Wrath stepped closer. “Vengeance didn’t believe you because of how you look and smell. You lied to him about not having sex in a long time so he refused to believe you about anything.”
“I didn’t lie about that.”
Wrath frowned and his gaze narrowed. His eyes were rounded but slanted slightly at the corners, giving them an exotic appearance. The irises were a dark brown, almost black. His slightly flattened nose twitched.
“Even I don’t believe that. You are attractive with a body that draws attention. Males would want to touch you and they would approach you often for shared sex.”
“Well, I don’t want to be touched.” She frowned at him. “I was in a really bad relationship. Do you know what a stalker is?”
He hesitated. “No.”
“I dated a guy for about six months and I thought he was someone nice. We moved in together but he got weird. He wasn’t abusive. He didn’t hit me but he got really creepy and it turned so bad that I moved out. He started stalking me. That’s following me around and leaving threatening notes on my door. I finally had to get a restraining order. I had to have the police make him leave me alone. It was a bad experience and I haven’t dated since. I thought he was normal but I obviously have bad taste in men. I haven’t met anyone since then that I’m interested in enough to take another chance.”
“How was he creepy and weird?”
She hesitated. “As an example, I came home and he was wearing my panties.” She made a face. “Just my panties. He picked up his belt and told me he wanted to spank me. I moved out after that. Creepy, weird, and kind of scary. I’m not into guys who wear women’s panties and I’m sure not into being spanked.”
Wrath nodded. “Human males are freaks.”
Lauren smiled. “Some of them are and I found one who turned me off men. Then I found out he’d been sleeping with another woman while we lived together. He told me, trying to hurt my feelings, but I think he really thought I’d be jealous enough to want him back. I just felt sorry for her and glad I wasn’t with him anymore.”
Wrath appeared a little surprised. “What do you know of Bill?”
“Just what I said. I know he goes to a lot of bars and brags at work about how he can pick up women easily. He’s good-looking until he opens his mouth.”
Wrath grinned. “Do you know what bars?”
She shrugged but a memory surfaced. “I don’t know where he lives but he did mention that there was one around the corner from his place and he goes there often. He was telling someone he never had to worry about getting popped for a DUI because he just walks there and back.”
“What is a DUI?”
“Driving while under the influence of alcohol. I guess he gets pretty drunk. It’s illegal to drive after drinking.”
“I have his address and I’ll have it checked out. Thank you.”
“May I ask you something?”
He didn’t say anything. She figured that wasn’t a “no”.
“Everything I’ve ever heard or read about New Species says all of you live at the NSO Homeland or the NSO Reservation but you are here. Why?”
He took a breath. “Some of us want to find the humans who harmed us, though it is risky for us to leave the safely of the NSO. Bill is at the top of our list of people to find. We’re going to bring them in to be punished for their crimes or…kill them. Whether they live or die depends on their willingness to be taken in. We have formed a small team to hunt and locate them. We also work with a team of humans who work for the NSO but they aren’t here right now. This is their task force headquarters. They have homes elsewhere. It is not safe for us to live with them so we stay here in the basement where it’s secure. It’s a joint venture between the New Species Organization and the government.”
“I hadn’t heard about a task force but it’s good that you have one and they are helping you find the people who hurt you.” She hesitated. “I’m on your side and I want you to arrest Brent, I mean Bill. Now that we’re clear on that, can I go home?”
He slowly shook his head. “You know who we are and that we are on the hunt for Bill. You could warn him. Even if you would not, you could give us away by accident by looking at him differently since you know his true identity. You will have to stay here until he is captured or killed.”
“But what if that takes days? Or weeks? What if you never find him? I have a life, a job, and bills to pay. I have plans to go to the movies with Amanda tomorrow. I can’t stay here.”
He frowned. “I’m sorry. Finding Bill is more important.”
“You have to let me go. What if that…Vengeance comes after me again?” She felt pure terror remembering what he’d nearly done to her in that interrogation room. It was understandable, but the guy had some screws loose and unfortunately he’d picked her to take it out on. “He scares me.”
Wrath stepped a little closer. “I apologize for what he tried to do to you. It is the pain he suffered at the loss of his loved female. He won’t do that again now that he’s realized how wrong it was to allow his rage and grief to get the better of him. I swear that no one will force mate you here.”
“Force mate?”
“You would consider it being held hostage by one male for the rest of your life…and rape.”
Shock tore through Lauren. Wrath had saved her. She wasn’t afraid of him and she did understand why they wanted to keep her there. It just wasn’t something she agreed with. No way would she warn Brent that his days of being on the outside of a prison were limited. It would be doing all women a great service if he was locked up forever. The guy was dangerous.
Wrath strode to a dresser and opened one of the drawers. He withdrew a folded pair of sweatpants and cautiously approached her. Lauren didn’t tense up or feel fear. He offered them to her.
“Why don’t you put those on? Your legs must be cold. There isn’t much heat down here and your skirt was destroyed. I’ll take you to get something to eat. Your stomach keeps growling from hunger.”
He can hear that? Wow. Not only did he have a super sense of smell but his hearing had to be pretty keen too. She accepted the folded pants and stood as he backed away.
“You may use my bathroom.”
The human female intrigued Wrath. He really wanted to believe she was innocent of being involved with Bill. The idea of someone as sweet as her allowing that monster to touch her made him furious.
The violence Vengeance had subjected her to had shaken her badly. That was nothing compared to the kind of evil Bill had done. He hadn’t threatened to force mate females in the testing facilities, he actually had assaulted some of them to achieve his own sexual pleasure. It hadn’t been for any other reason except the ability to inflict suffering on others.
Lauren stirred emotions inside Wrath that left him feeling unsettled. She hadn’t screamed when he’d revealed his true identity but instead seemed relieved. Him being Species was preferable to her than him being hired muscle for a criminal. She’d been very accepting of his origins.
She’d felt soft, slight and fragile in the cradle of his arms when he’d carried her into his room. It made his protective instincts flare to life. Lauren Henderson was trouble in a small package. A supple, seductive one that encouraged him to learn more about her but she was a curiosity he couldn’t afford to explore.
He was severely damaged inside, a victim of abuse, and human females were his trigger. Coldness settled inside him over the desire she stirred. The parts of him he tried to control, those animal instincts, fought to be free. He wanted her but he needed to resist. The sounds she made in the bathroom drew his attention as he waited for her to return to the bedroom. He’d get her food, keep her safe from Vengeance, and he’d focus on the simplicity of those things instead of the way his blood warmed with the temptation to hold her again.