She watched him leave the room and sagged a little on the bed. Her eyes closed and the sound of his soft voice carried. The relief that he wasn’t angry that she’d flirted with some kid to use him still didn’t alleviate her guilt.
True disconnected the call and nodded to Flame as he passed over the notebook. The male accepted it but glanced at his bandaged arms, frowning.
“You should go to Medical.”
“Jeanie took care of it.”
He sighed. “She worked for Mercile on the medical staff?”
“No—Drackwood.”
“I don’t understand how you could protect her. She seems nice enough but I’m not sure I could trust a female who worked at such a place. Don’t you worry that she might harm you if you go to sleep? You’d be vulnerable sharing a bed after you adjusted your senses to ignore her every movement so you wouldn’t wake.”
Anger surged but he forced it down. The male wasn’t malicious, just curious and wary. “She didn’t know Species were kept there until after she took the job. I believe she did her best to get us freed.”
“I heard what she said about the agent. You think he exists?”
“The team is sending someone to find the cell phone she used to communicate with him. It will prove her innocence.”
The male cocked his head, studying him. “What if it can’t be found?”
True knew Tim would suggest she’d lied. The human really wanted Jeanie returned to his custody. “I’m hopeful it will be.”
“I hope they find it too. She seems like a nice human.” Flame hesitated. “It’s tense downstairs. Some of the males are nervous to have her in the dorm. I wanted to warn you.”
“She’s no threat to them.”
“Jericho pointed that out but they are aware of what she did to him. He had to sit with an ice pack against his balls in the community room downstairs. She nailed him hard enough to cause lasting pain.”
“She didn’t mean to. She was afraid. You saw her. Instincts took control.”
“Do humans have those?”
“I’m sure they do.”
Flame appeared thoughtful. “They are so foreign to me.”
“Humans?”
“The female ones. They aren’t as tough as our females and they don’t say what they think. We have everything in common with our females and nothing with the humans.”
True couldn’t deny Jeanie was different from Species females. “Differences can be good too.”
Flame sighed. “I’ll take this to the elevator. Darkness is on his way up. Tim is not happy that you took the female from Medical.”
“I don’t care.”
“He’s the one you have to deal with when you return to work once you’re not taking care of the human. How long is she staying with you? I’ve been assigned backup duty to keep watch and Jericho will change shifts with me when he’s feeling better.” He lowered his voice, glancing down the hallway and then smiled. “I can’t believe the little human dropped him. He’d never have allowed one of the males to get that shot in. Everyone is teasing him about it.”
That news didn’t amuse True. “Is he angry with her?”
“No.” Flame shook his head. “The opposite.”
Jealousy flashed through True as hot as a fire igniting. “He is attracted to her?”
“No.” Flame took a step back. “That look is scary, man. Calm down. If looks could kill, I’d be exhaling my last breath on the floor. He feels bad for her is what I meant. He’s referring to her as that ‘poor terrified female’. He admires that she fought instead of just fainting the way he expected one of them to do. That’s all. Admiration and sympathy but not attraction. I doubt he’d ever look at her without wincing after the number she did on his nuts. That’s not the kind of reaction a male wants in that region.”
The elevator opened and Darkness stepped out. He strode toward them. True tensed, hoping the male wouldn’t chew him out over the fight. Darkness stopped and held out his hand.
“Is that her notes?”
Flame passed it over. “Yes.”
“I apologize,” True got out, not wanting to say more on the matter.
Darkness grinned. “For kicking Flirt’s ass? No problem. I took my time arriving, hoping you’d do a little more damage to him.” He tucked the notebook under one arm. “He earns his name and the bruises around that busted nose will make him less pretty. He’s always riding my ass about how I need to smile more or I’m never getting laid.”
True was surprised. “I would be happy to hit him again if he comes after Jeanie.”
“He won’t.” Darkness sobered. “I banned him from going near that female and he knows I mean business. His pride took a beating worse than your fists gave him when she chose you.”
Flame cleared his throat. “He is right though. You might get more offers to share sex from our females if you smiled more.”
Darkness turned his head, silently staring the male down. Flame dropped his gaze. “Just saying. It wouldn’t hurt. I can’t remember ever seeing a female visiting you or you going to the women’s dorms.”
“Mind your own business.”
Flame nodded, quickly backing away. True almost pitied Flame since Darkness did intimidate most Species. His past had been rougher than most and therefore they were uneasy about how he’d respond to their teasing. Flame wasn’t done, though, and True smothered a groan, deciding the male was either too naïve or just looking for a fight.
