“I don’t want a mate,” she sputtered, feeling offended. “You think I couldn’t get a guy? I totally could. I don’t smell like food either. I just don’t wear that stuff New Species prefer that doesn’t seem to be scented at all. All shampoos, conditioners, and body washes that we buy in stores are aromatic. That’s just how it is.”

“Humans are strange and weak. They need food scents to lure the opposite sex.” He sat down on the bed next to her. “Stroke my hair.”

“Play with your own hair!” She was angry.

He glared at her.

She glared back.

“Touch me. I like it.”

She tried to scoot off the bed and got one foot on the floor before his arm hooked around her waist. A gasp left her mouth as she ended up flattened under his heavy body when he pinned her down. Her anger morphed into fear.

“I said stroke my hair.” His face hovered over hers and his bare chest pressed tightly against her. His body heat penetrated her thin shirt.

“Get off me.”

“You are irritable.”

“You just insulted me and who are you to make those kinds of assumptions? What do you know about the world? I’m not your personal nurse and even those wouldn’t play with your hair. You’re acting like a bully and a baby!”

He viciously snarled at her and she responded, a gut reaction. Her palm stung from striking him and they both froze. Oh shit! I just slapped him. She felt the blood drain from her face. Anger glinted in his narrowed eyes. Her handprint showed red on his cheek.

The guy was huge and had her pinned under him. He could kill her for hitting him. She too made a sound but it was a soft whimper. Time seemed to freeze while she waited to see what he’d do. The urge to scream for help was strong.

His nostrils flared as he sucked in air through his nose and shifted his body over her, pressing more weight to pin her. One leg slid over the tops of her thighs to hold them down too. “You hit me.”

Her mouth opened but nothing came out. She was able to draw a breath though when her starving lungs wouldn’t be denied. His face lowered until his nose touched hers as he studied her eyes.

Alli was afraid to move. He’d just stated the obvious but he wasn’t attacking her. She counted that as a blessing while she tried to figure out how to get out of her current messy situation. He turned his head a little and broke eye contact with her to look at her throat.

Oh god. Is he going to tear it out with his sharp teeth? He wasn’t like any of the New Species she knew. 880 was as dangerous as Destiny had warned.

“Please…” she whispered.

He softly growled and lowered his face into the crook of her neck as his nose brushed her throat. Hot breath fanned her skin and her eyes closed as she held very still.

“880? I’m sorry. You made me angry and scared at the same time. I just reacted.”

His nose traced up to her ear and she jerked under him when a hot, wet tongue licked her. He sniffed at her and nuzzled his face against her cheek to force her to turn away more. His long hair tickled where it had fallen across her arm. She flattened her palms on his muscular chest and tried to push him away but it was like trying to move a wall. She couldn’t budge him.

“880?” Her voice quivered. “Please let me up. You’re heavy and I said I was sorry. I shouldn’t have struck you.”

The tip of his tongue outlined the shell of her earlobe. It was an odd sensation but not unpleasant. He stopped and paused. “You are not the first female to strike me,” he rasped in a gruff voice. “My mate did it often.”

Alli could understand that. 880 could be a brute and a bully.

“She grew testy at times.”

Like perhaps when you opened your mouth and made unreasonable demands, Alli thought silently, unwilling to state that aloud.

His leg moved and his toes wiggled under her ankle between it and the bed. She gasped when he shoved her thighs apart and gripped the bottom of her skirt. He just shoved it up and a big hand cupped the front of her panties. She was so shocked that it took her a moment to react. 880 didn’t have the same problem. Material ripped when his fingers slid between her panties and her skin, fisted the center panel and just yanked.

“Quiet,” his deep voice demanded and his sharp teeth very gently caught her earlobe for a split second before releasing it. “I’ll stroke and calm you.”

Her eyes flew open wide and she tried to turn her head to shove his face away but he warned her when he bit down again enough to make her gasp. His big hand cupped the curve of her pu**y and rubbed. She shoved frantically at his chest but couldn’t move him.

“What are you doing?” Her voice came out as shaky as she felt.

She had a good guess though. She’d been warned by Tiger and Destiny. 880 was an adult New Species male. They were highly sexual. A part of her knew the second she’d agreed to stay with him that it was a real possibility that they’d end up doing more than just sleeping on his bed. The fact that he’d already explored her body with his hands, obviously curious about her, only cemented that theory. She’d stayed despite it.

He released her earlobe. “Relax.” His hand moved, petting her. “You’re stressed and there’s no need. I won’t mount you. You’re too fragile.”

His hand moved back and forth, pressing just hard enough to massage her clit. Her rigid body only made it more intense as it sank into her frazzled mind that he wasn’t hurting her. His mouth returned to her neck and opened enough to lick her. Teeth scraped down the column of her throat. It didn’t hurt either. She almost wished it did as she shivered. It wasn’t from being cold since his big body was so warm.