“That part kept me up nights, wondering what it would have been like if you’d had your way with me.”

He inched closer. “I haven’t had the opportunity to do that yet, sweet thing. I want to spend days with you under me.”

“You won’t pin her there on my couch,” Valiant growled.

Slade sprang back and his hand released Trisha. He smiled at Valiant. “Sorry. I didn’t hear you enter the room.”

“You were too concentrated on the female.” Valiant handed Trisha a soda and a banana-nut muffin. “It amazes me how soft our kind have grown since we were freed. Once, no one would have been able to creep up on you before you were aware of them.”

“Once we were chained to walls and slept on mats on the floor. Once we were prisoners. Once is over.”

Valiant nodded. “True enough.”

“I have to go handle the fallout of what has happened.” Slade gave Valiant an intense look. “Is it okay if I leave her and Brass here with you?”

“Fine but remember you said you were going to take her out of my home tonight.”

Slade stood and his gaze met Trisha’s. “You’re safe here and I’ll be back in a few hours when the sun goes down. I’m going to take you to my house. Get some rest.”

“Okay. Hurry back.”

Slade smiled. “I will. I’ll come for you soon.”

Trisha cringed. She’d heard him say that to her before yet he’d never returned. Instead he’d avoided her by accepting a job overseeing Reservation. She watched him go, realizing she had to learn to trust him or she would always be afraid every time he walked away from her. She didn’t want to live that way.

“Don’t look so fearful. You are safe here with me. You’re too skinny to draw my sexual interest, Slade has claimed you, and I’m too angry at what was done to my home to be aroused by your tempting female scent. He’ll be back for you.” Valiant growled low. “He knows I’d kick his ass if he left a human with me for more than a day. I have some cleaning to do. Relax. Sleep. Just don’t leave. There is a bathroom by the front door in case you need it. The intruders who breached my domain didn’t damage it. Brass is going to help me right everything.”

“I am?” Brass stood in the doorway.

Valiant nodded. “I’m bigger and I say you will help me.”

“Works for me.” Brass winked at Trisha. “I’m going to go help the large feline clean up.”

“I’ll be right here resting and not helping,” Trisha teased.

Brass chuckled before he turned and followed Valiant out of the living room. Trisha finished her muffin and lay down on the comfortable couch until she realized her hands were still bloody from Harley’s wounds. She’d been so distracted by all that had happened, she hadn’t noticed it before.

She stared at the dried blood and fought the urge to be sick. She stood and went in search of the bathroom, knowing it was a losing battle. Her stomach heaved and she barely made it in time before she lost her snack. Ten minutes later she stretched out on the couch. Exhaustion helped her fall asleep quickly.

* * * * *

“I’m glad to hear it.” Slade hung up the phone, his gaze meeting Tiger’s, and he blew out a deep breath. “Harley survived surgery. Justice sent a human team to back up Moon. Guard him with a few more of our men. He’ll be safe.”

“We’ve heard from the authorities. They wanted permission to go to the crime scene but Justice is handling it with Fury’s help. We can’t allow them to go into the wild zone and I had one of our males sent to retrieve all of the doctor’s belongings. We don’t want any trace of her left there in case the police manage to talk Justice into allowing them to see where the attack took place.”

“Thanks.” Slade leaned back in his chair. A hand lifted to run through his hair. “I could have lost her. Again.”

“But you didn’t. This is why I don’t envy you for having a human.”

“One day you might meet one you can’t resist.”

“Don’t make threats.” Tiger glared.

A grin curved Slade’s lips. “It’s not so bad.”

“You’re going to be a father. You’re biased. Your woman has given you a miracle.”

That reality kept making Slade’s heart race. “I am, but she is one to me before I ever learned of the baby that grows within her. I’m happy but worried. She’s not Species. Humans aren’t as tough as our women. I think of all the things that could go wrong.”

“Stop. She’s a strong female of mind, if not of body. That matters.”

“She is pretty tough.”

Tiger snorted. “You should see your face.”

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s just obvious that you care deeply for her. You look proud and happy.” Tiger stood to pace the office. “They are never going to leave us alone and just allow us to live in peace.”

Slade knew Tiger meant the humans who hated them. “I know but we can hope. I’ve been told that people fear what they don’t understand. Perhaps with time they will learn more about us and see that we aren’t their enemy. We’ve even segregated our lives from theirs for the most part to assure them they are safe. A lot of them fear we’re unstable or that we’d attack them without provocation.”

“Perhaps that is the problem. Maybe setting up our own living environments wasn’t the best way to have them accept us.”