New Species 09 Shadow (9 page)

The light under the bathroom door suddenly came on and he strained to hear to her every movement. A smile curved his lips when the sink faucet came on and moments later the toilet flushed. She was shy even about someone knowing when she tended to her needs. That amusement faded. She’d purposely camouflaged going to the bathroom so what would she do if she were naked under a male who was intent on getting much more personally acquainted with her body?

The faucet turned off and the light faded as she left the other room to return to hers. The hallway dimmed as well but she didn’t close her door. He’d have heard it if she had. He breathed through his mouth and tried to relax. Tomorrow would be a long day but he’d exercise restraint. It wouldn’t be easy. He was already at his limit and they’d only had hours together.
I’ve signed up for a new torture, wanting what I can’t have.

* * * * *

Beauty gave up on sleep. A good hour must have passed and her restlessness only grew worse. She pushed back the covers and rose, sliding out of bed. She tiptoed across the floor and out of her room where she paused. Her hearing wasn’t as good as most Species but it was better than regular people. The sound of slow, steady breathing assured her she hadn’t woken Shadow.

The stairs didn’t creak as she crept down them and headed toward the back door. The area would be safe and she just wanted to get a little fresh air. The door was easy to unlock by feel and a warm wind blasted her the second she got it open. It was pleasant on her skin as she stepped out onto the porch. The door closed quietly behind her.

It was a small space with a little roof but she didn’t stay there. The three steps took her to a grassy area that was soft under her toes. The river noise was faint, calling to her sense of curiosity.

It wasn’t hard to make out the dim shapes of trees as she followed the sound of moving water. The tree density thinned and suddenly she stood on a dirt embankment staring out over the blackness with just a few glints of moonlight reflected. She smiled, proud to have found it by herself. One glance around and she found a nice fallen log to sit on.

A howl startled her. Her heart raced as she stood, instantly fearful. It was really close and she turned, studying the darkness carefully. Something moved to her left, a twig snapped and a low growl rumbled.

“Shadow?” She whispered his name, afraid to speak too loudly. She really hoped it was him. New Species did that when they were angry and she figured he’d be furious if he had woken to find her gone. “Is that you?”

Something else moved to her right and she turned her head in that direction. A dark shape crept closer from behind a tree. It was big but low to the ground. Unless Shadow was on all fours, it wasn’t him. She backed up slowly, terrified. Another growl came from her right and she glanced that way to spot another big, low shape moving between two bushes, creeping closer.

“Shadow?” Her voice rose slightly. She wanted to scream his name but fear restricted her lungs.

The smell reached her nose as she began to pant. Fresh blood was what she was picking up if she had to guess. That didn’t bode well. Another smell came with it. She identified it from the times she’d petted a few of the guard dogs the Species officers sometimes brought into the women’s dorm.

“Good doggies,” she crooned, backing up further. She had to be close to the river’s edge. “Where are the officers who take you for walks?”

One of them stepped out into the moonlight enough for her to get a good look at it and she whimpered. It wasn’t wearing an NSO collar nor did it look as if it were friendly. It bared its fangs and snarled at her.

“Shit,” she breathed, knowing a wolf when she saw one.

The other one prowled closer, coming at her from the side. It snarled too and crouched a little, probably preparing to launch its body at her. They were stalking her and she was their prey. Her instincts screamed it.
Danger.

No one had warned her about wild wolves running around the woods. She backed up, tottered but regained her balance, glanced back and realized she’d run out of space. She could jump into the water, pray the wolves wouldn’t follow her in, but she couldn’t swim. The drop to the water wasn’t far, perhaps three feet to the dark river, but she had no idea how deep it would be.

“Easy,” she crooned, turning to face them. One sharp breath and she tried to steady her shaky voice. “Stay!” The firm tone made her proud.

They inched closer, both growling low and deep.
They are going to attack me.
She could sense the danger as if it were a smell she could inhale. Both of them tensed, their big furry bodies lowering slightly in the front in preparation, but another howl eerily pierced the night.

