A haze clouded her vision as lightheadedness struck. Everything went black.
Chapter One
The Present
Beauty jerked upright in bed, her eyes wide, to discover darkness surrounded her. Believing she was still imprisoned, panic struck. She panted, familiar scents filling her nose, suggesting it had just been a dream.
No, a memory, she corrected. She turned and blindly reached toward the bedside table. Her fingertips brushed along the wood until she found the base of the metal lamp. The bright glow of artificial light that filled the room helped her shake off the dream state.
The small apartment she’d been assigned inside the women’s dorm at Homeland was her home now. She’d been freed and wasn’t called Mud anymore. She shoved at the covers, stuck her legs out and scrambled away from the bed. Her nightmares were getting worse and all her old fears returned.
She paced the carpeted floor while she battled the strong emotion of shame. She’d never recovered from the humiliation she felt over what she’d done to that stranger who’d used his body to shield hers when that sniper had pinned them down. Shane had really wanted to be her friend but she’d misunderstood his motives. She realized why he’d been horrified when she’d fondled him inappropriately now that she’d had time to adjust to her new life.
It was his job to save New Species. He hadn’t been offering to become her new master if she agreed to have sex without fighting him. He just hadn’t wanted her to attack and force him to restrain her. She groaned, guessing he must have thought her pathetic or insane. Perhaps a bit of both.
A faint sound reached her ears and she crept closer to the common wall of the apartment next door. Her ear pressed against the cool plaster to listen as Kit and a man shared sex. The sounds of their heavy breathing, growls and slapping bodies always penetrated the walls when one of the women brought someone home on either side of her apartment. It made her long for whatever connection they had.
Kit cried out, the man growled louder, and their breathing slowed.
“That was really good,” Kit chuckled. “Thanks, Book.”
“My pleasure,” he rasped. “Do you want me to go or stay?”
“Leave,” Kit answered.
“Are you sure?” He didn’t sound happy. “I’d like to hold you.”
“No way. You’re not a male I want to grow attached to. It’s just sex.”
“Fine.” His tone grew gruffer. “Next time we can use the bed.”
“No.” Kit had changed locations. “Then I’d smell you longer than it takes to wash away your scent from my body and air out the room. I’d have to do laundry.”
“You’re cold.” Anger changed his voice into a bit of a snarl. “I’m out of here. Good luck with the next male you ask to share sex. Poor bastard.” A door opened and slammed closed within a minute.
Beauty cocked her head, listening to the heavy footfalls move past her door in the hallway. The sound of running water came from Kit’s apartment. Sadness gripped Beauty. If a man wanted to stay with her she’d allow him to sleep in her bed and would enjoy his scent on her sheets. She wouldn’t kick him out as soon as the sex finished. Of course that would mean having a man inside her home but Species men avoided her. They refused to even meet her gaze and kept a wide berth.
Gift Female. Those two words assured her single fate. She sighed and walked into her kitchen, knowing sleep wouldn’t return. It was law that all men avoid frightening a Gift Female. It was known they’d been abused, probably feared sex, and they steered clear of her.
She opened the fridge to grab a soda but a deep masculine laugh made her start. Her head turned in that direction and she realized it came from her other neighbor. The wind blew her curtain near the sink where she’d left the window cracked open. She inched closer to it and peered out into the night.
Rusty and a man stood on the balcony next door. They were close enough that she heard their words when they spoke. Beauty quickly backed away, fearful they’d discover her spying. It seemed that almost every woman in the dorm had a man visitor. She was always alone.
She turned away and rushed to the front door, desperate to escape. It wasn’t fair and it hurt. The Species women who lived on both sides of her had no idea how lucky they were not to know the deep longing she suffered. Kit had just thrown a man out, done with him. Rusty would probably do the same after she shared sex with the one she laughed with.
Beauty bypassed the elevator to jog down the stairs and used the corridor to exit the side doors of the building to avoid the main living areas. The last thing she wanted was to run into anyone. She burst outside and paused while the door closed behind her. The sky was filled with clouds, blocking out the stars and moon. She could just feel that a storm brewed.
Part of her knew she needed to return to her apartment. The air felt heavy and the wind a bit chilly on her bare arms and legs. She glanced down to realize she hadn’t even dressed. The loose white nightgown fell to just above her knees and her bare feet rested on cool pavement. She spun and tried to open the door but discovered it locked.
“Darn it.”
She’d have to go to the front of the dorm to gain entrance. She had fled without her badge and someone else would have to let her inside. That meant she’d have to explain why she was outside late at night wearing so little. It would probably make the women worry about her state of mind. She hesitated.
A fat drop of rain landed on her bare shoulder and she reached up to adjust the thin strap of her nightgown. Another drop wet her nose. Lightning flashed in the sky, highlighting the area with a violent streak of brilliance. She counted to four before the boom of thunder followed.
She’d been promised that life would be better after being freed but things were just different. The chains that had enslaved her were gone but she was still alone. Memories of being locked inside the basement surfaced. She had once dreamed of leaving it to see the world outside but she wasn’t living in that world. The facts couldn’t be denied as she hugged her chest, pondering her reality. It was almost crueler to see what she could never have. At least in the past she hadn’t known what could be possible.
