“Are you sore?” He stepped closer. “Was I too rough?”
“No.”
His chin jutted out a bit. “I want you.”
She had no problem with that, really pleased he was in her bedroom with no plans to leave. She stepped closer to him. The doorbell rang.
“Ignore it.”
She wished she could. “The officers have a key to my house. They will come in if we don’t see what they want.”
His hands fisted. “Why do they have access to your living space?”
“I’m an employee. It’s just the way it is.”
“Not anymore. No male is allowed here but me.” He turned and stormed out of the room.
“Shit!”
He had looked furious. She spun, rushed to her closet, and yanked her robe from the hook on the door of the walk-in. It went over her towel, she didn’t take the time to ditch it and rushed after him while she tied the belt firmly around her waist.
Chapter Fourteen
Obsidian had already opened the front door by the time Alli ran into the living room. Jericho was outlined in the doorway by the porch light. He glared grimly at the one who blocked his access.
“You need to return to Medical.”
“It’s fine.” She identified Moon’s voice but he was out of sight, somewhere behind the other officer. “Just guard him here. I told you this isn’t a big issue.”
Jericho growled. “Stay out of this. You’ve done enough damage.”
“He wanted to see her and they needed to work a few things out.” Moon gripped the officer by his shoulder, forcibly turning him to face him. “Don’t be a dick because I took him out of there without asking first. I was with him the entire time. Well, close by anyway. They needed some privacy but I sat on the steps right here.”
Alli walked to stand behind Obsidian, peering around him to see the porch. Moon and Jericho glowered at each other. The bigger officer put his hands on his hips.
“Orders are that he remains at Medical.”
“He wanted to straighten things out with the doctor. Give him a break.” Moon mimicked the primate Species’ stance. “He’ll be more comfortable living here. It’s where he wants to be. Ask him. He just said he’s not leaving her side. That’s why I called you instead of jogging back to give you the news. I was standing guard until you could take over.”
“We follow orders to prevent there being chaos in our society.”
“Fuck? Really?” Moon shook his head, frowning. “What is it going to hurt if he’s here or there? He can still have around-the-clock protection until someone decides he’s completely stable. He wants the doctor and he’s obviously learned that not all of humans are evil shits.” Moon twisted his head to get a meaningful look at Obsidian. “Tell him you don’t have the urge to go hurt anyone.”
“I am not leaving Alli and I want her key from you.” He held out his hand. “You aren’t allowed inside her space. Only me.”
Jericho’s head whipped around. “You stay out of this.”
“Give me her key.” Obsidian’s voice deepened. “Now.”
“He doesn’t appear stable to me.” Jericho sidestepped away from the door to put space between them, not turning his back on the angry male. “I don’t have it to give you. This isn’t my sector to patrol.”
“What does that mean?”
“The officer who walks the perimeter would have the master keys to all the homes here,” Moon explained. “Jericho’s assignment is at Medical.”
“I want the key.”
“It’s only to be used in case of emergencies. It’s no big deal.”
“I want her key,” Obsidian snarled, not calmed by the information.
Alli gripped his arm, drawing his attention. “It’s okay.”
He looked away from her to bestow a threatening look on the other males. “I will control her space now.”
Jericho got a disgusted look on his face. “It’s not so we can keep her inside her home. The doors lock from the inside or only from the outside when she leaves it to go to work so no one goes inside. Humans aren’t as trusting as we are. She came from the human world where others steal their things if they aren’t secured by locks.”
“No male will have access to her space. Just me.”
Moon grinned. “Makes sense to me. Chill out. I’ll get the key from whoever is assigned to the area. I’m surprised he hasn’t shown up yet.”
“Don’t tell him that. You have no authority to break rules.” Jericho protested. “It’s standard procedure to always have access to all homes.”
“Take the stick out of your ass.” Moon laughed. “He wants the key so we’ll get it for him.”
“What is going on?” It was a female voice.
