Fury

Fury

Laurann Dohner

Book 1 in the New Species series.

Ellie is horrified to discover the pharmaceutical company she works for is doing illegal experiments. Company scientists have spliced human and animal DNA, creating exotic new species. One such “experiment” captures her heart and she’ll do anything to save him—even if he hates her for it.

Fury has never known compassion or love. He’s spent his life in a cell, chained and abused by humans. The one woman he allowed himself to trust betrayed him. Now he’s free and set on vengeance. He vows to end her life but when she’s finally in his grasp, harming her is the last thing he wants to do to the sexy little human.

Fury can’t resist Ellie—the touch of her hands, her mouth on his skin, her body wrapped around his. He’s obsessed with the scent of his woman. And Ellie wants Fury—always has. She craves his big, powerful body and wants to heal his desolate heart.

But loving Fury is one thing…taming him is another.

Ellora’s Cave Publishing

www.ellorascave.com

Fury

ISBN 9781419935954

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Fury Copyright © 2011 Laurann Dohner

Edited by Shannon Combs and Pamela Campbell

Cover art by Syneca

Photography by Alexsandr Petrunovskyi/Shutterstock.com

Electronic book publication July 2011

The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

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Fury

Laurann Dohner

Dedication

To Mr. Laurann, who always supported my writing even when I used to do it on an ancient word processor. He never complained about my late nights typing away or thought it was silly to write stories just because it made me happy. I wrote my first book in 1993, continued to write dozens more of them over the years in my free time, and this series is one that became an obsession of mine when I started it in 2001. I didn’t even consider getting published until 2009.

This is also to the readers who sent me many emails asking what I used to write, because it made me go back, re-read those books I’d written in the past and salvage this series. I’d also like to thank my wonderful editors, Pamela Campbell and Shannon Combs. They have taught me so much, continue to believe in me, and are an endless source of support. Last but not least, my thanks to everyone at Ellora’s Cave for giving an unknown author a chance. Dreams really do come true!

Prologue

“Shit,” Ellie muttered under her breath, watching the man restrained against the wall inside the next room. Every time she sneaked into the viewing room it depressed her but she couldn’t stay way.

She knew he couldn’t see her through the two-way glass and yet he seemed to be looking right at her. Her gaze skimmed over his bare chest and the straining muscles of his well-defined physique. His large biceps bunched while he pulled on the chains, rage evident on his features as he fought them.

Sympathy and compassion made her ache for him. His determination showed regardless of how he’d been stripped of his freedom and dignity. He had to know the futility of his actions yet he still struggled. Her hand lifted to touch the wood frame under the glass. She wished she could soothe him by showing him that someone cared. Most of all, she wanted to get him out of the hellish prison that contained him. He deserved to be free.

Movement in the corner of the room drew her attention away from the man who haunted her thoughts day and night. Fear made her heart race as a technician entered the room. Jacob Alter had to be one of the most callous, unfeeling monsters who worked for Mercile Industries. The asshole actually enjoyed inflicting pain on the test subjects. He especially targeted this one with his brand of cruelty. A month before, the big man chained against the wall had broken Jacob’s nose when Jacob had gotten too close to the elbow of the restrained test subject. Ellie knew it had been well deserved. The bruising still shadowed Jacob’s face as he flashed an evil grin toward his intended victim. He planned to inflict more painful testing upon him.

“Hello, 416.” Jacob chuckled, an unpleasant sound. “I hear you pissed off Doctor Trent. You know what that means, right?” Jacob placed a tan case about the size of a bowling bag on top of the exam table in the corner. It made a loud thump. “It means I get to do something I’ve wanted for a really long time. You’re going to suffer today.” He glanced up at the security camera in the corner and waved his hand over his throat in a cutting motion.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Ellie chanted softly as panic seized her. She’d heard of inmates being tortured when they really angered one of the doctors. Jacob obviously didn’t want to record whatever horrible thing he had planned for 416. It had to be really bad.

Jacob cocked his head, continued to stare up into the corner, and then grinned before he turned to face 416.

“The camera is off now. No record is being made of this. What Doctor Trent doesn’t know is that you are going to have a horrible accident, you freak. You shouldn’t have fucked with me. I warned you that I’d take you out.” He grabbed the bag he’d carried into the room. “Nobody breaks my nose and lives. I knew it would only be a matter of time before you would be punished. I just bided my time.” He pulled out a syringe. “You’re going to die, you bastard!”

This can’t be happening, Ellie thought. She hadn’t struggled through the daily nightmare life had become for the past two months only to lose 416 now. She’d lived in constant fear of being discovered as a spy but witnessing 416’s continual defiance had given her the strength to face each day. For him she’d taken dangerous risks to collect enough evidence to set him and the other prisoners free.

In fact, she half expected the security guards to come after her at any second. She’d become so frantic to collect real proof of what happened at the research facility that she’d committed an insane stunt half an hour before. She’d stolen one of the doctor’s badges to sneak into the woman’s office to download files off the computer. If security reviewed the surveillance tapes she’d be caught for sure. They would arrest her immediately and make her fate as grim as 416’s. They both would be dead by the end of the day.

She wavered between doing something incredibly stupid to attempt to save him and following orders from her real boss to never interfere. She’d finally obtained enough damning evidence to possibly free the forced test subjects. She had an opportunity of smuggling something out at the end of her shift if she just kept her head down, her mouth shut, and didn’t draw the attention of anyone. It would mean doing nothing while Jacob murdered the man restrained to the wall.

Her gaze locked on 416. Out of all the prisoners, she wanted to free him the most. He had kept her up nights since she’d been transferred to the illegal drug research facility Mercile Industries ran. 416 had become the last image she saw before she drifted to sleep every night. Sometimes, she admitted, he even featured a starring role in her dreams. Her decision quickly slammed into place. It would be unacceptable to just watch this happen. It would break her heart. She couldn’t live with it if she did not even attempt to save him.

“You’re not going to be able to fight me this time. You’re going to be defenseless. I want you to know you’re going to die.” Jacob’s voice grew harsh. “But not before I hurt you, animal.”

Ellie spun around, no plan in mind, but desperate now to save 416. She fled the room, forced her movements to slow when she stepped out into the hallway, more than aware of the security cameras located there, and stopped at the supply room to grab a testing kit. It would raise suspicion if she just entered the cell without a valid reason. She yanked the tackle box-sized plastic container out of the cabinet where they were stored and tried not to appear as frantic as she felt when she entered the hallway again, but knew she needed to hurry to 416’s holding cell before Jacob had time to do something horrible.

“Ellie!”

She froze, her eyes widening, and then slowly turned. Doctor Brennor, a tall redheaded man, stepped out of one of the rooms holding a chart. “Yes?”

“Did you get that mouth swab from 321?”

“I did.” She held still even though she wanted to spin and run away.

“Good. Did you drop it off at the lab?”

“Of course.”

He reached up with his free hand to rub the back of his neck. “Long day, isn’t it? Are you wishing it were the weekend already? I am.”

Shut up, she ordered him silently, so I can go. She shrugged. “I like work. Speaking of, I need to take a blood sample. It’s a stat order.”

“Yeah. Sure.” His gaze drifted down her body. “Do you want to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night?”

It stunned her for a split second that he’d ask her on a date. “I have a boyfriend,” she lied easily. The idea of going out with anyone who worked for Mercile made her nauseous. “But thanks for asking.”

His mouth tensed and the friendly light cooled in his green eyes. “I see. Fine. Go. I have to update reports.” He turned to head in the opposite direction and strode away. “I do too much damn paperwork,” he grumbled before disappearing around a corner.

Cameras are watching me, Ellie remembered, resisting the urge to sprint down the hallway. She strolled casually to 416’s cell as if she didn’t have a care in the world. At least she hoped that was the appearance she gave.

Dear God, she prayed silently, let me reach him in time! Her fingers trembled as she punched in the code on the digital lock. The door beeped when it accepted her numbers and the steel bars made a distinctive sound as they slid away, allowing her to open the door. She entered the room quickly.

She forced a smile she didn’t feel. “I’m here to take a blood sample.”

The door automatically closed behind her, the locking pins slammed into place to seal her inside the cell, and a quick, sharp buzz sounded to underscore that fact. She took in the scene and gasped at the pure horror she witnessed.

416 wasn’t chained to the wall anymore. He was stretched out on the hard, cold concrete floor, facedown. The chains secured to his wrists had been locked to one of the pins cemented into the floor, forcing his arms high above his head while his legs were shackled to the wall. Jacob had removed the restrained man’s pants—they were a balled-up white pile on the floor—and he was on his knees between 416’s spread thighs, which were forced apart by the way he’d been bound.

It took her only seconds to realize what horrific thing she’d interrupted. Jacob sat back on his heels, frozen, stunned as well by her sudden appearance, but he recovered faster than she could. He dropped the instrument of torture, what appeared to be one of the guard’s batons to the concrete floor, and tried to rise. He grabbed for his unfastened pants, trying to close them, cursing. Ellie reacted.

“You sick bastard!”

She sprang into action before she thought, the hard plastic case gripped so tightly in her fist that it dug painfully into her palm, and swung it with all the strength she could muster. It smashed into Jacob’s face. He reeled back, cried out, but Ellie didn’t stop when he hit the floor. She ended up dropping onto his body, straddled his belly, her body pinning his down, and grabbed the kit with both hands. Pure rage drove her to batter him with it. He tried to defend his face but after a few hits, his hands slumped to the floor.

“You monster,” she panted, hit him again, and then realized how bloodied his face had become. She stopped, her entire body shaking, and stared in horror at the technician.

Her gaze lifted away from his smashed nose and mouth, to the kit. Blood smeared all over the side she’d used to bash him repeatedly. She dropped it on the floor, in shock, and eased her weight off the downed man. His chest wasn’t moving.

“Oh God,” she gasped. She reached for his throat, a moan tearing from her parted lips, and felt for a pulse. She couldn’t find one. “Oh God, Oh God, Oh God,” she chanted, certain she’d killed him.

She turned and stared at 416, just remembering him. He faced her, his eyes were open, his cheek against the concrete, and he blinked. He’d watched what she’d done. Her hands shook and she glanced down at them.

I just killed Jacob. Her gaze drifted back to the horrific sight of the monster she’d attacked in a fit of pure rage. He deserved it. She tried to sooth her panicked mind. Think. They are going to come in here and find him. They’ll know I killed him. They’ll drag me away, torture me to find out why I interfered, and they’ll kill me. The evidence will never reach my handler. Think, goddamn it, Ellie!

She peered up at the camera. Usually a red light blinked but this one didn’t. It wasn’t on. The guard had followed Jacob’s instructions. No one but 416 had witnessed what had really taken place. She had no idea how long those cameras would remain off but she assumed they would until Jacob ordered them to start monitoring the prisoner again. She swallowed hard and rose to her knees. All her focus shifted to the man who watched her so intently, helpless on the floor.

“It’s going to be okay,” she crooned to him.

The test subjects were dangerous. She’d been warned a hundred times that sometimes the chains that restrained them broke. Mercile Industries had illegally altered human beings with animal genetics somehow, made them stronger than normal humans, and even their appearances had been changed. Testing facility assistants and some doctors had been killed by the people they’d helped create. She’d silently cheered at hearing that news but then, she hated everyone who worked inside the secret facility, performing illegal experiments. Mercile Industries was a drug research and development company that would do anything to make a buck.

She watched 416 cautiously as she allowed her gaze to roam over his naked body. His back rose and fell with his breathing but besides blinking, he didn’t otherwise move. She noticed a red mark on his side. With his arms stretched upward she could see it clearly. Ellie hesitated. He could kill her if he broke a chain.

He is worth saving. She repeated that silent chant a few times while she worked up the nerve to inch closer to his downed body. She’d already decided to put her life on the line when she’d agreed to work undercover, understanding the real possibility that she might not survive. Lives were all too often taken in the name of science. This company only cared about money and they needed to be stopped.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” she promised him. Her hand brushed next to the mark and anger stirred. Jacob had jabbed him hard enough with a needle to leave a dime sized injury. Her gaze shifted to his face. “He drugged you?”

The male didn’t answer but she didn’t really expect him to. She knew they could talk, had heard some of them curse and threaten staff as she’d drawn blood, but this one had never spoken to her. The times she’d entered his cell, he hadn’t even growled at her. He’d silently watched her approach, occasionally sniffed at her, but his dark brown gaze always fixed on her every movement. She swallowed again, taking note of his hot skin, and wondered if he were sick. He felt feverish to her.

“It’s going to be okay. He’s dead. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

Her hand left him and she crawled a little down his body. She winced at the sight of what Jacob had done to him. His ass was red from blows from the baton. Jacob had beaten him with it on his buttocks, inner thighs and the backs of his legs. She clenched her teeth. She hadn’t arrived in time to prevent another horror either. The sight of blood near his rectum assured her that Jacob had been doing exactly what she’d assumed. He’d used the baton to sexually assault 416.

Rage gripped her again as she shot a murderous glare at the dead man. His pants were still open and his flaccid cock showed, covered in a condom. She didn’t see blood on him. That small relief, that she’d arrived before he’d raped his victim, helped slightly. A growl emanated from 416.

“Easy,” she crooned. “You’re bleeding. Let me take a look. I’m a nurse.”

She didn’t bother rushing for the corner cabinet to get gloves. She wasn’t sure how much time she had. With only a slight hesitation, she lifted her leg over the man’s thick, muscular thigh to get a better view, and peered down at a rounded, beefy ass. Her hands touched him softly, spread the cheeks enough to check the damage, but it looked minimal, considering.

“I’m so sorry for what he did. It doesn’t appear he got—” Her voice died. To say Jacob hadn’t raped him much or seemed not to have penetrated him deeply sounded horrific to even note. This shouldn’t have happened at all. “You’re going to be fine.” At least physically, she amended. Her hands released his ass.

She moved from between his spread thighs to crawl up next to his body and leaned down to study his features. He watched her and she couldn’t miss the look of rage. His lips parted to reveal sharp fangs. He snarled at her, a little louder than the mild growl he’d given her before. His body didn’t move though.

Dear God, he has canines. She could see the sharper teeth at close range. Like a dog’s or maybe a vampire’s. She guessed it had probably been some kind of canine breed. It could account for the terrifying growl that erupted from the back of his throat that eerily resembled a vicious dog. She hesitated, afraid he’d snap at her with those sharp teeth if she got too close.

“Easy,” she urged again. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Peering into his eyes told her a few things. His pupils were unusually large and he seemed a little confused. Jacob had obviously drugged him pretty strongly but she had no idea what he’d used. The powerful guy sprawled on the floor probably couldn’t move. He’d have fought otherwise when Jacob had assaulted him. He lay meekly next to her but his eyes were lively and another growl tore from his slightly parted lips. She tried not to shiver from the sight of his sharp fangs.

“Did he do anything else to you? Did he mention what drug he gave you?”

416 stopped growling but he didn’t say anything. It made her wonder if he could speak. The drug might be preventing him from doing more than making throat noises. Ellie knew she’d have to check him over, do it quickly, and think a way out of the mess she’d created by rushing to 416’s cell. The security cameras would have recorded her going into the room.

She opened the metal pin cemented into the floor to release the arm chains that held him flat to the floor and grunted as she pushed the large male onto his back. He was very tall and had to weigh at least two hundred sixty pounds or so. She tried hard not to gawk at his wide chest or the fact that he didn’t have on any clothes.

Ellie took note of how tan he appeared and determined it had to be his natural skin tone since they kept him below ground. His coloring never changed. With his dark-brown hair and deep-chocolate eye color she thought he had to be a good portion Native American. Of course she couldn’t miss the fact that he was a great deal bigger than any Native Americans she’d ever seen. She guessed he had German or some other husky, tall ancestry too.

He wasn’t handsome in any conventional sense, his cheekbones so pronounced they made him appear too harsh. Some might not consider him good-looking but he was quite exotically beautiful. She guessed the bone structure might be caused by whatever genetic altering had been done to him. He looked human but not quite fully so. With his hate-filled glare and the tense jaw, it gave him a snarling appearance, which he actually did the moment Ellie inched closer. The deep growl made her pause, heart pounding, and fear shot through her. He looked intensely masculine and rough, projecting how dangerous he could be. It disturbed her that she found him extremely attractive. She couldn’t deny how his muscular body and pure masculine magnetism drew her to him.

If he regained movement she’d die. She knew that and he probably wished he could get his hands on her. She glanced across the room to stare at the cracked and peeling white paint that ran the length of the room on the floor by the door. The staff called it the kill line. All test subjects were shackled by each limb. Though they were strong enough to break chains occasionally, none had ever broken all four at once. They only needed one free limb to kill. She sat inside the kill zone with an enraged, huge male whose two arms were chained but they weren’t connected to anything anymore. That realization made her want to crawl away from him but she resisted the urge.

He’s worth saving. She nodded. He needs help. Check him over, do what you can for him, and pray no one walks in here. Yeah. She could just hope the drugs didn’t wear off immediately. He’d probably snap her neck before she could beg for her life. He had to hate everyone who worked for Mercile and he had a damn good reason. Her gaze landed on Jacob’s dead body, her teeth clenched, and she forced her gaze to return to 416. See how hurt he is.

Red marks marred his stomach. Her fingers traced the proof that Jacob had punched him there. She felt his ribcage where more marks showed. She didn’t feel any broken bones. His belly had firm, hard muscles even while he lay lax, but she didn’t feel anything that would suggest internal bleeding. She tried to stay professional but her fingertips lingered a little too long as she traced an integrate pattern of muscle groups. She couldn’t deny touching him affected her as a woman. He was forbidden, dangerous, and sexy.

Her gaze lowered to his pelvic area, unable not to look at the male she found so appealing, and she gasped. She moved before she thought, gripped his slightly engorged cock, and worked the painful looking bands down the shaft. She tried to be gentle but Jacob had tightly wrapped a thick piece of rubber around the man’s penis a few times. She managed to work it loose and threw the offensive thing away as soon as she got it off. Her fingers gently massaged the reddened skin before she realized how inappropriate the action was. Her gaze lingered there, realized that, even mostly soft, he was impressive. Blood flow had been painfully constricted and prevented from reaching the shaft.

“That son of a bitch,” she muttered, cursing Jacob for doing such a horrible, vicious thing. Her cheeks warmed when she realized what she’d done. More embarrassment slammed her when she realized how her body responded to touching him, even just to remove the offensive implement of torture. She’d been handling his cock.

416 growled. Her gaze flicked up to his face. He watched her with dark, furious eyes. She realized she cradled him still inside her palm and released his cock quickly. “Sorry! I had to remove it.” She glanced down at his appendage and saw the line where the rubber band had injured him was still red and angry looking. “I’m sure it will be okay.”

She hoped so anyway. Jacob had obviously done it to hurt 416. If left that way too long, lack of blood supply to his cock would have done severe damage, but of course that bastard had planned to kill him. It would be a horrible crime to disfigure such a sexy guy. That thought made her want to groan and made her more aware that her body responded to the naked male sprawled in front of her. She mentally shook that line of thought away, couldn’t afford to go there, and needed to stop looking at his bare body.

