New Species 03 Valiant (25 page)

few weeks ago about some idiots who started a business

taking bets on how long each known New Species will

live.”

Horrified at what she’d said, her gaze darted to

Valiant, hoping it hadn’t hurt his feelings. He met her

stare calmly, not appearing shocked at hearing that

someone wanted to make a profit of their deaths.

“Yeah. We heard about that.” Trisha got a sad look

on her face. “A nd they’d probably do anything to kill the

woman carrying that unborn baby and the baby if it had

already been born. A lot of them are looking forward to

the thought of New Species dying out in time. It would

send some of those assholes into a rampage if they

discovered that generations more of them were possible.”

“See? That’s another reason why I don’t want to have

a baby right now. I’ve already been targeted once. I may

as well buy a bull’s-eye T-shirt and live in it. I’m not

ready to take that chance just yet. I want the pills as soon

as you’re able to prescribe them to me.”

Tammy turned her head to see how Valiant reacted

to her decision. He was gone, had left the room, and she

softly cursed. He’d walked out without saying a word.

Obviously he didn’t agree with what she wanted. Damn.

“Give him time.” Trisha reached out and touched

Tammy’s arm. “I think he might feel a little rejected.”

“I didn’t mean for him to take it that way. You

understand, don’t you? I met him five weeks ago, he

scared the hell out of me, we had incredible sex, and I hit

him over the head with a lamp. Last night he came back

into my life when he saved me. I’m very attracted to him

but we need to spend a lot more time together before we

purposely take risks of that kind. Hell, I think I’m falling

—” She closed her mouth. “In all, I’ve spent so little time

with him and certainly not long enough to make a

lifelong commitment of having a child together.”

“I do understand.”

Tammy saw compassion on the other woman’s face.

“There’s the whole we’re-different factor. I was

kidnapped last night because someone heard I had slept

with him. Just slept with him. What if I got pregnant?

Those stupid bastards and every stupid asshole like them

would want to get their hands on me. A nd that’s not

even touching the subject of what the press would do. I

watched what they did to that married couple. Those two

can’t do anything without having reporters all over them.

They don’t even leave Homeland anymore, do they? I

heard the press stalked them as though they were movie

or rock stars. Hell, I think those two groups of celebrities

have it easier than that couple does.”

Trisha sighed. “Yeah, I know. Luckily they don’t mind

since they both work at Homeland and their lives are

inside the secure walls there.”

“I don’t know if I could live that way. Right now I am

not supposed to even leave this suite. Is that how it is

with Ellie? Is she locked down inside their home?”

“No. She has a job at Homeland and it’s more settled

there. Reservation just opened and that’s why you’ve

been kept inside the suite. The New Species are used to

humans but not the ones who live here. It’s just for your

safety. I can’t walk around either without an escort. I

don’t have that issue at Homeland. I have a house there.”

don’t have that issue at Homeland. I have a house there.”

Tammy desperately wanted to change the subject.

“How did it go with the father of your baby? Does he live

around here? I might know him since it’s a small town.”

Trisha shook her head. “He usually works and lives in

Southern California.”

“Oh.” Tammy nodded.

“He’s working somewhere else right now on

assignment. In a few months he’ll be back in Southern

California where his home is and so will I. We did talk

this morning and he’s reconsidering marriage.”

Tammy did a thumbs-up sign. “Good for you.”

Trisha nodded. “Yes. I want to marry him and I love

him more than anything.”

Tammy sighed, her mind refusing to budge from the

worry that rose inside. “Valiant is really angry with me.”

“I think he’s hurt because you mean a lot to him. I

don’t think you realize how attached he is to you. We

have New Species who have engaged in sex with humans

but they didn’t stake claims to them. I think for whatever

reason, he imprinted you already.”

“What if he meets someone else and changes his

mind?”

“A s I said, they are very loyal. They aren’t the kind of

men we’re used to. They had hellish lives and they really

value something they care about. He obviously cares

about you or he wouldn’t have claimed you.”

Tammy nodded. “I’m really confused.”

Trisha nodded too. “I understand. Trust me, I really

do.”

“Thank you for telling me everything. Once I start

taking the pills how long until they work?”

“A month. I’ll send a large supply of condoms. I can

get them to you today.” She hesitated. “You will probably

have to show him how to use them since I doubt he’s

ever had to. Mercile Industries only permitted them to

have sex with females when they were doing breeding

experiments. It was the only time they were ever allowed

any kind of physical closeness with another of their kind.

I don’t think he’s ever had any physical contact with

anyone human except you. You’ll have to ask him. I don’t

know much about where he was kept before they opened

Reservation but from what I understand, it was in a

remote desert location. They tended to assign women,

human ones, to guard them since New Species won’t

attack females. Who knows if any of them were attracted

to him.” She cleared her throat. “I’d bet not. He’s pretty

intimidating.”

Tammy couldn’t imagine many woman approaching

Valiant without being super brave. “It’s horrible what was

done to them.”

“I know. A s I said, they had rough lives.” Trisha

made ready to leave. “I’ll bring a picnic lunch in a few

days so we can talk again. I make a mean fried chicken.

