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  Torrent scowled. “As if I’d allow her to harm me. She’s a little thing.”

  “Females are mean,” Breeze growled. “If you aren’t afraid of her, be afraid of me. She might be underweight and scrawny, but I’m not. Want to tangle?”

  “This is irrational,” Jinx rasped. “Hero probably needs time to process all this, and the female needs to be fed and monitored. You heard Doc Trisha. The doctor who kept her didn’t make sure she ate healthy, and the years of drugs have left her in a weakened condition.”

  Breeze extended her middle finger. “Tell it to the hand. I’m finding Hero for my female. He can feed her and help her regain her strength. She’d eat for him more so than for one of us. She knows him. I don’t care what is wrong with him, he’s going to man up.”

  “Breeze, this isn’t cut and dried. You’re acting as if she’s his ma—”

  “Where is he?” Breeze snapped, turning her back on Jinx to talk on the phone. She paused, listening. “Okay. He is? Right now? Say hell no. Do you understand me? I’m pulling rank. That’s a big-ass no way. Thanks.” She hung up and faced Candi.

  She’d caught her breath. “You found him?”

  “He’s heading toward the men’s dorm to pack. He just called Security and said he wanted to go back to Reservation. Let’s go. How afraid are you of seeing a lot of our males?”

  “I’d face anything to see 927.”

  Breeze pocketed her phone. “I know you would. He likes to be called Hero now. Say it in your head over and over. We hate the numbers. Okay? It reminds us of being at Mercile, and you know what fun times we had there.” Breeze walked toward her. “Come on. We’ll go find him together.”

  Candi was touched that the female was being so nice. “Thank you.”

  “I’m putting myself in your shoes.” Breeze glanced down and cursed. “Your feet are bleeding. You need shoes. Mental reminder. Where the hell are the ones you came with?”

  “They didn’t fit. I stole them off Penny.”

  “The doctor you killed?”

  “I knew I’d need them. I took her pants, and found her jacket in the car. I needed to get out of the clothes they kept me in. I was afraid humans would call the police if I still looked like a patient. I didn’t know how to drive so I left the car there. I did take her purse. I remembered cash. She had some of that.”

  “You poor thing. It must have been terrifying being out there alone, but you made it to us. We’re going to find your male and make him talk to you, okay? Do you need one of the males to carry you? They will.”

  “It doesn’t hurt.”

  “I bet not. I’d be feeling no pain either, if I were you. Lift them up though and let me make sure it isn’t bad. I’ll worry otherwise.”

  It was a small request. Breeze was concerned with her health. Candi did as asked, noting a small cut on one heel and another on the meaty area by her big toe. “Minor. I don’t have the protective pads on my feet that you were born with.”

  “We’ll clean and patch them up at Hero’s place. We all keep medical kits in the bathrooms of our homes. Let’s go. If you start to hurt, speak up. One of the males will be more than happy to carry you.”

  Candi glanced at Torrent and Jinx. They both appeared irritated at best, certainly not happy.

  Breeze turned, waving an arm. “This way.”

  Candi didn’t care if the males were upset. Breeze was taking her to 927. Hero. She needed to learn his name. Her gut instinct was to trust the female canine. They walked on the sidewalk. Others stared, but she knew they were entitled to. They probably didn’t see many humans. She’d only encountered the guards at the gate and the two in Medical—the female doctor and the male nurse.

  “Do many humans live here?”

  Breeze shook her head. “Only mated ones, and a few of the most trusted ones who work for us. You met Paul. He lives here with his wife. She’s human too. Trisha is mated to one of our males.”

  “I liked them.”

  “They are good humans and nothing like the technicians and doctors at Mercile. Hell, Trisha would use her scalpel to cut them up, and Paul would assist her by holding them down. They have no love for anyone who harms Species.”

  “Why the name New Species?”

  Breeze shrugged. “What else were we supposed to be called?”

  “What you are. Canine.”

  “We have canine, feline and primates here. We wanted it to be fair. We were new since the world didn’t know about us. New Species seemed appropriate and fitting. We took a vote.”

  “Did one of you finally make it to the top and go back to save the others? We used to dream of doing that.”

  Breeze stopped walking and Candi paused too, staring up at the other female. “You don’t know?”

  “They didn’t allow me access to much. I was kept locked inside a room and drugged most of the time.”

  “A rumor that we existed started and the human authorities sent one of their females, named Ellie, to work at Mercile. She smuggled out enough evidence to convince them we were real. They came and rescued us. None of ours ever made it to the surface until the good humans brought us out.” Breeze resumed walking. “How did you learn that we were freed and live at Homeland?”

  “One of the cleaning staff had a little portable television. She brought it in sometimes when she was mopping the floor in my room. I saw Justice North a few times, and he mentioned Homeland was where his people lived in freedom. I knew I needed to reach here, but I didn’t know where it was. I figured humans would know what I didn’t. No one seemed concerned when I asked them where Homeland was and how to get here. A truck driver told me a little, but I didn’t want to ask too many questions after he looked at me in a way that set off alarms. I hitchhiked since I was afraid to go to the police for help. I killed a human to escape and they are human too.”

  Candi stayed at Breeze’s side until they reached a tall building. Breeze stopped. “This is the men’s dorm. Are you ready to see him? I don’t know how he’ll react, but he won’t run away again.” Her voice deepened. “Bet on it.” She turned her head. “Stick close, guys.”

  “This is going to be bad,” Jinx rasped. “I can feel it.”

  “You should have seen his face. He was enraged for some reason,” Torrent added. “I think we should go in and speak to him first.”

  Candi knew why 927 had reacted that way. She said nothing in case they changed their minds and wanted to keep her away from him. Hero. Hero. Hero. She kept replaying that name inside her head.

  “Please,” she whispered. “Take me to Hero.” It felt odd saying the new name aloud.

  There were at least a dozen males in a large community setting, seated on couches in a wide U shape. A television revealed humans in strange uniforms running on a field with lines painted on it. The males stopped talking, stood and stared when Jinx used a card swipe to open the front doors. Breeze lifted her hand, waving at them once they entered.

  “Don’t mind us. Sit and pretend we’re not here. Has anyone seen Hero?”

  A primate male jerked his head toward the stairs. “He came in about a minute ago, looking as if he wanted to tear off someone’s head. He didn’t speak, just pounded upstairs.”

  “Where are his quarters?” Breeze glanced around. “Anyone?”

  “I know,” Jinx admitted. “Let’s go.”

  The elevator moved at a snail’s pace to take them to the third floor. It opened and Jinx took the lead. He paused before a door halfway down a hallway. He turned, frowning at Breeze.

  “Let me go in first to test his mood.”

  Breeze advanced and placed both hands on Jinx’s chest, giving him a light shove to move him out of the way. She fisted her hand and pounded on the door. “Hero? It’s Breeze. Open up or I’ll kick it down.”

  “Go away.” The familiar snarl came from inside.

  “I’m not kidding. I know I usually do, but not right now,” Breeze yelled back. “Do you want me to hurt my foot? I’m not wearing my work-is