She bit her lip, thinking hard about how to get them out of the mess they were in. She needed to be free to leave work after her shift and get the data she’d stolen to her handler. Her gaze flicked to the dead guy once more. He lay there, bloody, on the concrete where she’d left him, the cause of his death obviously the blunt-force trauma from pounding his nose with the kit. She’d experienced pure rage to do so much damage. It could be mistaken for damage from a fist. Her gut twisted.

“Shit. I can only see one way out of this.” She met 416’s angry gaze. “I’m sorry about this. I have no choice.” She hesitated, wanted to tell him who she really was, why she had to do something horrific to him, but didn’t dare. What if he tells them? He could. He has no reason to trust anyone who works here. I’m safer if I just have him assume the worst.

416 had been certain Ellie would never harm him. Panic jolted through him from head to toe when she apologized to him for her intent. He tried to move but his body refused to budge. He could move his eyes, blink, and swallow. A few growls had come forth but he couldn’t talk. Does she plan to kill me now? Then why did she take out the technician who attacked me?

Anyone but her, 416 thought frantically, worried he may die helpless, on the floor of his cell. He inhaled the clean scent of the woman who never failed to stir his body. Ellie always came to him sweetly, her touch gentle, and her gaze kind when she’d taken samples from him. She’d been the only human he’d ever met who gave him warm, honest smiles, and he’d even looked forward to the times she entered his domain. He’d trusted her not to hurt him. She was the only person who could walk inside his cell without him tensing up in anticipation of dread, pain, or humiliation.

He saw fear lurking in her beautiful blue gaze as she stared at him and it wrenched his heart just a little. He’d purposely never threatened her or snarled as he did the other technicians who approached him. Until today. The idea of terrifying her had made him feel regret. It would have ended the smiles that he’d grown to appreciate when she’d begun working there. It hadn’t been long. He had no concept of time but she hadn’t been a part of his life until recently.

His body started to respond to her presence when his cock twitched. It made him suffer pain, throb from whatever the male had done to him, but the movement he felt made him hope that the rest of his body would recover soon as well. Ellie did things to him, made him long to touch her blonde hair and press his nose against her throat to inhale her wonderful scent. He sometimes dreamed about her under him, naked, with him free from his chains. He longed to touch and taste every inch of her body, to hear her voice and learn everything about the woman who fascinated him on every level.

The sound of her voice had always been music to his ears. He wanted to see her smile, learn her laugh and a hundred questions filled his head that he wanted to ask her to know more about the woman who had captured his soul. Her skin appeared unbelievably soft and smelled so good, too good. But now she had stated that she planned to harm him.

It was the worst kind of cruelty and painful betrayal roared through him. He also felt shame at what she’d witnessed. She’d saved him from being raped by the dead male but knew of the suffering he’d taken, the indignity of the human’s cruelty. It pained him to know she’d never look at him again without that image lurking inside her memories. It hurt him on many levels and enraged him. They’d even managed to take away his fantasy of her ever regarding him as a sexual male.

He snarled again in an attempt to scare her, to prevent her from doing whatever she planned. His body refused to work, his limbs unresponsive, but he knew he wouldn’t kill her even if he did manage to break free. He’d just throw her away to a safe distance past the line to prevent the temptation of following what his instincts demanded. He wanted her in ways he knew weren’t possible for a prisoner and his captor.

He watched her rise to her feet and move out of his line of view. When she’d turned him onto his back, it blocked his view of the dead man. He tried to turn his head but couldn’t. He heard her though, smelled her, and heard strange noises. What is she doing?

He had no clue but he dreaded it. All the humans were cruel. They showed no mercy. It still stunned him that she’d killed his attacker—for two reasons. First, she had done it to stop his assault and second, she wasn’t a big woman. She’d taken down a male. He may have misjudged the female. He’d believed her soft, delicate, but she’d attacked a fully grown male in a wild and brutal assault. His heart raced. He tried desperately to move his limbs but they remained unresponsive.

“You’re a worthless bastard. I hate you. I want you to know that,” Ellie hissed.

His mind accepted her words, pain gripped him, but he wasn’t stunned by it. He’d known everyone who worked inside the testing facility considered them nothing more than breathing flesh to abuse. Why he’d thought she’d be any different had been a mistake on his part.

Stupid and unforgivable. Fury gripped him and his finger twitched. He moved his mouth, a silent snarl trapped inside his throat, and promised he’d get even with the woman for fooling him into believing she was different.

“You’re a worthless bastard. I hate you. I want you to know that.” She just hoped that wherever Jacob had gone after death, he could still hear her. She wanted him to know what she thought of him. She wasn’t sorry she’d killed Jacob. It messed with her mind but she figured she’d get over it soon enough. He didn’t deserve her guilty feelings.

Ellie cleaned the kit, studied it, and didn’t spot any traces of Jacob’s blood. The case had dented but she doubted anyone would notice that fact right away. She hid the bloody tissues she’d cleaned it with inside the kit. She had to touch his body and grimaced as she tugged his pants down more to fully expose the condom he’d put on to leave no doubt of his intentions.

Ellie tried to calm the rising panic growing inside her. Her gaze drifted to 416 on the floor. He hadn’t moved an inch, thankfully, and she still breathed because of it. She could only pray that her plan worked and that what she’d been told was true. He was too valuable to kill. The doctors and staff would abuse them but Jacob had planned to kill 416 against Doctor Trent’s orders.

He will be fine. I have to believe that.

She removed another tissue from the kit and wiped some of the still-fresh blood from the floor. She turned to face 416. Will he hate me for doing this? Probably. She just didn’t have a choice. They’d never allow her to leave the underground facility if they suspected her of Jacob’s death. She didn’t even dare tell 416 what she planned to do. If he told anyone, they’d secure her, demand answers, and she’d never reach the surface. She needed to be able to avoid all suspicion to save him and all the other test subjects.

She found the needle that Jacob had used. Luckily he’d recapped the thing after he’d injected 416. She hated to risk 416 getting an infection, but she had no choice but to reuse the needle. She hoped Jacob had not let it touch anything before recapping it. Ellie hesitated. Once done, there would be no going back.

She moved quickly before she could change her mind. She crouched by 416 and wiped the bloodied napkin over his knuckles and hands, smearing Jacob’s blood there. She refused to glance at his face while she framed him for murder. She just couldn’t.

They wouldn’t kill him. Those guys killed techs sometimes. She’d heard that plenty, yet they were still alive. They don’t kill test subjects. They are too valuable. He’ll be fine. She chanted that inside her head.

She rose, dumped the last bit of blood evidence into the kit and removed the syringe from where she’d placed it inside the case, and turned. She hated to hurt him. Tears filled her eyes. He lay there helpless. She wanted to hug him even if he wished her dead. Someone should show him compassion but it couldn’t be her at that moment. Someone needed to take the blame for Jacob’s death to make sure she could leave unmolested to get that data to her handler. Once they received enough proof, a judge would issue search warrants. The testing facility would be searched, the test subjects discovered, and Mercile Industries would be exposed for all the dirty secrets they hid from the world.

She crouched over 416. His beautiful but angry dark gaze focused on her. Rage burned in his intense glare. She swallowed the bile that rose at what she had to do to him next. “I’m sorry. Really. I have to do this to you.”

“I’ll kill you,” he rasped. One hand flopped on the floor next to her. “I swear this!” His throat worked. “I will kill you with my bare hands.”

Fear gripped her that he would do just that, he had obviously started to regain control of his body. She looked down to find the injection site that Jacob had used. She jabbed the needle in, the suppressor already locked down from the original injection, and then lurched to her feet without giving 416 another glance even as he snarled from the pain she’d just inflicted.

She yanked up her kit, ran at the wall next to the door, and turned her face at the last second before she slammed into it. Pain exploded down her cheek. Her knees threatened to buckle and the taste of blood filled her mouth. She didn’t have a mirror but it reminded her of the observation room. What if someone had stepped in there and witnessed what had taken place? She figured, if that were the case, security would have already flooded the room to arrest her.

She hoped her face looked as bad as it felt. Her fingers shook as she punched in the code to the door. It beeped, the steel rods inside the door slid, and the door popped open as she desperately jerked on it. She stumbled out of the room, the door slammed automatically behind her, and the sharp buzz confirmed that it was locked. She collapsed to her knees in the hallway, turned her head to locate the security camera, and screamed.

“Help! Oh God! Help!”

Seconds passed and seemed to grow to a least a minute before the sound of running, booted feet reached her ears. Four security guards turned into the corridor, coming at a dead run. The men panted when they slowed and stared at her in confusion.

“I walked into the room to take a blood sample,” she sobbed. “Jacob was sexually assaulting the test subject. He attacked me.” Her hand rose to her face where it throbbed. “I think I passed out and when I came around I saw 416 break his arm chains free. Jacob stabbed him with a needle but whatever he gave him didn’t take effect fast enough. I think he’s dead! I think that thing killed him before it collapsed to the floor.”

God forgive me, she silently prayed as her mouth closed. The security guards grabbed for their Taser guns, one of them fumbling to press in a code to get the doors open, and then they rushed inside 416’s cell. The door sealed behind them. Another security team arrived, along with some of the medical staff. It was Doctor Brennor who treated her in one of the employee rooms. He looked grim as he cleaned her mouth.

“You’ll be fine.”

She nodded. “What will they do to 416? I can’t believe Jacob was doing that to him. It’s wrong.”

Anger tightened the redheaded doctor’s mouth when he frowned. “I know. We made these things to find cures for diseases that animals are naturally immune or resistant to. And to prevent diseases from crossing from animals to humans ever again. Do you know how much damn money they cost us create? The staff should use hookers if they want to get off, not expensive test subjects.”

Ellie had to lock her jaw and lower her gaze not to show him how disgusted, horrified, and enraged his cold assessment of living, breathing people made her.

“Now we’re making a bundle off them testing drugs we’ve cooked up to enhance the military and fitness freaks.” He turned away to tear off his gloves. “Have you seen how damn big we’ve made them? How strong? We trained them to fight just to show what is possible to do to humans and how much damage they can take with the new batch of rapid-healing medicines. Do you know how many billions of dollars in contracts we’re looking at? How much money we’ve already made so far? They are our prototypes. Showing what we can make them do, how fast, strong, and lethal they are is going to be the research for Mercile that blows our competitors out of the water. Every guy will want to buy what we’ve stirred up. That damn Jacob could have cost us a prime one. He’s too valuable to take risks with.”

Her eyes closed to hide her relieved tears. They wouldn’t kill 416. She’d made the right choice. He may hate her for framing him for murder but he’d live. Now she just needed to leave after her shift, hand over the evidence she’d stolen, and save him the only way she could. She would help bring Mercile Industries to justice.

“Hey,” Doctor Brennor sighed. “Sorry. I’m talking about money and you just survived a traumatic experience. Why don’t you go home? You should take the rest of the day off. Hell, call in sick tomorrow.”

She opened her eyes and met his gaze, hiding how desperately she hated him. “Thank you.” Her voice trembled. “I was scared.”

He gripped her arm, rubbed it, and smiled. “I could visit your home to check on you later.” His gaze lowered to her breasts. “You shouldn’t be alone.”

“I have a boyfriend,” she lied again.

He released her. “Fine. Go. I’ll tell security I’m sending you home early.”

He spun away, walked to the phone, and Ellie watched him. She hoped he got life in prison. It would serve him right.

Chapter One

Southern California

Eleven Months later

Ellie sighed and adjusted her headphones to a more comfortable position. Heavy metal music poured out of the MP3 player she dropped into the front pocket of her cotton capri pants. The warm temperatures made her sweat even at eleven o’clock at night, despite the very slight breeze that fanned her skin. She glanced toward the open windows. The air-conditioning system of the dorm had gone out again. The maintenance teams were still fixing glitches on the newly constructed building.

She approached the balcony doors she tended to leave open and stepped outside to enjoy a nice breeze to help cool her overheated body. She sipped the cold water from the small plastic bottle she’d grabbed from the mini-fridge when she’d entered her apartment. She leaned against the railing to stare down at Homeland from her perch on the third floor. She’d just finished her nightly workout. The breeze felt heavenly on her skin. Her attention strayed to the security walls approximately fifty yards ahead.

They towered thirty feet high and guards patrolled the perimeter on the catwalks overhead. Below her stretched grass and a few trees that made a park-like setting between the dorm building and the outer wall. The new five-thousand-acre Homeland had just been completed and Ellie had spent her second day living there. No one strolled along the sidewalk that twisted through the grass and trees below.

The very quiet building disturbed her a bit but she’d been warned to expect it. Most of the women hadn’t been moved into the dorm yet but once they were, Ellie hoped everything would go smoothly. She really wanted to make sure Homeland worked according to plan. It would house the survivors from Mercile Industries, an oasis from the rest of the world where they could live, and adjust to freedom within a safe community. They needed a safe haven.

She’d only known about Mercile Industries running one illegal testing facility but once it had been raided, three more existing ones had been discovered. She closed her eyes, still sickened over the number of victims involved that had been reported on the news coverage over the past months. Those testing facilities had been raided by government and law enforcement agencies, the victims now released, but not all of them had survived long enough to be rescued. The numbers of dead subjects were in the hundreds and those losses had broken her heart.

Ellie forced her eyes open. Two years prior she’d worked at Mercile’s administrative building when she’d been approached by Officer Victor Helio. He had explained there were rumors about a secret research facility that forced human beings into being test subjects for illegal drugs. The police had tried to get undercover agents imbedded inside Mercile but they’d refused to hire anyone from the outside. As an existing employee she didn’t raise suspicion when she’d asked for a transfer to one of their research and development testing facilities. She’d been so horrified by the concept of humans suffering that she’d agreed to spy for them. It had taken six months to be granted the request and months more to gain access to the lower floors of the research building, but then she’d met 416 and others living their hellish existences. She’d been proud of her part in bringing down the original testing facility. She’d risked her life to smuggle out those files but it had been enough evidence to have a judge grant search warrants that resulted in a full assault on the facility.

She sighed. Classified information and victim-protection policies were the terms she heard every time she’d asked about him. She knew some of the subjects hadn’t survived the actual rescue from her testing facility. They’d been murdered before law enforcement breached the most secure lower areas where a lot of the victims had been kept. For all she knew, 416 had died floors below the surface, locked inside his cell, never knowing help had tried to reach him. It broke her heart to consider that possibility.

Ellie jerked the headphones from her ears, turned off her MP3 player and dropped them on the desk, fighting back the anguish she suffered every time she thought of 416. She’d wanted to be there when the warrants were served, to stand guard outside his door to protect him. She owed him that and so much more. She’d begged Officer Helio to allow it, but he’d refused. She wasn’t law enforcement and she’d been firmly told they wouldn’t risk an informant they needed testimony from to make their case against Mercile.

“Shit,” she cursed.

She couldn’t forget those dark eyes, the look on 416’s face when she’d abandoned him that day inside his cell, or the way he’d growled at her. She’d only wanted to save his life but he had no way of knowing why she’d allowed him to take the blame for that technician’s death. He must have thought her monstrous and cruel. Hot tears blinded her but she blinked rapidly to hold them at bay. She’d cried buckets of them since that awful day she’d left him on the floor.

The Homeland-issued phone rang, startling her. Her cell phone was her only contact to the outside world but no one called her on it. She’d distanced herself from her friends and family. Everything about her life had changed while working those months for that testing facility. She could no longer tolerate her divorced parents using her as a weapon against each other or tearing into her over her own divorce. There were genuine problems with the world and her time could be spent making a real difference. Now her focus centered on helping the New Species and it gave her a sense of worth by doing something to right a wrong. It gave meaning to her life and that’s what she needed most. She answered the phone on the second ring.

“Ellie Brower.”

“Ms. Brower, it’s Cody Parks with security. I’m calling to inform you that we have a late transit arriving with four women. They were compromised at the hotel and we just received notification they are here.”

“I’m on my way to the door now.” She hung up.

Damn. The media must have somehow found out four of the rescued women are in the area. Protocol stated that, if a flight came in after dark, the victims should be placed with guards at a hotel to be transferred to Homeland during daylight hours. Security had deemed it easier to protect them while in transit during that time but obviously hiding the survivors inside a hotel hadn’t been as smart as they’d thought. She could only hope the women hadn’t been overly traumatized by whatever had happened. The real world could be frightening enough for those poor survivors without media vultures circling them with their shouted questions and flashing cameras.

It took mere seconds to slip on her shoes and grab her security card. Ellie left her room and purposely avoided the elevator. The thing moved too slowly for her patience. She jogged down the flights of stairs to the entryway. The windows were clear but were made of a type of glass that was strong enough to withstand abuse of the worst sort. Outside she spotted four women approaching the entry with two guards trailing behind, carrying four suitcases. She increased her pace.

Cody Parks, the “go to” man in security, greeted her with a smile. “Evening, Ms. Brower. Sorry for the late arrival of our newest residents.”

Ellie smiled. She directed her focus to the Amazon-like women. The shortest of the four stood at least six feet tall. There were already ten women living inside the dorm, all of whom were tall, muscular types as well. Ellie felt short and tiny compared to them. Her smile widened as she glanced at each one but none of them returned the gesture. They looked tired, angry and out of sorts. Sympathy welled inside Ellie.

“Welcome to your new home.” Ellie spoke softly. “I know you have been through a lot but you’re safe here. I’m Ellie, your house mother.”

Two of the women frowned. One woman, the tallest and most kick-ass-looking one of the small group, glared. The fourth one, a blonde, spoke.

“Our what?”

“Your house mother. It’s just a title,” Ellie explained quickly. “I’m not really trying to be your mother. I’m the one you will come to with problems, if you have questions, or if you need something. I’m here to help you in any way possible. You can talk to me about anything and I’ll always listen.”

“A head doctor,” the shortest, dark-haired woman snapped. She barred her sharp teeth at Ellie.

“No,” Ellie corrected. “I have basic nursing skills but I’m not a doctor. I know all of you had to see therapists. I’ve had to see a few of them myself and I hate them too.” She gave them a sympathetic expression. “I’ll show you to your rooms, give you a short tour around the dorm, and we’ll get you settled. I”

“Ms. Brower,” Cody Parks interrupted.

Ellie turned her attention on him as the women walked through the doors. They glanced around the large entryway toward the living-room area. She knew they needed a few minutes to get their bearings.

“Yes?”

“There’s been a meeting called in twenty minutes. They requested you be in attendance since you’re in charge of the female housing. The head of their new council demanded to be briefed fully on Homeland. He wants to make certain his people aren’t being mistreated in any way. He just got appointed to the position and needs the reassurance.”

Dismay filled Ellie. “But it’s so late. I’d like to get them settled and it will take longer than that.”

“I understand but he showed up with them and stated it was important.” The man’s gaze held Ellie’s. “It’s imperative they know we are with them on this all the way to make everything smoother for them to transfer into a normal setting. He’s worried.”

