Текст книги "Wrath"

Автор книги: Laurann Dohner

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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 16 страниц)

“Go.” He released her, shoved open the shower door, and gently pushed her out of the shower stall.

Stunned, Lauren found herself dripping on the bathroom floor. Wrath slammed the shower door between them, held it closed, and fisted his own cock. She backed away, barely managed to grab a towel in her bewildered state but didn’t miss it when he released the door and grabbed the soap.

He jacked off in front her, a near brutal show of muscles and strength, and fear inched up her spine. If he took her as roughly as he handled his body it would hurt. The fact that he wasn’t hurting left her reeling as she backed out of the bathroom and finally turned away from him and she stumbled to the bed.

* * * * *

Shadow glanced at Brass, then at his watch. Brass frowned when he looked at him again. Shadow sighed.

“It’s after eight.”

Brass nodded. “It is.”

“Should we check on them? Wrath usually is here to eat at six when breakfast comes. Their food has grown cold.”

Brass shook his head. “I heard sounds as I passed the room. Leave them alone.”

“What kind of sounds?” Shadow arched his eyebrow.

Brass grinned. “He wasn’t force breeding her if that’s what you’re worried about. They were sharing sex for sure from the sounds but it was mutual. I heard the female moaning his name.”

“I don’t know if I should be very worried or very happy right now.”

Brass frowned. “We should be happy. She is attractive and they are having a good time together.”

“It’s Wrath. We both have reasons to worry.”

Brass hesitated. “It is a different experience with humans but nothing to be worried about. We have control of our bodies and strength. He will be fine and so will she.”

“You have never had to endure what we have.” Shadow’s voice lowered. “We’ve been conditioned against human females. The sight of their bodies drives us into rages when we remember what was done to us. Sex isn’t appealing but shameful and painful. We’re both terrified that we might snap if we were to have a female in our beds. We’ve discussed it at length.”

“I’m sorry about what happened to you but I’m sure he’s fine. He’s a reasonable male, he’s protective of her and I believe he cares.”

“Seeing one naked would be reliving what they did to us. You have never been forced to ejaculate your semen—the machine doesn’t stop and it hurts. Your dick remains hard because we are designed that way and hours of pain pass with only short bursts of pleasure when your body is forced to come. Images of human women are what they showed us to keep our dicks hard with the help of the drugs.”

Brass paled slightly. “I had forgotten the extent of your abuse.”

“Wrath was afraid last night to take her to his room. His attraction to her was very strong.”

“She is attractive.”

“You have no idea. After you left to talk with Vengeance I asked her to take her hair down. Wrath dropped a plate of food.”

Brass grunted. “Long and beautiful?”

Shadow nodded. “Definitely hair a man would want to spread out in his fingers and rub on his body. It looked very soft.”

Brass glanced at his watch. “If he is not here soon we will leave without him.”

“We should check on them to make certain they are fine.”

“They sounded fine. Perhaps his need to protect her is overriding his conditioning. She wasn’t screaming for help when she said his name.”

“I’m still worried.”

“Have faith in the male. I do.”

Shadow hesitated. “He was always stronger than I was. I have to believe he won’t harm her. We will leave without him anyway. One of us has to remain behind to guard the female or we’ll have to trust some of the human males to care for her here while we are gone.”

Brass’ fingers tapped the tabletop. “I was hoping to take her with us. I wanted to use her to bait Bill. We’ll give them more time.”

* * * * *

Lauren huddled on the bed with the towel wrapped around her when the shower ended and Wrath entered the room with a matching towel tucked around his hips. His dark gaze sought her out and he slowly approached until he lowered to his knees in front of her. Sadness showed in his expression and it tore at her heart.

“I’m sorry. I scared you, didn’t I?”

“I don’t understand. Are you into pain? Is that it?”

“No.” He stroked the back of her hand with his fingertips. “Mercile did some things to me that make me afraid I will hurt you.” He stopped rubbing and gripped her hand. “They used images of human females to cause me pain. I’m afraid I will lose control if I’m inside you because they combined pleasure with severe pain. I don’t trust myself enough yet to risk taking the chance that I’d lose the ability to separate the experiences.”

“You, um, were so rough with, um, you know.” Her cheeks burned.

“They gave me a high pain tolerance while forcing me to give them my seed.”

Tears filled her eyes but she blinked them back. “They forced you to masturbate? Do you like pain now with sex? Is that it? I read a lot of books and I know some people need that.”