Both of them turned their heads toward the direction from which it had come from. Beauty allowed her instincts to take over and she sprinted to the right along the river’s edge. She ran as fast as she could, ignoring the pain in her bare feet.

They were in pursuit. Their labored breathing and heavy bodies crushing leaves and twigs assured her of that. She wasn’t sure in which direction the cabin lay but kept moving as she dodged trees and bushes. One good intake of air and a scream finally burst forth.

The wolves were gaining on her, too fast for her to outrun, despite the advantage of her altered genes. The river wasn’t an option but she did see a low-hanging branch ahead. Desperation made her try to jump for it and rough bark tore into her palms. She wasn’t strong enough to keep hold of it though and crashed to the ground hard on her belly.

She rolled into a ball, the only thing left to do, waiting for the wolves to tear into her. Her arms covered her face and her palms covered her ears. Something big landed next to her and she whimpered.

“No!” The masculine voice was loud and brutally harsh.

A heavy weight pressed against her ass. Beauty wanted to cry when a hand pinned her shoulder to keep her in position. The snarling wolves were close but Shadow didn’t move away from her. He was using his body to shield hers.

“Go,” he snarled. “Find rabbits.”

One of the wolves whined.

“Go!”

They retreated, crashing through the woods loudly. The hand on her shoulder left and the weight leaning against her ass moved away. He was breathing heavily. Hot tears filled Beauty’s eyes and she knew how close she’d come to dying.

“You’re safe.” The voice came out less animalistic and a new fear shot through her. That wasn’t Shadow.

She slowly moved her arms, peeking up, and made out the shape of a man crouching a few feet away. He was big.

“They are gone,” he informed her, his tone softening. “Don’t fear me.” He moved slowly, offering her a hand. “Take it. Let me help you up. You’re in no danger.”

“Beauty!” Shadow shouted her name.

The guy next to her turned his head and growled.

She gasped in air. “Shadow! I’m here!”

That prompted the man to snap his focus back on her. “He should watch you better. Take my hand. The ground is cold and I want to make sure you weren’t hurt. I don’t smell your blood. I was following them when they began to act strangely. I just didn’t know it was you they wanted to hunt.”

He didn’t attack so some of the fear eased. “Who are you?”

The hand dropped away. “Torrent. You’re the Gift Female. Why are you out here alone? You could have been dinner to that wolf pack.”

“I sneaked out,” she admitted. “Shadow didn’t know. I thought it would be safe if I kept close to the cabin.”

“Beauty!” Shadow was really close and seconds later he rushed to her side. He landed inches away in a crouch, snarling at the man. “Get away from her.”

Torrent backed up slowly. “I saved her from a wolf pack.” He sounded angry. “You need to watch her more closely. It’s not just Species residents she needs to be protected from. We have a lot of wild animals running loose. Didn’t they warn you?”

“No.” Shadow’s voice was still rough.

“We have tigers, lions, bears, and wolves roaming the Wild Zone. We offer shelter for them here at Reservation when humans find them too dangerous. We’d rather handle those animals than see them destroyed.” The other man crouched too. “I’m Torrent.” He paused. “Someone should have told you about them, Shadow.” He glanced at Beauty. “She admitted to sneaking out. Prevent that in the future. It’s only luck that brought me out tonight. I just returned with a new wolf and discovered the pack sniffing after something. It was her. I tracked them while they hunted to make sure they weren’t after one of our other rescued animals.”

Beauty sat up, dusting off dirt. Shadow stood and offered her a hand. She took it and was gently pulled to her feet. He kept hold of her.

“You brought a new wolf here?”

Torrent sighed. “Humans sometimes take in wild animals, believing to make pets of them. They abandon them or turn them over to shelters when they realize they can’t be tamed. We started a program to accept the ones slated for death. The residents needed something to do and enjoy caring for them. I am the one sent out to pick them up and release them here at Reservation. It’s my job. Tonight I drove to pick up a wolf cub rescued from an abusive owner. I knew one of the female wolves would take him under her care. He’s quite young.”

“Thank you.” Shadow bowed his head as the other Species straightened. “Beauty will not go out alone again.” He turned to stare down at her. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m okay.”

