New Species 03 Valiant (7 page)

Mouth open, she watched him put on his shirt and

fasten his jeans as he paced the room. Like a caged

animal. Lion. That’s what he looked like. Only there

weren’t any bars between them. What did I do? Oh yeah.

Had sex with lion guy. Hot, screaming, came-so-hard-I-

think-I-hurt-myself sex. A nd he was going to hurt

someone or be hurt to keep her.

Tammy backed away, stepped on something and

glanced down. Her pants lay on the floor by her feet. Her

shoes were there too. She didn’t even remember them

coming off but they were just slip-ons so he’d just

brushed them off her feet when he’d yanked her pants

off.

Valiant walked to the window, glared out and snarled

viciously.

“Six of them are approaching.” He snorted. “They

think only six Species males could do it. It’s insulting. I

won’t be gone long, sexy. Why don’t you climb back into

bed and wait for me? I’ll grab some food before I return.

You’re little and I want to feed you. I’m going to take

very good care of you and you’ll want to stay with me.”

Tammy glanced at the lamp nearby, her mind

working frantically to stop what she feared might

happen. Valiant was a big guy, ferocious, and she didn’t

want him to be killed or seriously hurt by the New

Species coming to save her. He would fight them to keep

her in his bedroom. She saw the outlet next to the

bedside table where the lamp was plugged in. She turned

her attention on him, noted that his back remained to her

while he watched out the window, and another growl

tore from his lips.

“I’ll beat them until they go whimpering away before

they take you away from me. I’ll try to scare them off

first but there’s no way they are taking you, Tammy. I’ll

do whatever it takes.”

She wouldn’t be able to live with it they killed him.

Tammy bent and yanked on the cord. Her gaze stayed

trained on Valiant to make sure he didn’t turn around and

notice her movements. She gripped the lamp with a

shaky hand, hesitated, and realized it would hurt him less

than a bullet. She couldn’t allow that to happen. She

inched forward but he didn’t turn, too focused on

whatever he saw out the window.

“Idiots.” He growled, bent forward a little, and his

hands gripped the windowsill with enough strength to

make the wood groan. “I want you to stay inside this

room. It shouldn’t take more than five minutes. If they

won’t leave, I’ll―”

Tammy brought the lamp down hard on the back of

his head. The glass base shattered and rained down

Valiant’s back to the floor. He grunted and spun around

to face her. Oh, I’m so screwed. I didn’t hit him hard

enough. She could have hit him with more force but had

been afraid of hurting him too severely. He appeared

utterly taken aback as he stared down at her when he

straightened to his full height but then his eyes rolled

back and he swayed before collapsing onto the carpet.

Tammy stared down at him with the broken lamp still

clutched in her hands.

She instantly tossed it aside and dropped to her

knees beside his body. She checked Valiant’s pulse, found

it strong and steady, and her fingers brushed through his

hair where she’d hit him. She could feel a slight bump

forming but there wasn’t any blood. His chest rose and

fell easily as she climbed to her feet, sure that he

wouldn’t be out long. She needed to leave before he

woke. She was pretty sure he’d be super pissed at her for

knocking him out.

“Son of a bitch.” Her hands shook as she quickly

finished dressing and shoved her feet into her shoes. She

shoved her destroyed bra down the front of her pants,

not wishing to leave it behind but wanting to keep it

hidden after she left. A glance at Valiant showed he

remained sprawled on his side on the floor. She took a

step closer, hesitated at leaving him, and a twinge of

regret flooded her. Maybe I should stay and— No! What

am I thinking? He wants to keep me forever and we’re

strangers. That would be nuts! She fled.

He’d locked the bedroom door and she had to unbolt

it to leave. She glanced down the hallway at a few closed

doors but the stairs were within sight. She ran for them.

When Valiant came to she knew he would be really upset.

She’d hit him with his own lamp and knocked him out

cold. It was very doubtful he’d understand she’d done it

to make sure he wasn’t hurt and she didn’t want to stick

around to find out if she could reason with him.

She ran down the stairs to the large entryway. She

unlocked the double doors, tossed them open and

stumbled from his house.

She slammed the door behind her and walked quickly

down the path. Her arms crossed over her chest to hide

the fact that her bra was missing. She hoped no one

would notice since she didn’t want to have to explain.

She spotted her work van, four Jeeps, and the other

catering truck parked on the other side of the fence. Men

had already entered the yard through the gate.

They were New Species. A ll wore black fatigues with

NSO emblems in stark white on their chests and they

carried real guns along with what she assumed were

tranquilizer guns. She’d seen a few of the New Species

officers from a distance at the front gate when she’d

entered Reservation. A thirty-foot wall protected the

boundary of it and men dressed in those same uniforms

had patrolled the top of the wall. The ones in Valiant’s

yard stopped.

“Hi.” Tammy didn’t look at their faces, keeping her

gaze averted instead. “I’m fine.” She walked faster toward

the gate and around the men who stood blocking her

way.

“Tammy!” Ted rushed forward. “A re you all right?”

She kept moving and nearly plowed into one of the

NSO officers, but he jumped back.

“I’m fine, Ted. I’m going home. I’ve had a stressful

day but I’m really fine. We talked and he let me go.

Problem solved,” she flat-out lied.

