“That’s what Justice said. I felt conflicted, Brass. I didn’t want her to go but I have responsibilities to our people as well. I’m torn in half. The only way to have her stay was to take on the director. That action would have undermined our plan for our community.”

“You really care for this female?” His eyebrows arched. “I saw her plenty of times and she’s very unlike our women. She’s small.”

“I am aware of our size difference.”

“And she’s human.” Brass frowned. “She also worked for Mercile. I’m aware of why she did, everyone has been briefed that she worked there undercover to gather evidence, but I also heard you had a personal issue with her. I was in that conference room, Fury. I feared you’d kill her in front of a room full of humans.”

Fury sat down hard on the edge of his desk, crossed his arms over his chest, and sighed loudly. “Something happened between us and I felt betrayed by her. I completely lost my control.”

“No shit. I’ve never seen you so feral. What did she do to you?”

He paused. “She is the one I told you about when we were freed and detained inside those motels while we waited to be moved here. She’s the human who came into my cell and killed Jacob.”

“Shit,” Brass muttered, at a loss for more words.

“I have never reacted to anyone as strongly as I do to her. I’m…” He searched for a way to express his emotions. “I’m obsessed with her. She smiles and I melt. I want to hear her voice and just be close to her.”

“Shit,” Brass repeated.

“I want her back. I couldn’t be with her but I drove by the dorms nightly and at least got to watch her interact with our women from a distance. Now I don’t even have that. It…hurts me.”

The silence stretched. Brass finally spoke.

“When we take over Homeland you could invite her back. You’ll be in control of security. We won’t have to worry about how the humans react. Can you just hold off until then?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I just want her back. I want her near me.” He paused. “I need her close even if I can’t truly be with her. All I can think about is what she is doing right now, where she will go, and…” His voice deepened into a snarl. “If human males are attempting to touch what is mine.”

Brass’ eyebrows shot up. “Yours?”

“Mine.” Fury nodded. “It is how I feel when I think of her.”

“Hang in there. Our people learn quickly and we’ll be able to completely run Homeland soon. You’ll be able to invite her back. I hope for your sake she accepts your offer.”

“I do as well.” Fury stood. “Make those calls and set up the meeting. I’ll talk to our males and schedule extra training sessions to give them an outlet for their anger. The humans within our walls aren’t our enemies, for the most part.”

Chapter Nine

Ellie finished packing her bag after the motel clerk had jimmied her door open to allow her to retrieve her things. She was grateful she hadn’t unpacked yet. She studied the policeman at her door, watching her every move. “Thank you. I’m done and ready to go now. I appreciate you babysitting me.”

The policeman shrugged. “It’s my job.”

Ellie gripped her purse and her suitcase. The policeman moved out of her way and closed the motel door for her. She walked down the stairs, trying not to notice that some of the guests of the motel were still outside, gawking at her as though she were the evening’s entertainment. She sighed. She didn’t like being the main source of morbid amusement for strangers.

She winced at the words on her car. The police had made a report of the damage, had taken pictures, and given her a card with the police report number. The policeman unlocked her trunk while she lifted in her suitcase. She closed it and forced a smile when he handed the keys back.

“Would you like some advice?”

She nodded. “Sure.”

He glanced at the car and then at her. “Go get a rental car and leave this inside the parking lot of the rental company. This is a small town. If these morons are set to harass you all they have to do is drive around to motels and hotels looking for this. You’d be pretty easy to find until your insurance company has it painted.”

Great, Ellie thought. Her finances were going to be tight until she found another job. She could almost mentally see money burning but he made a valid point. “Thank you. I think that’s a great plan and I will do that.”

“I can’t wait for these morons to leave this area. Ever since the protestors showed up it’s been like this. The locals were happy about accepting Homeland, for the most part, and we welcome those poor people out there into our community. It beat having a military base as a neighbor. I lived next to one as a kid and they were always tearing up the town when they drank in their off hours. The New Species don’t do that. Then these Humans for Pure Humans jerks showed up on the scene. You’d think they’d have something better to do.”

Ellie gave him a grateful smile, the tension easing from her body. It was nice to hear someone agree with her views after her ordeal. “Yes. The New Species have been through enough without those racist morons.”

“I’ll drive behind you for a few blocks to make sure you aren’t followed.”

“Thanks.”

Ellie stepped to the driver’s door of her car but paused when a large, black SUV pulled into the parking lot. She froze, staring. It looked very similar to the ones Homeland used, with all the windows tinted black. It stopped right behind Ellie’s car. Ellie tensed while the cop beside her reached for his gun with one hand, his radio with the other.