A soft growl rumbled from him. “No. I don’t wish pain for either of us. I just am afraid if I enter you that I’ll lose control because it will feel too good. I’m terrified I’ll take you too roughly and I won’t be able to stop.”

She stared deeply into his eyes. “I don’t believe that.”

“It happened. They did vile things to me.”

“I meant I don’t believe that you’d be rough with me and cause me pain. You’ve been nothing but wonderful. I admit my sexual experiences aren’t that vast but I wish you could see yourself the way I do now.”

“Give me time.”

The humor struck her and she laughed. “I can’t go home, remember? We have plenty of that.”

“I’m sorry you’re stuck with me.”

She squeezed his hand. “I’m not.”

“We should get dressed and go eat. We’re both hungry.”

“Okay.”

“I am sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She meant it. There was a lot she didn’t understand but he was a tortured soul, one who had experienced deep emotional pain as well as physical, and obviously actual intercourse was something he feared. “We’ll work through this.”

He released her hand, stood, and got them both clothes from his dresser. She was becoming accustomed to him seeing her naked, didn’t hesitate to drop the towel, and made the best of the sweats he gave her. They were too large but he used a knife to cut off some of the legs and the arm length enough to free her hands and feet.

“This is not my most fashionable look.”

Wrath studied her body. “You look very attractive to me.”

That made her smile. “Thank you.”

They both used the bathroom and Wrath insisted on brushing out her hair. She sat on the bed facing away from her while he tenderly removed all the tangles. It was nice, a bit too personal, and a new experience for Lauren. No man had done that for her but she enjoyed it.

“Let’s go.” He stood, dropped the brush and walked to the door.

He opened it and waved Lauren to step out into the hallway. Wrath gripped her hand in his and stayed at her side until they reached the main room. Lauren hesitated when she saw two of the men from last night seated at a table. Vengeance wasn’t one of them.

“He’s gone,” Wrath said softly, as if he could read her mind. “Vengeance was sent back to Reservation early this morning.”

Lauren felt relief. The two men at the table stared at them as they approached. Shadow was the one to speak.

“You both overslept and missed breakfast. I put your plates in the refrigerator for you.”

Wrath nodded. “Thank you.” He showed Lauren to a seat. “I’ll warm them. You relax. You’re a guest.”

Lauren glanced at the two men to discover Brass openly staring at her hair. It was still wet from the shower. She watched the large man until his gaze flicked to hers.

“It is beautiful hair. I imagine when it is dry it is breathtaking.”

“Thank you.” She smiled.

“How are you today?” Shadow drew her attention next.

“Better.”

“Vengeance caused you no injury?”

“I have a few bruises but I’m fine. Wrath said he’s gone now.”

Brass nodded. “Yes. A helicopter and some of our people came to take him home. We apologize again for what he tried to do to you. Forced mating is forbidden and so is forced breeding.”

“Wrath explained the difference to me.”

Shadow blinked. “He did?”

She nodded. “I was curious and asked him. I didn’t understand what Vengeance was talking about.”

Shadow glanced at Wrath before meeting her gaze again. “I wondered how the subject came up.”

Brass shook his head and the two men frowned at each other. Shadow turned back to Lauren.

“We would like to ask you a favor.”

“What do you need?”

Brass spoke. “We would like you to take one of us into your work and see if you can find out where Bill is.”

Lauren was stunned at that request. “You plan to just grab him if he’s at work?”

“We have the right to arrest him for his crimes against New Species,” Brass assured her softly. “I doubt he will be there but he’s made friends at work, hasn’t he? Perhaps you could find out from them where he is.”

Lauren glanced at their black clothing. “I guess I could do that but one of you would definitely have to change clothes and wear…” She studied their eyes. “Sunglasses. Otherwise if Bill is there he’s going to spot you right away. The black clothing will draw attention and if Bill worked for Mercile Industries he’s going to be alarmed to see a New Species.”

“We’re sure he’s the correct human male. We thought of this already.” Brass hesitated. “We thought we’d have Wrath dress up however you think he should. He could pretend to be a client of yours and walk inside the building with you. Would it be appropriate for you to take a client to work?”

“Sure. I’m due in to work at ten today.” She glanced down at her clothes. “Could we stop by my apartment first? I can’t go to the office wearing this and my boss would have my ass.”

Brass shrugged. “That would be fine. What would be appropriate for Wrath to wear?”

Wrath sat a plate of warmed scrambled eggs, bacon and toast in front of her. She gave him a smile and picked up her fork. She glanced at Wrath, who took the seat next to her and noticed he had two large steaks on his plate. That was all he had. He didn’t reach for his silverware.