Lightning streaked across the sky again and she spun, her hands fisted, and she bolted. Her legs moved fast as she sprinted down the sidewalk toward the park. She needed to feel alive. Rain fell faster, soaked her hair and nightgown, and thunder boomed louder. Her heart raced and she almost laughed. She was running free and no one could take that away from her. Tonight she could go where she wanted, when she wanted, and that had to be enough.
She left the sidewalk and her feet sank into soft, soggy grass. She dodged trees, her vision adjusting to the darkness, which was broken only by the lightning. It was dangerous to be outside in a storm but she welcomed the feel of the rain on her face.
* * * * *
Shadow parked the golf cart and softly growled in frustration as he scooted to the center of the seat to avoid getting wet as the sky opened up. He was off duty and had hoped to make it to the dorm before the storm hit. He hadn’t succeeded. He could keep driving and be soaked by the time he got home or he could wait patiently for the downpour to cease.
Movement from the corner of his eye made him turn his head. A flash of lightning blinded him but it illuminated the area. He’d seen something. Thunder boomed. He blinked, his mind trying to make sense of what he’d just witnessed. It couldn’t be what it looked like. His eyes had to be playing tricks, otherwise he’d just seen a female in a white dress running off the path toward the pond.
Lightning flashed again and he caught another glimpse of her. The sight of pale legs, long dark hair flying behind her, and that white dress had been real. There was a female intruder at Homeland. He lunged straight out of the cart into the downpour. Heavy rain drenched him immediately.
His boots sank into the wet grass when he left the road and a snarl tore from him, his instincts instantly flaring to life. Hunt. Find. Capture. His long stride ate up the ground as he pursued her. He needed
to find the human quickly and force her to tell him what she’d done that was bad enough to make her run that fast. Had she set a bomb that would detonate soon? The concept motivated him to increase his speed.
He narrowed his eyes and spotted a streak of white ahead of him. She was definitely fleeing toward the park. There was a place big enough for a helicopter to land if she reached the area near the pond. He glanced up for a second to search the sky but rain blinded him. He wiped his arm across his face as he snarled again. Someone had helped her enter Homeland to do harm but she wouldn’t escape. He’d catch her before she made the extraction point and make her tell what she’d done.
He dodged to the left through the thick woods, avoided slamming into any trees and broke through to the open, grassy field where they played sports. Lightning flashed and he saw her exit about twenty feet ahead. Her back was to him and the thunder hid his sounds of outrage as he closed the distance. More details became apparent. She wasn’t a big female and she’d ditched most of her clothing, maybe to make it easier for her to flee in the rain.
He dived and tackled her. The feel of her small waist in his hands made him instantly react. He twisted in the air before his back slammed hard into the ground. Her body landed on top of his as momentum made him slide along the slippery grass. The second their skid ended, he rolled, pinning her under his body. He was careful not to crush her. His elbows sank into the sodden earth as he braced his upper chest to make sure she could breathe. He yanked her wrists up and imprisoned her in his hold.
“Who are you? What have you done?” His voice came out more animalistic than he intended but he couldn’t help it. His heart pounded from adrenaline pulsing through his veins and the urge to snarl again was strong. “Tell me, female.”
He couldn’t make out her face. There were no lights in that section of the park. She panted heavily, assuring him she could breathe and speak if she wished.
“Tell me,” he demanded again, snarling now. He was enraged. The lives of his people could be at stake.
Lightning sparked above them and lit the ground. Her dark eyes were wide with fear as he stared into them. The light only held for a few rapid heartbeats but he glanced at her face. Astonishment made him curse.
“Shit.” Shock paralyzed him for a moment before he hastily eased his grip on her wrists. They were small and frail in his hands. Guilt filled him immediately as he tried to lift his weight off her.
She said nothing and he hoped he hadn’t injured her. The rain beat down on his back harder as the storm intensified. He hesitated to roll off her completely. She’d be at the mercy of the storm. Her only shelter at the moment was him.
“Are you hurt?” He forced his tone to lower to a calmer level. “I thought you were human. An intruder.”
“I’m not hurt,” she answered softly.
“I am so sorry.” It horrified him to know he’d just attacked a Gift Female. He didn’t know her but her features couldn’t be denied. He guessed her to be primate from the rounded shape of her eyes and her delicate little nose. It made what he’d done worse. Primate females were even more fragile than the canine or feline ones. “You’re safe. I will not hurt you.”
He turned his head, frantically searching for help. He needed a Species female officer on scene to handle the Gift but the park was empty. No one would be out in the storm taking a jog. It was just them and he had to fix the mess himself. He wanted to curse again but refrained.
“I’m Shadow.” He whispered, hoping it would make her feel less threatened. “I swear you are safe. I’d move but then you’d be in the rain. It’s really coming down. Am I crushing you?”
“No.”
She didn’t move her arms when he released them and adjusted his chest a little higher over her to make certain she was protected from the weather. He just needed to keep her from panicking until the rain slowed enough to move her. His cart and radio weren’t too far away. He’d have to call for emergency assistance.
