Jessie shifted on her seat. “You mean the Gift Females?”

Midnight’s suddenly wary gaze cut to Jessie’s and she frowned. “What do you know of them?”

“Actually, a hell of a lot. Until early this morning I was part of the team that retrieved them and helped return them to your people.”

The woman hit the brakes hard. Jessie almost slammed into the dash. The woman turned all the way on her seat to face Jessie, studying her hair. “You’re her! You’re that Jessie!” A grin broke out across Midnight’s face. “Tiny and Halfpint talk about you all the time! They all do but especially those two.”

Jessie recovered from almost being a bug on the inside of the windshield and shoved her ass back against the seat. “Tiny and Halfpint are here? Really? What happened to the women’s retreat they were living at?”

“Oh, we don’t send them there anymore. It became too dangerous. We didn’t want those nice human females or our females hurt. They were getting death threats for harboring Species.” Midnight still grinned. “Wait until I tell them you are here. They worship you. Whenever they are feeling frightened and scared, they think of you. You are small like them but they said you are fierce.” Midnight glanced at Jessie and her smile slipped. “You don’t look fierce. You look small and kind of weak.”

Jessie laughed. “I’m stronger and tougher than I look.”

Midnight didn’t seem convinced. “I will drive you to the cottage and to the Medical Center. I will tell the females you saved that you are here. They might bake you something. They are learning how and are proud of their skills.” Midnight lifted her boot off the brake and punched the gas. “Don’t hurt their feelings.” It sounded threatening.

Jessie leaned back against her seat. “I wouldn’t dream of it. I love baked goods and I’d love to see them.”

About two dozen really cute homes sat nestled on the other side of the lake. They were all different colors. Jessie hoped she got one with a view. They were larger than she thought they would be when she’d heard the word cottage. They didn’t really resemble cottages but she shrugged that off too. The houses she saw had to be about fifteen hundred square feet. Midnight didn’t slow the Jeep as they passed the gate leading to those homes.

“Weren’t those the cottages?” Jessie stared behind them.

“Yes. I was told to take you to the other cottages.”

“There are more?”

“That was the human area for the humans who work or visit Homeland. You were assigned to the New Species side.”

Jessie frowned, turning to stare at Midnight. “New Species side, as in only New Species live there?”

“Yes. I don’t know why. I asked but was told do it. I do it.”

They came to another gated community. A guard shack with a Species officer in his black uniform waited. Midnight hit the brakes.

“Is this the human female?” The man peered at Jessie curiously.

“Yes,” Midnight announced. “It is her.”

The officer smiled. “Welcome. Your home has been prepared and I was told to tell you that if you need anything to let me know, Miss Dupree. If not me then whoever is here on duty. One will always be posted at the gates. You just push the button inside the door of your home to reach us. It is labeled clearly. It will let us know you need help.” His gaze turned to Midnight. “It is the rose-colored one by the dark blue. It’s the highest on top of the hill.” He pointed.

“Thank you.” Jessie forced a smile. Why would they put me here?

The officer opened the gate electronically and it swung wide. Midnight drove her through. Jessie looked at the cottages they passed. They were similar to the cottages they had passed where all humans lived. They were cute, newer homes but looked slightly bigger than the human ones. The community was built on a hill overlooking Homeland.

Midnight drove up the street to the top where one exceptionally large dark blue home sat away from all the other homes but the slightly smaller rose-colored one next to it. Large yard areas were located on each side of the two homes, spacing them from the other houses down the street.

“There it is.” Midnight pointed. “It is big for one person.”

“Yes.” Jessie was in shock. “I expected just being assigned to a room.”

Midnight parked in the driveway and climbed out. Jessie got out more slowly. She reached into the back and gripped her gym bag, following Midnight to the front door. A key had been left inserted in the lock. Midnight pulled it out and handed it to Jessie.

“Yours.” Midnight pushed on the door and swung it wide.

Jessie stepped inside. The living room was nice sized, fully furnished and had a gray-stone fireplace. It was charming and she loved it. She dropped her bag before turning to face Midnight again.

“Let’s go to the Medical Center.”

“Aren’t you going to explore?”

“Nope. I’ll do that later. I’m dying to know what I do now.”

Midnight blinked. “All right.”

Jessie locked the door and pocketed the key. She followed Midnight to the Jeep. The officer at the gate stopped them with a deep frown.

“Is something wrong?”

Midnight shrugged. “She said she’d look at it later. She wants to go to work.”

He reached over and punched in a code to open the electric gate. “Have a good day.”