Alli craned her neck around the other side of Obsidian’s broad frame to spot a female New Species as she jumped the waist-high fence along the side of her yard. Kit landed with grace and smoothed her hands over her uniform, approaching quickly. “Did the doctor escape?” She pulled out a cell phone from her shirt pocket. “I’ll alert Security.”
“I’m right here.” Alli tried to step out from behind Obsidian but he gripped the doorway, halting her progress around him.
“You said she was free.” Obsidian opened his mouth, flashing his fangs. “You lied.”
“She kidnapped you. Of course she is a prisoner.” Kit climbed the porch steps, giving Obsidian a once-over from head to foot. “You are attractive.” She glanced at Moon. “He is the one from Medical, right?”
“Yes.”
Kit openly admired Obsidian’s chest and Alli fisted her hands, not liking the way the other woman was ogling him. The Species female suddenly advanced until she almost walked right into his chest. Her nostrils flared as she sniffed.
“Poor thing,” she crooned. “Did the human seduce you? You’re covered in her scent but it washes off.” Her hand lifted and she ran a finger down the biceps closest to Alli. She had the audacity to purr. “Follow me back to Medical and I’ll help you bathe.”
Obsidian jerked his arm away from her wandering finger. “Don’t touch me, female.”
Kit grinned. “I enjoy being snarled at. I heard you might be somewhat feral.” A louder purr came from her. “I enjoy rough sex.”
“He is with Dr. Allison.” Moon sounded irritated. “Stop messing with him, Kit.”
“I haven’t yet.” She looked down. “But I want to. You’re a big one, aren’t you?” She gave Alli a dismissive glance before smiling at Obsidian. “That one is good if she’s all that is available when you need to mount a female but I would never ask you to restrain yourself, baby. Humans are a waste of our time.”
Alli ground her teeth, insulted, and wished she knew how to fight. Kit needed to be bitch-slapped in the worst way. “Don’t you have a ball of yarn to go play with?” The dig that came out of her mouth surprised her but she didn’t regret returning the insult.
Moon laughed. “You deserved that, Kit.”
Kit fixed angry, nearly black catlike eyes on Alli and hissed. “I know what I’d like to bat at right now…with my claws.”
Obsidian snarled and pushed Alli farther behind him. “Try it and we’ll fight. You don’t threaten my female.”
Jericho gripped Kit’s arm and hauled her back. She hissed at him and he made a deep grumbling noise deep in his throat that seemed to come from his chest. The woman paled slightly. It was a scary sound. Alli even got chills. The huge primate was intimidating.
“You scent that they are sharing sex yet you approached him and insulted her in front of him.” Jericho slowly shook his head. “Not smart. He will fight you and he might not take into account you’re female. You know better than to challenge a male when he is stressed. Take a walk.”
“This is my territory right now.” Kit yanked her arm free. “You take a walk, Jericho. Stop giving me that red glare. I’m not afraid of you.”
“My eyes aren’t red!” His body tensed.
“Okay, kids,” Moon stepped b
etween them. “This is quickly getting out of hand.” He glanced between them. “Kit, it’s Jericho’s duty to guard him. Obsidian has decided to live with the doctor, which means his new outpost is here. Jericho’s got jurisdiction so follow his orders. Remove yourself from the doctor’s yard. Jericho, I’ll clear this with Tiger or Justice. They want him happy and this is where he wants to be. You just stick with him until your shift ends. Your replacement will know to come here.”
“You aren’t on duty,” Kit protested. “You can’t give orders and you aren’t my superior.”
He narrowed his gaze on her. “Do you want to take this to them? I’ll tell Tiger how you offered sex to a male involved with a female right in front of her. A human. That is not going to go over well for you.” He snorted. “You’re already on his shit list after some of the ways you’ve irritated him. You were ordered to stop antagonizing males into fights.”
“Asshole.”