True disconnected the call and nodded to Flame as he passed over the notebook. The male accepted it but glanced at his bandaged arms, frowning.
“You should go to Medical.”
“Jeanie took care of it.”
He sighed. “She worked for Mercile on the medical staff?”
“No—Drackwood.”
“I don’t understand how you could protect her. She seems nice enough but I’m not sure I could trust a female who worked at such a place. Don’t you worry that she might harm you if you go to sleep? You’d be vulnerable sharing a bed after you adjusted your senses to ignore her every movement so you wouldn’t wake.”
Anger surged but he forced it down. The male wasn’t malicious, just curious and wary. “She didn’t know Species were kept there until after she took the job. I believe she did her best to get us freed.”
“I heard what she said about the agent. You think he exists?”
“The team is sending someone to find the cell phone she used to communicate with him. It will prove her innocence.”
The male cocked his head, studying him. “What if it can’t be found?”
True knew Tim would suggest she’d lied. The human really wanted Jeanie returned to his custody. “I’m hopeful it will be.”
“I hope they find it too. She seems like a nice human.” Flame hesitated. “It’s tense downstairs. Some of the males are nervous to have her in the dorm. I wanted to warn you.”
“She’s no threat to them.”
“Jericho pointed that out but they are aware of what she did to him. He had to sit with an ice pack against his balls in the community room downstairs. She nailed him hard enough to cause lasting pain.”
“She didn’t mean to. She was afraid. You saw her. Instincts took control.”
“Do humans have those?”
“I’m sure they do.”
Flame appeared thoughtful. “They are so foreign to me.”
“Humans?”
“The female ones. They aren’t as tough as our females and they don’t say what they think. We have everything in common with our females and nothing with the humans.”
True couldn’t deny Jeanie was different from Species females. “Differences can be good too.”
Flame sighed. “I’ll take this to the elevator. Darkness is on his way up. Tim is not happy that you took the female from Medical.”
“I don’t care.”
“He’s the one you have to deal with when you return to work once you’re not taking care of the human. How long is she staying with you? I’ve been assigned backup duty to keep watch and Jericho will change shifts with me when he’s feeling better.” He lowered his voice, glancing down the hallway and then smiled. “I can’t believe the little human dropped him. He’d never have allowed one of the males to get that shot in. Everyone is teasing him about it.”
That news didn’t amuse True. “Is he angry with her?”
“No.” Flame shook his head. “The opposite.”
Jealousy flashed through True as hot as a fire igniting. “He is attracted to her?”
“No.” Flame took a step back. “That look is scary, man. Calm down. If looks could kill, I’d be exhaling my last breath on the floor. He feels bad for her is what I meant. He’s referring to her as that ‘poor terrified female’. He admires that she fought instead of just fainting the way he expected one of them to do. That’s all. Admiration and sympathy but not attraction. I doubt he’d ever look at her without wincing after the number she did on his nuts. That’s not the kind of reaction a male wants in that region.”
The elevator opened and Darkness stepped out. He strode toward them. True tensed, hoping the male wouldn’t chew him out over the fight. Darkness stopped and held out his hand.
“Is that her notes?”
Flame passed it over. “Yes.”
“I apologize,” True got out, not wanting to say more on the matter.
Darkness grinned. “For kicking Flirt’s ass? No problem. I took my time arriving, hoping you’d do a little more damage to him.” He tucked the notebook under one arm. “He earns his name and the bruises around that busted nose will make him less pretty. He’s always riding my ass about how I need to smile more or I’m never getting laid.”
True was surprised. “I would be happy to hit him again if he comes after Jeanie.”
“He won’t.” Darkness sobered. “I banned him from going near that female and he knows I mean business. His pride took a beating worse than your fists gave him when she chose you.”
Flame cleared his throat. “He is right though. You might get more offers to share sex from our females if you smiled more.”
Darkness turned his head, silently staring the male down. Flame dropped his gaze. “Just saying. It wouldn’t hurt. I can’t remember ever seeing a female visiting you or you going to the women’s dorms.”
“Mind your own business.”
Flame nodded, quickly backing away. True almost pitied Flame since Darkness did intimidate most Species. His past had been rougher than most and therefore they were uneasy about how he’d respond to their teasing. Flame wasn’t done, though, and True smothered a groan, deciding the male was either too naïve or just looking for a fight.