“You may not want to watch him eat,” Shadow suggested softly. “We enjoy our meat barely seared on the outside and raw on the inside. We find it easier to eat with our fingers than with your utensils.”

Lauren glanced at Shadow before purposely smiling at Wrath. “Eat up.”

Wrath shrugged and dug into his food. He grabbed hold of one of the steaks with both hands and bit into it. His dark eyes met hers as he tore a section of the meat off. Lauren wasn’t horrified but she was more than a bit curious. Blood dripped onto the plate and the interior of the steak was raw, red meat. She wasn’t repulsed in the least. She glanced back at Shadow.

“Have you ever seen kids eat? I am from a large family. At least you guys don’t shove peas up your nose and shoot them out.”

Brass laughed. “No. We don’t.”

Shadow laughed. “Did you do that as a child?”

She shook her head. “No. But I used to gross my cousins out by telling them my spaghetti was worms and sucking them up. I was always kind of a tomboy.”

Brass smiled at her and asked, “What should Wrath wear to your job?”

Nothing. That was her first thought but she didn’t say it aloud. She’d love for Wrath not to wear a single thing ever again since he looked so good naked. “Nice jeans and maybe a casual dress shirt. Good shoes. Realtors notice those things right off the bat to judge if a client can really afford to buy a home. It’s how we try to root out the looky-loos from the real buyers.”

“What are good shoes?” Shadow questioned.

“Real-leather, casual dress shoes would work nicely. Do you happen to have any around?”

“No.” Shadow shrugged his broad shoulders. “We have military boots and running shoes.”

“Military will work. I could tell my boss that Wrath is in the service. We sell homes to them all the time. They always have good credit and the ability to get financing. I don’t suppose you could get your hands on a military uniform of some sort, could you?”

Brass stood. “That we can do.” He left the room.

Shadow continued to watch Wrath. “Brass and I had some time this morning to make plans while we waited for you to come out here.”

Wrath finally looked up from his food to meet his friend’s stare. “Good.”

Shadow and Wrath seemed to be having a stare down as the silence in the room lengthened. Lauren darted her gaze between them, watching their facial expressions change just slightly.

“You two are doing that silent mind communication thing again.”

Wrath turned his head, winked, and gave his full attention on his remaining steak.

“Eat quickly, Lauren,” Shadow ordered softly. “We want to leave here soon since you need to get clothing from your apartment.”

Lauren dug into her food. It wasn’t good but she was starving. Reheated scrambled eggs tasted rubbery, the bacon was greasy and the toast a bit soggy. She ate it all anyway since she wasn’t sure where her next meal would come from. The thought of Brent actually being at work when they arrived wasn’t a good one. Wrath and his friend would grab her coworker and set her free. She wouldn’t have a reason to spend more time with Wrath and that concept left her depressed.

Wrath excused himself to go change his clothing and left her with Shadow at the table. The blond one waited until his friend was out of sight before he spoke.

“He likes you.”

Lauren knew which him he was talking about. Wrath. “I like him too.”

Shadow’s blue eyes were intense and he frowned.

“What?”

“We are not similar to the males you know. I just want you to understand that.”

“What does that mean exactly?”

“I’m just warning you. You’re playing with fire with Wrath.”

“I’m not playing anything.”

His blue eyes narrowed. “It was just a warning. Wrath is very intense and we have had difficult lives.” He stood. “Let’s go.”

Chapter Eight

Lauren got to her feet, wanted to ask Shadow what he meant by that, or why he’d accuse her of playing some kind of game with Wrath but he didn’t give her the chance. His long legs moved fast as he crossed the room and stopped at the elevator. She had to scramble to catch up with him as the doors opened after he punched in a code on a keypad.

“Aren’t we waiting for Brass and Wrath?”

“They are either already upstairs or will be along shortly. This isn’t the only elevator.”

“I don’t have keys to my apartment. They were in my purse.”

“Your car and your possessions are being stored above. We had them moved here last night. Your purse is in your car.”

“Someone drove my car?”

Shadow nodded, stepped into the elevator and pressed a button. She followed him before the doors closed.

“Yes. We were not going to leave it in the parking lot to draw suspicion. We weren’t sure if you were Bill’s girlfriend or not. We wanted him to find nothing wrong if he sent someone looking for you. Finding your abandoned car would have been suspicious.”

Lauren couldn’t fault the logic. “I can see that.”

Shadow smiled. “We know what we are doing. This isn’t our first hunt and capture.”

