Numbers (28 page)

Hero nodded. “Noon.”

“We’ll see you then.” Kat smiled at Candi. “We’ll teach you
about the world outside the NSO gates.”

Hero took Candi’s hand and they strolled outside. He took
one of the carts parked for general use and drove her to the men’s dorm. They
didn’t speak until they were closed inside their home. She turned to him,
studying him with a frown.

“What is wrong?”

“Tell me about your day first.”

“I had fun. Now what is wrong?”

“I was called to Security. The FBI has requested to speak to
you. I told the males you aren’t interested.”

“Why do they want to speak to me? Are they planning to
arrest me for killing Penny?”

“I don’t know what they want, and it doesn’t matter. They
can’t do anything to you. You’re Species, and they have no jurisdiction on NSO
lands. They can request things but that doesn’t mean we have to submit to
them.”

She bit her lip and turned away, walking to the window. She
crossed her arms. He clenched his teeth, regretting informing her of what had
happened. He shouldn’t have listened to the males. She’d endured enough upset.
He stalked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“There’s no reason to worry. You’re safe here. Humans can’t
harm you ever again.”

She leaned back against him, allowing him to hold her. He
followed her gaze out the window. There wasn’t really anything to hold her
interest. She took a few deep breaths and finally spoke.

“I want to talk to them.”

He stiffened. “What?”

She turned her head to peer up at him. Their gazes locked.
“I tried to tell all the staff at the asylum the truth, but they ignored me.
They didn’t want to hear my words or believe them. Someone is finally ready to
listen. I want to talk to the humans.”

“No.”

She wiggled and faced him completely, gripping his forearms.
“Yes. I need to do this.”

“They will upset you and possibly make threats.”

“I understand that, but they are at least willing to hear
me, Hero. I was locked away to keep me silent about what was done to my mother.
She deserves justice too. Dr. C killed her. I know he can’t pay for what he did
now that he’s dead, but the truth should be told. She had people who cared
about her. I remember some of her friends coming over, and she talked to them
on the phone. They deserve to learn who took her away from them. I want
everyone to know what kind of monster he really was. I also want them to know
what Penny did to me. Humans shouldn’t think she was a good person.”

“You told Breeze everything, and allowed her to take videos
to give to the humans. That’s more than enough.”

She rubbed her palms against his skin. “I need to do this.
It matters to me to look a human in the eyes and tell them my story. Maybe the
staff working at the asylum will learn the truth and possibly listen to a
patient in the future if they are locked away because someone is paying to keep
them there to hide their crimes. I can’t be the only one admitted to a hospital
to hide secrets.”

“It’s not your job to educate humans.”

“Who does it fall to then? This was done to both of us. Have
you thought about what might have happened if just one of them had listened and
believed me when I was taken there? You would have been freed long before you were.
We wouldn’t have lost so many years.”

He was torn, and hated the anguished sound of her voice and
the haunted look on her face. “I won’t allow them to upset you, and humans
will. I don’t trust them.”

“Some humans freed Species and helped establish the NSO. I
heard it was a rocky start, but a lot of them cared enough to make this
possible. They wanted to do right by Species.”

“Not all humans are good.”

“I heard about that too. There are protestors outside the
gates who think we’re not human enough to deserve the same rights they have and
it offends them. I learned about some of the churches that believe Species are
an affront to their God since other humans engineered Species. These are the
same people who believe it’s wrong for couples to have medical intervention to
get pregnant if they have difficulty, or to even use birth control to limit the
number of children they have. I learned a lot today. I heard about the ones who
think we’re a danger to mankind, because they fear we’ll breed with humans and eventually
spread beyond NSO walls. That’s why we keep our babies secret. Some humans fear
change and the mixing of races. I learned—”

“Enough,” he rasped. “You know then how bad they can be.”

“I also met Trisha and Kat. There are a lot of humans like
them too. They don’t hate or fear Species. They are good females. They told me
about the other mates and some of the humans who work with the NSO. They are
great people, Hero. I also heard about the ones who support the NSO. They send
letters of love to us, and they buy things off the website set up to sell
supportive New Species things like T-shirts and autographed photographs of Fury
and Justice. They stand outside the gates in opposition against the protestors
just to aggravate them.”