She hesitated. New Species had been separated, sent to different secured locations after they’d been freed, until Homeland finally had been made ready to accept them as a large group. It would be their permanent home for the foreseeable future. The guy had valid reasons to worry about the safety and well-being of his people.

“Of course. Let me get them taken care of and I’ll be right there. Is the meeting being held inside the conference room at the main office?”

He nodded. Ellie closed the door between them. The alarm beeped instantly to assure her the automatic locks were in place. While security was tight, it could never be strict enough, not after the way the media had converged on the survivors of those testing facilities. They were constantly trying to breach the perimeter to obtain pictures of the victims now that they had a fixed location where some of them would be.

The government had started the process of implementing a law to ban the media from revealing their photographs to protect the New Species. They were victims who had the right to be shielded from the press. There were also hate groups who didn’t believe New Species should be considered human with equal rights, opposed them being given Homeland, and gathered outside the gates to protest.

She strode forward, going on autopilot, as she gave a short tour of the lower floor of the dorm. It housed a conference room for meetings, two large living-room areas, a roomy kitchen for cooking, a dining area that could host fifty, one large bathroom with four stalls, and a full library. The second and third floors housed mini apartments. They each contained a small bedroom, a living room, a private bath, and a kitchenette.

Ellie led the women to their rooms, side by side and across from each other on the second floor. She’d learned to do that in the two days she’d been handling the incoming women. They had to be frightened, not that they would admit it, but they did want to stay close to each other. Ellie knew the women had gone through unspeakable horrors and now they had a completely different one thrust upon them, something totally foreign. Freedom could be a terrifying experience after a lifetime of being test specimens.

“If you get hungry, there are cold drinks and food inside the silver metal boxes by the sink.” She didn’t call them refrigerators. She’d learned early on that they didn’t know what those were. “There are ten other women here on the second floor so if you hear noises, please don’t be alarmed. They are from different places.” Testing facilities, she thought. “But they are your people. The building is secured so no one can get inside who isn’t supposed to be here. You’re completely safe.”

The women who stood in the hallway were examining her as if she were a bug. Ellie sighed, used to it, unfortunately. They didn’t trust outsidersthat being anyone who hadn’t been reared as a test experiment.

“I will be on the third floor when I return from the meeting I need to attend. My room number is posted on the wall by the elevator. Just come to me for anything you need or if you have any questions. I am here to help you and I want to do that. Do you have anything you want to ask me before I go?”

The four women didn’t speak. The tallest one spun on her heel to stalk into one of the rooms Ellie had just shown them. The other three followed and the door shut firmly with Ellie on the other side of it. None of the women seemed to want anything to do with her but she hoped that would change with time.

Ellie stared down at her outfit—running shoes, the black, cotton capris and a light-blue tank top. Her hair was secured in a ponytail. She knew she probably should change to something more professional but a glance at her watch assured her there wasn’t enough time. She had to run to make the meeting. Ellie darted for the stairs.

The main offices were located near the front of Homeland. Each dorm and building had been assigned golf carts. Ellie drove hers to the front parking spaces and turned off the engine. She glanced at her watch again with a soft curse, certain she’d be late. Cody hadn’t given her an exact time but twenty minutes had passed. She ran for the front double doors. She slowed to a walk when she spotted the armed security guard posted at the building. She didn’t know him yet.

“Hello. I’m Ellie Brower. I’m the female dorm house mother. Cody Parks said there’s a meeting I’m supposed to attend.”

The man tensed and his hand gripped his weapon at his hip, while he glared. Ellie slowly reached into the front pocket of her pants to pull out her security card. It not only opened doors but it had her picture on it to identify her as an employee. She stepped closer to hold it out for his inspection.

The guard accepted her card, examined it carefully, and then handed it back. “Go inside to the left conference room. Are you familiar with where that is, Ms. Brower?”

“Yes, I am. Thank you.”

Ellie inched around the man and entered the main office. She jogged down the long hallway and headed for the double doors where no guards were posted. She grabbed the handle, gave it a firm jerk to open the heavy door, and stepped inside.

The darkness of the room surprised her. The overhead lights were off and only scones dimly lit the walls. She couldn’t see well but the soft rumble of many voices assured her the room had filled with people.

Two security guards turned instantly and grabbed for their guns. She met their alarmed expressions with a calm smile. Her hands lifted out away from her body to show them she held nothing threatening but her security card. The room became utterly silent. She didn’t dare turn her attention away from the two men with their hands curved around their weapons.

“I’m Ellie Brower, house mother of the female dorm, and I come in peace.”

Neither guard smiled at her attempted joke. One of the guards kept his hand on the gun at his waist while the other man came forward to yank her card from her hand. She didn’t move while he examined it and then nodded.

“Take a seat. You’re late.” He offered the card back.

Ellie took her badge and returned it to her pocket. She had to move around the guard since he decided to remain, blocking her way. She took a few steps beyond him and peered at the people standing inside the room.

Darren Artino, the head of Homeland security, and Director Boris were also present. The director frowned as he closed the distance between them. She flinched when he glared at her outfit, silently communicating his disapproval of how was she dressed.

“I didn’t have time to change,” she explained. “I had four women to settle in and less than twenty minutes to do that before getting here. I wasn’t given any notice they were arriving until they were at the door.”

The tense lines around Director Boris’ mouth eased. “Fine, Ellie. Next time, dress properly. You look as though you just walked out of the gym.”

“Close,” she admitted. “Would you like me to turn the lights up? It’s dim inside here.”

“No.” Director Boris sighed. “Some of the council members prefer it this way.”

Ellie instantly understood. She’d been informed that some of the survivors had spent years locked inside darkened cells, resulting in oversensitivity to bright light. She’d outfitted some of the apartments with those female survivors in mind, had even gone out to buy them sunglasses to put inside their rooms so they could wear them in the common areas of the dorm, and had dimmer switches added to some rooms for adjustable lighting. She spent a lot of time considering New Species feelings and needs to be good at her job, something that had become a near obsession for her.

She recognized a few more faces near her as she glanced around. She smiled at Mike Torres, from the male dorm, when he winked at her. He seemed to be a nice guy in his early thirties who had flirted with her during the first meeting, the day Ellie had arrived. The employee who’d given Ellie the rundown of her duties as dorm mother stood next to him. Dominic Zort nodded curtly. His job, in general, seemed to be keeping the departments cooperating and he did most of the hiring.

Movement from of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned. Someone moved in her direction from across the room but being the shortest person surrounded by a group of taller men didn’t help her identify who approached.

“Ellie?” Director Boris drew her focus back to him. “We’ll sit down over there.”

“Sure.” She took a step to follow Director Boris.

“You,” a male voice snarled roughly from behind her.

Ellie attempted to spin around to see who the scary voice belonged to but someone grabbed her. She made a sound, a mixture between a grunt and a gasp, but then her body lifted from the floor. Strong arms twisted her in the air. Pain shot through her back and the air was knocked from her lungs. Her eyes widened as she stared up into the face of one enraged…416.

Chapter Two

416 growled at Ellie, revealing his sharp canine teeth, and she realized her arms hurt where he gripped them above her elbows. He had slammed her flat on her back on top of one of the conference tables. He bent over her, his enraged face inches above hers, and the anger poured from his dark gaze. Pure terror flooded Ellie.

Her mouth opened but nothing came out. She sucked in air. He snarled louder, held her down tighter.

“What the hell? Let her go!” Director Boris gasped.

Ellie saw movement all around her from her side vision but she didn’t dare turn her focus away from the dark, furious glare of 416. He looked as if he was ready to tear her throat out with his sharp teeth, which hovered inches from it. Her heart pounded so hard she wondered if it would explode from her ribs. He’d survived and would kill her just the way he’d promised he would if ever given the chance.

“Let her go,” a male voice demanded firmly in a steely tone.

“What the hell is going on?” That came from another man who sounded shocked and whiny.

“Fury, let her go,” another man ordered in an unusually deep voice.

Fury’s rage-filled glare shifted away from Ellie’s terrified gaze when he jerked his head to the side. He growled at someone behind him.

“No. This is between me and her. Back away.”

Ellie swiped her tongue across her dry lips, relieved she could breathe again. The hands on her arms were bruising and it hurt enough that tears flooded her eyes. Fury glowered at someone behind him who kept his focus off her. Despite being in a room full of men, she knew she’d die in front of them when his attention returned to her.

“Let her go, Fury.” The male voice grew deeper, to a menacing growl. “Please.”

“She’s one of them,” Fury snarled. “She worked as a tech inside the testing facility. Back off now. It’s my right for vengeance.”

A distinctive noise cut through the room and Ellie’s eyes widened. She recognized the sound of a shotgun being pumped. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat, afraid they might shoot him to save her. Damn it. She wouldn’t allow that to happen. All the terror dissipated at her concern for his life. She’d saved him once and she would do it again.

“It’s okay.” She spoke as loudly as she could. Her voice broke but she got the words out. “Don’t hurt him. Nobody shoot. Please.”

“Ellie?” Director Boris inched closer. “What is he talking about?”

Ellie gasped when her tormentor turned his head to glare down at her again. A chill ran down her spine from his cold, intense gaze and the knowledge that he would definitely carry out his threat. She had no doubt that he’d kill her on top of the table in front of everyone present.

“Fury,” another male voice growled. “Release the woman. We’ll settle this reasonably.”

“Mine,” Fury snarled, obviously so angry he couldn’t talk in a normal tone. His fingers tightened even more.

Tears slid from her eyes to roll down the sides of her face but she didn’t make a sound. She feared it would upset everyone around them, especially whoever had pumped the shotgun she’d heard.

“Ellie?” Dominic Zort sounded close. “You were an informant, weren’t you?”

She swallowed a moan of pain. Fury softly growled and his hands were brutal on her arms.

“Yes,” she gasped. “I know him.”

The growl deepened inside Fury’s throat to a vicious snarl.

“Fury!” A man rasped the word. “Release that woman now!”

Fury’s grip eased but he didn’t relinquish his hold. He moved back a few inches though. He didn’t hover all the way over her body and his lips pressed together to hide his canine teeth. He took deep breaths through his nose but he didn’t look away from Ellie.

Fury. Yeah, the new name fits the look in his eyes.

“She was already on Mercile’s medical staff. She was sent undercover when rumors about the original testing facility surfaced. We tried to get undercover agents embedded inside Mercile but they were never hired. I think she was the on-site nurse at their corporate office. It took a lot of hard work for her to get transferred into that hellish place to discover if the rumors were true. She smuggled out enough proof to get us the warrants that were served on the first testing facility.” Dominic Zort spoke quickly. “I didn’t know she’d met any of your people, Justice. I wasn’t her handler but Victor Helio didn’t write anything in the file to indicate she had harmed any New Species or had interacted with them. I never would have hired her to work with your people if I thought any of them knew her personally.” Dominic Zort’s voice remained calm and cool. “Her name is Ellie Brower and she’s the one who runs the women’s dorm. She risked her life every day to spy on Mercile for us, Justice. She knew they would kill her if they realized she only took that job to gain proof of what they were doing.”

“Let her go.” Justice’s tone lightened but it held the authority of an order. “Ease up, Fury. I understand. Did you hear what the man said? She worked there to help them gather proof of our existence. She helped save our people.”

Fury didn’t release Ellie and he continued to glower down at her. She stared back at him, certain he didn’t care why she’d been there. She knew he hated her for framing him for Jacob’s death and she didn’t blame him for it. She had done it to save his life but that didn’t alleviate the guilt of the crime committed against him.

“Ellie?” Director Boris spoke. “What was your exact job at the research facility and what did you do to this man?”

Shit. Ellie swallowed. She watched Fury’s eyes darken even more, turning from a chocolate brown to near black. “I just assisted when needed,” she explained softly. “I kept a lot of the charts on the test results from the blood and saliva samples they had me draw.”

“Why does he hate you so much? Did you personally hurt him somehow?” Director Boris voice rose in outrage. “Did you harm them?”

Ellie stared into Fury’s tense, lined face. If she’d been sexually assaulted, she wouldn’t want it flaunted about. He had been a proud male and it probably wasn’t something he wanted to share with the entire room. She’d have to tell everyone why she’d killed the technician if she admitted what she’d done to make Fury so angry. She hesitated. His eyes narrowed to slits as the growl rumbling from his chest became louder.

“Don’t,” Fury ordered.

“Fury?” Justice spoke. The man had an unusually deep voice. “What did she do to make you want to hurt her so much? Did she force you to take their drugs?”

“Ellie, tell us now,” Director Boris demanded.

“I had to do tests,” she lied. “I had to inflict pain on him.” That part was truthful. She knew what she’d done had to have caused him emotional distress on top of what Jacob had done to him while he’d lain helpless on that floor of his cell. “He also didn’t like me taking samples from him.”

He snarled at her in response.

She didn’t look away from him once, her gaze locked with his. “I’m so sorry but I didn’t have a choice. I knew help was coming if I could just smuggle out the evidence. I did what I had to do to rescue you. You were so close to getting a chance at freedom.” More tears spilled down the sides of her face. “I am so very sorry. I just wanted to save you.”

Fury had the woman who had betrayed him in his grasp. He couldn’t believe he had found Ellie again, she worked at Homeland, and his hands were actually on her. He had his freedom now, was no longer helpless, and he battled with himself over what he should do to her. A small part of him wanted to snap her neck while the rest of him wanted to pull her against his body and hold her. Either way, he didn’t want to release her. Self-disgust welled at his conflicting emotions after what she’d done to him inside his cell. He’d never forget that day or the one that followed.

Justice demanded again that he release Ellie but his hands refused to let go. That she’d dare be where New Species were supposed to be safe from their tormentors enraged him. She’d been the worst, with her pretty blue eyes that had lured him into a sense of trust that she’d never do him harm. His fingers flexed on her soft skin as he inhaled her scent that had haunted him many nights.

Her pale-blue gaze seemed more beautiful than he remembered and he inwardly flinched while he watched tears pool inside her eyes and slip down the sides of her face, knowing he hurt her. He battled with the knowledge that he had the right to get revenge but at the same time hated to cause her pain. When she spoke up to tell everyone not to hurt him, it confused him more. Ellie had to be his enemy so why did she attempt to protect him?

“Fury,” Justice whispered. “She’s a woman.”

No one needed to tell him Ellie’s sex. Her sweet scent of strawberries and vanilla made him want to groan, to bury his nose against her skin and investigate exactly where it originated from. He wondered if her hair products or her body wash gave off the tempting smells. It angered him more that he wanted to find out.

It stunned him to learn she had been working against his enemy. It did matter to him why she’d been at the testing facility but he couldn’t let go of his sense of betrayal over her leaving him inside that cell to face the consequences of her actions.

Didn’t she realize what she’d done or how he’d been harmed? But he didn’t want her to tell the truth about what she’d done to anger him so much. Too many questions would be asked. He had enough shame. He didn’t want anyone to know how deeply his humiliation ran when it came to feeling helpless all those years he was locked up and the abuse he’d suffered in his lifetime.

He was New Species, in control of his mind and body, though he’d been a prisoner. He couldn’t have prevented the technician from attacking him but as he’d lain there helpless, still traumatized from what had been done to him, and his body had responded to Ellie being so close to him. She’d turned him on despite the horrible situation. He had not wanted to react to her that way. It only made her betrayal even more unforgivable. He’d lowered his guard and then she’d harmed him. He acknowledged that he’d lost control again when he’d mindlessly grabbed her and now refused to release her.

The pain revealed by her features finally made him understand how strongly he gripped her arms and it horrified him, realizing he’d bruised her tender skin. He should want to kill her but instead he wished to massage out the pain, even apologize, and it disgusted him. He had earned the honored job of being second in command of his people, an example to Species of how they could live in peace with humans, yet he stood over a terrified small woman who had haunted him since he’d been freed.

He’d always wondered what had become of her. He’d even used his new authority to read through the list of Mercile employees arrested. He’d fantasized about walking into her cell and…watching her, just to see her again. A snarl tore from his throat and he knew he needed to get away from her before he lost what little control he’d regained.

He needed to think, to get a grip on whatever had gone wrong inside his mind when it came to Ellie. He usually kept his reason, remained calm regardless of his circumstances, and others considered him good natured. His people depended upon him to remain that way. He’d chosen his name for what he kept in his heart but outwardly he hid it well. Usually.

He stared down at Ellie and ordered his hands to open, regardless of how his instincts screamed to keep hold of her. Fury’s grip loosened and he released Ellie as if her touch burned him then he spun around and shoved people out of his way.

Ellie lay immobile on top of the table until someone touched her leg. She was shocked that Fury had allowed her to live. Darren Artino moved next to her, his touch gentle as he pulled her into a sitting position. Ellie glanced at the stunned faces of the men who surrounded her. She quickly wiped away her tears, amazed to be alive. She searched for Fury but he’d vanished.

“Ms. Brower?”

The man who spoke stood about as tall as Fury. He had wide shoulders and his long hair had been swept back into a ponytail. His eyes were an appealing dark bluish-black and oddly shaped, similar to a cat’s. He dressed in a tailored suit but nothing could hide the dangerous vibes he projected while he remained a few feet from her.

“I apologize for Fury’s…” He paused. “Attack on you. I’m Justice North and I will make sure Fury is punished for what he’s done here. Did he harm you?” His exotic, unnerving gaze slowly skimmed down her body.

“I’m fine,” Ellie lied softly.

Her heart broke into pieces that the man she had grown obsessed with had just walked away. She resisted the urge to run after Fury, beg him to listen to her, and apologize again for what she’d once done to him. She wanted to make it right with him so badly she ached. She realized that doing that would be impossible as she stared up at the large male who blocked her path. He currently posed a threat to Fury and she needed to handle the situation before it escalated.

Ellie attempted not to openly gawk at the good-looking man with the fascinating eyes. “Please don’t punish him.” She would beg if that’s what it took. It was the least she could do to make sure Fury didn’t get in any kind of trouble. “His anger is warranted. Trust me. I wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d killed me.”

Shock paled the man’s features while he blinked at her a few times. His shoulders, broad as they were, seemed to relax. “Perhaps you should be excused from this meeting. You’ve had a trauma and I’m sure someone here could fill you in on what will be discussed at your convenience tomorrow, after you’ve had time to recover.”

Director Boris moved forward. “We shall remove her from Homeland immediately, Mr. North. Please accept our apologies.”

Dread spread through Ellie. She’d moved to a new state to be a part of the project to assimilate New Species into a normal way of living but now she’d lose that job. She didn’t blame Director Boris for firing her, considering the circumstances. Homeland had been given to the New Species to be a safe haven from the abuse they’d suffered. Having a walking reminder on the premises would violate that concept.

Justice frowned as he stared down at Director Boris. “Firing her won’t be necessary. She saved our people from the testing facilities and we won’t thank her for that selflessness by taking her away from something she helped make possible. It’s not our way to do that. This is our Homeland, is it not?”

Director Boris’ mouth popped open from shock. “But Fury hates her and he’s your second in command.”