She tried to spin away to leave but Moon suddenly snatched the key ring hooked to her belt. It came free and she hissed, facing him.
“One second.” He held the keys up to the light, reading the markings on them, and withdrew one from the round metal circle that kept them together. “He wants her key.”
“Give that back.”
He tossed the keys at her, minus one. “Have a nice night, sweetheart. You really should work on your bad attitude.” He grinned. “Maybe you could go find a scratching post and take out some of your aggression on it.”
“Don’t ever approach me for sex.”
“Don’t worry. I like my females warm and friendly. I’ve heard about you.”
She snarled a curse, fisted the ring she’d caught, and stomped off into the darkness after walking down the sidewalk. Moon watched her go and then turned, grinning at Jericho.
“Your eyes aren’t red. She’s just being pissy. She’s gaining a reputation with the males as someone to avoid.” He cut his gaze to Obsidian. “You’re new and don’t know that she’s cold to the ones she invites to share her body.” He finally looked at Alli. “Don’t take it personally. The last male she was interested in mated a human so she’s holding a grudge.” He held out the key. “Here. You control her space now.”
Obsidian took the key. “Thank you.”
“That’s what friends are for.” Moon glanced at Jericho. “I’m going to go to Tiger’s. I’ve got this. Is everything good?”
“Go. I will guard him here. Just make sure you state every detail so I’m not blamed.”
“Will do. Tiger owes me a few favors.” He winked at Obsidian. “Take your female to bed. I’ll visit you tomorrow.”
Obsidian closed the door and locked it. Alli gasped when he spun, hauled her into his arms and quickly strode toward her bedroom. He could move fast when he was motivated. He still looked angry when he gently lowered her to sit on the bed.
“Are you okay?”
“The female threatened you and you’re a prisoner.”
“I’m not really under arrest. I’m just restricted to my house. I did kidnap you and took you from Homeland.” She hesitated. “I put you in danger. They have a right to be angry about that. I just was so sure I could keep you safe. I was really careful about renting that house and thought I hadn’t left a way to be tracked. I was wrong. The NSO found me and that means someone who hates New Species could have too. They don’t trust me anymore because I betrayed them. I’m just glad I’m not still being held inside a cell at Security.”
Obsidian slowly dropped to his knees next to the bed. “I’ll kill anyone who tries to lock you away or take you from me.”
He meant it. Her heart melted but it also made her afraid. The NSO would ask her to leave Homeland at the very least. What if he tried to go with her? As much as she wanted that, hoped he really wanted to be with her, it wouldn’t be safe for him outside the secured walls. New Species were targeted by idiots, racists, and zealous religious fanatics who believed they were abominations. There were also ex-Mercile employees who’d love to capture a Species to use as a bargaining chip to escape prosecution. Or worse—kill them outright.
“I’m safe here,” she assured him. “Relax.”
“I can’t.” He gripped the edge of the bed. “That female touched me, the guard doesn’t want me here with you and now I need to familiarize myself with your space. No one will get past me to reach you.”
Her hand shot out when he tried to stand, understanding that he meant to stay up all night to make sure no one broke in. “You don’t have to do that.”
He didn’t look convinced. “I’ll fight them if they come for you.”
“They are your people, Obsidian. You can’t do that. No one is going to hurt me.” She scooted closer, unable to resist touching him. Her hands actually itched to feel his skin. One hand gripped his shoulder while her other one cupped his cheek. “I did a bad thing and they don’t trust me. I blew it by taking you away from Homeland.”
Obsidian wanted to push Alli onto her back and rip the ugly white dress thing off her to gain access to her bare body. He stared deeply into her eyes but saw pain there, halting him from following through. Her voice hinted at her emotional upset as well. He hated to see her that way.
“I could have gotten you killed. Or kidnapped.” Tears swam in her blue eyes and it made his chest tighten. “I was so desperate that I didn’t think beyond taking you somewhere so they couldn’t stop me from spending time with you. I was certain I was right but looking back now I see how I messed up. I should have argued harder with Tiger or gone to Trisha when she returned. I just couldn’t take watching you waste away. I had to attempt to save you.”
