Slade (New Species #2)(39)

“Wouldn’t work.” Moon chuckled. “The person on the outside in the direction we turned would end up falling on the floor.”
“More room for the three remaining.” Brass winked at Trisha. “I think we should put Moon and Harley on the outside edges, just to be safe.”
Moon’s smile died and he lifted his head. He turned, sniffed, and nearly leaped down the stairs. “Someone is near,” he warned with a snarl. 
Brass grabbed Trisha and shoved her onto the bed. “Sit.” He rushed to a window.
Harley ran down the stairs after Moon. Trisha heard the front door open. She turned to stare at Brass, fighting alarm. He had unfastened the handgun he kept strapped to his thigh. He had the curtain open and she heard him softly curse.
“What is it?” Trisha whispered.
“One of the local residents is outside. Shit. What is he doing here? Someone should have warned me they’d transferred him. He must have gotten a whiff of you and came to investigate. Moon is talking to him and Harley is securing the lower floor.”
Curious, Trisha climbed off the bed and moved behind Brass. She knew that he was aware of her. He reached behind him and put his hand on her hip to keep her at his back. She hesitated and peered around him. It was still daylight and easy for her to spot the man outside—at least he was mostly man. The sight of his hair and features shocked her deeply.
“He’s—”
“Shush,” Brass ordered softly. “He’ll probably hear what you say. They have better hearing than most of us.”
The big male had obviously been altered with feline genes and had an actual mane of reddish-blond hair. His eyes were cat-like, apparent even from a distance. He had a huge, muscled body. He was barely dressed, just wearing cutoff jeans and nothing else. His arms and chest were massive, as if he’d spent his entire life working out. His features were more animal than human with his strange nose and thick cheekbones.
Moon paused about fifteen feet from the man who stood very still at the edge of the woods. He suddenly lifted his head and his strange gaze seemed to immediately locate Trisha. It seemed as if he sensed her somehow.
A roar erupted from the scary guy’s mouth when he opened it. It was a loud, shocking sound to Trisha, one hundred percent not human. His entire body tensed and he stormed toward the house. Moon jumped into his path and threw out his arms to prevent the approaching male from passing. Moon spoke rapidly to the guy—she heard his voice but couldn’t pick up what was being said. Moon’s actions didn’t slow the man down one bit.
She watched in horror when the big guy attacked Moon, just reached out a hand, grabbed him by his throat, and tossed him to the side as easily as if he were a rag doll. The son of a bitch moved faster, straight at the house, and quickly out of sight.
A vicious snarl sounded from below and another roar erupted. Something loud crunched as if wood had been snapped in half, followed by a crashing boom. Brass spun around, grabbed Trisha around her waist, and swiftly placed her into the corner. He put his body in front of hers, trapped her behind him, and faced the stairs as his arm rose to aim his gun. Terror gripped Trisha as she heard the guy from outside pound up the stairs.
“Stop, Valiant,” Brass warned loudly. “Moon, Harley, stay down there. I know him.”
“You brought a human here?” the scary guy snarled. “A human? Justice promised us that none of them would ever come here. She’s in my territory. Mine. Because it is you, I will give you one minute to get her out of here before I kill her, Brass.”
“Calm down.” Brass spoke softly now, perhaps trying to soothe the out-of-control male. “She’s pregnant with one of ours. She’s now one of us.”
“You lie. We can’t breed.”
Trisha edged a little to the left to peer at the terrifying male standing at the top of the stairs. He had to be six-and-a-half-feet tall and his hair was an amazing light-reddish color with thick streaks of blond running through it. It fell just past his broad shoulders. She couldn’t help but notice how beautiful and exotic it looked.
Tan skin and thick muscles covered his mostly bared body. He had to be the biggest New Species she’d ever seen. His sharp teeth flashed when his lips curled back and he growled at her. His cat-like golden eyes narrowed and he growled deeper. Trisha would have hit the floor if she had been the type to faint—out cold over the ferocious appearance and actions. She noticed his fingers were tensed, claw like, at his sides and his fingernails looked sharp, the way an animal’s were.“She’s carrying a New Species baby.” Brass’ voice took on a firmer tone. “That does make her one of us. Justice sent her here because she’s not safe around humans anymore. No one knows about her pregnancy. It’s going to cause all of us a bunch of grief if the world finds out because they fear the idea of us breeding with them. She was brought here to be protected by us.”