“Fury will deal with his anger.” Justice glanced at Ellie then. The harsh expression eased from his features and softened. “Go rest, Ms. Brower. Your job is secure. You can continue to run the women’s sleeping dorm. You have been quite refreshing with your candor and I appreciate your understanding of Fury’s behavior.”

Ellie knew to escape when given the opportunity. She eased off the table. Her knees trembled but held her weight once she stood. She kept her head down, her gaze on the floor, and strode quickly toward the empty hallway. She paused outside the conference room, leaned against the wall and then covered her face. Her entire body shook. It took a minute to pull her frayed emotions together.

Ellie finally moved, dropped her hands to her sides, and exited the outer door. 416 had survived but now he had taken the name Fury. Worse, he had to be Justice North’s second in command. She shivered when she stepped outside. The armed guard frowned at her but didn’t say anything as she moved toward her golf cart.

Justice headed the New Species Organization. His people had voted him to lead them, the face and voice of New Species as a whole, but they’d also appointed council members to represent groups of the survivors, thus helping him do his new job. One survivor from each of the four testing facilities had become a member. The NSO as they titled themselves, had proclaimed their own government order when they’d been assured the United States would back them on having free rein to structure their independence.

The fact that the government had unknowingly funded those testing facilities with large research grants had gone a long way to make Uncle Sam bend over backward to be accommodating with anything they asked for. They’d used taxpayer’s money to help create New Species and continue the horrific research that had been done on them for decades in the name of perfecting prescription drugs and vaccines. A lot of money had exchanged hands at the expense of the suffering of New Species. The newly built military base had been gifted to them as their Homeland, rumored to be the government’s grand gesture to save face and garner favor with public opinion overall.

Ellie parked the golf cart in front of the dorm and climbed out. She rubbed her aching arms and hurried toward the front doors. She had nearly reached them when the hair on the back of her neck prickled. She stilled after she pulled out her ID card and slowly peered over her shoulder.

A man lurked under the shadow of a tree across the street, just a dim outline of a figure, but Ellie sensed him watching her. She knew it had to be Fury. She stood there staring at him. She held her ground and he held his while neither of them moved.

Ellie bit her lip, wondering if she should approach him. She could apologize again for what she’d done to him and maybe explain in more detail until he understand her actions fully that day inside his cell. Indecision kept her in place while she struggled with the need to talk to him and the fear that he hadn’t calmed down.

He didn’t move and she couldn’t make her legs respond to go to him. The memory of his rage, of his hands squeezing her flesh, changed her mind about talking to him at that moment. Fear motivated her to face the door, swipe her key card, and hurry inside the dorm. She made sure the locks slid into place before dashing for the elevator.

An eerie silence settled into the dorm late at night. She entered the elevator with the sensation of being watched. With walls of glass, she knew he could see her from where he stood outside. The doors shut firmly to put her out of view of the street and Ellie sagged against the wall. Would he let it go? She didn’t know but now he knew where she lived. He also worked at Homeland and probably lived in one of the housing units built just blocks away for the council and high-ranking members of the New Species.

Damn.

The elevator dinged when it opened on the third floor where she currently was the only resident. Once more women were transferred to the dorm, the rooms would fill up until the building would be full of life on every level. She suddenly minded being alone up there a lot.

The building was secure, she reminded herself. The only people who had access to the building were the women living there and the security guards assigned to guard it. Not even a member of the council had access. Fury wouldn’t be able to get in. She unlocked her door.

She’d left the lights on inside her small apartment and her balcony doors still stood wide open. She moved toward them quickly to close the doors firmly and locked them for the first time. No one could reach her balcony but she didn’t care about logic. She looked down at her arms after she undressed—verifying both were red and bruised from Fury’s hands—and then stepped into her bathroom to shower.

Fury survived! That thought kept circling inside her mind. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks. If that day had never happened she would have had a chance to get to know him. He may have…Her eyes closed in pain. What? Fallen in love with me the way I’ve fallen for him? It was insane to even consider that possibility. They didn’t really know each other but she wanted to change that. He hates me. That had been clear when he’d slammed her onto the table and rage had poured off him.

Ellie reached up and wiped at her tears. What she’d done to him couldn’t have been avoided. She could only hope that one day he’d forgive her for leaving him inside the cell to take the blame for her crime. Then maybe…

“Damn it, don’t do this to yourself,” she whispered aloud, shaking her head.

Chapter Three

Ellie watched the New Species women with frustration. She knew making friends with them would be a difficult task but she’d had no idea how hard a time they planned to give her. Not one of them had been friendly toward her. They were a tight group but not with Ellie. She hoped she hid her hurt feelings. Helping them had become her mission in life, her sole purpose, and they had refused to allow it so far.

“Would any of you like to learn how to cook? I can teach you or I’ve acquired a ton of cooking DVD’s to show you.” She glanced from one face to another. “I’m sure some of you are tired of the meals provided by the main NSO cafeteria. I enjoy cooking. It’s good to learn and everyone loves food.”

No one spoke as three dozen pairs of eyes watched her. Ellie sighed. “I swear, I’m not the enemy. I’m here to help you learn living skills and to help you integrate into society. I want to help you in any way you need. I really wish you would allow me to do that.”

Their silence stretched to an uncomfortable length. Ellie’s shoulders slumped in momentary defeat. “Fine. Maybe you need more time to get to know me. If you need anything, please just let me know. That’s why I’m here. Oh, I baked a few cakes I put inside the fridge so please eat them.”

Ellie fled the room before she allowed them to see her depression. As soon as she moved out of sight she heard female voices, reinforcing her urge to cry. Everyone became silent when she walked into a room but conversation returned as soon as she left. She couldn’t ignore the possibility they might hate her. They refused to talk with her except when they had to and they didn’t seem to want her help. She’d had to hold mandatory class sessions just to teach them basics such as how to use the appliances in the house. The questions were few but then again, she’d noticed that some of them had amazing memories. They would retain the information and then help the other women who struggled.

She’d considered quitting but she’d been assured by one of the council members that the women would shun anyone holding the position. She was an outsider, it was that simple, and being just plain ole human made the New Species not trust her. She’d been advised to give it time and reminded that it had only been two weeks.

Two weeks of hell, she silently grumbled, and headed for her apartment. If she left though, she had nowhere to go, no life to go back to, after cutting all ties with her past. The very idea of asking her parents to live with one of them until she got back on her feet threatened to give her a migraine.

Her parents argued about everything, regardless of living apart, and then asked her to referee their asinine fights. Both of them had been bitterly opposed to Ellie’s own divorce, the only thing they agreed on, and they remained in contact with her ex-husband. They’d make her spend time with him with their misguided and annoying attempts to get them back together. She’d rather jump into a pit of snakes than ever return to the life she’d once had. She didn’t call home for a reason and she sure didn’t want to go back to it. Both her parents were angry at her, which meant they finally gave her peace, something she hadn’t had from the pair since their divorce when she was ten.

Her new life consisted of moving forward and helping people with real problems, two things she wanted to do with the New Species. They were important to her and they needed people who cared on their side. She definitely cared.

Ellie changed quickly, put on a pair of sweats, a tank top, and running shoes. She needed fresh air and time away from the dorm, certain she wouldn’t be missed. She tried not to feel self-pity. She’d assumed the job would have kept her busier and maybe have been rewarding. Instead she suffered loneliness and depression. She tucked her MP3 player into the front of her bra and shoved her ID card there too since she didn’t have pockets. She left her room and started to jog in place while she waited for the elevator.

Ellie glanced at her watch when she left the dorm building and took note of the dark sky outside with only a few stars twinkling above. She turned and faced the windows to peer inside at the women who sat on couches laughing together in the living room area. She couldn’t hear what they said but the dozen women she spied on seemed happy.

Happy I’m not there, she thought grimly. She muttered a curse as she turned her back on the sight. She’d never been a jogger until she’d moved into Homeland. Physical activity helped her deal with her boredom. She broke into a slow run along the sidewalk. The park-like area extended for a great distance along the guarded walls.

Ellie reached into her bra to turn up the volume on her MP3 player until music pounded in her ears. She went through phases with types of music and recently she’d been into heavy metal to fit her mood. She traveled steadily along as the path turned away from the walls and toward the park that contained a large pond. She enjoyed running next to the water.

Ellie slowed to a fast walk for a good block when she started to tire until she reached the pond. She stopped to stretch, bent over to touch her toes, and then straightened. She saw movement from the corner of her eye. She turned, expecting to see another jogger appear but she saw no one. She frowned. She could have sworn she’d seen someone.

Ellie shook her head and dismissed it. She figured the wind moving the treetops had drawn her attention. She stretched her arms upward and twisted her body in various positions to loosen muscles. Her body ached when she jogged but she wanted to get into shape. At twenty-nine it seemed to be a good time to do it.

She smirked, knowing her ex-husband would drop from a heart attack if he got an eyeful of her now. She’d once been more than a little overweight. She had almost totally become a different person after her bitter divorce from a cheating, verbally abusive ass who believed her pathetic enough to take whatever he dished out. He’d been wrong. She wasn’t a doormat, would never stay with someone who didn’t know how to love, and had ended the marriage despite Jeff’s protests.

She’d completely turned her life around after she’d witnessed suffering firsthand while working at the testing facility. Forty pounds lighter and free of her ex, she had a much happier outlook. She chuckled. She’d actually lost two hundred forty pounds of unwanted weight since Jeff had accounted for two hundred of them. Her final cut from her past had been escaping her parents after they’d tried to guilt her into taking Jeff back. Hell hasn’t frozen over yet, she thought with a smirk.

The hair on the back of her neck suddenly prickled. Her limbs froze while just her gaze darted around the park. Landscapers had planted lots of trees, turning the area into a mini forest area surrounding the water. A few park benches had been strategically placed and the buildings were located on the outer edges of the park. She could just make out the tops of them from where she stood. She studied the darkness once more, the sense of being watched growing.

Ellie reached down the front of her shirt to grip her MP3 player and pushed the “off” button as she removed it. She listened intently but didn’t hear anything out of place. She started to turn the music back on but a soft growl made her jump. A dog? She looked over her shoulder to scan the surroundings again.

There were a few guard dogs patrolling Homeland but their handlers were always a leash away. Security guards would be in view if one of the canine units were in the vicinity. A sudden urge to return to the dorm gripped her.

Ellie took a few steps but heard another growl, closer this time. Her body tensed with alarm. She scanned the area again to search for the source while she shoved her headphones down to her neck and held her music player in a tightfisted grip. She hoped one of the dogs hadn’t gotten loose. They were large, mean animals, and well trained in defending the property. They’d treat her as if she were an intruder.

“Hello?” Her voice rose. She hoped a security guard would answer. “Is anyone there?”

Fury had been watching the women’s dorm where Ellie lived and had caught many glimpses of her through the first-floor glass windows. She worked with his women and he’d been proud when they gave the human the cold shoulder until he’d seen the sadness on Ellie’s face. It tore at him to witness her pain. He shouldn’t care but he did.

He had been stunned when he’d seen her leave the secure building alone, jogging away from safety. Didn’t she realize the danger he posed? That he’d be watching her? Didn’t her survival instincts scream out that he’d be close?

Obviously not since he’d easily followed her and watched her slowly run into the park where the secluded area nearly begged for him to approach her. Then she stopped as if she were waiting for him. He inhaled her scent on the wind and groaned as his body reacted. He wanted to be closer to her more than his next breath and it really angered him. She was his enemy.

He snarled as he battled the beast that lurked inside him for control. His human side knew she was off limits. She’d been an informant, had helped his people. It was the reason she’d been at his testing facility, but the animal side of him wanted to draw closer to touch and to claim her. That truth startled him.

He balked at following his instincts. She had betrayed him after he’d trusted her to never do anything that would harm him. Regardless of her reasons working for Mercile, it didn’t excuse what she’d done to him, or the anger he lived with, knowing the price her actions had cost him.

He trained his males to keep their animal instincts on a tight leash and he needed to do the same, set an example, and stay in control. He had responsibilities to Species to show them life existed outside the testing facilities and that they weren’t just animals created by Mercile, who had drilled insults into their heads all their lives. Ellie was living proof, though, that he had a weaknessher.

She peered around her in the darkness, as if she could sense him. His animal howled inside his soul to go to her, to take her, and to touch her. He fought the urge but then he moved toward her regardless of his wishes. Once again he’d lost control when it came to her. He just couldn’t resist her scent, the strong desire to look into her eyes and hear her voice.

Rage boiled through his human side while his animal reveled in pure lust at the sound of her sweet, taunting voice. He battled himself once again when he inhaled her fear, wanted to protect her, but also needed to terrify her to send her as far from him as she could get.

Movement once again caught Ellie’s attention. She gasped when Fury stepped from behind a tree twenty feet away. Her entire body reacted to the sight of the tall, attractive male, and the sensation of danger radiating off him. She swallowed, her breathing increased and fear jolted through her when the shock wore off. She hadn’t heard a dog at all—the growl had come from him. Fury had made that scary sound.

His long silky hair cascaded down over his shoulders and chest, as free and unrestrained as he appeared to be at that moment. The black clothing he wore hugged his broad shoulders, impressive muscular arms, and outlined his trim waist. An air of danger emanated from him when his dark gaze seemed to fasten on her, swept down her entire body slowly, and a soft growl grumbled deep within his throat. His jaw clenched, the muscles tensing, apparent even in the dim light.

He took a step forward, more of a predatory motion than the way a man would move, advancing on her slowly. Her gaze lowered to his muscular thighs, outlined in his tight black pants, all the way down to his black shoes. He radiated strength and sex appeal and she swallowed hard. Her heart speeded up, her breathing increased, and her body became aware of him as a purely male being.

No one had ever affected her the way he did. He advanced another stalking step, the fluid motion nearly seductive and she realized he dressed to blend into the darkness, as if he’d intended to hide, but had allowed her to see him by stepping into just enough light to reveal his presence to her alone.

Fury regarded her silently now, his gaze trained on her face, and as she studied him, she swore she saw a hungry look on his handsome features. His tongue darted out to wet his lower lip, the pink tip a taunt of something forbidden but tempting, and his dark eyes narrowed as if he could read her mind. She wanted to kiss him, longed to know how it would feel to have him touch her again but this time, not in anger. Of course that wouldn’t happen. He hated her.

“Oh crap,” she whispered but then spoke louder. “Hello, uh, Fury. Nice night for a jog, isn’t it?”

He said nothing but took another step closer before he stopped. Her terror built. They were alone and he’d sworn to kill her. She couldn’t call to the guards on patrol for help—they weren’t within sight.

A low snarl passed his parted lips as he took another step in her direction. The urge to flee increased for Ellie but she held still, having read reports that the New Species were really fast. Their altered DNA, depending on what animal it had been combined with, accounted for that. Fury obviously had been mixed with canine and could certainly run her down if she fled. She wasn’t sure if she should scream, attempt to talk her way out of the frightening situation, or just hope he meant no harm. He moved closer.

“Do you know what they trained us to do in order to show us off to their investors?” His voice came out harsh, cold and scary.

She had to clear her throat, which wanted to close with fear. “Not really. Most of the files were destroyed when the testing facilities at Mercile Industries were breached. I wasn’t allowed access to that information when I worked there.”

“Hunt,” he growled. “I excelled at that training. I was the best of the prototypes. They taught us how to do things to sell their drugs, to show living examples of what humans could become if they bought their stupid shots and pills.”

Ellie realized her future seemed questionable at that moment. Fury hated her and he spoke in a way she knew could turn deadly. She couldn’t find the right words, didn’t know how to defuse the situation. He took another step toward her. Shit, double shit, she thought frantically. He would reach her with just a few more steps.

“I didn’t have a choice that day,” she blurted. “I killed Jacob to protect you but if they’d known I did it, they wouldn’t have allowed me to leave. I just wanted to save you. I didn’t even mean to kill him.”

“Did you tell anyone what he did to me or how you allowed me to suffer for what you’d done?”

“No.” She shook her head. She had been too afraid to tell her handler that she’d interfered, certain he’d be angry since she’d gone against direct orders to do nothing to make anyone at Mercile suspicious. Killing a technician to protect a New Species would have definitely done that. His words sank in. Suffered?

“Were you too ashamed of what you’d done?”

She hesitated. “You have no idea how much so. I”

“You told the guards I killed him,” he snarled, cutting her off. “You smeared his blood on my hands. Don’t bother denying it.”

Hot tears of regret threatened to spill but she rapidly blinked them back. “I” She swallowed. “I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t think they’d kill you or I never would have implied you’d been the one to kill Jacob. You have to bel”

“Believe you?” His dark gaze narrowed and a dangerous sound emanated from deep within the back of his throat. “It turned you on to see me suffering, to know what kind of cruelty you would cause me.”

How does he know I was turned on? She didn’t dare ask but she wasn’t about to lie to him, considering she owed him far too much to do that. Her lips sealed. She was unsure how to explain to him why she’d responded so strongly to him because she couldn’t justify it. Her body’s response to him as a man under those circumstances had just been wrong.

“It wasn’t because you suffered or that I planned to jab you with that needle. I had to make it look as if he’d died while trying to inject you to make the story believable. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m surprised you aren’t attempting to lie.”

Ellie lifted her chin to meet his angry glower. “You’re right. My body did respond to being that close to you. I have no excuse. All I can do is apologize. I know it was immoral and I feel really guilty. You are…” She hesitated, about to tell him how attractive she found him. “You were naked and I couldn’t help but notice despite the horrific circumstances. I’m sorry.”

Fury’s jaw tensed. She could see his features clearly now that only a few feet separated them. “You were working for Mercile Industries. Did you drag your feet on finding incriminating evidence? Did you enjoy what that technician did to me?” He snarled at her, flashed sharp teeth, and inched closer. “Did it turn you on that he harmed me and planned to rape me? Did you earn the trust of other Species males when you walked into their cells until they didn’t growl at you either? Did you lure them into a sense of being nonthreatening? Did you allow them to be blamed for things you did?” His nostril’s flared and he growled deep in his chest. “Who else did you betray?”

Ellie reeled back at his vicious accusations, as if he’d physically struck her. “No! You were the only one I ever had to do that to. I tried to find enough proof for a judge to issue a warrant. How dare you! I collected samples, wrote reports, but I wasn’t given access to any of the older files that showed anything that would prove you existed down there. Every day they strip-searched us before we were allowed to leave. I couldn’t smuggle in a camera to prove what the hell they were doing to any of you or that you weren’t just a rumor. You have no idea how terrifying it was for me to go through the main door to that elevator every single shift. I always wondered if I’d ever see daylight again if they figured out I spied for the police. They would have killed me. The other employees talked and warned me what happened if Mercile even suspected anyone would turn against them. They cautioned that I’d just disappear and my body would never be found.”

“If they stripped you then how did you smuggle evidence out?”

Heat bloomed on her cheeks. “You really want to know?”

“I do.” He snarled.

“I swallowed it.”