She was so beautiful and no one had ever put themselves in danger for him before. She’d taken risks and lost the trust of people she cared about because she’d put him first. Pride and possessiveness surged, all directed at Alli. She was his. He wasn’t going to let her go. The decision was made. It was simple, right, and he fiercely felt it.
“They aren’t my people,” he stated firmly in a husky voice. “You are.”
Her hand trembled against his cheek while she slid off the edge of the bed to stand on her knees before him. Her body pressed against his. “I wish that were true.”
“It is.” Anger flashed. “I don’t lie.”
“I just meant…” Her voice trailed off and her gaze lowered to his chest in front of her face.
“What?”
“You are going to get to know more New Species and adjust to your new life. You’ll meet other women…not like Kit.” Her tone hoarsened saying the name and it implied that she might feel possessive of him. “But you are just interested in me now because I’m the only thing familiar to you.”
He tore the towel off her head to toss it away. Wet ringlets fell free. They were cold but he fisted a handful of hair at the base of her neck, gently forcing her to look at him. No fear showed but she still had tears glistening in her eyes. He knew it wasn’t from pain, his hold was not that tight.
He lowered his head, bowed his body enough to go nose to nose with her and softly growled. “You’re all I want to know.”
“You just feel grateful but you don’t need to. I was doing my job.”
“You were ordered to steal me?”
“No.”
“Was it your job to get into…” He paused, recalling the term. “Hot water by taking me somewhere else so you could sleep by my side?”
“No.”
“Why did you do it?”
She tried to look away but he moved with her, keeping her head still with his fisted hold to prevent her from being able to break eye contact.
“Why did you do it?” he repeated.
Her pause made him want to snarl. She resisted answering him. She blinked. “I became obsessed with you.”
Obsidian contemplated the meaning of that.
“I, um, know how wrong that was. I knew even if I woke you that you would probably hate me.”
“I don’t. Why would it be wrong? W
hat is wrong with this? Us?”
More tears filled her eyes. “You’ve been through so much, Obsidian. I feel as though I’m taking advantage of you or screwing you up more. You’re so tough but emotionally you have to be reeling from all you’ve survived.”
“I’m bigger than you are.”
“Strength and size has nothing to do with taking advantage of someone. I know how vulnerable people are when they’ve suffered great trauma. You’ve experienced a lifetime of them, one after another.”
Something clicked in his mind. “You still continue to think I’m replacing 46 with you.”
“Maybe. It’s possible.”
He remembered that she’d lost a male she once loved. “Are you using me to replace your lost mate?”
“No.” Her eyes widened, shocked he’d ask. He believed her.
“I’m not him and you are not 46.” He tilted his head slightly. “This isn’t wrong. It doesn’t feel that way. This is right. Feel it.” He paused. “Feel me.” He released her hair and cupped the back of her head, pulling her mouth to his.
He enjoyed kissing Alli. The softness of her mouth, the way she sucked in air right before he sealed his lips over hers. Her eager response when he delved his tongue inside to link them together assured him she wanted him as much as he did her. Alli’s hand on his shoulder tightened and her little fingernails dug into his skin with just enough pressure to make his dick fill with blood. Her other hand slid up his cheek to tangle in his hair, holding him in place too.
He hugged her around her waist with his free arm to press her tighter against his body until she felt one with him. She was his and he wouldn’t let her go. No other female would attract him more than she did. Alli was all he wanted, all he needed. He just had to teach her that he did know his own mind and body. Her worries about him being confused were wasted.
Alli melted against him, her compliance a sexy thing that made his desire to mount her grow into a painful throbbing in his dick. He ended the kiss, both of them panting, and their gazes met. The sadness was gone to be replaced by need for him. Mine!
Obsidian Page 18