He sniffed loudly. “You were terrified.”

“They were chasing me. I thought I might have to jump into the river but I don’t know how to swim.”

“You need to learn.” Torrent cleared his throat. “I’ll leave you now. I’m going to go check on the cub and make sure the pack has returned to their territory. I’ll ask a few of our males to keep a closer watch on them to make sure they don’t return to this area while you’re visiting.” He paused. “Teach her how to swim. All the animals here are too well fed to waste their time wading into the river to fetch their food. She would have been safe from them if she’d gone into the water.”

Shadow’s hand clasped hers a little tighter. “I don’t know how to swim either.”

Torrent hesitated. “I’ll return tomorrow after lunch and teach you both. It’s a needed skill.” He turned and walked into the darkness. A wolf howled in the distance.

Chapter Seven

The small hand in his reminded him that Beauty waited for him to address her. He watched the Species male leave and didn’t miss the dark shapes that trailed him from both sides. The smell of the wolves was strong enough for him to estimate there were at least half a dozen or more.

Shadow fought to control his temper as he forced air in and out of his lungs. Rage was a strong emotion. No one had warned him about the dangerous wildlife that could harm them. Of course that came in second to the fact that the female had left the cabin. Another male had to save her. All the things that could have happened nearly sent him into a fit of temper.

“Shadow?”

Her whispering his name didn’t help matters. He’d woken to the sound of a faint scream, knew it was her and she wasn’t in the cabin. He’d thrown open the window, slid down the roof and landed on the ground hard. Desperation and fear for her safety had heightened his senses as he’d crashed through the woods following her scent.

His feet were bleeding but he ignored the pain. He spun, glaring down at her. “You are lucky those wolves didn’t tear you apart or that male didn’t hurt you. Do you understand?”

Dark eyes widened and she paled. “Yes. I didn’t know there were any. No one told me. I was only warned about residents and you said you marked the area and it was safe!”

He glanced down her body and stared at her bare legs. The big sleepshirt she wore nearly glowed in the darkness. She may as well have worn a big sign that said “come get me” to any predators for miles.

“Don’t talk and don’t fear me,” he warned before releasing her hand and bending.

She gasped when he grabbed her hips and jerked her forward until her belly bumped his shoulder. One arm hooked around her waist and he gripped her at the small of her back. He straightened, adjusted her gently where she hung across his body and headed toward the cabin.

“Shadow?”

“Silence,” he snarled. “You heard him. Lions, tigers, and bears are out here. You’ve already attracted the wolves.”

He had no problem finding the cabin and set her on the porch. The door was locked. “Stay.”

He had to climb up to the roof, enter his open window and rush downstairs to unlock the door. Beauty hadn’t moved an inch. He just scooped her into his arms, spun and stomped inside. He kicked the door closed behind them and freed a hand to twist the locks. He refused to look at her face as he carried her up to the bathroom and gently placed her on the counter.

“Don’t move.” He knew his tone was harsh but he still battled rage. She’d left the cabin without him and he wanted to yell.

“You’re bleeding!”

He looked down at the tile floor and noticed the bloody footprints. “That’s right. It happens when you leap from a second-story window and rush through the woods at night without shoes.” He turned on the shower and just stepped inside with his boxers on. “Don’t talk to me right now.”

The cold water helped dull the pain as it pooled around his feet, washing away the sweat and stench of his own fear from his body. All he could think about while he’d raced to find her was how he could be too late. A male could have traumatized her or an animal could have torn her apart. Time allowed his emotions to calm and that’s when he shut off the shower.

His gaze met hers. Tears flooded her eyes and she still appeared paler than normal. He grabbed a towel and began to dry his skin as best as he could with wet shorts on. He cleared his throat, trying to keep his emotions out of his voice.

“You don’t leave the cabin without me.” He paused for effect. “Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t want to terrify her but fear was a lot better than death or being forced to confront an aroused male with the mentality of an animal. “Do you realize how small you are? How helpless?”

Her arms crossed over her chest and pushed her breasts together, giving him a good view of the soft mounds beneath the fabric. It pissed him off more.

“Yes.”

