She laughed, knowing it was meant as a joke. Moon could always make her feel better. “You keep wishing. You guys get the floor if there’s only one bed.”
Brass relaxed and smiled at Trisha. “Not a problem. You definitely get the bed. You wimpy humans would never survive sleeping on a hard floor. Us males don’t mind sleeping on hard surfaces.”
Harley chuckled. “Speak for yourself. I love beds so maybe I’ll take the night shift and sleep in it when Trisha isn’t in it.”
“I am good at snuggling.” Moon wiggled his eyebrows at Trisha again, making her chuckle. “If you get cold just let me know and I’ll keep you warm. I’ll even behave if you don’t make me sleep on the floor.”
“I’ll have them bring out mattresses,” Brass groaned playfully. “When did you guys become so soft?”
“When we were given choices,” Harley shot back. “Let’s get out of here before Slade returns to snarl at you again. Dealing with all these humans has really made him testy. I don’t know what crawled up his ass but I hope he has a need for toilet paper soon.”
“Gravity would definitely be Slade’s friend,” Moon chuckled softly.
Trisha laughed. She loved the guys. She was pretty sure she’d be crying after her confrontation with Slade if it weren’t for them. Brass helped her into a Jeep while Moon and Harley climbed in the back. Brass took the driver’s seat. He looked at the other Jeep with a New Species man waiting with their bags.
“Do you know what cabin Slade spoke of?”
He nodded.
“Lead the way,” Brass ordered. “We’ll follow.”
Harley handed Trisha her seat belt. She mutely put it on and flashed him a grin. He nodded at her. “Always buckle up.”
“Yes, sir.”
Trisha stared at the beautiful scenery they passed—lush grass, big, pretty trees and rolling hills. She caught sight of a deer at the edge of some trees. It was such a beautiful place that she was able to push thoughts of Slade from her mind. It was hard to do but she didn’t want to break down in tears.
* * * * *
139
Laurann Dohner
Slade paced inside the forest on the other side of the buildings, hiding from everyone, and knew he hadn’t taken seeing Trisha well at all. The sight of her in another man’s arms had nearly sent him into a jealous rage.
Brass had carried her in his arms, spoken as if he had a right to speak for her, and she’d allowed it. A snarl tore from his lips. He’d sacrificed his sanity to stay away from her, gone against his instincts to be near her, and she’d defied him when he’d just wanted to protect her.
He stiffened, his fists balled, as his pacing ceased. Pain tore through his chest at the thought that she no longer wanted him. He should have told her why he’d avoided her but he had believed she’d talk him into ignoring her own safety if she felt even a tenth for him of what he felt for her. It would have weakened his resolve, staring into her eyes and if she’d touched him, he would have lost that battle.
A slight noise drew his attention and he turned his head to stare at a Species male seeking him out. “What is it?”
“The architect wants a word with you. There’s something wrong with the blueprints for one of the modifications you asked for at the hotel.”
Rage burned inside him. Work had taken up all his hours. He barely slept but it kept his thoughts off Trisha for the most part. He needed to keep busy now more than ever. Otherwise he’d jump in a Jeep, drive to the cabin, and… rip off her clothes and fuck her until she knows she’s still mine.
He pushed back his thoughts, knew he couldn’t allow his desire to rule his actions.
She was pale and ill. He worried about that. She needed rest, obviously, but then… damn! Stop thinking about stripping her naked and making her realize I’m the male for her. Now is not the time.
“Slade? Is everything all right?” The Species male cocked his head, staring at him with concern.
“It’s fine,” he lied. “Let’s go. The faster we deal with these issues, the faster all the work gets done.”
He’d deal with the doc later after he had some time to think and evaluate the situation. Her being at Reservation totally changed things. She was in danger regardless, whether he was with her or not. He had to calm down before he decided what to do. It wouldn’t be smart to talk to her until he got a leash on his jealousy.
* * * * *
The A-frame cabin had probably been built sometime in the seventies if Trisha had to guess, based on the interior. She grimaced over the wallpaper in the small kitchen and the old shag carpet covering the living-room floor.
“All that is missing is the disco ball.”
“I don’t get it.” Harley stared at her.
140
Slade
“Welcome to the nineteen-seventies, gentlemen. Notice the avocado-green appliances and the orange wallpaper? Another dead giveaway is the wood paneling and that shag carpet went out fashion in the late seventies. It looks solidly built though and I love that fireplace.”
“It doesn’t have a bedroom. It has that.” Brass pointed to the stairwell.
“It’s called a loft bedroom.” Trisha walked up the stairs to realize the room was actually pretty large. “It’s roomy and, wow, there’s a half bath up here. That’s a nice surprise.”
“The bed is too small for all four of us to fit on unless we call a dog pile,” Moon stated suddenly.
Trisha started to laugh. She turned and grinned at him, seeing all three men had followed her upstairs. “I get to pile on last if you do. That way I won’t get crushed.”
“We could all sleep as though we’re hot dogs inside a package,” Harley offered.
“When one of us wants to turn we could all just shout out ‘roll’ and be like those synchronized swimmers who all move at once.”
“Wouldn’t work.” Moon chuckled. “The person on the outside in the direction we turned would end up falling on the floor.”
“More room for the three remaining.” Brass winked at Trisha. “I think we should put Moon and Harley on the outside edges, just to be safe.”
Moon’s smile died and he lifted his head. He turned, sniffed, and nearly leaped down the stairs. “Someone is near,” he warned with a snarl.
Brass grabbed Trisha and shoved her onto the bed. “Sit.” He rushed to a window.
Harley ran down the stairs after Moon. Trisha heard the front door open. She turned to stare at Brass, fighting alarm. He had unfastened the handgun he kept strapped to his thigh. He had the curtain open and she heard him softly curse.
“What is it?” Trisha whispered.
“One of the local residents is outside. Shit. What is he doing here? Someone should have warned me they’d transferred him. He must have gotten a whiff of you and came to investigate. Moon is talking to him and Harley is securing the lower floor.”
Curious, Trisha climbed off the bed and moved behind Brass. She knew that he was aware of her. He reached behind him and put his hand on her hip to keep her at his back. She hesitated and peered around him. It was still daylight and easy for her to spot the man outside—at least he was mostly man. The sight of his hair and features shocked her deeply.
“He’s—”
“Shush,” Brass ordered softly. “He’ll probably hear what you say. They have better hearing than most of us.”
The big male had obviously been altered with feline genes and had an actual mane of reddish-blond hair. His eyes were cat-like, apparent even from a distance. He had a huge, muscled body. He was barely dressed, just wearing cutoff jeans and nothing else.
141
Laurann Dohner
His arms and chest were massive, as if he’d spent his entire life working out. His features were more animal than human with his strange nose and thick cheekbones.