Slade Read online

  Valiant growled again. “Fine. I won’t harm the woman. Move so I can smell her.”

  Brass turned his head. Trisha looked into his intense features. She didn’t want Brass to move and she sure didn’t want Valiant near her. He terrified her. Brass’ gaze softened.

  “He just wants to smell you. I know him. We were reared inside the same testing facility and we shared time together right after we were freed before they sent him and the others like him away from all humans. He gave his word and he’ll keep it.”

  Trisha had to fight down panic. She did trust Brass and he wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt her. “All right.”

  Brass stepped a few feet from Trisha, leaving the path to her open. She leaned back against the wall, staring at the frighteningly large man who stared back at her. His dangerous-looking sharp teeth showed and he appeared enraged still. Trisha’s heart pounded as he stalked closer, the way a predator would. He was one.

  “Don’t scare her, Valiant,” Brass rasped. “It’s okay, Trisha.”

  She nodded but didn’t take her focus from the male advancing slowly toward her. His eyes were really beautiful as he drew near but definitely not human-looking in any way. They were cat eyes, comparable to perhaps a lion, because he sure didn’t look similar to any house cat she’d ever seen, that was for sure. His eyelashes were a reddish color that matched his hair, abnormally long and lush. He took another step closer. She stiffened but lifted her chin. She was certain Brass would fight to protect her if he thought Valiant posed a danger to her.

  Valiant suddenly crouched down on his hands and feet. It looked strange when he inched forward, his intense gaze fixed on her. He drew so close she could feel his hot breath through her shirt over her stomach. Trisha lifted her hands very slowly and pushed the backs of them against the wall near her head to avoid accidentally touching him. She was afraid it would set him off if that happened. He inhaled when he moved closer and nuzzled her stomach with his face, burrowing between the bottom of her shirt and her pants to reach her skin. She made a soft gasping sound, never expecting him to do that.

  “Easy,” Brass crooned. “You’re scaring her and don’t you dare shove your nose lower.”

  Trisha’s stunned gaze flew to Brass’. He shrugged. “Some of us…hell, never mind. You have been around enough animals to know some breeds shove their noses in the crotch area to get aquatinted with people.”

  Valiant suddenly backed away and straightened to his feet. His focus remained on her stomach while he frowned. He looked really unhappy.

  “She smells different.”

  “How?” Brass seemed very calm.

  “Not quite full human but not quite us. It’s only noticeable when you are against her skin.”

  Brass hesitated before he looked at Trisha. “Mind if I?”

  Trisha shrugged. “As long as you don’t sniff lower.”

  He grinned. “You are no fun, Trisha.”

  His grin faded when he stepped in front of Trisha and bent until his face pressed against her neck. His nose touched her skin and he slowly inhaled, then did it again. He lifted his head, frowned, and dropped to his knees. He reached for her shirt and pulled it up to reveal a few inches of her stomach. He put his nose against her there and inhaled three times until he moved back and stood. He faced Valiant.

  “You’re correct. It isn’t noticeable unless you are close to her skin over her lower belly. It’s that faint.”

  “She really is carrying a baby from one of us?” Valiant appeared calm now. His voice was deep, kind of rough, as if he’d spent a hundred years smoking or otherwise damaging his throat, but he wasn’t growling anymore.

  “She is.”

  Valiant nodded. “I can’t believe you would mate with a human. What were you thinking? They are so fragile I’m surprised she isn’t broken. You could have at least found a normal-sized one who is sturdier. You must really restrain yourself. What is the enjoyment of breeding if you have to worry about damaging her?”

  Brass blushed a little. “The baby isn’t mine. I’ve never bred her. I’m her friend and I’m one of the three men Justice asked to protect her.”

  Valiant snapped his head toward Trisha and growled. “There is an existing facility for breeding experiments? She volunteered for some doctor to put our sperm inside her?”

  “No.” Brass moved, stepping between Trisha and Valiant again. “They bred naturally, of their own free will. It was a surprise for all of us that she got pregnant. We didn’t think it was possible.”

  Valiant sighed. “You can move. I won’t harm her.”

  Brass stepped away from Trisha. Trisha met Valiant’s gaze. He stared at her but he didn’t appear angry anymore. He looked slightly confused. He sighed again.

  “You can stay, human. Just you. Don’t bring any of your human friends or family. I’d eat them for dinner.” His gaze returned to Brass. “I’ll spread the word in the zone to make sure no others come to bother her.”

  “Could you help us protect her? Please keep an eye out for any humans lurking around and make sure they don’t get near her.”

  Valiant smiled, showing his sharp teeth again. “It will be a fatal mistake on their part if any humans are stupid enough to come out this way.”

  Brass visibly relaxed after Valiant walked down the stairs. He smiled at Trisha but it looked a little forced. Moon and Harley rushed up the stairs seconds later. Harley was bleeding and held a wet rag to his forehead. Moon’s clothes were torn.

  “No one warned me that Valiant was here. He’s the meanest and most deadly of our kind. I would have gone to see him before I brought you here if I’d known. Anyone else we could handle but he’s…” Brass shrugged. “One mean son of a bitch.”

  Trisha moved now that her terror retreated. She walked to Harley. “Bend down and let me take a look at that.” She glanced at Moon. “Are you hurt?”

  “I’ll live. I know how a football feels though when it’s thrown and it ruins that sport for me.” He turned and headed downstairs.

  Harley leaned down a little and removed the wet rag. Trisha examined his wound and softly cursed. “You’re not going to need stitches but I need to clean and bandage it.”

  “Fuck.” He blushed. “I mean darn.”

  Trisha chuckled. “Cuss away. I would have said worse if someone did that to me. What did he hit you with?”

  “The door.” Harley’s gaze fixed on Brass. “You might want to call and order a new one. Valiant tore that one off the hinges and threw it at me. I tried to dodge the thing but the corner of it struck my forehead. The coffee table didn’t make it either. On a high note, we no longer have to chop wood if Trisha wants a fire tonight. We can just use the fifty pieces of coffee table on the floor.”

  Brass sighed. “I’ll call for a first-aid kit too so Trisha can bandage your boo-boo, Harley. Do you mind, Trisha? We still don’t have a doctor at Reservation.”

  “Just get me what I need. Do you need me to give you a list of supplies?”

  “No.” Brass didn’t look happy. “I’m sure what we keep inside our first-aid kits will have everything you could possibly need. I guess I’ll go downstairs to evaluate the damage and afterward, I’ll call the front office and inform them of what we need.”

  “Thank you.” Trisha smiled at Brass. “For everything.”

  “Hey,” Harley groaned. “I took a door to the head. Where’s my thanks?” Trisha laughed and reached out to touch Harley’s arm and give it a slight squeeze. “Thank you.”

  “She touched me.”

  Harley stuck his tongue out at Brass, teasing him, and made Trisha laugh.

  “Don’t you have something to do?” They could be childlike but she appreciated their playful traits.

  “I’m on it.” Brass walked downstairs. He muttered the entire way down.

  Trisha had Harley sit on the bed. “What did he say?”

  Harley grinned. “Something about having to eat crow when he calls and Slade finds out there has already been a pr