His features blanked for a second and then he frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“I had to make friends with a few of the doctors and that took time. I didn’t have access to anything vital but they did. I carefully gained their trust, became very close to a doctor who looked similar to me, and I switched lab coats with her during lunch. I stole her keycard, started wearing my hair the way she did, I tucked my head when I passed the security cameras and when I marched into her office. I’d seen her punch in her code a few times and remembered it to gain access to her office. I had a tiny computer data drive my handler had given me to copy files. I swallowed it. So many things could have gone wrong.”

He stared at her, frowning.

“I was sure they’d catch me and that guards would storm the office and kill me. You have no idea how terrified I felt walking out of there and praying I could switch coats back without her figuring it out. It was that day too, you know.” She paused. “The last thing I wanted to do was draw attention with that damn thing sitting inside my stomach, knowing how important it was to get to my handler, but I still tried to save you regardless of the risk to myself or the evidence. Do you want to hear how painful it is to throw up something the size of a mini thumb drive? It made it seem easy to swallow it in the first place. I was willing to allow them to operate on me to retrieve it if puking didn’t work. They were afraid my stomach acids would damage the thing if much time elapsed.”

He continued to frown as seconds ticked by. “You deceived me as well. That’s what you do.” His mouth pressed into a firm line. “You lie to people and then betray them. You’re no better than those monsters who created and enslaved my people.”

Pain lanced through her chest at his harsh words, followed quickly by all-consuming anger. She’d killed someone for him and risked her life to free his people. Damn him.

“I didn’t want to hurt you in any way.” She paused. “But I’ll tell you one thing. I saved your ass, Fury. You are still alive because of what I did. You would be dead if I hadn’t walked into your cell and stopped that asshole. You’d have died chained to a floor being abused by that son of a bitch just mere days before you would have been set free. If that’s unforgivable to you then too damn bad. Keeping you alive became my main priority.”

“You said you hated me. You called me a worthless bastard and you wanted me to know that. I never forgot what you said.”

Ellie gaped at him. “No.”

“I lay there on my back helpless and you moved away from me to take blood from the technician to smear on my knuckles. You hissed those hated words at me.”

Understanding dawned and she knew the color drained from her face. “I wasn’t talking to you. I was saying it to Jacob! I hated him and he was a bastard for what he’d done to you.”

“The male was dead. Don’t lie to me. You spoke those hated words to me.”

“No.” She frantically shook her head, her gaze locked with his. “I swear, I was talking to him. I hoped that if he could hear me in hell—I’m sure that’s where he went for all his evil deeds—that he’d know how I felt about him.”

Fury frowned, studied her features, and remained silent.

“That’s the truth.”

“Do you want to know the worst part when you walked into my cell?” His deep voice turned ice cold. His entire body tensed visibly.

She just shook her head and her fear returned. Rage emanated from his eyes. They looked darker than she remembered but it was dimmer in the park than it had been inside the conference room weeks before.

“I can still feel your touch on me. You soothed me at first. You saved me and I believed you wouldn’t cause me any harm. I actually welcomed your hands on my body. I close my eyes and the memory of you is burned there.” He took another step. “I remember you running away after what you’d done, leaving me confused and in pain. The needle you shoved it into my skin hurt less than the pain that pierced my heart.”

“I’m so sorry. Not a day goes by when it doesn’t haunt me.” She paused. “I did it to save your life. You know what Jacob planned to do to you but I stopped him. I had to find a way to smuggle that evidence out. I’m so sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you more. I didn’t want to frame you for his murder or jab you with that needle but I had to make it look convincing enough for them to let me walk out of there.”

He took another step. “None of it matters,” he growled. “All I remember is what you did. It’s all I hold on to. I swore if I saw you again I’d kill you with my bare hands.” He nearly touched her as he stopped inches away. “You should run if you have a brain in your head. I’m fighting to keep in control and have no idea which side of me will win. Never forget that I’m part animal.”

Fury hoped she would take his advice. He could see Ellie’s fear on her expressive, delicate features. He hated noticing the little lines by her mouth that revealed she smiled often. He wondered what it would be like to hear her laughter. He’d never had a reason to smile until he’d gained his freedom. Her lower lip pouted out slightly with worry, fuller than her top one, and the urge to suck on it struck him.

Her hair drew his attention next. It was so unlike his, with its near-white appearance and unruly curls. It appeared to have a soft texture, smelled of strawberries, and framed her face, making her bone structure seem fragile.

New Species women are drastically different from my small human. He froze, realizing he’d just called her his. Outrage poured through him. He knew better than to trust any human. They inflicted pain every chance they were given. Especially her. She’d just admitted to being a skilled liar. For all he knew, everything she’d just said could be false to gain his sympathy.

He’d be damned if he gave her a chance to betray him again. And yet the idea of her being his did confusing things to him. His gut tightened, his fingers itched to touch her and he had the crazy urge to say something to alleviate her fear of him. Hell, he realized with disgust, I want to make her laugh just to see her smile. It was insane and wrong. His conflicting thoughts and emotions when it came to her made his rage burn hotter. Ellie, it seemed, had become a master manipulator and he didn’t ever want to be on the receiving end of it again.

Fury tried to focus on the present. He had his enemy within his sights and he had the opportunity to finally give some payback to at least one person who’d harmed him. So far he hadn’t been given a single occasion to even up the score. The worst offenders hadn’t been arrested to face punishment for what they’d done while others had fled into hiding. That left the woman before him as his only outlet.

His heart hammered erratically and an image filled his mind of the last time she’d run from him after she’d betrayed him. Memory returned so strongly that he staggered back a foot from the blow of emotions washing through him. She’d been so rushed that she’d missed the door and smacked into the wall in her haste to see him punished for what she’d done.

The animal inside him howled out for him to grab her. Chains no longer restrained him and drugs didn’t hold his body immobile. He tensed, every muscle rigid, and he saw her move back a step. He inhaled sharply—her fear was so strong he could taste it. It made his instincts scream to cover her, to protect her, even though it enraged him that she had that effect on him. He snarled as conflicting emotions battled.

She was the enemy yet he desperately wanted to touch her. The second she spun around and sprinted away, he lunged forward, charging after the woman he wanted more than anything else he’d ever desired in his life. There wasn’t a thing he could do to stop his animal from taking over.

Once again he’d totally lost all control.

Ellie felt the blood drain from her face as she watched raw emotions play over Fury’s features. The good intentions that held her in place scattered when she saw his feral look, heard his pained, animalistic snarl. She spun and sprinted away in panic. Fury closed the distance between them. Terror urged her to run faster. Her MP3 player slipped from her terrified fingers to crash onto the sidewalk a second before he grabbed her from behind.

Ellie opened her mouth to scream but slammed into the grass before she could get it out. His heavy body knocked the air from her lungs. He tore her headphones away. The weight on top of her shifted. Ellie sucked in air before he grabbed her again and his weight returned when Fury rolled her onto her back.

His large body pinned hers tightly against the damp grass. She attempted to shove him off but he didn’t budge. Her palms futilely pushed against his steely chest. She moaned in fear as she met his furious dark rage. Canine teeth flashed inches above her face in the dim light.

His hands gentled when they gripped her arms, jerked them quickly above her head, and he enclosed her wrists within one of his hands. He clenched his teeth, still showing fang-like canine teeth, and growled deep inside his chest. He vibrated against her body with the very terrifying sound he made.

“Please don’t hurt me,” she panted.

His chest shifted off her slightly, enough to let her breathe. Ellie gasped in more air. His eyes searched hers for something and she wondered what he wanted to see. Whatever he discovered made him softly curse. He released her wrists and rolled away suddenly to leap to his feet. Ellie remained sprawled on the grass staring up at him in shock that he’d let her go. She ached from his rough treatment and her heart raced.

“Get up,” he ordered harshly.

Ellie had to fight to stand. It wasn’t graceful, to be sure, but she rose to her feet. She wanted to flee again but didn’t have the strength.

“I told you that I’m sorry. What more do you want from me?” She inched closer to peer into his narrowed gaze. “Whatever it takes to make this up to you, just say the words. I’d do it. I’ll do anything to make things right between us. Name it.”

Fury watched her as he stepped closer but he remained silent and guarded. His hand shot out suddenly and wrapped slowly around her throat. Confusion turned to panic as Ellie realized that while his grip didn’t cause pain, something weird was happening to her. Both of her hands grasped frantically at his wrist. He used his free hand to tear her fingertips away from his skin.

Ellie’s knees collapsed under her but Fury didn’t allow her to fall, instead he held her up with his grip on her throat. She tried to scream but nothing came out. She stared into his eyes while she silently begged him to stop. Something in his gaze flickered and he suddenly released her fingers to wrap his arm around her waist instead. He tugged her tightly against his taller frame and cradled her as his head lowered to her ear.

“Don’t fight it,” he rasped.

Don’t fight? her mind screamed in terror. She knew she had to be turning blue. Her vision became spotty and his voice sounded far away. Ellie jerked inside his hold but Fury never looked away from her frightened eyes. Blackness threatened to overtake her but she fought it, wanting to live.

He swore he’d kill me and he is. I really didn’t believe he’d actually do it.

Fury released her throat the second Ellie’s body crumpled against him and pulled her tighter against his body. Now that he had stopped restricting the blood supply to her brain, she relaxed against him, unconscious and breathing easily. He had chosen the safest, quickest method to subdue her. She would have struggled harder and longer if he’d done anything else. This way, she was not harmed, just sleeping peacefully against him. He inhaled deeply, brushed his nose against her throat, and groaned. She smelled so good he wanted to strip them both bare and rub skin to skin against her.

A dog barked in the distance and Fury jerked his head up. His gaze darted around the park, instincts on instant alert. Guard patrols would be along soon. He knew their routine since he kept a close eye on the humans who thought they were in total control of Homeland. They had no idea that Fury and Justice secretly plotted to speed up the process of taking command of their own lives by training their people to do the human’s jobs. The humans thought they’d need a lot more time to learn how to be independent but they were wrong.

He stared down at the top of Ellie’s head, her face pressed against his chest, and then he lifted her gently into the cradle of his arms, backing up into the darkness to hide. It would be a challenge to get her to his house undetected but he was stealthy enough to pull it off.

He may as well be an assassin. Mercile Industries had trained them to fight but they’d never been able to control them. Species refused to harm other Species males regardless of the orders they’d been given. Mercile wanted recorded proof of their enhanced skills as evidence of what their blood drugs could do. If given the opportunity to attack their male guard captors, they did kill them, though they weren’t supposed to. The guards had been vicious, brutal, and Fury had taken a few of them out when they’d been lax enough to make a mistake.

Mercile Industries had spliced animal DNA into their genes and given them countless drugs, changing more than their appearances. His sense of smell heightened as he aged, he’d grown stronger, his reflexes faster than a typical male, and his instincts sometimes ruled his mind.

It had been difficult to manage the rage he sometimes experienced but he’d learned patience over the years. He’d learned control—for the most part. He glanced down at Ellie and frowned. He’d watched and listened to every word spoken between the doctors and staff while they’d run tests on him. Everything he’d heard had taught him the differences between humans and New Species.

Humans didn’t have the senses Species possessed. They couldn’t see in the dark or smell him if he was upwind of them. They also didn’t have his exceptional hearing. Humans didn’t possess their speed or strength, either, unless they were given drugs. Species’ alterations were permanent, but Mercile’s drugs couldn’t maintain the same effects in humans, long-term. Sometimes the drugs killed the human volunteers. They’d accidentally made New Species superior but had treated them as inferior.

Fury shifted Ellie’s unconscious body in his arms and carried her gently as he stalked through the shadows. He had no idea what to do with her once he reached home but his animal seemed content now that he possessed her. The man inside him plotted revenge. She’d offered to make it up to him and possibilities raced through his thoughts. He wouldn’t really harm her, wasn’t capable of that, but she could at least learn a lesson or two about what he’d suffered for her crime. A small part of him hoped some time alone with Ellie would cure him of the obsession she’d become.

* * * * *

Ellie woke confused at first, until memories returned with a rush. Her throat felt a little sore. She reached for it but her arms caught on something. Her eyes opened to stare at a white ceiling inside a dimly lit, unfamiliar room. She lifted her head to peer around.

The large bedroom contained dark furniture and a fire blazed in the hearth inside a corner fireplace, the source of the light. A toilet flushed, startling her. With a few tugs she discovered that her arms were stretched wide apart above her head, tied at the wrist with soft, black material that connected to the sides of the headboard.

After a brief blast of running water sounded, a door opened at the side of the room. Fury stepped out of the bathroom. She glanced at his naked chest and the black sweatpants he wore. Ellie’s fear increased, seeing his half undressed state. She warily studied his muscular build. He flipped the light off behind him, causing the room to darken again, hiding all the tiny details of his body.

“You’re awake.” His tone softened. He sounded deceptively calm under the circumstances. He moved toward the bed. “Good.”

He’d covered Ellie with a thick, soft blanket. She looked down and realized the top portion of her chest was bare and exposed. She moved her leg, feeling sheets against…bare skin. Her stunned gaze returned to Fury.

He stopped at the edge of the bed. “I removed your clothes.” He paused. “All of them.”

“Why?” Her voice came out raspy from her dry throat. Her fear level notched higher. Why would he bring her to his home and tie her naked to his bed? She had a really bad feeling and she didn’t want to know his answer, positive it would terrify her more.

“You know why.” He moved toward the nightstand. “Are you thirsty?”

She nodded. The bed dipped when he sat on the edge, grabbed the bottled water obviously placed there for her, and then twisted to face her. He reached out with one hand to gently slide it under her neck and lift as he brought the mouth of the bottle to her lips. She swallowed as much as she could without choking. He pulled back from her, his touch leaving her as he replaced the water on the nightstand.

“I thought long and hard about what to do to you,” he informed her softly. “I once wanted to kill you outright but that was before I knew you were a spy. I didn’t understand you were inside that hellish place to save my people.” He paused while he adjusted his position to sit sideways to stare at Ellie. “Now I’ve decided you can live.”

Her heart rate slowed and some of the terror eased. “Why am I here? Why did you take me from the park?”

Fury’s eyes narrowed. “You said you’d do anything to make it up to me. I decided you deserve some punishment.” He paused. “I also don’t know if I believe what you say. You are a spy, used to dealing in lies, and telling people what you think they want to hear to avoid danger. You injured my pride, betrayed my trust, and you need to pay for that. Do you know how they made me suffer for killing the technician?”

She gaped at him. “What?” Her mind reeled at his words. Oh no. Pain squeezed her heart.

“They were angry that I’d killed that male. They punished me for what you’d done.”

Chapter Four

Ellie saw the truth in his grim expression. She’d hoped they wouldn’t punish Fury for Jacob’s death. The technician had assaulted him, had planned to rape, and would have killed him. Tears filled her eyes and she had to blink them back.

“I didn’t know.” She hated to ask but needed to know. “What did they do to you?”

A soft growl passed his parted lips. “Do you want to hear the details to enjoy the suffering you caused me?”

“No!” It horrified her that he’d accuse her of that. “I didn’t think they’d do anything to really harm you. I swear, Fury. They thought you were too valuable to kill, they put so much money into you, and it honestly never crossed my mind that anyone would care about Jacob’s death after what that son of a bitch tried to do to you.”

“They did.” He leaned forward a little, glaring down at her. “They tortured me in retaliation for his death. They caused me great pain. You had to know that. You were a skilled spy and avoided the penalty of his death.”

“I just wanted to save you. My handler promised it could be a matter of only days before they attempted to rescue you if I could smuggle out those computer files. I risked it all to rush into that room to stop Jacob from killing you. I lied to everyone at the testing facility but I’m not lying to you. I’m not really a spy either. I was a nurse, Fury.” She paused. “I worked at Mercile Industries at their corporate offices handing out aspirins until someone approached me to go undercover. This agent shared the rumors circulating about a secret testing facility with live subjects, human ones, and it outraged me that a company could do that.”

“Why?” His tone roughened.

“It’s one thing for someone to volunteer to allow a research company to test experimental drugs on them. They know what they are signing up for and I figure some people have nothing to lose if they are sick enough to take those risks. It’s entirely something else when people are forced against their will to take whatever is forced upon them. The rumors said they’d locked people up. I worked for them and that meant I had accidentally become a part of what they did. I just wanted to make it right.”

“Why would you care what happened to me or my people? Why would you risk your life to save me?”

Ellie carefully debated her words. “I watched you from an observation room I accidentally discovered days after I started working there. All the doors were so similar that I thought it was a supply room. That mirror in your room was two-way. I sometimes sneaked in there to check on you.” She didn’t mention it had been daily, not wanting him to know she’d been nearly obsessed with making sure he was fine. “I respected your courage and you wouldn’t allow them to break your spirit. What they did was a crime. I happened to be in there taking a break when Jacob entered your cell and I overheard him say he planned to kill you. I just couldn’t stand by without doing something.”

Fury seemed to ponder her explanation. “You never stopped any of the other things they did to me. Did you watch when they forced females into my cell and beat them to make us have sex together? Did you enjoy watching that?”

Horror kept Ellie silent. She’d had no idea the doctors had been doing those kinds of things. Perhaps because she was a recent transfer they had purposely kept her in the dark. Jacob hadn’t been the only one to sexually assault Fury. It made her sick inside. She wondered if they would have tried to force her to try to have sex with any of the male Species if she hadn’t helped bust the testing facility.

“They made you have sex with women? I didn’t know. I never saw any women inside your cell when I came in. Was it the other nurses and technicians? I never heard anything about it, Fury. I swear.”

“They were New Species females. They tried for years to breed us. They needed to make more of us but couldn’t successfully replicate the procedures they’d used to create us in the first place. I heard enough to know the doctor who had successfully spliced our genetics with animals had left them when we were young, took her research, destroyed what they had, and they wanted more of us. We were growing older and they feared we’d die.” Anger changed his voice to a growl. “An infant or a puppy? That was what one of those doctors joked. He laughed over the concept of finding out if our women were impregnated.” Fury’s voice deepened into a growl. “Did you ever try to save any of them from being forced to have sex?”

He had so many reasons to hate. His rage, directed at her, was even more understandable. “I didn’t know about any of that. I never even saw one of your women. I was the lowest-level technician with very limited movement within the facility. It came as a shock later when I heard there were females rescued. I only saw males, Fury.”

“You didn’t ask. The females were sometimes raped by the technicians. It angers me that you intervened for me but not them.”

“I asked plenty of questions but they told me it wasn’t any of my business. I had been ordered not to push too hard for answers for fear Mercile would grow suspicious of me. My handler thought they’d kill me if they had any inkling why I wanted to know exactly what they were doing down there and he was right.”

Ellie blinked hard to hold back tears. She knew horrors had been committed in the name of science but the things done to Fury and his kind staggered her. They had been treated as though they were guinea pigs, tools, and nothing more. Taking blood samples, forcing drugs into their systems, and keeping them locked up had been horrible but hearing they’d been forced to have sex, used as breeders, sickened her.