He sighed. “I appreciate every one of them, but it’s the
ones who still hate us that worry me.”

“Kat worked for the FBI. Her boss ordered her to come to
Homeland in an attempt to free a criminal who was being held here. She refused
and instead told Darkness the truth. It almost cost her and her best friend
their lives to do the right thing. Do you know what that tells me? Perhaps the
FBI will send someone here like Kat. They might sympathize with Species and
want to do the right thing. I’m willing to give them a chance. That means I
need to speak to the agent they send.”

He closed his eyes. It was logical. He couldn’t dispute
anything she’d said. There were good humans, but Candi was his mate. He’d go
insane if she was wrong and it turned bad. He’d want to kill anyone who made
her cry or yelled at her.

“My pup? Look at me.”

He did.

“I want to do this. It’s important to me. Someone is willing
to listen, and I’ve wanted that for so long.”

“I can’t be there,” he rasped.

She stopped petting his arms. “Why?”

“I’d go crazy if they aren’t kind.” She remained silent for
a long time, just staring up at him. “I understand that you want to do this and
why, but I’d hurt someone if they upset you.”

“I understand.”

“Will you refuse to speak to them if I’m not there?”

She smiled. “Is that what you’re hoping for?”

“Yes.”

“You’re so cute.”

He scowled. “Does that mean you still will do this?”

“I need to.”

He respected her and her decision, even if he didn’t agree
with it. His female had always been brave. “I’ll stay close, but I can’t be
inside the room. You speak to them here, nowhere else. I’ll attack them if they
try to take you away from me. Be warned.”

“I don’t ever want to leave the safety of the NSO. This is
where I belong, with you.” She slid her hands upward to his shoulders. “How was
your day?”

“Good until we had this talk.”

She tried to hide her amusement, but failed. “I know what
will make you feel better.”

“What?”

She released him and backed away, offering him her hand.
“Come here. I learned something I think you’ll like today.”

He allowed her to lead him to the couch and released his
hand. He tried to sit but she shook her head. “Stay just as you are.”

She climbed on the couch, on her knees, and gripped his
belt. He moved to stand in front of her when she tugged on him. He looked down,
watching as she unbuckled his belt.

“What are you doing? Do you want me to change clothes?”

“No. I’m just getting rid of this.”

She used his body to brace as she leaned forward and placed
the belt and his holstered weapon on the table. She began unfastening his
pants. He wondered what she was up to. It seemed she planned to undress him. He
opened his mouth to speak, to point out that he needed to remove his boots
first but she yanked his pants down to his knees before he got the words out.
Her fingers curled into the waist of his boxer briefs, slowly lowering them
until his cock was free.

“Candi?”

She looked up at him and licked her lips. “There was a joke
told today that I didn’t understand.” She gripped his vest, used it to pull
herself off the couch to stand, and gently pushed. “Sit.”

He was confused as to why she’d stripped him from his waist
to his knees, but she didn’t leave him much choice when she shoved harder. He
lost his balance with his pants around his knees and collapsed onto the couch,
landing on his bare ass.

She went to her knees and stared at his cock. His body
responded to her as she splayed her hands on his thighs, brushing them closer
to his sex. He cleared his throat and swallowed hard.

“The lotion is in the bedroom.”

“Kat does this for her mate. I had her explain why the
females were saying she sucked.” She held his gaze. “It’s my turn to put my
mouth on you. Can I try it?”

He forgot how to form words.

“Are you okay? Your mouth is open and you’re staring at me
in a strange way.”

He cleared his throat. “I’ve never had this done.”

She smiled. “Never?”

He shook his head. His dick hardened even more, almost
aching at just the thought of Candi performing oral sex on him. Species females
didn’t do it, or at least never had with him.

“I could be bad at this, but I’d like to try. Kat gave me
detailed instructions. May I?”

