True chuckled. “I would love six children with you. Half a dozen sounds good to me.” He cupped her face and placed a quick kiss on her mouth. “I would make sure you never got pregnant if it was dangerous. I won’t risk your life, Jeanie. You mean everything to me.”

It wasn’t a declaration of love but True saying she meant everything to him was just as good. “You really did change my life, you know.”

“How?”

She tried to think of the right words. “I was drawn to you from the moment we met. I thought about you all the time and I never stopped, even after you were released from Drackwood.”

“I was attracted to from the start as well. You were so sweet and your smile melted the coldness from my heart.” He grinned. “And you smelled so good I wanted to take your clothing off and investigate every scent.”

She laughed. “I used to mess up some of the blood samples when I took yours so they would have to send me back. I’m so sorry. I felt guilty when I had to take more blood but it gave me a chance to see you again.”

He didn’t look angry. “You touched me and got close enough for me to smell your wonderful scent. It was worth a small sting and a little bloodletting.”

“I would stop what I was doing and watch you every time they took you outside for training in the north area. I hated the endurance testing when they hit you. I would cry.”

He shifted, moving them onto their sides, still facing each other. She hated the loss of their connection when he slowly withdrew his cock. The swelling had dissipated.

“I hated endurance testing too.”

She debated telling him more but decided to be honest. “I did enjoy the time you broke that one ass**le’s leg. You snapped it at the knee when you kicked out. I heard him scream all the way in my office. He cried in Medical while they set his leg. I went down there, pretending to be updating test results just so I could watch him suffer.”

True laughed. “He cried? He was cruel. He liked to hit me a lot. I enjoyed it, too, when I broke his leg. He got too close and I’d been waiting for an opportunity to do some damage.”

“I just wanted to get you free.”

He leaned in closer, studying her face. “Why didn’t you try to find me after I was taken to the NSO?”

“I was told you didn’t want to see me. Agent Brice swore he gave you my message. Now, I realize he lied about that. He lied about everything and I believed it all.”

Confusion clouded True’s features. “What message?”

Jeanie frowned. “I was so worried about you after the raid that I told Agent Brice I planned to drive to the New Species Homeland to make sure you’d gotten out safe. He told me that would be too dangerous and he’d arrange for a safer way for me to see you because of all the protesters at the gate. The next day he texted me a few pictures of you wearing jeans. You were outside at Homeland. He said he’d taken them to prove you were really alive and well but that you told him you wanted nothing to do with me.”

True’s tone was harsh. “He lied. I want to find this ass**le. No one ever mentioned your name to me or ever gave me a message.” He calmed a little but still looked angry. “He had photos of me outdoors, in jeans?”

She nodded. “It looked like you were in some kind of park. You were barefoot, wearing jeans and a black tank top, standing next to a blond New Species a little shorter than you are and there was a lot of grass and trees in the background. You were smiling and looked happy. It was three days after Drackwood was taken down.”

A growl sounded deep within his throat. “Who is this human? We were taken to Reservation at first. That photo must have been taken there. How did he get it? It’s highly secure there. He has access to information from the hotline here at Homeland and he had access to get pictures of me at Reservation.”

“And he’s a big fat liar and a vicious jerk since he could have gotten help to your people a hell of a lot faster than he led me to believe. He kept telling me I didn’t have enough evidence. I always needed more.”

True rolled abruptly, pinning Jeanie on her back with him looming over her again. “When we find this Agent Brice, I’m going to kill him with my bare hands after my people get the information out of him that they need.” He stared down at her, his rage apparent. “Why did you let them drug you to save me? It must have been difficult. I was given the breeding drug once. It was some of the worst pain I ever experienced.”

“I love you. I couldn’t let you die. Polanitis said you’d be spared if I agreed to take the drugs and let them test how they affected me.”

“How did that monster know you had feelings for me?”

“He’d placed a hidden camera inside my office. I stopped working every time they brought you to the north area and I told you I’d cry sometimes. It was pure hell watching you be hurt for their experiments. I knew how many lives it could save but…” Emotion choked her, remembering all the suffering he’d endured. “It wasn’t worth it. It tore me apart watching them hurt you.”

True nuzzled her cheek with his. “You suffered when they tested their drugs too.”

Her fingers brushed over him, rubbing where she could touch his skin, which was always hotter than hers. “It doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is that we’re both alive and here together.”

“You took pain for me.” His voice deepened. “You suffered so I could live. I never thought anyone could love me, Jeanie. I will give you so much pleasure to erase the memories of the pain if you’ll allow me.”