“I don’t think you do.”

He threw the towel down and advanced. The way she gasped and shrank away was almost enough to stop him but he had too much adrenaline pumping through his veins to call a halt to his need to teach her something that might save her life. His hands flattened on the counter on each side of her as he leaned in until her head rested against the wall. She had nowhere to go to avoid him while he invaded her space. Fear flashed in her eyes while her breathing increased.

“I could do anything to you, Beauty. You couldn’t stop me.” He got in her face until their noses brushed. “Hit me. Push me away.” His voice deepened. “Do you think you could win?”

“No,” she whispered.

He stared deeply into her eyes and felt like a total bastard. She was genuinely afraid. New urges struck that he resisted. He wanted to kiss her and put his hands all over her body. He backed up a few inches.

“You’re lucky that male seemed tame. He could have taken off with you. You’d be inside a room with him instead of me. He wouldn’t be getting this close to you to prove a point. I might not have been able to find you. Tracking isn’t my best strength out here. Do you have any idea what kind of nightmare images flashed through my head while I looked for you? I heard your scream and believed I’d find you dead or not at all.”

He breathed in and out until he leashed his desire to take the lesson further just for an excuse to touch her. He wanted to. His dick began to harden but he ignored it despite the wet cotton making it uncomfortably noticeable.

“I’m sorry.”

“You are lucky to be safe right now. I trusted you to have the good sense to help me keep you out of danger. I’ve learned my lesson.” He released the counter and backed away. “I hope you’ve learned yours. Strip and take a shower. I’ll get you something clean to wear and place it on your bed. You call me the second you are decent. We’re not done.”

He spun, stormed into her room and closed the door between them to give her privacy. He paused, listening. Her ragged breathing made him feel worse. He guessed she fought the urge to cry but finally the water turned on.

Her bag was packed with feminine things he didn’t feel comfortable sorting through but he located a gown similar to the one she had worn when they’d first met. It had tiny straps at the shoulders and the soft cotton was very thin. He dropped it on the bed and used the hallway to enter his own room. It only took him seconds to switch the wet boxers for dry ones. He tended to his feet next. The cuts weren’t bad but they’d be painful for a few days until they totally healed.

He couldn’t allow Beauty to shrug off what she’d done. Next time he might not reach her in time or the male might not be civil enough to be so polite. She needed to understand the dangers. The females at the dorm had coddled her too much but it wasn’t her fault. That’s how Gift Females were treated.

“Damn,” he rasped.

Beauty dried off and checked both her feet. There was a little damage to one heel but she’d gotten off lucky. Shadow couldn’t say the same. She used her damp towel to clean up the bloody footprints. She was filled with both regret and shame. He’d gotten hurt because she’d done a thoughtless thing. Worse, he’d seen her cry. The last thing she wanted was to appear weaker than Shadow already believed her to be.

It had seemed so harmless at the time. She’d just wanted to go outside, never thinking it would really be dangerous. Shadow had marked the area and Species didn’t hurt other Species. All men avoided her. It was a good thing she’d been wrong about that, considering Torrent had saved her life.

She opened her bedroom door and was in for a shock when Shadow stood facing her. She’d heard him in his room and thought it would be safe to quickly dress. She covered her bare breasts with her hands and twisted away, trying to hide her lower half.

“Shit.” He spun around. “Sorry. I didn’t think you’d walk out naked.”

“I thought you were in your room.”

“Your nightgown is on the bed.”

She darted to it and yanked it over her head. In her haste the straps didn’t want to fit her arms as they tangled with her wet hair. Things couldn’t get much worse. He was angry and he’d just seen her naked. She tugged down the nightgown after untangling herself and stared at his broad back.

“I’m decent.” Heat still warmed her cheeks when he faced her again. “Sorry.”
I don’t think this is what Breeze meant when she said to show him my bare body.
No way was she going to ask him to have sex with her now. There was no missing the glint of anger in his eyes when she dared to meet his direct gaze. “I’m really sorry.”

“I’ve been thinking.”

Dread gripped her. “You want to return to Homeland? I blew it, didn’t I?” She hugged her waist, a habit she hated but couldn’t stop.