“I believed you wouldn’t harm me. Were you aware of that? When I didn’t growl at you every time you entered my cell, did that amuse you? I didn’t want to frighten you. You were kind with your smiles and tender with your needles. When you killed that technician, at first I believed you did it to prevent me from suffering.” His features tensed and his voice grew deeper, each word carefully pronounced. “Yet you left me there to be tortured by the guards for your crime. They whipped me and took turns inflicting pain. Some of them were his friends. They weren’t allowed to kill me but they caused great harm.”

Tears slid down the sides of her face. “I am sorry. I—” She knew nothing she said would erase his hate of her but she had to try. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know they’d do that. I thought only Jacob had it out for you after you’d broken his nose. I knew they valued you too much to kill you. I never thought they were doing breeding experiments either. I thought you’d be safe long enough for me to smuggle the evidence out and help could reach you. I wouldn’t have told them you’d killed him if I’d known you’d pay for what I did.”

His fangs flashed when his lips parted. “Thanks. Is that what you’re expecting to hear? You prevented him from raping and killing me. Should I be grateful for the hours they just tormented me?”

“No.” Maybe. Confusion silenced her. “You’re alive and he didn’t rape you. Doesn’t that count for something? I didn’t stand idly by while it happened. I risked my life by going inside that cell to try to save you. I had to make them think you’d killed him in self-defense and I never meant any harm to come to you. I had to do it, Fury. Please try to understand. That evidence I smuggled out ended up being the key factor that swayed a judge to issue the search warrants that located your people. If I’d told those security guards I’d killed Jacob they never would have allowed me to leave. I’d have died and you’d still be locked inside a cell along with all your people. Doesn’t that matter at all?”

He took a deep breath. When he spoke, he’d obviously calmed a bit since he didn’t snarl anymore. “Sorry doesn’t change what happened to me, does it? It doesn’t take it back what you did to me or how betrayed I feel. I trusted you, yet I paid for your actions. I am not going to kill you but I plan to make certain you understand humiliation and helplessness.”

Fury agonized over how stupid he’d been to trust Ellie. The guards had even teased him before that incident about not snarling at her when she’d come into his cell.

He’d borne their harsh words and accusations that he wanted to mount the human female, their cruel taunts that she’d never want an animal to fuck her, but she’d been his weakness. The sense of betrayal had run deep after that day. He’d spent months hating her, reliving the torture he’d suffered and blaming her for it. She’d left him on the floor, sent guards in to kick him then chain him back to the wall where the abuse had continued.

Humans were deceitful, cruel creatures. He had already misjudged Ellie once. The painful memory of her actions tore at his heart. He would never allow her to fool him again by lulling him into a false sense of trust.

Every human he’d cared about had betrayed him. Memories surfaced from his late childhood. He’d almost thought of Doctor Vela as a mother. She’d given him cookies, a rare treat he’d looked forward to. He would have done anything for her. She’d promised he could earn his freedom if he became a skilled fighter. They had even videotaped him to show off how their drugs worked on his body.

It had been a lie to manipulate him into compliance. When they’d come to take him away to another facility, she’d laughed at him over how incredibly naïve and stupid he’d been.

Hell had begun after that when they’d taught him to endure physical pain. That torture continued into adulthood. The beatings he’d endured as they’d tried to create drugs that would heal humans faster, the sickness and pain he’d suffered on the failed ones that nearly killed him—all those memories surfaced now.

There had been the female guard who promised to help him escape. He had been young, ruled by lust, and still experienced shame at how badly he’d wanted to mount the woman. Her name left a bitter taste in his mouth. Mary had unlocked his chains and he’d followed her out of his cell, down a long corridor, and straight into the trap they’d set up to test his fighting skills against a dozen heavily armed fighters.

They had hit him with clubs and shot him with Taser guns, and Mary had cheered on the guards from the sideline while he’d struggled to survive. Afterward she’d crouched by his bloodied body, shaking her head. Her words had killed something vital inside him.

“You didn’t really think I’d want you touching me, did you? You’re nothing but an animal, 416.” She’d smiled at the men around them and risen to her feet. “Too bad we’re not allowed to kill him. Take him back to his cell. Did you catch all that on camera, Mike? That should impress Doctor Trent with how much he endured before he went down. One of the doctors has a new batch of drugs they want to test on him to see if they can speed up the healing process. You did good, guys.”

He’d lost consciousness then, but if he hadn’t, he would have tried to kill her. He wanted revenge on everyone who had ever hurt him, lied to him, and betrayed him.

Ellie stared up at him with her big, fearful beautiful eyes. If she wasn’t face-to-face with him would she laugh at how stupid he’d been to trust her? Had he been a source of amusement to snicker about when he’d allowed her close without snarling at her or fighting his chains? Had she joked with the staff that 416 seemed not to hate her?

“I’ll stay away from you if you let me go. That’s what you want, right? I’ll quit my job and leave Homeland.” Hope flared in her blue eyes. “You’ll never have to see me again.”

Anger surged, hot and fierce, throughout Fury’s body. If she were truly regretful of her actions, she’d take whatever punishment he dealt out to make them even. That’s what honorable people did. She’d told him she would be willing to do anything to make things right between them but now she asked for mercy. A growl tore from his throat.

Ellie watched as Fury’s expression twisted with the anger that burned inside his gaze. She realized that asking him to release her had somehow set him off. She tensed.

He moved then, grabbed the blanket, and jerked. In a heartbeat he’d torn it away from the bed to expose Ellie’s nakedness. He stood and stared down at her with a callous expression.

“You should understand how it feels to be naked, unable to move, while someone else has control over what is done to you. That’s part of what you did to me. You saw every inch of me exposed. How does it feel to be helpless, Ellie?”

Embarrassment heated her cheeks and she tried to twist away, to roll onto her side, but he’d tied her too tightly. She could only curl her legs up protectively while she tried to use them to cover her breasts. She understood humility without him doing this to her but she didn’t say it aloud.

“Then there was touching involved so I’m going to do that to you as well. That’s fair, isn’t it? Do you know what it is like to have someone’s hands sliding along your skin? Touching your sex? I understand you needed to remove the painful restrictive thing he put on me but your touch lingered. Don’t think I didn’t notice.”

Ellie stiffened with shock and dread but then she took a quick breath. It wasn’t easy but she fought down the panic that tried to overtake her. She understood that he needed revenge. He couldn’t get back at Jacob because she’d killed him and left Fury to suffer for it. She had touched him, gawked at his body, soaked in every naked inch. She supposed she deserved it. He said he wasn’t going to kill her. She could take it if humiliating her was the worst he planned. He’d been beaten and tortured. Some embarrassment seemed tame in comparison.

“Go ahead and look. I do understand.” She eased her legs flat on the mattress and kept still. “Just please don’t hurt me.”

A confused look marred his features as their gazes locked. He glared down at her while he climbed onto the bed to crouch over her body on all fours.

“What?” He sounded as shocked as he looked.

“I understand,” she whispered. “Do it.”

He clenched his teeth but then lowered his body over hers until he caged her under him. If terrifying her had been his plan, he’d succeeded. The silence stretched between them. Her heart rate slowed.

“Reverse psychology doesn’t work on me but I want you to know I won’t hurt you,” he whispered. “I would never make you suffer what I did. I could never bring myself to punch you or make you bleed. I believe I have come up with something fitting. I’m going to touch you. Do you know what is worse than being tortured with pain?”

She didn’t want to know the answer. So far all the responses Fury had given didn’t bode well for her. He waited for an answer, though, and she didn’t want his rage to return. She had to say something.

“No. I think pain is the worst thing ever.”

“It’s when your own body betrays you by wanting something you know you shouldn’t. You learn to expect being let down by others but never yourself. It is a great, humble lesson to learn. It will also give us both the answer to a question on my mind at this moment.”

What does that mean? She frowned. He grinned wolfishly. Her heart raced as his gaze lowered to her breasts. One hand brushed over her stomach so lightly it tickled. His palm slid higher until he cupped one of her breasts with a hot, large hand. Alarm shot through Ellie when he gently squeezed.

“Soft. For a woman your size, these are larger than I expected.” He lowered his head when he released his hold on her.

Ellie gasped as his warm breath fanned across her breast a second before Fury’s hot, wet mouth latched on to her nipple. His teeth scraped the sensitive skin as he flicked a raspy-textured tongue over the bud of her breast. Ellie jerked under him and tightly squeezed her eyes closed.

Pleasure shot from her nipple straight into her belly that quivered. She bit her lip to silence a moan, shocked that she’d react that strongly to him. He sucked harder, the strong tugs from his mouth sending jolts through Ellie’s entire body. He didn’t hurt her but she knew he could have. Liquid heat dampened her thighs and she squeezed them together under his body, proof of how turned on she’d become.

This is worse, she decided, as her body responded to Fury’s seduction. The arousal he forced her to feel made her stomach clench and with every tug of his mouth, she swore she could feel it on her clit instead. The relentless lips refused to release her breast, the pleasure nearly becoming painful, and her body burned. What he did to her had to be the most incredibly erotic thing she’d ever experienced. She bit her lip but was unable to stop the soft moan that escaped.

His mouth pulled back, drawing her nipple taut until he let go. Ellie swallowed hard as she stared into a pair of intense brown eyes. A soft growl came from the back of his throat. He tore his gaze from hers to lower his attention down her body once more.

“See, Ellie?” He spoke in a raspy, sexy voice. “I am in control of your body. You can’t stop me from making you respond this time.” He glanced up to lock gazes with her. “Despite what Jacob had done to me that day, I wanted you, and this is the perfect revenge. You made my cock harden after you touched me and your scent of arousal filled my cell. It hurt me more than your abandonment. Now you have a taste of knowing unfulfilled desire put there by someone you tried to resist.”

She stared into his eyes as his words sank in. Mortification from her overpowering response to his seduction left her speechless. Ellie’s dignity definitely was injured. She’d been betrayed by a body tingling from the touch of a man who hated her. She hoped he’d feel better, think they were even, and he’d let her go. She relaxed under him. Yeah, this is definitely a perfect way to get revenge, she concurred. She blinked back tears, waited until she was calm enough to speak again.

“Are we even now?”She hated the way she spoke in a breathless whisper.

Dark eyes lifted to meet hers. “Even? Not yet. I said the perfect revenge.”

“But you just”

He growled softly. “They hurt me for hours. I could torment you for hours with my mouth and hands. There many ways to make someone ache.”

Ellie gaped at him. He scooted lower and his hands encircled her thighs to shove them wide apart. His arms slid under her legs and wrapped around them to pin them open with his shoulders pressed against the inside of her thighs.

Ellie tried to slam her knees together after the initial shock but his body was in the way. He tore his attention from her face to where he had her pussy openly displayed under his chin, seemed to study her, and then his head lowered. Shock, dismay, and surprise gripped her. She could feel his hot breath touching her exposed inner folds and clit.

“Wait!” Ellie struggled, wiggled her hips, and bucked to get out of his hold when he turned his face to lick the inside of her thigh. She jerked on the bed, tried to twist away, but he refused to let go. He displayed his strength when he pinned her tighter until she couldn’t move at all. His jaw brushed her skin, rubbed her higher on her inner thigh, back and forth, caressing gently.

“Will you hold your legs open so I can touch you with my hands? I’ll release your wrists from the headboard if you do as I say.”

“I don’t do this on a first date or even a fifth one. I’m not comfortable with anyone going down on me.” She yanked frantically at the material binding her wrists. She bucked her hips but she couldn’t squirm free from his powerful embrace. “Punish me some other way but not that. I angered you but I didn’t purposely embarrass you, did I? You want us even but I didn’t put my mouth below your waist.”

“I didn’t think you’d agree. I’ll use my hands to hold you still.”

“Not like this,” she begged.

Fury cocked his head. “Like this?”

“Don’t touch me just to get revenge.”

“Oh, Ellie,” he rasped. “I want you. Don’t you know that? This is far beyond something as simple as payback. Tell me yes so I can give us both what we need.”

Ellie saw passion burning in his beautiful brown eyes. He looked incredibly sexy and her body ached with need at seeing his handsome face between her thighs, so close to where she hurt the most, and she relaxed. She nodded, realized she’d probably just lost her mind, but Fury’s expression of relief validated her agreement.

Ellie gasped when his tongue flickered over the most sensitive spot on her body. His lips sealed over the small bundle of nerves and his tongue applied pressure, teasing up and down over her clit. She froze, tensed, and the sensations of his suckling mouth spread throughout her body.

He’s really doing it. He Oh God. That feels so good.

His tongue had an unusual texture and the response he drew from her with each lick, every suck, almost hurt, but in the best way possible. He kept the pressure on and his tongue moved against her clit without pause, without hesitation. She couldn’t stop making the loud moans that filled the room as she threw her head back, her fingers gripping the material around her wrists, just for something to hang on to.

He’s going to kill me after all, she thought. It wasn’t going to be from him strangling her or breaking her neck. He planned to lick her to death, make her body hurt in delicious ways, and ache painfully to come. She tried to reason with herself, tried to remember that she hated men going down on her, had never enjoyed it, but a growl from Fury sent vibrations against her swollen bud. She lost her train of thought, only able to feel just him, Fury, and his mouth that made her quiver and burn with need.

The climax hit her brutally, an explosion of ecstasy that made her cry out loudly as it rippled through her shaking body. Her muscles trembled, shook, and her mind shut down. She lost all ability to think, to form words, just able to experience the white-hot haze of pleasure until his mouth released her.

Ellie had to catch her breath. Her oversensitive body shivered when his hands released her legs gently and hot skin brushed against her mound, her lower stomach, and then her breasts as he rose up her body until they were face-to-face.

If he killed her now she wouldn’t even care. She was a breathing marshmallow. Boneless. Hell, she thought, I’ve never felt better in my whole life. She opened her eyes to stare into his beautiful dark ones.

“I should walk away from the room, leaving you here without a single backward glance. That’s what you did to me.”

I don’t care anymore if she is lying to me, Fury thought, licking his lips, the honeyed taste of her passion driving his need to completely possess Ellie to an unbearable painful ache. She was so sweet, so responsive, and he no longer wanted to think the worst of her while staring into her beautiful eyes. He wanted to believe, even for the time he had with her, that every word she uttered would be absolute truth.

Pathetic, he silently berated his line of thinking. He had lost his mind over a small, frail human. He’d sworn to never allow one to get too close to him, but there he lay, on a bed with one—his Ellie.

He’d not only lost his temper but his tight rein on his animalist urges and his mind. He’d also lost his heart to her. She was human, not to be trusted, yet he still wanted her. When did I become a masochist?

Chapter Five

Ellie opened her mouth to speak but there were no words to take away the bitter expression on his handsome face. She’d helped put it there and no excuse could change the past. She stared at him and closed her mouth. Fury’s focus lowered to her chest. The hesitation only slight until he raised his hand to cup her breast again, held it gently, and she arched her back to press tighter against his palm. His gaze returned to hers.

“I want you. I hate it but I hurt to be inside you, to know what it would feel like to have you wrapped around me, and the pleasure I think I could find with you. I’ve never wanted a woman more. Tell me I can have you or help me remember that I can’t ever forgive what you did to me. Say something, anything, to remind me why I shouldn’t hurt to be with you so much it makes it hard for me to breathe.”

The look in his eyes as they watched each other nearly stopped Ellie’s heart. She saw so many emotions there—desire, longing, a little fear, and raw passion. Her tongue came out to wet her lips. A soft growl came from Fury but it wasn’t an angry sound, more of a groan. She understood. He wanted her.

She slowly nodded. She wanted him as much as he did her, had from the first moment she’d ever seen him locked inside a cell. He’d been so proud despite his circumstances, the pure masculine beauty of his fit body had tempted her passion, and his powerful presence had strongly drawn her to him.

“Say it,” he urged.

“Yes,” she whispered.

His eyes closed for long seconds before he looked at her again. “Wrap around me.”

She hesitated for only a second before she shifted her legs and her heels brushed the bare, warm skin on the back of his thighs. He lifted more, positioning himself until he pressed against her pussy with the thick tip of his cock. Her body was already wet with need when he nudged against her entrance to penetrate her. He slid easily through her silky folds but missed the mark.

Frustration tightened his features. He braced his arm on the bed, suspended his upper body weight on one arm and reached between their stomachs until he gripped the shaft of his cock to hold it steady and lined them up perfectly. He paused there, hovering.

“You’re much smaller than our women. I’ll try not to harm you.”

Harm me? She was aware of the size difference between them, had never considered herself tiny, but at that moment she realized she was, compared to him. She opened her mouth to ask him what he meant but he lowered his weight to allow gravity to work in his favor before she could say a word. Ellie’s eyes widened with shock as the blunt, thick crown of his cock pressed hard against her, breeched her channel, and forced her body to stretch to take him. Panic became the next emotion to leap out when he pushed deeper inside her pussy.

“You’re too big,” she gasped.

He froze as their gazes met. His eyes narrowed almost to slits and his breathing turned harsh. “You can take me,” he snarled. “I want you too bad. I’ll be gentle.”

He lowered more over her body, sinking into her deeper. Her muscles stretched to accommodate his thick shaft as he continued to penetrate her, giving her body no choice but to take him. He didn’t stop until he was fully seated inside her snug channel. He paused to allow her to adjust to his size. Ellie breathed hard but had to admit the sensation of being so full felt incredibly good. He moved, withdrew a few inches, slowly, and then pushed back in.

A moan tore from her lips. He was big and broad enough to rub against every sensitive nerve ending that flared to life. She had nothing to fear from Fury. Her body enjoyed the tight fit of them together. He tensed and a soft groan passed his parted lips, while their gazes remained on each other.

“I knew it would be this incredible,” he stated in a raspy voice. “Too good.” Anger tightened his features then for a few heartbeats. “Damn you for affecting me this strongly, Ellie.”

A snarl tore from his parted lips and then he moved again, withdrew slightly before he again slid deep inside her pussy. She cried out again in pleasure, his amazingly rigid cock creating pure ecstasy that gripped her. She’d never experienced that level of sexual magnificence. He moved again, repeated the slow thrusting but driving into her harder. Ellie cried out in delight of that movement and the way his shaft slid against her swollen clit, his hips angled in a way that kept him from crushing her under his bigger body. Her body became so sexually excited, her pussy so wet, and the pleasure so intense she realized she wouldn’t last long. It stunned her to react to a man so powerfully. She’d never even considered it possible to come from just a man fucking her without a lot of other stimulation but then, Fury wasn’t just any man.

Fury moved faster, the intense pleasure increasing until Ellie knew she couldn’t take it anymore. Her vaginal walls clamped tightly around his driving shaft, she swore that his cock became even harder inside her, and screamed out, her body seizing as the climax gripped her in hot flashes of delight. Her muscles twitched and milked him as he continued to move inside her.

He jerked out of her and turned his hips to the side as he eased down her body a good foot. He roared out his own release loudly and his face dropped to her chest. Sharp teeth softly raked her breast while Fury trembled as warm jets of his semen damped her thigh as he came. He had purposely withdrawn from her at the end.

Ellie admitted being a little disappointed when she could think again after the blissful haze passed. Fury not coming inside her had left her feeling empty and as though he didn’t want to share that kind of intimacy with her. She opened her eyes to peer at the top of his dark head, his face still pressed against her breasts, and his hot, heavy breathing fanning her skin. She wished she could wrap her arms around his shoulders and hold him tightly.