“You didn’t know I wasn’t Brent’s girlfriend. Sorry—Bill. You thought I was that jerk’s lover. No offense but you were way off the mark on that one.”

He shrugged. “You are the one who came in his place and you smelled of the perfume he gifts females he shares sex with. We have interviewed many of them as we’ve tracked him.”

Shock tore through her. “You have more women locked up down here?”

He shook his head. “We knew he had abandoned the females we spoke to before we reached them. They had all filed criminal charges against him for stealing from them and that’s how we were able to track him. He uses their money to fund his living but victimized women in this area recently. We used their photographs of him—ran them through the driver’s license database—and his false new name showed up.”

“He’s a thief too? What a loser.”

“He is a bad male.” Shadow sighed. “We told the women he had deserted the Army when he was younger and that he would serve many years in prison for this. Those females were very willing to give us any information we asked for to help track him down. Most of them were very pleased to learn he was wanted by us.”

“I bet. He’s batting a thousand for winning the scum-of-the-decade award.”

A comical look passed Shadow’s face as he gawked at her when the elevator doors opened. “There is such a thing?”

“No.” She laughed. “It’s a saying but it gets the point across. He’d win, wouldn’t he? I’ve only been around him three months and I know I could live with him being locked up for a while. The man is a first-rate creep.”

“That is what most of them said about him. They had other names for him as well but none were flattering.”

“I can imagine.”

He motioned that she leave the elevator first and she hesitantly entered a parking structure. It was dimly lit and had concrete walls. Her car sat within sight about twenty spaces away from the elevator and half a dozen black SUVs were parked with it.

“We did not damage your car.”

The elevator closed behind them and Lauren didn’t see Wrath as her gaze continued to study her surroundings. She started to feel nervous about being alone with Shadow. She knew he and Wrath were close but after Vengeance, the only one of them she trusted was Wrath. The driver’s-side door opened on an SUV and a guy dressed in all black climbed out. He approached them quickly, his gaze locked on Lauren.

She tensed but immediately identified him as human since his face wasn’t covered by sunglasses, and his features were clearly shown. He had short brown hair, brown eyes and was almost as big as the New Species she’d met, minus a few inches in height. The uniform was the same that Brass and Shadow wore.

“Who’s the woman?” He glanced at Shadow.

“She’s helping us track our target.”

The man grinned and offered his hand. “I’m Brian. How are you?”

Lauren shook his hand firmly. “I’m Lauren. I’m fine.”

The elevator doors opened and Lauren turned to see who entered the parking level. Wrath and Brass stepped out of the elevator. Brass was dressed in black like Brian and Shadow but Wrath had changed into green fatigues. Wrath growled suddenly and lunged at Lauren.

She gasped as his arm hooked around her waist. He jerked her off her feet and spun her until his body blocked her from Brian. Another snarl came from him as he eased her back to her feet but kept his arm anchored around her middle. She twisted her head to look up at him but he glared at Brian with a scary expression.

Brian stepped back and put his hands up. “What’s wrong?”

Shadow sighed. “You touched her and were standing too close. He’s protective.”

Brian put more distance between him and the angry New Species. “Sorry, man. I didn’t know it would upset you. I was just introducing myself. It’s a normal human interaction.”

“Don’t get near her,” Wrath warned. “Are we clear, Brian?”

“Perfectly clear, sir.”

Wrath relaxed. “You know my name is Wrath. Don’t call me sir.”

The man nodded. “Sorry. It’s just that you’re the boss when I’m assigned to escort you guys. You’ve got the rank. ‘Sir’ is what I usually call the team leader. It’s just how Tim runs the ranks.” He paused. “What’s our game plan today?”

Brass stepped forward, taking charge. “We are driving the female to her apartment for her to change her clothing. She’s going to be taking Wrath into the target’s workplace while we monitor them from a distance. The female will talk to Bill’s coworkers and see if she can locate him.”

Brian nodded. “Good.” He glanced at Lauren. “Do you think they will talk to you?”

She nodded. “They should. I work there too.”

Brian’s eyes widened in surprise. “Okay. Good. Are we ready to go? I assume I’m driving since I know the area?”

“Yes,” Shadow sighed. “Let’s roll.”

Wrath slowly released Lauren’s waist but gripped her hand quickly. She noticed he still appeared slightly upset over her shaking Brian’s hand and wondered if that was taboo with his kind. Maybe it was rude to touch an unknown male in Species culture. She wasn’t too sure about the reasoning but she made a mental note not to do it again. Wrath led her to the SUV and opened the back door.