“Lie,” he snarled.
“True,” Brass growled back. “Don’t call me a liar.”
Valiant growled deep within his chest. “Move. I will smell her.”
Brass didn’t budge. “You can scent her if you swear to me you won’t hurt her. She is carrying a New Species baby. She is just over a month pregnant.”
Valiant growled again. “Fine. I won’t harm the woman. Move so I can smell her.”
Brass turned his head. Trisha looked into his intense features. She didn’t want Brass to move and she sure didn’t want Valiant near her. He terrified her. Brass’ gaze softened.
“He just wants to smell you. I know him. We were reared inside the same testing facility and we shared time together right after we were freed before they sent him and the others like him away from all humans. He gave his word and he’ll keep it.”
Trisha had to fight down panic. She did trust Brass and he wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt her. “All right.”
Brass stepped a few feet from Trisha, leaving the path to her open. She leaned back against the wall, staring at the frighteningly large man who stared back at her. His dangerous-looking sharp teeth showed and he appeared enraged still. Trisha’s heart pounded as he stalked closer, the way a predator would. He was one.
“Don’t scare her, Valiant,” Brass rasped. “It’s okay, Trisha.”
She nodded but didn’t take her focus from the male advancing slowly toward her. His eyes were really beautiful as he drew near but definitely not human-looking in any way. They were cat eyes, comparable to perhaps a lion, because he sure didn’t look similar to any house cat she’d ever seen, that was for sure. His eyelashes were a reddish color that matched his hair, abnormally long and lush. He took another step closer. She stiffened but lifted her chin. She was certain Brass would fight to protect her if he thought Valiant posed a danger to her.
Valiant suddenly crouched down on his hands and feet. It looked strange when he inched forward, his intense gaze fixed on her. He drew so close she could feel his hot breath through her shirt over her stomach. Trisha lifted her hands very slowly and pushed the backs of them against the wall near her head to avoid accidentally touching him. She was afraid it would set him off if that happened. He inhaled when he moved closer and nuzzled her stomach with his face, burrowing between the bottom of her shirt and her pants to reach her skin. She made a soft gasping sound, never expecting him to do that. 
“Easy,” Brass crooned. “You’re scaring her and don’t you dare shove your nose lower.”
Trisha’s stunned gaze flew to Brass’. He shrugged. “Some of us…hell, never mind. You have been around enough animals to know some breeds shove their noses in the crotch area to get aquatinted with people.”
Valiant suddenly backed away and straightened to his feet. His focus remained on her stomach while he frowned. He looked really unhappy.
“She smells different.”
“How?” Brass seemed very calm.
“Not quite full human but not quite us. It’s only noticeable when you are against her skin.”
Brass hesitated before he looked at Trisha. “Mind if I?”
Trisha shrugged. “As long as you don’t sniff lower.”
He grinned. “You are no fun, Trisha.”
His grin faded when he stepped in front of Trisha and bent until his face pressed against her neck. His nose touched her skin and he slowly inhaled, then did it again. He lifted his head, frowned, and dropped to his knees. He reached for her shirt and pulled it up to reveal a few inches of her stomach. He put his nose against her there and inhaled three times until he moved back and stood. He faced Valiant.
“You’re correct. It isn’t noticeable unless you are close to her skin over her lower belly. It’s that faint.”
“She really is carrying a baby from one of us?” Valiant appeared calm now. His voice was deep, kind of rough, as if he’d spent a hundred years smoking or otherwise damaging his throat, but he wasn’t growling anymore.
“She is.”
Valiant nodded. “I can’t believe you would mate with a human. What were you thinking? They are so fragile I’m surprised she isn’t broken. You could have at least found a normal-sized one who is sturdier. You must really restrain yourself. What is the enjoyment of breeding if you have to worry about damaging her?”