He managed to nod and dug his fingernails into the couch to
grip the cushions. His heart rate accelerated as she licked her lips again, the
sight of her pink tongue exciting him even more. Her gaze lowered and she bent
forward, one hand wrapping around his shaft.

He watched with rapt attention as she opened her mouth and
timidly ran her tongue over the head of his cock. He locked his body in place
to avoid jerking at the sensation. She grew bolder then, actually taking him
inside her mouth. It was warm, wet, and she sealed her lips around him too. He
had to close his eyes when the pleasure began as she moved, taking a little
more of his shaft, and dragged her mouth upward. A growl tore from him.

He was afraid she’d stop, but she didn’t, seemingly
unconcerned with the sound he’d made. She grew even bolder and took more of
him. Her mouth was heaven and hell. His toes curled in his boots.

“Fuck,” he rasped.

Candi pulled off him and his eyes snapped open. She looked
at him with curiosity. “Am I doing it wrong?”

He shook his head. “No.”

She smiled. “Good?”

He nodded. “So good.”

“Kat said to expect you to snarl and growl. She didn’t say
anything about cursing. I was just checking. I am not supposed to swallow.
Males come really hard and it can choke me. Tell me before you lose your seed,
and I’ll do what she does.”

“What’s that?”

“Just grip my shoulder and I’ll show you.” She lowered her
gaze and opened her mouth, taking him back inside.

Pleasure coursed through him as Candi tormented him in the
best way possible. He tried to just enjoy it, but watching her turned him on
too much. She couldn’t take much of him but she used her hand to stroke his
shaft as her mouth worked the top few inches of his dick. His balls drew tight
and he felt ready to explode. He gently gripped her shoulder, careful not to
bruise.

She eased her mouth off his cock but hovered just above it.
Her tongue swirled around the head. Her gaze lifted and she stared into his
eyes. Her hand slid upward to her mouth, stroking his shaft in tune with her
licks. He started to come hard. Candi backed off with her mouth, but used the
palm of her other hand to cover the top of his dick as she continued stroking
him.

He threw his head back and snarled her name. Candi released
him. He caught his breath and opened his eyes, staring at her. She had removed
her shirt and used it to wipe her hands. He watched as she stripped out of the
rest of her clothes.

“My turn.” She grinned, backing up toward the bedroom. “I’ll
get out the condoms.”

He bent forward, tearing at his boots. “Give me one minute.”

“Hurry. I want you so much. I missed you today.”

“You’re trying to distract me from our earlier
disagreement.”

“How am I doing?”

“Excellent.”

Candi laughed and spun, running into the bedroom. “Come see
how wet that made me.”

He got his boots off and stood. He kicked away his pants and
boxer briefs, ripping at his vest to get it off. He just threw it on the floor
as he stalked after his mate. She was already on the bed when he entered.
Condoms had been placed next to her. She spread her legs and drew her knees up,
exposing her sex. The sight made him forget all about his shirt.

He dropped to his knees and lunged, grabbing her hips and
jerking her ass to the edge of the bed. He released them and wrapped his hands
over her inner thighs, pushing them farther apart and pinning them in place. He
loved the way she scented when she was aroused. He lowered his face, fastening
his mouth directly on her clit.

“My pup,” she moaned.

He snarled in response. He was hers and she was his. He
wanted her so much it hurt. His cock, hard and stiff again, ached to be inside
her. He wasted no time playing with her. He knew he shouldn’t be so rough with
her, but her moans urged him on. Her fingers dug into his hair and curved
around his head, holding him in place. He stopped trying to hold back.

Candi bucked her hips, almost getting away from his mouth.
He growled and pinned her tighter, not letting up. She cried out his name as
she jerked under him, climaxing hard. He panted when he rose, releasing her. He
grabbed a condom and used his teeth to tear open the wrapper.

His hands fumbled a little as he rolled it on. Candi panted,
but suddenly rolled away. He froze, worried he might have hurt her, until she
crawled to the center of the bed on her hands and knees. She threw her hair out
of the way and grinned at him over her shoulder.