A man moved into her path when she walked

through the open gate to where the vehicles were

parked. “A re you all right?”

She recognized the deep voice immediately as being

Tiger’s. She stopped and lifted her chin to peer into his

strange features, not shocked that he appeared to be part

feline. Not only did his name give it away but he had

some features that were similar to Valiant’s.

This guy stood a few inches shorter though and was

not as broad chested as Valiant but he was still huge.

Tiger’s catlike eyes were an amazing blue and he had the

same distinctive cheekbones and the same flatter nose as

Valiant. He had sandy brown hair with red and blond

streaks throughout. The red color wasn’t nearly as bright

or beautiful as Valiant’s.

“I’m fine. I think I’ll just go home now and relax. It’s

been a weird day.”

He inhaled and his gaze widened slightly. “I’ll take

you to our medical facility.”

Tammy tensed, alarmed that he’d say something she

didn’t want him to reveal in front of her boss and

guessed he could smell Valiant all over her. They did

seem to have a really freaky-strong sense of smell. She

shot him a warning look, silently hoping he’d understand.

“I’m not hurt. Nothing happened.”

“What did that bastard do to you?” Ted gripped her

arm, spinning her to face him. Ted stood about five-foot-

nine, only five inches taller than Tammy, and he looked

unusually pale. “Did he touch you? Did he hurt you?”

She met her boss’s worried gaze and hoped she

appeared calm. “I’m fine. Nothing happened. We just

talked, he saw reason, and he said I could go home. It’s

that simple,” she lied.

Ted’s features relaxed. “Thank God. They were going

to go in and get you. The tranquilizer guns finally arrived

and more of their men showed up to storm his house. I

imagined the worst and I heard you scream once and a

roar.”

“He was scary.” She jerked her arm out of his hold. “I

just want to go home. It’s been an ordeal and I have a

pounding migraine,” she lied again.

Ted nodded. “Of course. I’ll pay you for today. I’m so

sorry about the mix-up with the directions and I’m just

glad you’re not hurt.”

“I’m

absolutely

fine,”

she

muttered,

silently

wondering if she should keep track of how many lies she

told, but quickly dismissed the idea. The truth would be

much more of a hassle and she didn’t want to go there.

Ted stepped back with an uncertain smile. “It’s been

an exciting day, huh?”

“Yeah.” She forced a smile. “I’m out of here. Do you

mind if I take the van?”

Her boss hesitated. “I need it. You’re carrying most

of the food for the party. It hasn’t been canceled.”

“I’ll drive her home,” Tiger offered softly. “Come this

way, Miss Shasta. My Jeep is right here.”

She walked to the van to retrieve her purse, silently

praying that she got away before Valiant woke. She

followed Tiger to one of the Jeeps and climbed inside. He

didn’t immediately start the engine. He studied her

intently. She decided to be somewhat honest because the

minutes were ticking by and she didn’t know how long it

would be before “Trouble” rose from the floor of his

bedroom.

“We need to go right now. Please start the engine

and get me out of here.”

Tiger started the engine and yelled over his shoulder.

“Clear this area out now.”

The Jeep moved and the stress inside Tammy eased.

She remembered to put on her seat belt. “I live about

five miles from here. Thank you for driving me home.”

He hesitated. “I’m taking you to our medical center

first.”

“No. I just want to go home.”

He frowned grimly at her. “You need medical

attention and we will call in a councilor. You need to

make a report about what Valiant has done to you. We

handle all justice at Reservation but he’s going to be

punished severely for this attack on you.”

Shocked, Tammy gaped at him. “He didn’t hurt me

and I don’t want him punished. I don’t need a doctor and

I sure don’t need a shrink.”

He hit the brakes and turned to face Tammy. His blue

gaze locked with hers. “You can lie to Ted and Marcy.

They are human and will believe what you said back

there. I’m not them and you smell strongly of Valiant. I

can also smell sex. He obviously hurt you and forced you

to breed with him. You need to allow our doctors to take

a look at you, you should talk to someone about what

happened and you need to file a report to make sure he’s

punished for what he’s done.”

Her mouth had fallen open so she closed it as she

stared at Tiger, feeling the heat of a blush warming her

cheeks. She swallowed the lump that formed so she

could speak.

“I know he hurt you.”

“I’m fine. He didn’t force me. I want to go home.”

His frown deepened. “What happened?”

She hesitated. “He didn’t hurt me but he also didn’t

want to let me go. He wanted to keep me as if I was a

pet or something. He was about to attack anyone coming

after me. I nailed him with a lamp and knocked him out

cold. You might want to have someone check on him but

I think he’ll be fine. I tried not to hurt him but I figured it

was better than someone shooting him. You need to get

me away from here though because I think he’s going to

be upset that I got away when he wakes. I just want to

go home.”

“Son of a bitch,” he cursed as he released the brake

and stomped down on the gas. The Jeep lurched forward

and picked up speed. “Let me take you to the medical

facility.”

She gritted her teeth. “He didn’t rape me, didn’t force

me, and the sex was consensual, okay? Just get me

home. Please? I just want to forget this day ever

happened.”

Tiger jerked his head in an angry nod. “Fine.” He

reached for the radio clipped to the top of his vest. “This

is Tiger. Everyone clear a wide path from around

Valiant’s. I want tranquilizer guns with everyone