“Get in. You sit in the middle.”

“What about my purse and keys? I need them.”

“I’ve got them,” Shadow called out, rushing to catch up.

Lauren scooted across the seat to the middle and Wrath climbed in after her. Shadow opened the other door and took a seat next to her, while Brass and Brian entered the front. They all reached for their seat belts and she did the same.

The New Species all put on dark sunglasses before Brian even started the engine and Brass shoved a cap on. It made her really notice the tight braid at the back of his head for the first time. Her eyebrows arched but she didn’t ask why he had long hair when the other two New Species had cut theirs so short.

Wrath was careful not to touch her and it became more apparent as the miles passed that he avoided her on purpose. He leaned away from her when the vehicle swayed through turns. She studied his features, hated the dark glasses that hid his eyes and leaned into him until he turned his face in her direction.

“Are you mad at me?”

“No. I’m preparing for the mission. I like to go over all possible scenarios we may encounter and plot my reactions.”

“Okay.” She wasn’t sure what that meant but it must be a man thing.

Shadow laughed. “We all do that. This is your world and not ours. Everything is strange to us and we try to make sure our responses are as smooth as we can make them.”

She could see how out of place they would probably feel in the big world. She’d read about the NSO Homeland and the NSO Reservation. They were massive properties that housed all New Species and were run by the New Species Organization. They had their own civilizations on those two properties but little was known beyond bits and pieces of information that the press got wind of. No one really knew what was true or not.

Curiosity piqued her. “What is it like where you come from?”

“I lived at Reservation for over a month before I took this assignment. Wrath and I both agreed our time would be better spent tracking down our enemies than learning how to play sports. Reservation is a big, forested area with few buildings. They have a hotel, just opened a movie theater, and we have a bar where our social events are held. We don’t enjoy drinking alcohol but a lot of us like to dance. It is a good place to live.”

“Do you miss it?”

Shadow hesitated. “What we do is important and we had less to lose than most since we were so recently freed. We volunteered for this duty and we’re honored to represent our people.”

Wrath growled. “Enough.”

Shadow frowned, shot him a dirty look and continued. “We not only hunt criminals who harmed Species but some of our people are still being held captive. Wrath and I are examples of that. We were not rescued in the raids of the original testing facilities that were located. Before that even happened, we were stolen by some of the staff and taken to new locations. They used us to make money to begin new lives in other countries and escape justice.”

“Shadow, enough.” Wrath’s voice came out a growl now.

“She needs to know and I don’t hear you telling her.” Shadow paused. “We are hoping that anyone we capture who worked for Mercile will have information to help us locate other Species.”

Lauren turned her head and stared up at Wrath. He frowned at his friend and once again she wished she could see his eyes. “What is wrong with him telling me that?”

His lips parted but then he sealed them in a tight line.

“He is probably worried that you might think he is cruel to go after humans despite the harm they caused Species.”

“I don’t believe that.” Lauren reached out and placed her hand over Wrath’s. “I think it’s very brave.”

He didn’t pull away and she relaxed in her seat. She turned to Shadow again to get more answers since he was talkative. “I thought all the New Species had been found and freed.”

“We didn’t know a fifth testing facility existed but it was located. There is evidence there may be more and who knows how many others were stolen away in the manner Wrath and I were.”

“That’s horrible.”

Shadow jerked his head in agreement. “Yes. That is why we live away from our kind and sacrifice so much to do our duty.” His chin lifted and he stared at Wrath. “We must not forget the commitment we have made to our people.”

Wrath growled, his head snapped in Shadow’s direction and his fangs flashed in a scary show of temper. “Enough.”

Lauren glanced between the two men, wondering what she was missing.

“What’s your address?” Brian’s gaze met hers in the mirror. “It’s hard to drive there if I don’t know where I’m going.”

Brass gave Lauren’s home address before she could. He turned in his seat to meet her surprised stare. “We learned everything we could about you the second you showed up at that warehouse. I could tell you how much money you made four years ago and what you charged on your credit cards if I wished.”

The silence in the SUV stretched on until she realized they were near her home. “It’s the tan building with the big bushes. You can take the driveway to the left and park in the back. I have a visitor’s parking space.”

Brian parked where she indicated and Wrath helped Lauren climb out of the SUV. She spotted her neighbor and waved at Mr. Adams, flashing him a big grin. Amusement made her chuckle at the way his eyes widened behind his glasses as she passed him with her four large escorts.