Fury had pulled out of her before he could risk harming or horrifying her with the changes made to his body inside the testing facility. He doubted she had knowledge of the sexual differences between his kind and hers. It amazed him that he’d kept enough control to remember he couldn’t come inside her since the second he’d entered Ellie’s body he’d known pure heaven for the first time in his life. Jerking out of her body had been difficult, almost impossible. He’d wanted to fill her with his essence and mark her with his scent.

Touching her, making love to her and tasting her had been far better than he could have imagined. Hell, he could get addicted to her. I may already be, a small part of his mind warned.

She was human, not truly his, and he needed to remember that. As much as he wished he could keep her tied to his bed, make love to her until he had her too tired to attempt to leave, he knew he couldn’t do it. At some point someone would look for her when they realized she’d gone missing.

She’d resent being held captive no matter how much pleasure he gave her. He knew all about being locked up and restrained. He may have done it to her to get her into his bed once but to force her to stay there long-term would be unforgivable. She’d grow to hate him. He couldn’t bear the thought.

Frustration bloomed inside his chest even as he jerked from another contraction of pleasure. He had marked her with his seed on her thigh and damn it, he thought of her as his already. She’d belonged to him from the moment she’d walked into his cell, touched him, then killed Jacob to protect him. He just couldn’t keep her. It infuriated him into a blinding rage now that he believed she hadn’t intended to be cruel by blaming the death on him.

He fought it and kept his face against her skin to hide his expression. The rage started to ease and then he smelled her blood. His eyes shot open and he licked his lips, tasting it there. In horror he realized what he’d done.

“Fuck,” he growled viciously.

That is exactly what he thinks we just did, Ellie thought. But it meant more to me than just sex. His head lifted from her chest, making it easier to catch her breath. His still rigid cock bumped against her pussy and made Ellie aware she’d become very sensitive in that area. It had been a long time since she’d had sex.

Fury pushed up with his hands to lift off her hips and crouched over her, keeping her body pinned between his arms and legs while he hovered there. “Damn it,” he sighed. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you, Ellie.”

Hurt me? That confused her. What they had shared had been pretty incredible. Mind blowing, extreme climax, the hardest she’d ever come in her life. She followed the path of his gaze to find his attention fixed on her right breast. She had to lift her head to see better and was startled when she saw a tiny amount of blood smeared over the side of her right breast and running into the valley between them. Her gaze flew to his and saw the regret on his handsome face. She wondered what had caused the bleeding and who it had come from.

He opened his mouth but nothing came out. He clamped his lips together, a furious expression etched on his features, and then he nearly leapt from the bed to storm into the bathroom. She was momentarily blinded from the bright light when he flipped a switch but watched him disappear inside the other room.

She carefully closed her legs. Yeah, I’m going to tender for a while, she silently admitted, her sex feeling a little swollen and sensitive to any movement. He’d been larger than average and she’d gone without sex since her divorce, having sworn off men after that nightmare.

She experienced slight shame over the fact that she’d so easily been turned on by Fury but she’d wanted him since she’d first laid eyes on him inside that cold testing facility. She’d never imagined the possibility of being with him, tied to a bed, in a different place. Not the kind of ending after hot sex I hoped for if we ever got together. What a disaster. The sound of running water came from the other room, pulling her from her thoughts.

Fury reappeared in seconds and she felt proud that she remained so calm under the strange and stressful circumstances. He refused to glance at her face, instead concentrating on her chest. He held a wet hand towel when he perched on the edge of the bed.

“Allow me tend to you. I really didn’t mean to inflict pain.”

“I’m not hurt.” She spoke softly but knew he heard her. “Just release me.”

“I’m going to clean you up.” He sighed. “You’re bleeding. I nicked you with my teeth but I didn’t bite into you. It’s just a scratch but deep enough to bleed.”

Great. My blood. At least it didn’t hurt. “Just let me go and I’ll tend to it.”

“No.” He carefully wiped at the skin just under her right breast, tenderly dabbing there. He hesitated and then cleaned her thigh where he’d left his sexual mark, washed away his semen.

Hot sex had turned into a calamity. Her passion cooled to leave a bitter aftertaste. Fury didn’t hold her after sex, no tender words came from him unless an apology for making her bleed counted. And he washed away the evidence of passion he’d left on her, as cold as the wet cloth he used to do it with. She suddenly wanted to leave in the worst way and forget what had happened between them.

She attempted to hide how embarrassed it made her feel that she’d come apart under him when Fury probably still hated her. It had all just been an act of revenge regardless of what he’d claimed though it had meant a hell of a lot more to her. She wanted to get away from him before she fell apart. It would happen soon. She hoped he had found the kind of justice he had been looking for.

“We’re even now, right?” She fought back the wave of tears that threatened. Don’t cry, damn it. She kept repeating that a few times. Her emotions were too close to the surface and she felt vulnerable. She also didn’t want him to feel worse for the nick he’d given her. He could mistake her tears for physical pain. A remorseful expression marred his grim features. They had enough misunderstandings between them to last a lifetime. She didn’t want to add to them.

His dark gaze lifted to hers. He studied her for a long moment and an emotion she couldn’t read flickered in his dark eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but he never got the words out. Loud pounding suddenly fractured the silence.

“Damn it,” Fury snarled.

He stood from the bed and stormed toward the bathroom door. It shocked Ellie how quickly he could move. He threw the wet hand towel through the open bathroom door. He spun, returned to the bed, and reached down to grab the blanket he’d removed from her earlier. He spread it over her once again to cover her from breast to feet. In the next heartbeat he yanked on his sweats before he lunged out of the room. The bedroom door slammed closed behind him.

Ellie lay there wondering if she should yell for help. If she drew attention by calling out they’d find her tied naked to his bed with the injury from his teeth. It would appear really bad. They probably would assume he’d sexually assaulted her. She didn’t want anyone to arrest him for a crime he hadn’t committed.

He’d already paid dearly for a crime he didn’t commit. She’d never suffered a moment for killing Jacob. She remained silent so that whoever had come to his home wouldn’t hear her. She’d rather take her chances of facing whatever else Fury wanted to dish out than get him into any kind of trouble. We have to be even now, she reasoned. He’ll release me after his company leaves.

The door to the room was suddenly flung wide open. The blood drained from Ellie’s face and dread filled her when Justice stomped into the bedroom. He wore a yellow T-shirt and blue jeans and his long hair was pulled back in a ponytail so his features weren’t hidden. She couldn’t miss the look of shock and horror that transformed them. Ellie flinch from the certainty that he made all kinds of wrong assumptions. After a stunned moment he moved forward, snarled and paused at the side of the bed. Fury filled the bedroom door, pale and silent. He wouldn’t meet her gaze but instead had his chin lowered, staring at the carpet.

Justice grabbed the blanket and tore it back. Ellie made a horrified sound, startled at having her body totally exposed to a stranger. Another snarl erupted from Justice’s throat. He threw the blanket back over Ellie to shield her nakedness before dropping to sit on the edge of the bed. His outraged glare fixed on Fury while he reached for her arm. He yanked the ties at her wrist, freeing it when he broke the material from the headboard.

“How could you do this?” Justice growled in a very harsh voice.

He stood, rounded the bed and freed Ellie’s other arm. He placed his body between her and Fury, his back to her. Ellie sat up, rubbed her wrists, and carefully kept the blanket shielding her body. She couldn’t see Fury at all with the big male between them.

“How could you do this, Fury? How? She saved us. She put her life on the line to help us. You are alive regardless of what it was she did to you. You are breathing! We are trying to prove to humans that we are more than animals and you take her by force? You raped her in your bed as if you are a rabid dog? Damn it! They are going to lock you up for this. I don’t think I can protect you and I don’t know if I want to at this point. How could you do this? You know what is at stake. Our people need guidance and protection! You’re my second in command. If I fall, you lead.” Justice’s voice lowered, calmed. “You are breaking my heart. You hurt this woman. I smell her blood, and because you injured her, it will cause untold problems for us. What the hell do you think you were doing? Have you lost your mind? This just reinforces the belief that we’re mindless animals, too dangerous to run free.”

Shame burned through Fury while he stared into Justice’s shocked gaze. He knew he’d let his people down when he’d kidnapped Ellie. He had taken the responsibility of leadership yet he’d allowed his feelings for the woman to make him do things he knew were wrong. He’d chosen her over them, something he swore he’d never do when he’d taken the job as Justice’s second in command.

“I’m sorry,” Fury whispered.

Justice softly growled. “What is wrong with you? Have you lost it? Did something make you snap? I can’t and won’t allow you to get away with this. You must be disciplined harshly to set an example.”

“I expect nothing less.” Fury took a deep breath. He had known he would be punished before he’d touched Ellie, and he would accept any consequences that came his way. He’d wanted Ellie more than the most important thing in his life—his people.

When New Species had been freed a lot of them had wanted to wage a war on all humans but Justice had been the calm voice of reason. To survive they needed to work with the humans who had freed them. When they’d been told they were being given Homeland, a place to live in peace, a place where they could rebuild their lives, Justice had come to Fury and asked him to help guide them into their new way of life. Fury had agreed quickly, willing to shoulder any burden that came his way as long as he could be of use.

He’d taken over training their security teams and shown them how to control their inner beasts. The irony wasn’t lost on him. He hadn’t practiced what he preached. He’d gone after something he knew he couldn’t haveEllie. He’d brought her into his home and seduced her regardless of the cost.

He couldn’t regret the action. Even the small amount of time with her had been worth whatever pain he’d endure. He had tasted her, touched her, and knew how wonderful it felt to be that close to her. If they locked him up her image would keep him company, her voice committed to memory forever, her beautiful eyes etched into his soul. He could forever close his eyes and hear her, picture her.

“Are you all right?” Justice glanced back at Ellie.

“Yes.” She cleared her throat.

Justice’s attention snapped back to him. Fury met his stern look with a grim determination. He’d make sure everyone knew the blame rested solely on his shoulders. He’d distance himself from New Species, hope the humans didn’t blame others for his actions, and take whatever punishment they meted out to him without complaint or excuses.

Justice’s disappointment and shock wounded him deeply. He knew how much rested upon his behavior. He’d let his people down, his best friend, and himself.

“I can’t do this alone, Fury,” Justice informed him softly, a pained look on his face. “I needed you to hold it together for all of us. Director Boris has fought me every step of the way on us taking control of Homeland. He’s trying to tell the President we’re not capable of running our own lives. He honestly believes we’re more animal than human, little more than trained to speak and mimic them. He hasn’t come straight out by saying it but his contempt is so strong it’s impossible to ignore.”

“I’m sorry.”

“This is just going to justify his accusations. We have to work twice as hard to show them we are their equals and we are a race of intelligent, responsible people. You couldn’t have totally lost your mind at a worse time.”

“I realize it will reflect badly on the NSO. I’ll take full responsibility, assure them I’m the only one flawed, and you will need to press for them to deal with me severely.”

Justice studied his friend. “You aren’t yourself. Why?”

Fury’s attention drifted toward the bed but he still couldn’t see Ellie around Justice’s large frame. He met his friend’s curious gaze.

“I think you know why. There’s something about her that I can’t ignore. It’s not just anger. There’s more to it than that.”

A few Species males had experienced overwhelming urges to mate with certain females, to keep them very close, make them theirs, but none of them had given in to those instincts. Not that they’d been given the chance while they’d been prisoners. They’d been kept separated except for those times that females had been brought to them for breeding.

They were aware of the problem though. It only had happened to a few times inside the testing facilities but they had discussed the potential problem if more Species suffered from what they’d deemed a need to mate. I have that need, Fury admitted. He was pretty certain a mating was for life too because of how strongly Ellie affected him. He couldn’t see ever wanting to let her go.

Justice started back with worry and understanding etched on his features. “How bad is it?”

“Overwhelming, obviously. I’ve been fighting it tooth and nail.” His shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused but…” He left the rest unsaid.

He still didn’t regret it, even knowing how deep was the hole he’d dug. He glanced up to try to see Ellie again but Justice continued to block his view of her. He’d had her once. It would never be enough but at least he’d have the memory to savor.

Ellie spotted her clothes on the floor by the bed. Fury must have stripped her and just dropped them there. Her ID card and her shoes were there too. She moved slowly, definitely tender between her thighs from their bout of hot sex, and slid her butt to the edge of the bed. She kept the blanket around her. She grabbed her clothes and frantically started to put them on. The men seemed to be having a staring contest.

“The human security guards are searching everywhere for the woman.” Justice paused. “They found her broken electrical equipment by the pond and suspect something has happened to her. The second I became aware of her identity I came here, hoping you hadn’t done something stupid. We need to inform them she is here. She’ll need medical attention and you need to face the penalty of your crime. She isn’t one of us. I think they will make you face their law punishment. I don’t know what those are but you have to stand up for it for all our sakes. Don’t fight if they arrest you. I know the urge will be strong if they chain you but don’t make this worse.”

“I won’t struggle,” Fury swore softly. “I’ll call them now.”

Ellie finished dressing. She shoved on her shoes and stood. The movement made her aware of discomfort when her shirt rubbed under her sore breast. She didn’t take the time to check on how bad the scratch from his teeth was, promising do that later after she reached home. She took tentative steps toward the door.

“Excuse me.” She cleared her throat.

Justice turned his head to meet her gaze, a grim frown twisting his full lips.

Ellie didn’t glance at Fury. “I am going to return to the dorm now so please don’t call anyone. I’ll tell them I’ve been visiting a friend. Don’t get security involved in this. Fury and I are even now. There won’t be any more problems between us.” She forced herself to look at Fury then, seeing shock slacken his handsome face. “Are we even now?”

He shook his head, frowning.

She swayed on her feet from shock. Her knees collapsed but Justice caught her before she hit the floor. His strong hands gripped her waist to steady her until she regained control and straightened. He released her instantly when she pushed at his hands. She gaped at Fury.

“No? What more do you want from me?” Tears flowed freely down her cheeks. She was no longer able to hold them back. “I’m sorry! I thought you’d be safe, damn it. I’m telling you the truth. I had no other choice. I did everything I could for you. I couldn’t tell you what I had to do because I didn’t think you’d trust me. I couldn’t risk you repeating anything I said to you.”

Fury blinked. The look in his eyes definitely appeared pained. “We aren’t even because now I’m in your debt. I didn’t mean to hurt you with my teeth.”

Ellie used the backs of her hands to wipe at her tears. She had her key card fisted in her palm. Fury never ceased to astonish her.

“I know that and I believe you. It’s not a big deal about the scratch. We’re even then, Fury. You don’t ever owe me anything. I have to go.” She bit her lip. “Please move out of my way.”

Fury stepped away from the door. Ellie darted forward the second she knew she wouldn’t touch him. She nearly staggered out of his bedroom, down the hall, and through a large living room. She saw the front door and headed straight for it. She held her head high when she swung it open. Cool night air blew across her damp face.

She glanced down to where her watch should have been to see how much time had elapsed. Her bare wrist made her wince. She wasn’t going back into Fury’s bedroom to look for it. No way in hell. She lurched forward, took in her surroundings, and identified her location. He shoes slipped a little on the damp grass until she reached the sidewalk that would lead her to the dorms.

A hand suddenly gripped her shoulder and spun her around. Ellie stared up at Justice North fearfully. He’d followed her from the house.

“Why don’t you want him arrested? What the hell is between you both?” Justice’s grip gentled but his confusion was evident in the way he regarded her.

Ellie studied his pretty cat-like eyes. His facial structure wasn’t completely human, the bones of his face too pronounced with brawny cheekbones, and his nose was wider and flatter than a human nose. His features were…different, like Fury’s, except his traits were feline. She stepped back out of his hold. His hand dropped to his side.

“I need to return to the dorm and let security know I’m okay so they will call off the search. What happened in there isn’t what you think. He didn’t rape me or hurt me in any way.”

“What happened between you and Fury at the testing facility? Tell me now,” he demanded.

She peered around him only to see Fury’s windows dark and the front door firmly closed. Fury wasn’t within sight. Her gaze returned to Justice.

“Why,” he growled, “would you allow him to hurt you the way he has and not want retribution? Tell me or I’ll beat it out of him myself. He has refused to share any of your history. You are the only thing he won’t discuss.”

Ellie blinked back tears, hated the idea Fury would suffer if she didn’t admit her crime. “It’s his story to tell, not mine.”

“He won’t. I’m his best friend. He is acting insane. Make me understand or I’ll have to lock him up, have him evaluated, and force him to tell me what has happened. He won’t take being caged well. If you care at all, you’ll tell me what he will not.”

She hesitated, hated being put in the middle of it, but didn’t want Fury to suffer more for what had happened the last day she’d seen him inside his cell. She stared at Justice’s shirt. “You won’t use it against him?” Her gaze lifted. “Swear it to me.”

“I love him like a brother. Family is everything to me. I’d rather cut off my own hand than harm him.”

She believed the sincerity she saw in those exotic eyes. “There was this horrible technician named Jacob. He enjoyed hurting New Species but one day Fury elbowed him in the face. It broke his nose. The guy went after Fury the last day I worked at Mercile. I’d just stolen some downloaded files from a doctor’s computer and had swallowed it to try to smuggle it past security. I used to check on Fury, um, there was an observation room, and I overheard Jacob saying he was going to kill him. He’d had the camera inside the cell turned off. I got there as quickly as I could.” She hesitated.

“Go on.”

Her gaze lowered to his shirt, unable to look into the man’s eyes as she told him the rest of it. “He’d drugged Fury and had stretched him out, chained down on his stomach. He had started to do vile things to him. I attacked Jacob and he died.” Her voice broke.

“Fury should be grateful for this.” Justice reached out and gripped her chin, forcing it up until she had to meet his gaze. “What are you not telling me? Why does he feel you did him wrong if you saved him from that fate?”

She cleared her throat. “I had enough evidence sitting inside my stomach on that data drive to get a judge to finally issue a search warrant on Mercile Industries. If anyone realized I’d killed that technician they wouldn’t have allowed me to leave after my shift ended. I framed Fury for killing the technician. I smeared that asshole’s blood on Fury’s hands while he lay helpless on the floor, unable to move, put the needle back into him as if he’d just been drugged to explain how he’d been able to move long enough to do it, and I was too afraid to tell him why I did it.”

She waited for the guy to get angry as he stared at her with his narrowed, intelligent eyes.

“There is more you aren’t telling me. We often took the blame for things. This is damn personal to Fury.”

She clenched her teeth. “I walked in to find that son of a bitch beating and about to rape Fury, okay?” She blinked back tears and lowered her eyes to his shirt again. “He’d already done horrible things to him, started to rape him with a baton, and um, it was traumatic, okay? Fury thought I would never hurt him but instead I framed him for murder. He told me they tortured him after I pinned the killing on him. They beat him up and hurt him because of what I did. He’s got reasons to be mad at me. He just wanted some payback and he got it.”