Talk to Valiant and try not to lose your temper if you get

frustrated with him. Sometimes they don’t understand

things but they learn quickly and if you explain it clearly,

they usually get the gist of what you’re trying to say.

Their feelings do get hurt and they tend to react by

appearing angry. It’s one of those his-bark-is-far-worse-

than-his-bite kind of sayings that fit.”

“Thank you.”

Trisha left the bedroom and Tammy sighed loudly.

Valiant was probably hurt that she wasn’t jumping for joy

at the concept that she might be pregnant. She barely

knew the guy and they were just so different. It wasn’t

anything bad against him, not a form of rejection, just a

smart decision to take things slower.

She glanced at the bed and snorted. She was having

hot sex with the guy, often, and nothing about their

relationship so far seemed to have any brakes to it. She

couldn’t resist him once he started growling and purring

at her. His mouth needed to come with a warning label.

She smiled and finally stood. She needed to talk to him

and clear the air. The idea of him feeling rejected didn’t

sit well with her.

Tammy walked out of the bedroom. A fter a quick

search of the other bedroom, bathroom and the living

area, she came to the conclusion that Valiant had left.

She hugged her chest and walked toward the suite door.

She hesitated before opening it.

A New Species man stood on the other side. He had

black hair and gray eyes. He turned to peer at her

black hair and gray eyes. He turned to peer at her

curiously. She wasn’t really surprised that someone had

been posted. She knew she wasn’t allowed to leave the

suite.

“Do you know where Valiant is?”

He shook his head. “He looked really angry when he

stormed out and I wasn’t going to ask him anything. I

didn’t want him to roar at me.”

“Thank you.” Tammy softly closed the door.

She finally settled on watching television but then

remembered what she’d said to Sheriff Cooper. She

wondered if she was allowed to make phone calls. She

returned to the suite door and opened it. The New

Species turned, studying her again.

“A m I allowed to use the phone?”

He hesitated. “No one said you couldn’t. Go ahead.”

“Thank you.” She closed the door and decided to use

the phone inside the bedroom. She sat on the bed, got

comfortable, and dialed her best friend’s number. Tim

answered on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Hi, it’s me.”

“Tam! How are you? A re you home? I’ll grab some

pizza and be right over. I’ve been so worried about you.”

“I’m not home but I’m fine. I’m still at New Species

Reservation and I’m going to be here for a while.” She

paused. “I’m kind of seeing one of them.”

“Have you lost your mind?” Tim yelled. “Do you

know what has happened since you were attacked? We

have everything from news crews to protesters who hate

those New Species people swamping the town. The

support groups for those people showed up to counter

protest early this morning. It’s a madhouse and on top of

it, there are all kinds of rumors flying about how you are

dating one of them but I thought it was bullshit. I’m your

best friend and you would have told me. I yelled at the

reporters who knocked on my door that it was absolute

bullshit that you were hooked up with one of them. They

showed a video of you and him on the news this

morning with footage of him carrying you to a Jeep and

sitting with you on his lap.”

Tammy tried not to flinch over how upset Tim

seemed to be. She wanted to try to calm him down.

“Great. I was on the news and missed it? Did you happen

to tape it for me? How cool.”

“That’s not funny.”

“Did my hair at least look good?” She winced,

remembering how dirt and leaves had been stuck in it.

“Damn it, Tam. I’m not kidding. I drove by your

place this morning to feed that feral cat you toss scraps

to since the sheriff said you were hurt and had been

taken out to Reservation to be seen by their doctor. He

said you would be out there for a day or so while you

recovered. There were protestors picketing in your yard

and you should have read the signs they carried, Tam.

That bitchy old woman next door is threatening to put a

petition together to force you to sell your grandma’s

house. She came outside to scream at me that she

wanted you gone because she wasn’t going to live next

door to that kind of crap.”

“What did the signs say?” Tammy could feel a

headache coming on. She remembered her pain pills but

couldn’t reach the bathroom with the corded phone.

“Nothing you’d want to read, let me assure you. It

was reported that you were dating the guy and that he

was your lover. You can guess. It was brutal.”

“So Mrs. Haller is pissed, huh?”

“She yelled that she was putting a petition together to

try to force you to sell. Did you hear that part?”

“Well, she is a bitch and I’m sure she’ll give it her

best shot.” Tammy suddenly chuckled. “A re there a lot of

protestors? A re they really loud? Do you think they’ll stay

out there all night and drive her insane? She complains at

me constantly if my TV is even at a normal level. There’s

a bright side, right? Maybe she’ll get so upset she keels

over. That woman has hated me since I was a kid and

moved in with Grandma.”

“Tam, damn it, that’s not funny. I’m going to come

out there and get you. You can hole up inside our

guestroom to hide out from everyone. My parents are

worried sick about you too. They don’t think you are safe

out there and neither do I. You don’t know much about

those people.”

“Don’t be an ass, Tim. I know more about them than

you do. I’m extremely safe.”

“Since when?”

“Since I’ve gotten to know them.”

“That old bitch is really going to get a petition going,

Tam. She’s really going to try to make you sell your

house. What will you do if she succeeds?”

“Well, remember a few years ago when I went