Fury and Justice were going to hand him his ass. Hell, all the males were. He’d hunted a Gift Female. Not only that but he’d taken her down as if she were a deer. He was grateful that he’d recognized she was a small female at least and made certain he’d done his best to take the brunt of the impact with the ground when he’d tackled her.
“I’m Beauty.”
The female’s whispered words made him stare down at her. He could barely make out the shape of her face in the darkness.
“What were you doing out here, Beauty? Did something frighten you?” He tried to figure out why she’d been running in barely any clothing. A worse thought struck and he darted a searching look around them. “Was someone chasing you?” His voice deepened at just the thought of someone trying to harm her. His protective instincts came fully into play.
“No. I just wanted to feel alive.”
Her answer astounded him and drew his full attention to her again. He wished he could see her face. Thunder shook the ground under them. The storm seemed to be drawing closer. He knew then it would be safer to move her despite the downpour. They were in the open. Lightning flashed overhead brightly and his head snapped up to watch the jagged line of it. It was too close. Thunder followed almost immediately.
“I’m moving you. Just remain calm. You have my word as a Species officer that I’d never hurt you, Beauty. I know you must be terrified but there is no reason. I’m not a human.”
He hated to expose her to the rain but didn’t see any other choice. He rose quickly to his knees, his hands slid in the slick grass under her arms to grip her rib cage and he gently lifted her. She didn’t weigh much as he stood with her held tightly against his body. His shoulder hunched and he tucked his head to keep the rain off her as much as possible. He spun and hurried back toward his cart. Her legs rubbed his where she rested lengthwise against him.
“I’m not afraid.”
He heard her words and breathed a little easier. “Good. You’re very brave.” Gift Females were terrified of all males after being abused by humans.
Her arms hugged him around his neck and a second later her legs lifted to wrap around his waist. It made it easier for him to carry her and he appreciated that she trusted him enough to cling to him. He picked up the pace and made it to the thick trees. They’d barely entered them when a loud noise sounded, putting him on full alert. He paused before spinning in a new direction and dashing for safety.
“Hold on. That’s hail.”
He evaded the tree trunks and lightning flashes showed him the way as he made it to the sports equipment building. He barely paused before lifting his leg and slamming his boot into the door. The lock easily gave under the power of his kick. He stepped inside just as the chunks of ice pelted the roof. He released her waist with one arm to blindly search for the door and slam it closed.
It was loud inside the small building—more of a shed—as the exterior was hammered by the hail. His hand explored the wall until he found the light switch. The one bulb in the ceiling wasn’t overly bright but he was grateful for it as he glanced around the confined space.
“We’re safe in here.” He leaned back enough to see her face, looking for injuries.
Her big eyes were more curious than afraid as she studied him as intently as he did her. The color of them was a soft brown and she had really long dark eyelashes. All her features were delicate and assured him once again that she was primate Species.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes.”
He glanced at the front of her thin nightgown and forgot how to breathe. The material was wet, plastered to her as if it were a second skin and transparent enough for him to see exactly how she’d look naked. The dusky, taut tips of her nipples were clearly visible. They were beautiful temptations he instantly wanted to touch and explore.
Bad. Real bad, he chastised himself, tearing his gaze away to look anywhere but at her. He hated how his body reacted so easily to the sight of her breasts. His dick filled with blood and he had to swallow
since he was almost salivating to suck one of them into his mouth to taste.
He’d allowed his instincts to take over while chasing her and they were still too close to the surface for him to easily regain control of his responses. He frantically looked for a safe place to put her down and his attention caught on the large bench-box housing the baseball equipment. He stepped forward and lowered her.
“Sit.”
Her arms and legs released him and he let go of her the second he knew she wouldn’t fall over. Shadow spun, searching for an emergency radio but didn’t find one. He stared at the door. The noise of the storm intensified and wind battered the walls.
“Are you okay?”
Her voice was so soft he barely heard her. No. His dick was hard and he couldn’t risk her noticing. She’d probably scream, fearing he’d attack. “Everything is fine,” he lied, keeping his back to her. “I’m going to go out there and radio for help.”
“You can’t.” Her voice grew louder, less timid. “It sounds dangerous.”
He turned his head, tempted to explain why he needed to leave. Innocence stared back at him when he met her gaze. “My cart isn’t too far from here. I need to contact Security and let them know what happened. We need a female officer on scene.”
“Why?”
He hesitated. “You’re Gift.”
She blinked and her mouth turned downward as if she didn’t understand.
“It’s procedure to call in another female to attend you,” he explained.
“I’m fine.”
Her arms lifted to hug her chest and it hid her nipples but the mounds were still a tempting sight. Her wrists were too small to cover much. Shadow experienced guilt at noting that fact and he jerked his gaze to her face. She was a pretty female with pale features. A few strands of her hair were stuck to her cheek.
“You’re wet and not as sturdy as other Species. You need medical care.”
“I can’t deny the wet part.” She grabbed a handful of dripping hair that fell to her waist and glanced at it then looked at him. A small smile appeared. “It’s a good thing I’m not part rat.”
Shadow Page 2
