discovered I’ve got a low sperm count. My
experience with females is limited. Flirt and Jinx have feelings for my Jeanie
and both of them were used often in breeding experiments and are very friendly
with our females since they were freed. Perhaps if I were more skilled I could
convince her to be my mate.” It injured his pride to admit it but Darkness was
a male he felt comfortable speaking to about his problem. “I allowed that to
cause an argument with her.”

He winced. “You didn’t tell her that, did you?”

“I asked her if she wanted to share sex with them first in
order to make a choice.”

“Shit.” The male leaned back in his chair. “Let me tell you
something, True. I’m very skilled.” He glanced around and then held his gaze as
his voice lowered. “This information stays between us. You heard I was taken
from Mercile for other experiments because they wanted to see how we’d do in a
military setting. They sent me and a handful of other males to be trained by
what the humans call mercenaries. They were heartless humans without honor. One
of the things I learned besides how to kill by human standards was how to
effectively interrogate information from an unwilling participant. They brought
in a female who showed me the most effective ways to gain information from
other females.” He paused. “How to terrify a female by using sexual threats or
by forced seduction.”

True hurt for the male. “They made you hurt females?”

“This female…” His tone turned gruff and he dropped his gaze
to his drink. “She was colder than the ice in my glass. First she showed me
what she was capable of doing and then I was ordered to turn the tables on her
by the human male in charge. The student-surpassing-the-teacher kind of thing.”
He looked up then, his dark eyes appearing haunted. “She deserved it for the
cruel things she’d done to me but I was told to kill her in the end.”

“That’s the female you spoke of?”

Darkness hesitated for a long moment. “The commander in
charge of the project had hired her to teach me and the other Species males how
to use sex against females. That was her purpose and she did her job well. I
could force an unwilling female to beg me to fuck her by the end of my training
and confess to even a crime she hadn’t committed. The commander then ordered me
to use that knowledge to gain information from her. She’d been lying to the
commander and plotting something bad. Mercenaries kill other ones who betray
their trust. They demanded I take her out.”

“You did it?” True couldn’t comprehend such a deed,
especially taking the life of a female he’d shared sex with.

“I did.” Darkness stood. “Her plan would have harmed the
other Species males. I protected them from being used by her.” He held his
stare. “My point is that I would make a bad mate for any female regardless of
my skills of seduction. You have heart, True. I don’t. Mine was torn out a long
time ago and damaged beyond repair. That’s what you have to offer your female.
Go home to her and tell her how much she means to you. That’s what females
value the most.”

True watched the male walk away, dodging other Species as he
left the bar. He got to his feet and followed him outside. Darkness was gone by
the time he reached the street. He jogged back to the men’s dorm with plans to
tell Jeanie that she was his heart. He could improve his skills as a lover but
he couldn’t live without her.

* * * * *

Jeanie’s state of undress had finally sunk in and she’d
walked into the bedroom to retrieve one of True’s shirts from the dresser. It
dwarfed her, more of a short dress than a top. After a quick search, she’d
located a pair of drawstring boxers from a lower drawer and put them on too.
She still sat on the bed, stunned by True’s abrupt departure.

It hurts.
His words kept playing through her head.
True had accused her of wanting to sleep with other men in order to compare
them as if it were a sexual competition to establish who she wanted to settle
down with. That smacked of irrational jealousy. It slowly dawned on her that he
might be feeling a lot more than she ever suspected.
Is it possible he loves
me?
Her heart rate increased.
It fits.

She really wished he hadn’t left. They needed to sit down
and discuss their feelings. The prospect of him returning her love made her
impatient for him to return. She paced the room, finally quit the bedroom, and
went into his kitchen to have a snack. Time crawled by.
Where did he run to?
Is he jogging around the entire property line of Homeland?
It was pretty
large. He’d been gone for almost an hour. She decided to lie down until he got
back.

The doorbell rang. She rushed to the door, hoping it was
him. He hadn’t taken his card with him and might have thought she’d locked the
door. The tall New Species standing there was the same grim one from earlier.

“Ms. Shiver, these two males have come for you.”

He backed away and two men in uniform blocked the doorway.
They were both human, in their late twenties and big. “What?”

“Hello, Ms. Shiver.” The dark-haired one with the dead brown
eyes spoke. “You’re being transferred to Fuller. Please come with us.”

“Don’t put up a fight,” the blond man warned. “It would be
pointless.”

She stumbled back, shaking her head. “No. I’m not being sent
there.” She grabbed at the door, trying to close it.

One of them pushed it wide open, entering True’s apartment. “We
have the paperwork. You’re to be transferred to Fuller immediately.”

“No!” She lunged, trying to put the couch between her and
them. “True said I could stay here.” She caught the eye of the New Species. “Where
is True? Get him.”

“I don’t know where he is.” The Species male stayed by the
door. “Their paperwork is in order. Don’t fight them, female. You won’t be
harmed.”

The two uniformed humans broke apart, circling the couch to
reach her. Panic bolted through Jeanie. “Stay away from me. I’m living with
True.” She couldn’t and wouldn’t believe that he’d changed his mind about that
just because she’d refused to mate him. He wouldn’t send her to a place he said
she’d never survive. “I want True. Get True!” she frantically pleaded with the
New Species guard. “Keep them away from me until True gets back. I don’t think
he knows about this and he won’t want me to go.”

“Wait,” the Species ordered, reaching for his cell phone. “Let
me call the male first.”

The blond man reached inside his vest and withdrew a gun.
Jeanie watched in horror as he spun and shot the officer. The weapon made a
soft sound.

A small red thing embedded in the New Species’ arm. He
glanced down at it, his eyes widened in surprise and he growled before pitching
forward to fall on the carpet, facedown. Jeanie’s stunned mind took a second to
process what had happened and it cost her. The dark-haired man was on her
before she could scream.

One arm wrapped around her throat in a chokehold as he spun
her around and applied enough pressure to make breathing impossible. She bucked
in his hold in terror. The blond pointed the gun at her.