Justice said nothing. The breeze stirred. She didn’t dare glance up at his face, afraid she’d see disgust or worse, rage. She’d just admitted to doing a horrible thing to his friend.

“He took me from the park to give me a taste of what he had experienced—being restrained, helpless, while someone did whatever they wanted to my body. He suffered that and more for the death of that technician.” She paused. “He didn’t force me have sex with him. He didn’t beat me or anything. He decided seducing me would be more fitting to get his point across. I consented to it. Fury and I are even now, he has his revenge, and I need to go.”

“And the blood I smelled? Did you agree to him harming you?”

“He accidently got me with his teeth. It’s nothing but a scratch.”

Justice sighed loudly. “I see.” He released her face and stepped back.

Ellie spun away and fled down the sidewalk. She didn’t dare look over her shoulder to check if Justice would come after her again. She didn’t stop until a security guard ran into her a few blocks later. She made up a lie, swore she had visited someone, and assured him no harm had come to her. She refused to give him a name but hinted it was of a sexual nature to explain her disarrayed state, which he couldn’t miss.

She didn’t miss the guard’s smirk and the way he leered at her breasts when he’d called in to report that she had been found safe. By the time she entered the dorm building she wanted to collapse from the emotional hell she’d suffered.

Four New Species women were watching television when Ellie passed the living room to go to the elevator. She paused to wait for it to open and studied them only to realize they watched her back. The woman sitting closest to her suddenly stood. Her nose flared as she sniffed the air and frowned.

“Are you all right?”

It surprised Ellie that any of them would care about her emotional state. “I’m fine but thank you for asking. Good night.” She faced the elevator doors to break eye contact.

The elevator took a long time to reach the ground floor. Ellie closed her eyes and hugged her chest. She tried to ignore the tenderness where her pants rubbed against her sex and where the underside of her breast slightly burned. She needed a bath, a strong drink, and maybe a good old-fashioned cry.

The elevator dinged as the doors slid open. Ellie opened her eyes when she stepped inside, turned to hit the button for her floor, and gasped. Four New Species women stepped into the small space with her and all four pairs of eyes were narrowed on her. They loudly sniffed, their gazes raked up and down her body, and they inched closer. Ellie backed into the corner.

Their sudden interest in her well-being alarmed Ellie. They were all tall, muscular females, and stronger than average women. She ended up trapped as the women backed her into the corner. One of them turned her head and pushed the button for the third floor. Ellie struggled to remember their names. The woman with red hair appeared as if she’d been altered with cat genes, from the shape of her eyes. She calmly turned her nearly black gaze on Ellie.

“We smell you. Blood, fear and sex. It all has a scent.”

“And we smell one of ours on you too,” the woman on Ellie’s left side stated. She was a strange-looking woman who appeared part calico cat with her multi-colored hair and feline features. She sniffed again. “Dog species, I think. Our sense of smell isn’t as great as our males though. Our males could sniff you and identify who harmed you instantly. We have a harder time identifying scents.”

“Don’t call us that,” the redhead snapped, her yellowish eyes showing anger. “I’m not a dog. I’m part canine.”

The feline-looking woman shrugged her shoulders and her gaze narrowed at Ellie. “You were attacked.” She sniffed.

“I’m fine.” Ellie swallowed hard. “Thank you for your concern.”

The four women stared at her silently. The elevator dinged as it reached the third floor. Ellie tried to inch around them but the women continued to block her way. She bit her lip hard and glanced at each of them.

“I’d like to go to my room now.”

They parted to allow her out of the small space. Ellie squeezed between the women, careful not to touch them, and fled down the hallway. They’d frightened her. She didn’t know their sense of smell was strong enough to pick up so much or that they could smell emotions. She jogged the last few steps to her room and pulled out her key card. The light changed to green and she yanked hard at the door handle, shoving it open. She stepped inside and closed the door. Someone shoved against it instead and the four women entered Ellie’s apartment. Fear welled up inside Ellie at their grim expressions. She backed up slowly, alarmed at this turn of events. The door closed firmly behind them.

“Kit, please go run a bath.” The tallest, dark-haired woman took charge.

Kit moved toward the bathroom without a word.

“I’m Breeze,” the tallest one informed her softly. “There are a lot of us and I don’t know if you know our names. Kit is in the bathroom.” She then nodded toward the redhead. “This is Rusty and the silent one is Sunshine. Sunshine, go find her something comfortable to wear after her bath.”

Sunshine went to Ellie’s closet. Ellie stared up at Breeze in shock while the woman frowned back at her.

“I scent blood, sex, and your wrists are red from being restrained. We were forced many times to be with males in our years of captivity.” Her eyes darkened. “The human males enjoyed hurting us occasionally. Our males were always careful to never harm us when we were forced to breed with them.” She paused. “We were punished or forced to watch them penalize another if we didn’t comply when they wanted us to have sex. Our men are incapable of forcing a woman with pain but one of them restrained and hurt you. Why?”

Mute, Ellie stared up at Breeze, feeling horrified over the description of what had been done to them. She silently cursed the ones who’d done it to a very painful hell.

“I’m fine,” she swore. “No one forced me.”

Breeze growled, her canine traits showing. “Don’t lie. Who did this to you? We’ll see they suffer greatly for it. There is no reason for a male to force a breeding with a woman. We are free now. Whoever did this to you should pay. He hurt you and that is unforgivable.”

Sunshine placed clothes on the bed and moved behind Ellie. Ellie swiveled her head in time to watch the woman bend to sniff at her back. Sunshine suddenly grabbed Ellie’s shirt and yanked it up. Ellie remained frozen in stunned silence as the woman’s nose brushed along her bare back while she inhaled deeply. The shirt dropped as the woman straightened to her full height, over six feet.

“I don’t recognize the scent of him. It’s faint enough that I don’t believe he took her by mounting. He must have taken her the human way.”

Ellie tried to inch out from between the two women, felt trapped between them, but Breeze suddenly grabbed her by the front of her shirt. She crouched down on her knees and yanked Ellie’s shirt up to just under her breasts. Breeze pushed her face against Ellie’s stomach to sniff before she could protest. The other woman raised her head with a grim expression.

“Like a human, he sweated on her during the attack. I don’t know this scent either.” She frowned at Ellie as she rose to her feet. “Why are you protecting him? Do you know his name? Describe him to us, we’ll find him and make him pay. You are ours and he should have known not to touch you.”

Ellie’s mouth dropped open. She forced her mind to work. The last minute had been one big stunner after another between the sniffing and their words. They could smell Fury’s sweat on her just from his stomach touching hers? She closed her mouth and clenched her thighs. She didn’t know what they’d do if they smelled his semen. Then the last sentence sank in.

“I’m yours? I thought you hated me.”

Kit stepped out of the bathroom. “We don’t hate you. You’re our pet.”

“Kit!” Rusty shook her head. “Don’t say that. You’ll offend her.”

Kit shrugged. “She is. She’s so little and cute. She yaps around trying to please us like…what are they called? A Yorkie?”

Rusty sighed. “We decided she’s more similar to a cute little poodle with her long blonde hair.” She flashed a smile at Ellie. “Don’t take it offensively please. We enjoy having you around and you amuse us to no end. We know you care about us by the way you try to please us.”

“I need to sit down,” Ellie muttered, dazed, and tried to wrap her head around the idea they thought of her as a pet. She moved over and plopped down on the edge of her bed. She gasped when she sat down too roughly, a reminder of being tender from sex. “Damn.” She closed her eyes. They think of me as a pet. The comparison to a poodle made her wince.

“You made her sadder,” Breeze growled. “Apologize now.”

“I’m sorry,” Kit said instantly. “It’s an endearment. We like you. I mentioned that, didn’t I? Is being a pet a bad thing? People love them. We’re very fond of you.”

Ellie opened her eyes and forced a smiled. “Well, it takes some getting used to but thanks. I’m glad you like me. That’s the important part.”

“We do,” Rusty assured her. “Now tell us which one of our males hurt you and we’ll go beat the shit out of him. We can identify the difference between male and female with our noses, even if they are primate, feline, or canine, but telling the difference between individuals is more difficult to determine. You need to tell us everything you can about the male who hurt you so we can figure out who it was.”

Breeze cracked her knuckles. “We’ll allow you to watch. It will make you feel better to see him bleed.” She glanced at the others. “We can’t kill him though. We’ll just beat him up severely to make sure he is in pain for a good week.”

Ellie glanced at each of the women. She wasn’t sure if she should be grateful they’d do that to get justice for her or deeply disturbed for the same reason. “I so appreciate the concern. You have no idea how much this means to me. I could almost cry I’m so touched but it’s not what you think. He didn’t force me.”

“Explain why security arrived here checking rooms after they informed us you were missing? They stated there were signs of a struggle in the park.” Breeze studied Ellie with a calculated gaze. “We’re smart so please don’t insult us. You walked in smelling of sex, fear, and blood. Your wrists are red, which tells us you were tied down. I know it is a kinky human thing that we have read about but you had sex with a New Species male. We are not into that kind of sexual play and would never tie anyone down since it reminds us of the testing facilities, yet one of our males restrained you. Tell us his name or tell us what he looks like if you don’t know it. We will punish him and make sure that you are safe. You are our pet and we will not have anyone abuse you ever again.”

This had to be the weirdest conversation Ellie had ever had, hands down. They thought of her as the house pet, a poodle, not the house mother. She resisted flinching. She had always hated her wild and curly hair but poodles had horrible frizz issues. Perhaps some anti-frizz shampoo could go on her shopping list.

They were being protective and that meant the world to her. She had been certain every woman living inside the dorm hated her. This could be the first step to get to know them and maybe teach them what she could. It had to be a good thing, in her opinion.

“I’m fine. Please just drop it. It’s a private matter. I wasn’t hurt and the blood you smell is from an accidental scratch.”

Kit moved closer to inspect Ellie. “She’s too afraid to name him.” She leaned down, grabbed Ellie’s shirt, and shoved her nose against Ellie’s stomach. She sniffed and then jerked away. Horror flashed across her features and she made a soft sound.

“Fury,” she gasped. She stumbled back. “Not Fury. He—” She went silent.

Rusty uttered a curse. She lunged at Ellie, grabbed her, and shoved her flat on top of the bed. Fear hit Ellie as hard as a brick smacking her when the big woman yanked her shirt viciously upward to her breasts and pushed her nose tight against her skin. Sniffing sounds were followed by a snarl. Rusty jerked back and spun away. She walked to the corner and her hands slammed against the wall hard enough to make Ellie flinch.

“Fury,” Rusty confirmed with a shaky voice. “It was definitely him.”

Breeze appeared to be the only one who stayed calm. She regarded Rusty and Kit grimly. “I thought you said he’s a protector? Didn’t you say that, out of all your men, he took the most punishment to protect you against pain and suffering? Are you sure it’s his scent?”

Rusty nodded as she sniffled. She turned suddenly to reveal the tears tracking down her face as she stared at Ellie with confusion.

“Why would he do this to you? Why?”

“We aren’t blaming you,” Kit added quickly. She sounded miserable, as if she were going to cry too. “We’re trying to understand why he would do this. He was always the most careful to make sure we suffered no pain when they ordered us to have sex. When one of us flat-out refused to have sex with him, he took the beatings and wouldn’t touch us. He suffered so we didn’t have to. He would have died before he drew blood on one of us or hurt us in any way. We are just trying to understand.”

Ellie clawed her way to her feet by gripping the bed to get up. “Please, it’s not what anyone thinks. I know he didn’t mean to hurt me and it’s just a scratch. It’s a private matter. We, uh…damn. I don’t know how to explain this. He doesn’t want anyone to know and I already had to tell Justice North tonight when he found me at Fury’s house. They did that to you at the testing facilities? God.” Ellie sat down again, forgot her tenderness, and winced.

“It won’t leave this room,” Breeze swore softly. “You have our word, we will never repeat what you tell us. They are upset that this male would hurt you when he means so much to them. You need to tell what happened. We will protect you from him.”

Ellie groaned. She studied each woman, noticed Breeze looked sternly at her, her arms crossed, waiting for her to spill the whole story. Kit and Rusty were pale, shaken, and appeared ready to cry. Pained. That word fit. Sunshine just looked curious.

She couldn’t allow them to think the worst of Fury. Two of them obviously knew him really well. Ellie hated the jealousy that surfaced at the concept that he’d probably had sex with two of these women. They may not have had a choice. That helped a little. She took a deep breath and started from the beginning. She ended up telling them everything right up until the moment they’d followed her into her room. She wiped away tears as she studied each woman. She feared they might hate her now that she had confessed what she’d done.

Kit and Rusty had settled to sit on the floor while Ellie shared her story. Breeze stayed by the door and Sunshine sat on the bed near Ellie. Ellie met Breeze’s eyes.

“I just want to take a bath, go to bed, and never talk about this again, okay? He didn’t force me and he didn’t mean to get me with his teeth.”

Breeze nodded, giving Ellie a sad smile. “You are a giving woman, Ellie. Most women wouldn’t understand his need for revenge by taking you tonight. They would have…” She sighed. “They would have lied, saying he harmed them without consent. You didn’t deserve his anger. You know that, don’t you? You saved his life. It is male of him to want payback. He was wrong. I sense your shame at what you had to do by allowing Mercile to believe he killed that technician but I understand the reason. I would have done the same.” She took a deep breath. “He won’t get near you again. We will take turns guarding you.”

“That’s not necessary. We’re even now and he won’t come near me again.” Ellie stood. “Thank you for caring and for understanding. I feared you’d hate me for what I had to do. I just wanted to save him from Jacob and I needed to get the evidence to my handler. I never thought they’d beat him for it. I’m really all right and I’ll feel a thousand times better tomorrow. I just want to put this behind me.”

“Go take your bath and throw your clothes out to us. We’ll clean them to remove his scent,” Sunshine offered softly. “You did what you had to. Horrible things were done to us—that is the kindest I’ve heard. You could have been killed by the technician instead.”

“I know it doesn’t mean much but Fury is a good man.” Kit gave her a sad smile. “I know he didn’t mean to hurt you in any way. He was always really careful with us.”

Ellie nodded, her guess about Fury’s sexual history with the two women confirmed, and she tried not to let jealousy eat at her. She walked into the bathroom but left the door cracked open. The full tub of warm water waited. She undressed, handed her clothes through the door, and eased into the bath. She winced as she settled down and the water made her aware of the underside of her breast. She lifted it, tilting her head, and saw two scratches from his sharp teeth. Damn.

She closed her eyes, relaxed. At least she wouldn’t have to fear Fury plotting to get his hands on her anymore. Of course now she had sexy, erotic memories of them together to live with. She doubted she’d ever get over him.

Her ex-husband had hurt her enough to make her swear off loving anyone again. She’d promised to never allow anyone to matter so much that they filled her thoughts constantly but then she’d seen Fury that first time. Something she thought dead inside her roared to life. He’d become an obsession—first to save him, then to make it up to him for what she’d done. She’d been left with helping his people since she hadn’t known what happened to him.

Fury mattered more to her than her ex-husband ever had. She’d been sure once she’d known love, certain nothing could ever hurt her the way her destroyed marriage had when she’d learned she’d married a cheating bastard, but she’d been wrong. Her feelings for her ex were nothing compared to how Fury made her feel.

Nothing at all. Fury’s touch would haunt her for the rest of her life. She wished they’d had a real chance of being together. She’d have taken the risk of getting her heart broken again for him but…

“Damn,” Ellie muttered aloud. “Wish all you want that things were different but it just isn’t meant to be.”

* * * * *

“Fury?”

He was a little startled at hearing his name being softly spoken, unaware that anyone had sneaked up on him, and it attested to how obsessed he’d become watching Ellie inside the dorm. He turned his head just enough to stare at Slade.

“What?”

“Your obsession with the human is starting to frighten me. Do I need to report this to Justice?”

“No.” Fury’s gaze returned to the women’s dorm, to Ellie sitting on a couch with some of the women. She smiled at something said and he longed to know what had caused her amusement. “I’m just checking on her.”

“You need to let it go. We were told why she worked for Mercile. I understand your need to seek vengeance but she’s not our enemy.”

Fury held his tongue. It was better if his friend believed that was the reason he lurked behind a tree across the street watching the woman who fascinated him and refused to leave his thoughts. He could think of nothing but her. The sounds of her moans, the sweet taste of her desire and the memory of her tight, heavenly body as he took her replayed inside his mind.

His dick hardened painfully from the memory of possessing her. He’d blown it, drawn blood, and he had no idea how to fix it. He’d been ordered to stay away from her, to have no interaction at all, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t watch her from a distance. She was unaware and therefore, couldn’t feel threatened by his presence.

“Did you hear me?” Slade stepped closer.

“Yes.” His focus remained on Ellie. Her hand lifted to brush back her blonde hair from her cheek and he wished he could feel her fingertips graze his face instead. “I heard.”

“Are you a danger to her? Be honest with me. We’re friends.”

That drew his gaze away from her. “I’m not going to hurt her.”

They stared at each other for a long moment and then Slade sighed, glancing at the women’s dorm and breaking eye contact. “Our women seem to like her.”

I like her too, Fury refrained from admitting. I’m obsessed and can’t stop thinking about her. She’s all I dream about when I manage to fall asleep.

“You’ll stay away from her, won’t you?” Slade glanced at him for confirmation.

“Yes,” Fury agreed, hoping intent was the same as telling the truth.

“I’ll leave you to it then.” Slade spun on his heel and retreated into the darkness.

Fury’s gaze returned to Ellie. He knew he needed to stop tormenting himself by spying on her every evening after his shift but he just couldn’t seem to do it. He’d even crept closer to the building, trying to find flaws in the security system that would allow him to climb to the third floor where she slept, just to glimpse where she lived. He wanted to know everything about her.

His eyes closed and he took deep breaths. He’d give anything to hold her, to inhale her feminine scent and touch her. A soft growl tore from his parted lips, his dick ached more, and he knew it would be another rough night of tossing and turning. There was no forgetting Ellie.

Chapter Six

Ellie laughed. “Come on, Monarch. You can totally do this.”

Monarch, a blonde-haired woman just under six feet tall, examined the vacuum with disgust. “It’s too loud and I’m afraid it’s going to suck up my toes.”

Ellie lifted her hand to cover her mouth, trying to hide her amusement. “We all think that. Trust me. I promise you, though, if you point it away from you, that won’t happen. You’ve mastered the washing machine and your cooking skills with a microwave are wonderful. You can handle this beast.”

Monarch sighed. “Fine, but it hurts my ears.”

Destiny, a black-haired woman, cheered her on. Monarch flipped on the vacuum and pushed it around the living room carpet without causing injury. Ellie grinned. Whatever the cause, for the past three weeks the women had accepted her. They’d allowed her to talk to them, laugh with them, and teach them household education.

“Ellie?”

Ellie spun to face Breeze with a grin. The tall New Species had really been helpful to Ellie with the other women. Breeze had been appointed leader inside the women’s dorm. She and some of the other women were going to classes during the day to obtain the basic education they’d been denied. They’d just arrived back at the dorm.