“What is funny?” Wrath handed her purse over when she paused in front of her door.

She unlocked the door, pushed it open, and stepped inside. “Sorry if my place is a mess. I wasn’t expecting company.”

Wrath paused next to her. “Why did you find it amusing when the old man gaped at us? You are still smiling.”

Lauren chuckled. “Mr. Adams is a gossiping busybody with a wild imagination.”

“I don’t understand.” Brass spoke. “What is that?”

Brian laughed. “It means he’s very nosy. He’s always talking to everyone and makes things up.” Brian turned to Lauren. “They don’t understand some of our terms.”

Lauren chuckled. “By tonight he’s going to be telling everyone in the complex that I brought four big guys home and he’ll probably say we had an orgy.”

Brian grinned.

Wrath inched closer to her side. “Is that a party?”

Lauren laughed. “Kind of. An orgy is…” She looked at Brian for help. “Do you want to explain that one?”

He laughed. “The old man will tell everyone that Lauren had sex with all of us at once. An orgy is where a group of people all strip down naked and have sex together in a pile of bodies.”

Wrath growled as he turned his head to Lauren, his lips pressed in a tight line from anger before he shot a warning look at every other male in the room. “I’d hurt anyone who touched her.”

Shadow’s mouth twitched with a near smile. “Easy, friend. She wouldn’t survive four of us at once and we don’t share well.”

“Um, okay. I’m going to go change clothes so we can get this over with. Make yourselves at home.” Lauren spun and walked down the hallway.

Wrath followed, his presence something she couldn’t ignore, and both of them paused inside her bedroom. She glanced at him to watch his face as he peered around her room. She really hated that he wore the dark glasses that hid his eyes, more than a bit curious what he thought about her large four-poster bed and feminine dйcor. It was a far cry homier than what he was used to if his own bedroom was an indication.

Her cat leaped up on top of the bed, startled them both, and Wrath shot his arm out. His hand flattened on Lauren’s stomach and he knocked her back roughly, against the wall.

The cat stared at Wrath and suddenly tensed, his back arched and he hissed. Wrath bent slightly, snarled and showed his own teeth. Lauren was stunned as both of them continued to hiss and snarl at each other.

“Wrath?”

“Don’t move,” he rasped and reached for his weapon.

“No!” Lauren shoved the hand pinning her to the wall and lunged for his body, put hers between him and the bed, and caught his wrist as he raised the gun. “That’s my cat! Don’t shoot him.”

His head snapped down. “What?”

“That’s Tiger. He’s my cat. My pet.”

Tiger hissed again behind them but Lauren didn’t spare him a glance, too worried the man in front of her would shoot her cat. Wrath slowly holstered his weapon at his waist and frowned.

“That is your pet? It’s not some wild creature that managed entry inside your home?”

“I know he probably needs to go to the groomer but he’s not wild. He goes outside since I hate litter boxes but yeah, he’s my pet.”

He relaxed, the tight muscles bunched under her hand softened just slightly, and Wrath lifted his head.

“Your pet doesn’t appear to be friendly.”

She glanced at Tiger. “He’s usually not like this. Stop it, Tiger. Bad kitty! Stop hissing at Wrath.”

The cat bolted, rushed out the door, and Lauren laughed at the situation. “I take it you don’t like cats?”

“I don’t like cats who are small and don’t talk.”

A loud growl sounded and glass broke. Lauren cursed and darted around Wrath to rush toward the living room. Tiger yowled loudly and a deep, scary growl quickly followed. She halted just inside the entryway where Brass and Shadow had cornered her cat. The poor, terrified cat had his claws extended, his hair stood on end and he hissed at the men.

“Stop that!” Lauren lunged, getting between the men and her pet.

“What is that?” Shadow snarled.

Brian laughed. “They are canine. Dogs and cats don’t get along. You should have warned them you had one.”

“It’s not an animal that got into your home?” Brass stopped growling and straightened to his full height.

Lauren turned and dropped to her knees. “No. Come here, Tiger. It’s all right. They didn’t mean to scare you. Come here, baby. Come here, Tiger.”

“Tiger?” Brass laughed. “You named him Tiger? I have a friend by that name. I can’t wait to tell him about this.”

Lauren scooped up the shaking cat and used her body to shield it from the men in her living room. She moved, keeping her cat from seeing them as well and walked back down the hallway. Wrath stood inside her room at the foot of her large bed. She walked in and placed Tiger in the bathroom away from her guests, closing the door so he didn’t rush back into danger.