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  He scooped Jeanie into his arms, cradling her gently against his chest and turned. “Tell them she’s with me. She is staying at Homeland.”

  Midnight’s eyebrows rose. “I don’t think that will work.”

  He growled. “I’ll fight anyone who attempts to take her away from me. She’s mine to protect.”

  “You need to clear that with Justice.”

  “I don’t. I take full responsibility for her. Give me five minutes before you make the call to inform them that I’ve taken her home. She’ll be safe with me.”

  “At the men’s dorms?”

  “Yes.”

  “True, be reasonable.” Midnight stood. “Just let them know what is going on and we won’t send her to Fuller. I’m sure that Justice, Fury and Slade will be happy to come here to discuss this with you if you are worried about leaving her alone. I wouldn’t allow anyone to take her until you return if you wish to go to the offices instead. I’m your friend and you can trust me to protect her.”

  “She’s been through enough. I just want her to wake someplace safe.”

  The female Species shook her head. “I think she’ll feel safer if you return her to that bed and I’m the first face she sees. I wasn’t the kindest to her but that’s because I believed she was our enemy. I’ve learned otherwise.”

  “Tell them she’s with me.” He stalked forward, the urge to take her home too overpowering to resist. “She’ll stay inside my home until she’s no longer in any danger of being sent to Fuller.”

  “I want to help you figure this out.”

  He paused at the door. “Share what we’ve learned with our people. I’ll talk to her when she’s not drugged and get more details. Thank you for your help.”

  “Wait!” Midnight grabbed a blanket and covered Jeanie with it. “She chills easily.”

  Chapter Five

  True expected stares when he entered the men’s dorm with a female cradled in his arms. The blanket was tucked around her enough to hide most of her but her sex was obvious from her small shape and her long hair falling over his arm. The males watching the sports game on the large TV turned their heads, all gawking at him.

  “She’s fine,” he called out. “She’s just sedated.”

  Book stood. “Who is she and why do you have her?”

  “She’s human.”

  Darkness exited the bathroom and halted. “What is going on?”

  True turned to stare at him. “This is Technician Jeanie Shiver.”

  “She’s the human the task force team wanted me to interrogate? I said I wouldn’t do it. Take her back to Medical. I haven’t changed my mind.” His nose flared and he growled. “It smells as if you terrified her enough without me. I have no stomach for menacing a female.”

  “That’s not why I have her. They were going to transfer her to Fuller. I won’t allow it.”

  “Why?” Book took a few steps closer, openly curious.

  “She’s not my enemy and she doesn’t belong with the humans who live there.”

  “Security allowed you to just walk off with her?” Darkness lifted one eyebrow and didn’t look convinced. “What have you done? I know protocol.”

  “I took her from her bed at Medical.” True tensed, prepared to fight anyone who interfered. “She wasn’t safe there. The task force called Fuller for pick-up.”

  “Justice approved this?”

  “No.” True showed his sharp teeth. “I didn’t ask. He has no say about what happens to her. She’s mine to protect.”

  “She’s your mate?” Book took a step back. “She agreed to that?”

  “She’s not my mate but I owe her my life.”

  Darkness approached him but stopped three feet away, his confusion clear. “What are you talking about? I read her file when they approached me to perform the interrogation. She worked for two suspected research subsidiaries of Mercile Industries. One of them was where you were kept.”

  “Yes. She saved my life in New Mexico. I haven’t figured out what is going on yet but I believe she was there helping save the lives of Species.”

  Darkness shook his head. “She was a valued and obviously trusted employee of high rank to work at both facilities.”

  “She drew blood from me but she wasn’t a doctor or a high-ranking employee,” True growled, angry the male stood too close. “There is a human pretending to work for the NSO who used her. She believed she was helping us through him. That’s why she was at Cornas where she was captured. She thought she was saving our kind by giving him information.”

  “What human?”

  “I don’t know. I need to figure that out. He claimed to be an agent and sent her to the last location.”

  “You have proof?” Darkness backed away a step but withdrew his cell phone from his jeans pocket. “Let’s deal with this in a rational way. I’ll call Tim Oberto and Trey Roberts.”

  “She told me this while drugged.”

  “There is no proof then.” The male touched the face of the phone.

  “Don’t do that,” True demanded. “Hear me out first before you get them involved.”

  “They are already involved. They work for us, deal with the humans.”

  “I don’t want them near her. They didn’t believe what she said, but I do.”

  “He is highly attracted to her,” Book whispered. “Look at how tense he is and the protective stance. Don’t get close to her again, Darkness.”

  True growled, turning his head to shoot the male a dirty look. “This isn’t about attraction. It’s about a debt. I owe her enough to allow her to prove her innocence. She can’t do that from Fuller.”

  Book lifted both hands, palms out. “She smells good. I totally understand the desire to just take her home with you. I’ve been there myself. She is out cold, so easy to just pick up and walk off with, and you probably imagine she’ll wake happy to be naked in your bed. I’d be tempted to do the same. I’ve had that fantasy but I’ve been assured they would scream and not be as impressed as we would wish at the sight of an aroused male, ready to pounce on them for shared sex.”

  “Shut up, Book.” Darkness sighed. “You’re not helping.”

  “Fine.” The male shrugged. “I was attempting to talk him down from the ledge.”

  “What ledge?” True snarled.

  “It’s a saying.” Darkness drew his attention. “A stupid one that doesn’t apply here. You can’t just steal a female from Medical and bring her home. We have rules and regulations. You believe something she said and think she was set up by another human? Is that the gist of it?”

  He was relieved someone had listened. “Yes.”

  “Do this through proper channels. We’ll return her to Medical and put one of our males at her door to make sure she remains there. You and I will sit down with Justice, Fury and Slade to discuss this.”

  He debated it. “What if they don’t believe her?”

  “You must comply with their decisions.”

  “I won’t.” His temper flared again. “Not when it comes to her. She saved my life.”

  “I understand you believe whatever she said.” Darkness lowered the phone and returned it to his pocket. “This isn’t the way to handle it though. You don’t comprehend how wrong your actions are.”

  The elevator doors opened and Flirt strolled out. The male paused. “What is going on?” His nose flared. “Who is that female? Why is she so still?”

  True was grateful to see the male. “Tell them I’m not irrational.”

  “Okay.” Flirt shrugged, glancing at Darkness. “He’s not irrational.” He looked back at True. “Why do you have an unconscious female in your arms? I’m trying not to judge but she smells of fear. Did you scare her enough that she fainted and now you’re pulling a caveman stunt to carry her off to your room to kiss it all better?”

  “No.” He clenched his teeth, trying to calm his quickly escalading temper. “I didn’t steal her for sex. Why would you think that?”

  “Um, the half-nake