Breeze sat on the bed. “I give you my word. Talk.”
She bit her lip. “The day that Tammy and Valiant got married I met one of your males. I was attacked by a newly freed male and a guy protected me. We had dinner together and one thing led to another. It was mutual.”
“His name?”
She hoped to avoid answering. “We had consensual sex.”
“He bit you?” Breeze grimly frowned. “Did you change your mind during sex and he tried to force you to stay under him? They don’t have much control once they start.
I’m sorry, Jessie. Did he hurt you bad?”
“He didn’t hurt me at all.”
“You saw him again. Here?” Her gaze fixed on the mark on her shoulder. “It’s barely healed. You have been here about three weeks, right?”
“It was here.”
“How did the bite happen?”
“We were having sex.” She paused. “He gripped me with his teeth. He told me to hold still. Do I really need to say this out loud?”
“You will if you don’t want to explain it to our officers. Spill.”
Jessie’s cheeks warmed. “He was trying to be really slow and gentle with me so he didn’t risk hurting me but I wanted him not to be. I kind of forced the issue and he bit me. It’s that simple. It didn’t hurt and he was sorry but it wasn’t to hurt me.”
Breeze kept staring at her, silent, and kept the frown in place.
“What?”
“Why were you crying before? Does he live at Reservation and had to go back? I know some of our men from there were here a few weeks ago. Tell me his name I will get him back here. You obviously miss him to shed tears at his absence.”
“We’re not seeing each other anymore. I broke it off with him.”
“Why are you crying? Did you change your mind and want him back?”
“I wish it were that simple.” More tears threatened to spill. “I need your promise you won’t say anything to anyone. I really need a friend right now, Breeze. I need someone to talk to. Someone I can trust.”
“You can trust me. What secret is making you cry? I won’t drop this.”
“I had to break it off with him because he doesn’t want anyone to know he would sleep with me.” Hot tears fell down her face. “He slept in my bed night after night but during the day if I had passed by him he probably wouldn’t have spared a glance. I’m so in love with him that it makes me sick. He has it set in his head that one day he’s going to get a Species woman as his mate. That’s his big plan and I’m not in it.”
Breeze softly cursed. “He is stupid. You are a fine female, Jessie. Any of our men should be proud to claim you. How long were you together?”
“He slept in my bed for four nights straight and he would probably still be in it if I hadn’t told him I couldn’t do this secret-lovers thing anymore. I just can’t live that way, Breeze. It hurts that he’s never going to openly acknowledge me.”
“He is stupid. Some of our men have mated with your kind and are happy. I have a plan. I will pretend to know nothing and make him spend time around Ellie and Fury.
He will see how happy they are and learn it can work between you. Tell me his name and I will do this.” Breeze grinned. “We will fix this.”
“He already knows them.”
That wiped the grin from Breeze’s face. “What is the problem? Everyone can see how happy they are. He should embrace the happiness he can have with you.”
Jessie’s heart pounded as she hesitated. “The problem is, he believes he’ll be letting your people down if he’s with me. He’s worried about hate groups going crazy, my dad pulling his support from the Species issues in Washington and that all hell will break loose. I think he’s also worried that he’ll be setting a bad example to your people if he picks me over one of your women.”
Breeze frowned. “No one has that much influence on all of us or your father.”
“There is one,” Jessie whispered.
The color slowly drained from Breeze’s face. “Justice.”
Jessie burst into tears and Breeze softly cursed.
Chapter Sixteen
Breeze paced the bedroom, shooting glances at Jessie and clenched her fists. “It makes more sense now. Justice is very smart.” She paused. “Now I see it. He moved you into this house to keep you next door to him. Everyone wondered why he would put a human here. They only live in the human village except for Ellie who lives with Fury. We were told it was because Justice is close with your father and he wanted you in the safest place at Homeland. These homes are guarded and secured more than any others.”
“I know.”
“He lives next door and can come in here without anyone knowing.”
Jessie nodded. “I know.”
Breeze gaped at her. “He is so smart. Tonight…” Breeze threw her hand over her mouth before dropping it to her side. “He wasn’t worried about your safety or you being in a bar with our kind. He was jealous. He was so enraged over you being there and you were dancing with Flame.”
“I know that too.”
Breeze’s gaze narrowed. “He was so enraged, Jessie. You could have gotten Flame killed when you agreed to dance with him and that’s why he stopped him from taking you home. Possessiveness in one of our males is dangerous but I warned you of that.”
