“We ignore them. You should too.”

“Have any of your men brought one into Homeland and taken her as a mate?”

He shook his head. “Most are unstable in their minds, or they are criminals.”

“Criminals?”

He nodded. “Their police can’t arrest them inside our walls. They have no jurisdiction so they can’t be prosecuted for what they might have done in the out world. No male wants to be used that way. We want females who are attracted to us and wish to form bonds of real emotion.”

“What about that Vengeance guy? Is he aware of these mate hunters?”

“He’s kept at Reservation. No mate hunters go there. There are no places for them to sleep while they stalk our walls. The sheriff there makes them leave and tickets them if he finds them sleeping in vehicles. The town there likes to keep strangers out, and they don’t have any motels.”

“That’s nice of them.”

“They don’t want our protestors coming to their town to create trouble. It’s mutually beneficial for them and us. Why are you so curious about mate hunters?”

“You could have picked one of them to give you purpose.”

He stopped eating and leaned in, staring deeply into her eyes. “They are not you. I want you, despite you being human.” He smiled. “You draw me. No one else does.”

She felt a little silly at that point for even having those thoughts. “Sorry.”

He reached up and caressed her cheek. “It’s a human thing, isn’t it?”

“I guess so. You’re a very attractive man, Mourn.”

“You’re a very attractive female, Dana.”

They grinned at each other.

“Eat or I’ll take you to our bed. Paul will arrive to find us naked. I know you don’t want that to happen so I’m trying to resist my urges. You’re not helping. I’m saving my thoughts of shared sex until you return tonight. I would like to meet your mother. Are you certain it’s for the reasons you stated, and not that she dislikes Species? Will she hate me for not being human?”

“She’ll hate you just because of where you live. Homeland is too far away from her.”

“Is that a human thing too?”

“No. That’s just my mother. She’s very possessive of me and can’t stand the thought of me living more than a few blocks from her. It’s like she lives to annoy me some days.”

“I can understand wanting to keep you close. I do. I can no longer imagine my life without you in it.”

Dana dropped her pizza and slid off the chair. “Get up.”

He arched his eyebrows but stood. She grabbed his shirt with both hands and backed up. He followed her around the island with a curious expression. She liked that he just did it without asking her what she was doing. She stopped with the counter at her back and released him. She yanked up her skirt and hooked her thumbs on the sides of her panties, shoving them down.

His gaze lingering on the floor for a second, but then he stared into her eyes.

“Smell me.”

He leaned in and sniffed. “You smell good and slightly aroused.”

“Am I ovulating?”

“I don’t pick it up.”

“Good enough. Ever heard of a quickie before?”

He shook his head. She reached for the front of his pants. “I want you. Right here. Right now. The counter is about the right height for you.”

He growled but didn’t protest as she frantically opened his pants, shoving them down his thighs. She loved the soft black boxer briefs he wore. She pushed them down and was happy to see he was on board when she saw that he was aroused. She freed his cock and reached up to grip his shoulders.

“Set me on the counter.”

He grabbed her waist and did as she asked. She hooked her legs around his hips and released him with one hand to shove her skirt up. She spread her thighs and looked down. “I was right. This will work. I’m glad you’re so tall.”

She lifted her chin and Mourn captured her mouth with his, kissing her. She pulled him closer, the passion between them hot and fierce. Mourn’s hands slid from the sides of her hips to encompass her ass, drawing her closer to rub his cock against her pussy. She moaned.

He pulled away, ending the kiss. Both of them were turned-on and breathing hard. “I need to get a condom.”

“I like feeling you better without them. You said I smell fine. I’ll talk to Paul about getting on something later. Just take me.” She wiggled her pussy against him. “Now.”

He groaned and kissed her again. He released her ass to reach between them. She figured it was to guide his cock into her, but instead he shifted it out of the way to play with her with his fingers. She moaned louder, clutching at him tighter. She hated the feel of his shirt, and wished she’d taken that off him first, but she wasn’t willing to stop long enough to do it.

Mourn stopped teasing her clit with his finger and pressed the crown of his cock against her, entering her pussy with one thrust. She had to tear her mouth from his as pleasure hit. She feared biting his tongue otherwise.

He surprised her when he adjusted his hold on her and locked one arm behind her back as he lifted her off the counter a little, his other arm hooking under her ass. He turned them, taking a few hobbled steps to pin her against the cool refrigerator. He buried his face in her neck, snarling as he started to move, fucking her hard and deep.

Dana hooked her legs higher, not caring that her skirt was bunched up between their stomachs. Mourn adjusted his hold on her again now that her back was against something solid. He held her by her hips as he continued to rock her world. She moaned, loving how strong he was, and how good it felt to have him inside her. He was big, incredibly hard, and every drive of his hips against the cradle of her thighs rubbed him up against her clit.

The fridge made creaking noises and banged a little against the wall, but she didn’t care. He didn’t seem to either. Dana moaned even louder when Mourn’s fangs nipped her skin at the base of her neck. He licked where he’d bitten. She didn’t feel any fear since that little pinch hadn’t hurt. It escalated her excitement.

Dana cried out his name as she climaxed and Mourn snarled against her throat. She loved feeling him come. She’d missed the heat of his semen as it spread inside her. The condom would also have muted the heartbeat sensation of his shaft as he emptied his seed.