Valiant nodded. “She is flying with them to Reservation? A re the rest of the humans on her team coming as well?”
“No. Just her. She demanded to personally deliver them and get them settled. I got tired of arguing with her so I agreed she could go. She is small but her mouth is loud.”
“Justice doesn’t mind?”
Tiger shrugged. “I do not know. He is still inside with the human task teams, thanking them for their help and smoothing niceties. He didn’t get to meet her and he’s lucky for it. She’s fierce with her mouth. He’ll take the last flight with us.” Tiger glanced at his watch. “Do you want food? The humans had pizzas delivered to feed everyone.
They taste amazing.”
Valiant nodded. “I could eat. I need to learn more about human food. I don’t think Tammy enjoys watching me eat. I’ve noticed she avoids looking at me during meals.”
Tiger chuckled. “Let me guess. Seared meat? Yeah, most humans get grossed out by that. You’ll enjoy pizza.
It’s really good. She’ll love it too. I think all humans eat it the way we do meat. It must be a nutritional requirement or something for them.” He shrugged. “Everything on it is cut up into bit-sized slices to help them because of the flat teeth they have.”
Valiant followed him. “If we have a baby this must be good to feed them.”
“Yeah. They probably just cut the slices smaller for their little mouths.”
“I must try this food. Tammy will be pleased I am preparing for fatherhood.”
Tiger patted his back. “You’re a good mate, my man.”
“I will try to be.” Valiant missed Tammy. He couldn’t wait to return home to marry her and remove her underwear. Not in that order though.
* * * * *
A t 5:10 in the morning Breeze’s pocket chirped. Both women jumped. They had been watching a scary movie on the television. Tammy laughed. Breeze grinned, reaching inside her pocket. She fished out her cell phone.
“This is Breeze.” She listened. “I am on my way now.
Thank you.” She stood and smiled at Tammy as she hung up. “I must go. The helicopter is about twenty minutes out. It is the one delivering our freed women.
We have made arrangements for them to live here inside the hotel. It is going to be a long morning for me. I do not know how bad they will be. I got elected to do this job and I am not really good at dealing with women in shock. I know I suffered from it when I was freed. We aren’t equipped to deal with newly freed women. We usually send them elsewhere but it happened too fast and Justice decided they would be happier here. He is probably right. I just wish I had some experience in this.
A ll I have is my memories of the humans who took care of me.”
Tammy stood. “Do you still want help? I wasn’t just offering to be polite.”
“You helped make a list to order clothing for them.
You want to help greet them and get them adjusted too?”
“I’d love to. I’m not going to sleep. It’s already morning.” Tammy grinned. “Can I go with you? It beats sitting around here waiting for Valiant to return. I won’t sleep until he’s back.”
“Yes. I would appreciate that.”
“Give me two minutes to toss on some clothes and run a brush through my hair and brush my teeth.”
“May I use your bathroom?”
“Make yourself at home. There’s a second bathroom down this hall. Follow me.”
Tammy hurried. She put on one of Valiant’s discarded sweaters from the floor. It smelled clean enough. She wanted to carry his scent and hopefully the women would accept her a little easier. She put on a pair of black cotton pants. Once she used the bathroom, brushed her teeth and her hair, she met Breeze in the living room.
Breeze inhaled and grinned. “You are smart.”
“The sweater? It came to me the second I saw it draped on the back of a chair. I think Valiant wore it two days ago. I take it you can still smell him on it?”
“It’s faint but enough. You smell of Valiant. They will know you are human of course, your features show what you are, but they will see you as less of a threat.”
“Good. So where are we going?” Tammy put on her slip-on flats and grabbed the key to the room. She shoved it down the front of her bra since she didn’t have pockets and wasn’t taking a purse.
“We are meeting them at the helicopter pad. We have a van ready to drive them here.”
“Have the clothes we ordered been put in their rooms yet?”
Breeze chuckled. “Yes. It was done immediately.
Clothes and food will be waiting for them. I had each room fully stocked and they have cleaning products for their bodies.”
“Sounds good. Let’s go.”
A bunch of New Species males Tammy had never seen before were milling around inside the old hotel lobby. Breeze and Tammy stepped out of the elevator and all conversation stopped. Tammy took a few steps and then paused when Breeze did.
Tammy glanced at the taller woman. “What’s wrong?”
Breeze suddenly growled and turned. Tammy saw a man quickly approach. Two more men followed him. A ll three New Species appeared angry. Breeze stepped between the oncoming men and Tammy.
“What do you want?” Breeze sounded pissed.
The man growled back. “Move.”
“Back off,” Breeze growled deeper. “She’s with me.”
Tammy nervously stared at the three men. She realized that the room had gone deadly silent. There had to be at least thirty New Species but none of them spoke.
She didn’t recognize a single face as she glanced around.
Tammy’s gaze slid back to the man who’d been the most aggressive.
“Is there a problem?” Tammy frowned at him.
“She’s human.” He flashed sharp teeth at Tammy, taking another step closer.
Breeze kept in his path, putting her hands out. “She’s a human who lives here with one of our males. She belongs to him and he will beat you to a pulp if you so much as breathe wrong at her. Justice North invited her to live with us. She’s one of us despite being human. I realize, as a Primate, your sense of smell isn’t that strong but she belongs to him.”
The man growled again and so did the two men behind him. Tammy sensed danger. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her fear. Valiant always told her his kind could smell it. She lifted her chin.
“Calm down. I’m not the enemy.” She was proud her voice came out strong and didn’t shake as badly as her hands started to.
“What is going on?” 927 suddenly spoke. He had silently strode up behind both women.
Tammy started, glanced at him, and smiled, feeling a little relief at seeing him there. “My guess is they don’t like me.”
927 snarled, glaring at the males. He stomped forward to stand next to Breeze. She looked uneasy when she glanced at the new male and her body tensed more.
927 didn’t spare her a glance. He continued to defiantly stare at the three men.
“She’s the reason you are free. Dr. Zenlelt kidnapped her and her mate tracked her to me. She isn’t like the humans we have known, 861. Back off. She is family to us.” 927 glanced around the room, meeting every man’s curious gaze, and his voice rose. “She is family and a friend.”
“Humans will never be family,” 861 growled. “It offends me to look at her.”
“Get over it,” Breeze snarled. “She isn’t going anywhere. She lives here too. So does another human woman who is a mate to one of us. Smell her. She belongs to one of our own.”
861 moved closer to Breeze and inhaled. He frowned and moved closer. She backed up to keep him from touching Tammy. The man inhaled again and stepped back. “I do not like this.”
“You do not have to. She is here and no harm will come to her. Where is your gratitude? We would still be locked up inside our cells if not for her mate’s love for her and our people helping him find her. Show respect,”