Fury Read online

Ellie rested her cheek against his shoulder and wrapped her other arm around his neck. She left wearing borrowed pajamas but she didn’t care who saw her. Fury walked toward the bedroom door, using his foot to pull it completely open. Justice, Slade and Trisha waited for them in the living room.

  “I’m sorry,” Justice apologized softly. “I didn’t know or I never would have rushed into that kitchen.” He met Fury glare. “I didn’t think you would hurt her but after the last time, I wasn’t sure.”

  Trisha frowned. “What last time? What happened before?”

  Ellie sighed. “It’s just another mix up, Trisha. I’ll tell you about it another time.”

  Trisha held out a pill bottle toward Ellie and Fury.

  “I’ll take those,” Slade offered, plucking them from her hand. “I’ll drive them home. It would look strange to see Fury carrying a woman wearing night clothes.”

  “Just take one pill as needed for pain,” Trisha instructed.

  Slade hesitated at the door. “Do you want me to take her for you, Fury? Those Taser guns hurt like a son of a bitch.”

  “I’ve got her,” Fury growled.

  Slade opened the door and stepped out of the way. Fury carried Ellie out of the house to the waiting car at the curb. Slade opened the back door for them. Fury shifted Ellie inside his hold and climbed into the car with her on his lap. He sat down hard enough to jar her and made pain shoot through her head. She groaned softly.

  Fury growled.

  Ellie rubbed him where her hands touched. “I’m fine. It’s just a headache.”

  Fury hugged her tighter, obviously upset. Ellie was shocked at how bad their evening had turned out. She had to blink back tears for fear that Fury would grow even more upset if he saw them.

  * * * * *

  Ellie smiled at the women who shared the dorm kitchen with her. The eight women were new, having just arrived early that morning. Ellie had been shocked when the eight women had been brought to the door with their suitcases. Breeze had stood at her side to welcome the new dorm roomies.

  “They are so small,” Ellie gasped.

  “Yes,” Breeze acknowledged grimly. “They are.”

  Ellie glanced up at her. “I just assumed you were all tall since so far that’s all I’ve seen.”

  Breeze hesitated. “We’re the experimental prototypes, Ellie. We were changed for strength and endurance to test out drugs that would make humans stronger. Justice sent us here first because we are more durable. We’re tough. Those,” Breeze’s attention focused on the women entering the house. “Those are the truly unfortunate ones.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Breeze shot Ellie a warning look. “Later.”

  Ellie had assigned them rooms and now they had assembled inside the kitchen for their first lessons. It had been an odd feeling, being around women her own size and even smaller after getting accustomed to the much larger New Species women. The new women ranged from around five-foot to about five-foot-five. They had smaller body frames, similar to frail humans except their facial features revealed them as New Species. They also seemed timid and shy, unlike the larger New Species women. Ellie smiled in an attempt to put them at ease.

  “I know this all seems like a lot but trust me, by the end of the week you will be cooking and you will know how to handle everything inside this kitchen.”

  A blonde with big gray eyes raised her hand.

  Ellie kept her smile in place. “Yes?”

  The blonde bit her lip. “Are you one of us?”

  Ellie shook her head. “I’m not New Species.” Ellie glanced at Breeze. She’d stayed close to the group of women as if she were their shadow since they’d walked into the dorm a few hours before.

  “She’s pure human but she’s a good one,” Breeze assured softly. “She’s our house pet.” Breeze winked at Ellie. “We call her a poodle. That’s those cute dogs that are small and have puffy hair.”

  The blonde looked shocked as her wide gaze turned to Ellie. “Aren’t you angry, being called a pet?”

  Ellie chuckled. “I know it’s meant with love. What is your name?”

  The blonde hesitated. “They call me Halfpint.”

  Ellie glanced at Breeze. Breeze shrugged. Ellie had a ton of unanswered questions but pushed the one she really wanted to ask back for later. “Well, do you have any other questions?”

  Halfpint addressed Breeze. “May I?”

  Breeze sighed. “You don’t need permission anymore. You’re free. There’s no fear here, Halfpint. You can ask anything you want.”

  Halfpint straightened her shoulders. She looked frightened when she faced Ellie. “Are you training us to go back to be better at what we were meant for?”

  “No,” Breeze snapped. “That’s done and over. You are free. Do you understand? You are here so you can learn to run your home like any other human. They all learn how to cook meals and operate appliances.” Breeze stood suddenly from the chair. “I need some air.” She fled the kitchen.

  Confused, Ellie stood there. She didn’t know what was going on. Halfpint’s gray eyes filled with tears. Ellie moved to stand in front of her.

  “It’s okay. This is all new to you. Are you all right?”

  Halfpint wiped at her tears. “I made her angry.”

  Ellie glanced at the empty doorway knowing she couldn’t disagree with that. “What did you mean by going back to what you were before?”

  Halfpint looked even more fearful. She turned suddenly and threw herself into the arms of another woman, hugging her tightly. Ellie realized they were all suddenly afraid for some reason. No other New Species women had ever been afraid of her. Ellie stepped back, hoping it would alleviate their fear.

  “Why don’t you go and unpack you clothes? We’ll just take today really slow and you can meet the other women. I put notes on the backs of your doors to let you know when meals are served. If you have any questions I’ll be here until five. The other women will help you if I’m not around.”

  Ellie watched the women flee then went in search of Breeze. She spotted her through the living room window and let herself out of the building. Breeze sat on a bench under a tree on the front yard of the dorm. Ellie sat next to her.

  “What was that about?”

  Breeze used her foot to rub the grass. “What was done to them pisses me off. The doctors created them weak on purpose. Those women are afraid to even ask you a question and did you hear that comment about before? No matter how many times they are told that shit is over, they are still terrified they are being lied to, and being sent back.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Breeze lifted her head and revealed the tears in her eyes. “They spliced their DNA with domestic animals to make them weak and small. They didn’t create them to run tests on. They weren’t combined with different species for medical research. They made them to be used and abused.”

  Ellie crossed her arms. “For what?”

  Breeze wiped at a tear that slid down one cheek and let her head drop. “Gifts. The doctors made them to be sex slaves to the bastards who funded the testing facilities. They were passed over to whatever asshole had enough money and was perverted enough to want to fuck an animal that was human looking enough to be appealing. They made them small enough to be helpless and unable to defend themselves.”

  “Oh God.” Ellie knew the blood drained from her face. “Please tell me you are kidding.”

  Breeze shook her head. “We found some of them but Justice is still searching with the help of your government. We were too late to save most of the ones we’ve traced the money transactions on so far. The men who were arrested confessed to abusing them to death. These were the ones who were tougher and bigger, who survived the worst.”

  “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  Breeze met her eyes. “Me too. Not only did those bastards hand out gifts to sickos with animal fetishes but they gave them to the worst of humanity. Murderers who have admitted to beating the life from the