Mary took a seat on the couch, stunned. “It sounded like they were fighting or about to. I thought they were hunting me like a sport.”
“They were playing. Species are competitive.”
She’d never been in danger. Those two New Species hadn’t been coming after her.
She lifted her head, staring at Mel.
“I didn’t want to tell you, but I also didn’t expect you to blame Snow. You flipped out for no reason, Mary. Sorry.”
“Shit.” Mary lowered her head into her hands.
“Don’t feel bad, best friend. You got to meet Lash. That was good, right?”
She couldn’t help but smile, and she dropped her hands, lifting her head. “Leave it to you to see an upside to this. You crazy hillbilly.”
Mel pushed the bag off the couch and sat next to her. “That’s right. With a paranoid bestie. No New Species wanted to hurt you. See? You just thought so.”
“I feel like an idiot now.”
“That’s why I didn’t want to tell you. Those two guys felt real bad once it was figured out how they must have scared you, and still do.”
That made Mary feel worse.
Mel put her arm around her and gave her a side hug. “They wanted to apologize to you but I told them not to. I hope that’s okay. And Lash is in your life because of you flipping out. That turned out great. Right?”
“Yes. It did.” Mary glanced at the bag. “I still want my clothes, though. I’ve given up everything to stay here. Joel is pissed at me. I’d also like to give my landlord notice while I’m there.” She stared at Mel. “I feel like I’m screwing people over who count on me. First, I quit my job and left Joel in a lurch. Now I’m moving out of my apartment, and Paul depends on the units being rented in his building. He deserves as much time as possible to find someone to replace me when I leave. I need one hour. I can pack up my clothes and inform Paul as I leave that I’m moving out as soon as the NSO can arrange for my stuff to be picked up.”
“Don’t mention the NSO,” Snow ordered.
Mary smiled at him. “You’re going to let me go?”
His features tensed. “No. Lash would kill me.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be back before he even knows I’m gone. I can handle Lash.”
Snow shook his head. “Ask Lash to escort you there with a security team. I can’t see him letting you go anywhere outside of Reservation without him.”
Mary turned to Mel. “No way do I want Lash escorting me home to get clothes. Your husband is friendly and reasonable. Lash…isn’t. One hour, Mel. You know I’ll come back. Best friend pinkie swear. This isn’t a ruse for me to run away from him. He’s convinced me to stay with him. I’m committed. Even if it is crazy.”
Mel frowned but then glanced at Snow. “She really hates workout clothes. You should see her closet. She loves wearing skirts and super girly tops.”
“Lash would kill me.” Snow crossed his arms.
“We did promise to keep her safe…but I messed up by letting her hide in the bathroom by herself. The least we could do is let her get her clothes so she’s happy. Nobody is going to think she was here. Folks really do make jokes about Mary and her animal fears.”
She inwardly winced, knowing it was true. It worked in her favor, though. “One hour. I’ll pack super-fast. I won’t tell Paul where I’m moving. I’ll just tell him I no longer work for Joel and I can’t afford the rent, so I’ll have my things out sometime next week. I promise. I’ll also tell Lash I forced you to do it.”
Snow arched his eyebrow.
“Tell Lash I forced my husband to do it.” Mel grinned. “I’m way meaner than you are, Mary. No offense. That’s more believable.”
“He’ll kill me.” Snow shook his head again. “No.”
“No, he won’t. Am I prisoner here but no one told me? Is the NSO going to hold me at Reservation against my will?” Mary stared at him with narrowed eyes. “That’s what you’re basically saying if you refuse to let me leave. I’ll be back in an hour.” She crossed her heart with her finger. “I swear on my life. One hour.”
Snow shook his head again.
Mary was frustrated. She might be falling for Lash, and be willing to give up her life as she knew it to live with him, but she had to have some necessities. Including her own clothing and things from her bathroom like razors, her brand of shampoo and conditioner, and deodorant. Her bestie might not mind going without, but Mel was more of a tomboy. Mary wasn’t.
More importantly, she had to know she wasn’t a prison in Reservation.
She lifted her arm a little and turned her head toward her armpit, sniffing at the deodorant that she’d borrowed from Lash. It smelled like wet grass. She wrinkled her nose. Lash also used hair products that might be great for a lion mane but her human hair felt greasy after being washed.
“What are you doing?”
Mary met Mel’s gaze. “Is it so terrible to want my own things?”
“No.” Mel looked at Snow.
“I’m not allowing her to leave. Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, the NSO wouldn’t allow it.”
“So I am a prisoner.” Mary felt a bit of panic rising at the thought.
“No.” Snow leaned forward, holding her gaze. “You might be pregnant, Mary. Do you understand that? Someone could see you leaving the direction of Reservation. The humans who are familiar with your fear of animals would assume you were somewhere else, but who is to say anyone spotting you would be local? They could hurt you, kidnap you, or even kill you. We do deal with random human haters trying to breach our walls to hurt us here at Reservation.
“I realize you want your own things, but there’s no way I’m helping you leave here without a full security detail and with your mate at your side. Please be reasonable. Do this the safe way, if you wish to get your belongings. Mel understands that, and it’s why she’s agreed to wait for us to send someone to collect her belongings.”
“But Mel’s in danger. I’m not.”
Snow sat up straight and sighed. “That’s what you don’t seem to understand, Mary. You are now a Species mate.” His gaze dropped to her stomach before he looked her in the eyes again. “Think of the child you may be carrying.”
She reached down and touched her stomach. She didn’t think she was pregnant but she wasn’t one hundred percent sure. “Fine.”
“We’ll arrange to get your possessions as quickly as possible,” Snow promised.
She nodded, resigning herself to smell like wet grass, having greasy hair, and wearing workout clothes for a while longer. Then she thought about Lash.
He was worth it.
Chapter Ten
Lash was frustrated. Every male he’d come into contact with had picked up Mary’s scent on him. He remembered how most of them had treated Valiant when he’d taken Tammy for a mate, and their curiosity. It suddenly explained why Valiant had become so grumpy. Lash wasn’t feeling friendly, either.
“Stop trying to creep up on me, Lapis,” he growled, turning his head to the male and meeting his gaze.
The male was crouched on all fours, just feet away. The pendant he always wore hung against his chest. He and Lash had one thing in common. They hated clothing. The male also wore a loincloth. They’d both compromised with the other males. No one wanted to see their dicks.
“Human,” Lapis whispered.
“Yes.”
“Why?” Lapis stood upright and stepped closer.
“I wanted a mate.”
“You can’t trust them.”
“Mary is a good female.”
“None of them are.” Lapis reached up to push some of his long, wavy black hair out of his face. “Humans can’t be trusted.”