She bit her lip. “The day that Tammy and Valiant got married I met one of your males. I was attacked by a newly freed male and a guy protected me. We had dinner together and one thing led to another. It was mutual.”
“His name?”
She hoped to avoid answering. “We had consensual sex.”
“He bit you?” Breeze grimly frowned. “Did you change your mind during sex and he tried to force you to stay under him? They don’t have much control once they start.
I’m sorry, Jessie. Did he hurt you bad?”
“He didn’t hurt me at all.”
“You saw him again. Here?” Her gaze fixed on the mark on her shoulder. “It’s barely healed. You have been here about three weeks, right?”
“It was here.”
“How did the bite happen?”
“We were having sex.” She paused. “He gripped me with his teeth. He told me to hold still. Do I really need to say this out loud?”
“You will if you don’t want to explain it to our officers. Spill.”
Jessie’s cheeks warmed. “He was trying to be really slow and gentle with me so he didn’t risk hurting me but I wanted him not to be. I kind of forced the issue and he bit me. It’s that simple. It didn’t hurt and he was sorry but it wasn’t to hurt me.”
Breeze kept staring at her, silent, and kept the frown in place.
“What?”
“Why were you crying before? Does he live at Reservation and had to go back? I know some of our men from there were here a few weeks ago. Tell me his name I will get him back here. You obviously miss him to shed tears at his absence.”
“We’re not seeing each other anymore. I broke it off with him.”
“Why are you crying? Did you change your mind and want him back?”
“I wish it were that simple.” More tears threatened to spill. “I need your promise you won’t say anything to anyone. I really need a friend right now, Breeze. I need someone to talk to. Someone I can trust.”
“You can trust me. What secret is making you cry? I won’t drop this.”
“I had to break it off with him because he doesn’t want anyone to know he would sleep with me.” Hot tears fell down her face. “He slept in my bed night after night but during the day if I had passed by him he probably wouldn’t have spared a glance. I’m so in love with him that it makes me sick. He has it set in his head that one day he’s going to get a Species woman as his mate. That’s his big plan and I’m not in it.”
Breeze softly cursed. “He is stupid. You are a fine female, Jessie. Any of our men should be proud to claim you. How long were you together?”
“He slept in my bed for four nights straight and he would probably still be in it if I hadn’t told him I couldn’t do this secret-lovers thing anymore. I just can’t live that way, Breeze. It hurts that he’s never going to openly acknowledge me.”
“He is stupid. Some of our men have mated with your kind and are happy. I have a plan. I will pretend to know nothing and make him spend time around Ellie and Fury.
He will see how happy they are and learn it can work between you. Tell me his name and I will do this.” Breeze grinned. “We will fix this.”
“He already knows them.”
That wiped the grin from Breeze’s face. “What is the problem? Everyone can see how happy they are. He should embrace the happiness he can have with you.”
Jessie’s heart pounded as she hesitated. “The problem is, he believes he’ll be letting your people down if he’s with me. He’s worried about hate groups going crazy, my dad pulling his support from the Species issues in Washington and that all hell will break loose. I think he’s also worried that he’ll be setting a bad example to your people if he picks me over one of your women.”
Breeze frowned. “No one has that much influence on all of us or your father.”
“There is one,” Jessie whispered.
The color slowly drained from Breeze’s face. “Justice.”
Jessie burst into tears and Breeze softly cursed.
Chapter Sixteen
Breeze paced the bedroom, shooting glances at Jessie and clenched her fists. “It makes more sense now. Justice is very smart.” She paused. “Now I see it. He moved you into this house to keep you next door to him. Everyone wondered why he would put a human here. They only live in the human village except for Ellie who lives with Fury. We were told it was because Justice is close with your father and he wanted you in the safest place at Homeland. These homes are guarded and secured more than any others.”
“I know.”
“He lives next door and can come in here without anyone knowing.”
Jessie nodded. “I know.”
Breeze gaped at her. “He is so smart. Tonight…” Breeze threw her hand over her mouth before dropping it to her side. “He wasn’t worried about your safety or you being in a bar with our kind. He was jealous. He was so enraged over you being there and you were dancing with Flame.”
“I know that too.”
Breeze’s gaze narrowed. “He was so enraged, Jessie. You could have gotten Flame killed when you agreed to dance with him and that’s why he stopped him from taking you home. Possessiveness in one of our males is dangerous but I warned you of that.”
