True Read online

  There will be none.

  True bent and gently lowered Jeanie to the ground, stretching her out on the grass. The human spun around and ran for his life. Someone landed with a grunt from an upper balcony and True whipped his head in the direction of the noise. Darkness rose, the enraged look on his face scary, even to True.

  “Go after the other one. This one is mine.” True jerked his head in the direction of the fleeing male.

  “Which direction?” Darkness sniffed the air and his head turned toward the direction the blond had taken. “Never mind. I caught his human scent.” He was gone an instant later, sprinting off in pursuit.

  Three more males landed on the ground in crouching positions, having followed True from the upstairs balconies. He glanced at Book, Dagger, and Flirt. “Take care of Jeanie.”

  He knew she’d be safe and they’d get her medical attention. A split second of indecision tore at him—the strong desire to remain at her side or the even stronger desire to exact revenge on the male who’d dared attempt to steal her from him. Revenge won out. She was safe now but that male might come after her again. A snarl tore from his parted lips and he was off.

  The male didn’t even make it to the street before True was on him. He jumped on his back, his fists slamming into the male first. They crashed into the sidewalk and the human took the full force of the impact with the unforgiving concrete. Bones crunched. The human seemed unable to do anything but struggle to breathe at first as True rolled off him, getting to his feet.

  The human sucked in air and screamed. True felt no pity for the agony the male must suffer from his injuries. He’d touched Jeanie. He could have killed her if she’d slipped off his shoulder and fallen to her death when he’d decided to take her off the balcony. True reached down and dug his fingers into the man’s shoulder, yanking him to his unsteady feet. The male threw a punch, missed True’s face by inches, but True’s fist found its mark as it splintered the male’s jaw. The disgusting sound of bone and skin being demolished barely registered. He didn’t want to just hurt the male. He punched him again, this time in the throat.

  He knew before he released him that the male was dead. The body slumped as True released his shoulder. He watched the deceased male for a moment, making sure the bastard never took another breath. He didn’t. There was no feeling of remorse or even guilt. He was just sorry the male hadn’t suffered more.

  He rushed back toward the dorm. The three males crouched around Jeanie’s still body. He shoved Book out of the way and ended up on his knees, huddled over her. Her eyes were open and she blinked. Her nose flared as she breathed.

  “Jeanie.” His hands shook as he carefully reached for her.

  “She seems drugged or something,” Flirt whispered, clearly shaken as well. “She is awake but can’t seem to move or speak.”

  Terror jolted through True. Had her neck been broken? He examined her face and throat for new injures but there were none he could see. His gaze locked with hers. “Talk to me,” he begged. “Tell me what they did to you.”

  She blinked, terror showing in her wide eyes.

  “She can blink. Maybe she can hear and understand what we say.” Book crawled closer. “Don’t move her. Medical is on the way.”

  Dagger sniffed and gently reached for her arm.

  “Don’t touch her,” True growled, knocking the male’s hand away.

  “I smell a little blood,” Dagger explained.

  True crouched lower, examining her arm. He spotted the injury right away. The mark was one he knew well. A little smear of blood marked an injection site. “They drugged her.”

  Males rushed around the building and True hoped they had brought Dr. Harris but one glance revealed Jericho and Jinx came to their aid.

  The large primate was slightly out of breath as he came to a halt. “Slash was drugged. He’s still down.” He took a deep, restorative breath and blew it out before asking, “Is she okay? What can we do here?” He turned his head, staring at the sidewalk. “I take it that one is dead?”

  “Yes. Go after the other male. Darkness is out there alone,” True instructed.

  Book rose to his feet. “Who’s with Slash?”

  “Flame and some of the other males. They are doing a scoop-and-run since he seems to be unharmed except for the dart they pulled out of him. It’s faster to just take him in,” Jericho answered then turned to hold True’s gaze. “We should do the same. Cancel Medical and just take her there ourselves. It’s faster. Do you want me to carry her? I ordered one of the males to get two Jeeps.”

  True crouched over Jeanie. She blinked at him, fear still apparent in her eyes, but he knew it was a plea directed at him. He hoped his body and the other males blocked her view of the sidewalk. She hated violence and spotting a dead body might cause her more trauma.

  “Can you understand me, Jeanie? Blink twice if you can.”

  She blinked twice in rapid succession.

  “Are you hurt? One for yes, two for no.”

  She blinked twice. The immense pressure in his chest lifted and he breathed easier. “Are you able to move or speak?”

  She blinked twice and he hated to see the traces of tears in her eyes. She had to feel helpless and it was an emotion he understood since he struggled with it as well. His Jeanie had been hurt and he hadn’t been there to protect her when those humans had shoved a needle in her arm.

  “Is it okay if I lift you and carry you to a Jeep?”

  She blinked once.

  He very gently eased one hand under her thighs and with the other he cradled her back and neck as he lifted her into his arms. Strong hands gripped him under his arms and helped him rise to his feet as the other Species assisted him. Her slight weight against his chest only heightened his awareness of her frailty.

  “Let’s go.” He kept glancing at her face, looking for any signs of alarm in her eyes as he quickly walked around the building.

  Two Jeeps were waiting. Flame and another male already had Slash in the backseat of one of the vehicles. They supported the drugged male between their bodies. Another male jumped into the driver’s seat and they speeded away.

  Jericho took the driver’s seat of the second Jeep. “They’re expecting us at Medical.” He had somehow managed to grab one of the earpiece microphones Security used and was in contact with them. He reached up and touched the device. “We’re coming in with her.”

  True had more help from Jinx and Flirt as he climbed into the backseat of the Jeep. Dagger jumped in the back and used the cargo section to crouch, gripping him by the shoulders, and braced his body behind the seat.

  “I’m going to be better than a seat belt,” he swore. “Move it, Jericho. Pedal to the metal!”

  The Jeep lurched forward as the primate punched the gas and they shot forward. True stared down at Jeanie as she held his gaze.

  “I’m so sorry,” he rasped. “I shouldn’t have left you.” The misery in her expressive eyes couldn’t be denied. “Faster,” he demanded, not looking away from her.

  It seemed to take forever before they reached the building. There was a flurry of activity and the older Dr. Harris and Midnight were already outside with a gurney. True ignored it as he climbed out of the Jeep with his precious cargo. “Which room?”

  “Three,” Midnight urged, her voice deeper than normal, showing her stress. “We have the recovered syringe and the dart. We have someone trying to identify what drugs they were given.”

  He didn’t give a damn. He just wanted Jeanie to be all right. He rushed down the corridor and laid her on the bed in exam room three. Dr. Harris and Paul closely followed.

  “Leave, True. We are going to do everything for her. It will probably take hours for the drug to wear off.” Dr. Harris whipped out a tiny flashlight and bent over Jeanie, studying her eyes.

  “Fuck you.” He wasn’t going anywhere.

  Dr. Harris muttered a soft curse as he gripped Jeanie’s wrist, taking her pulse. “Steady but sluggish,” he announced after