He glanced down at her chest and then looked away. “No.”

The sick feeling grew worse. “You’re going to have someone else stay with me?” She wanted him, not a different man living with her.

He shook his head. “I’ll sleep on your floor in here. That way you won’t be tempted to take any more strolls alone since you’ll have to step over me to do it. You aren’t to leave my view unless you’re showering.”

His words sank in and she was torn between hurt and anger. He hadn’t offered to share her bed but preferred the floor. That rejection deeply wounded her. The part where he thought she might make the same mistake twice was insulting to her intelligence. She wasn’t a total idiot.

She walked to the window to stare out but only saw her own reflection since the light in the room made it impossible to see anything else. Her hair fell in a wet mass over both shoulders. No wonder he didn’t want to sleep with her. She looked like a drowned rat. Worse, she felt like a mouse. A frightened, timid one.

“Those are the new rules.”

“Are they?” Her anger built. She was tired of being told what to do and what not to do. She was free and wanted the right to do as she pleased, the way all the other Species did. She faced him. “So you’ve spoken? It’s final? No discussion between us first?”

His eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”

“I said I was sorry. Neither of us knew there were dangerous animals out there. I went outside to get some fresh air but then wanted to see the river. I know you peed on the trees to mark the area to keep other men away. I’m Gift so none of them approach me anyway. I’m a leper in our society or may as well be.”

“A what?”

“Don’t you read? I do. It’s someone with a contagious skin disease. It’s called leprosy. That’s how I’m treated. It’s as if I have it and someone might catch it from me if they come too close.”

“Males avoid you out of respect and concern for your well-being.”

She was fed up with hearing that. Everyone was trying to be so protective that they may as well wrap her in bubble wrap and lock her inside a room. It wasn’t fair and it wasn’t right. She wasn’t Tiny or Halfpint and she was tired of being lumped in with them.

“That’s a crock of shit.”

His eyebrows shot up.

“That means bullshit. No one asked me if I wanted to be labeled with that title or treated the way I have been. I just wanted a normal life. I’m entitled to the same things as any Species.”

“You’ve been abused.”

Is he kidding?
Her anger boiled. “So have you.”

He paled slightly. “It’s not the same. The things done to me didn’t break my spirit.”

“I’m not broken either.” He was really pissing her off. “Do you think I haven’t heard the stories from some of our people? I have. Some of the women were raped by guards while they were at Mercile. Their size and strength saved them sometimes but not always. Only one man hurt me and I know it could have been a lot worse.”

“I don’t see how.”

“I could tell you. Halfpint and Tiny never want to be touched, ever again. They are broken inside to the point that men terrify them. They want to be protected and kept away from everyone who has a dick. I can’t even imagine some of the horrible things they’ve survived. It wasn’t a picnic for me but Master wasn’t some deviant sex freak.”

“He wasn’t your master.” Shadow snarled. “Don’t ever call him that again.”

“It’s the only name I have to call him. I could call him dickhead or asshole but you get the point. He was an old man and I probably could have fought him off but I knew how much worse things could be if I did.”

He frowned. “Explain.”

“The guards, Shadow. He was the only thing keeping them from raping me. He paid them to watch me and keep their hands to themselves. Not that they kept their mouths shut. I never had a doubt what they wanted to do to me because they were often vocal about it. They tried to bribe me into allowing them to do sick things to me for more food and a promise I wouldn’t tell on them. I’ve been really hungry in my life but never that much. I had words to use as a weapon. That’s all I ever dared have.”

“Words?”

“As in threatening to tell on them if they touched me.”

“He touched you.”

“Yes, he did. It wasn’t nice either. I was an object to him instead of a person. I knew it. I felt it. I was something he owned. He’d have me dress in pretty outfits so he could admire how I looked as though I were one of those paintings he had upstairs. I’ve got emotional scars, sure, but I felt lucky after I spent time with the other Gift Females and heard their horrible stories. And, besides, I grew up there. I didn’t know people lived any other way. It was traumatic and scary but that was normal to me. I didn’t know anything else existed.”