“That’s not true. Tiny and Halfpint would have wailed and needed constant care if you had been lost.” Kit sighed loudly, straightening away from the door. “I actually like you now. You showed backbone when you stood up to me. I was genuinely worried about you when we got the reports of the attack. I came to see if you wanted to talk to someone or if you just didn’t want to be left alone.”
Surprised at the confession, Beauty took a step closer. “Thank you.”
“I guess I’ll go.” Kit spun, gripping the door handle.
“Kit?”
She glanced back, opening it. “What?”“I’d like for you to stay.”
The door closed with Kit still inside the apartment. “Okay. You hungry? I am. I just got off shift. They made pizza downstairs. Should I call the kitchen to ask for one to be sent up?”
“That sounds good. I love pizza.”
“With meat, right?” Kit made a face. “They made some with just cheese. Why would they do that?”
“I don’t know.” Beauty smiled. “It is strange, isn’t it?”
“We’re not the vegetarian types. We’re carnivores. Can you imagine handing a lion or a wolf an apple for their dinner? They’d take off your fingers for the insult.”
“True.” Beauty relaxed, liking this side of the usually prickly woman. She didn’t point out that she was primate Species. “I love meat on pizza.”
Kit lifted the phone. “Then we’ll eat some. You can give me all the details of what happened.”
Beauty nodded, glad that she wouldn’t be alone to worry about what could possibly keep Shadow away from her for days.
Shadow grabbed a quick shower at the dorm and wore his NSO uniform to the meeting. He was almost an hour late when he arrived. Fury, Slade, Justice and Brass were eating pizza when he entered.
“There he is.” Justice arched an eyebrow. “Finally.”
“I showered and changed.” Shadow shrugged. “I apologize.”
“We decided to eat.” Fury waved to the food. “Want some? Ellie made a few extra for me to share.” He grinned at Justice. “She also wants two additional ovens added at the dorm’s main kitchen. They are cooking more instead of eating at the cafeteria.”
“Four aren’t enough? Plus they have the ones inside their apartments.” Slade frowned.
“Females enjoying cooking together in a group. It’s a good way to bond.” Fury glanced around. “She wants them. Let her have them.” He narrowed his gaze at Justice. “Don’t say no. It would disappoint my Ellie and make her unhappy. She will call Jessie and then your mate will be unhappy.”
Justice chuckled. “My mate is sexy when she’s angry but the females can have the ovens. It’s not much to ask.” He picked up a pen and scribbled on a tablet. “Note made. It will be taken care of.”
Slade nodded. “Two ovens is far cheaper than what we just spent on updating the gym equipment inside the men’s dorm.”
“We do tend to break shit easily.” Brass shoved a few slices of heavily loaded pizza onto a paper plate and passed it to Shadow. “Sit. I’ll grab you a soda from Justice’s fridge.”
Shadow sat, using part of the large desk as a table. The relaxed attitude of the room was welcome. He’d expected anger after making them wait. He’d taken a bite when the meeting officially began.
“Breeze called in the details of what happened at the cabin,” Justice informed him. “She was stuck at Medical so we held a conference call with her. What took place in the woods after you left her?”
“Is Breeze well?”
Fury nodded. “She doesn’t like being kept for a few days but young Dr. Harris insisted she be given the healing drugs. It will lessen the chance of her scarring from the wound. They need to keep an eye on her while she’s on them. Males aren’t the only ones to grow aggressive. I am almost glad she’s there instead of here. I’d hate to be her nurse.”
Brass laughed, handing a drink to Shadow before he took a seat on the couch. “Better them than us. She’s a wonderful female but I feel bad for Destiny. Breeze will make him miserable just to stay amused.”
Fury chuckled. “Obsidian didn’t want him anywhere near his mate after what happened.”
“What happened?” Shadow glanced around the room.
“Would you want another male around your female if he made it clear he wanted her too?”
Enough said. “Understood.” Shadow opened and sipped the soda. “I tracked the humans down after I left the cabin. They’d treed Beauty after taking her from the bedroom upstairs. I removed their weapons and they were arrested.”
Brass snorted. “A human you attacked is still in surgery. The doctors couldn’t save one of his nuts. You smashed it.”
Shadow remembered the mercenary he’d taken down. He felt no regret. He said nothing.
“I’m surprised they are still alive.” Fury gave him an understanding look. “I would have killed them.”
“Beauty wouldn’t walk out of sight.” He wouldn’t lie. “She’d seen enough violence. I wanted them dead but wasn’t willing to do it in front of her.”
“We’re glad they are alive.” Justice leaned forward. “They know how to locate Douglas Miller. Tim is questioning the ones we captured. Miller’s in Afghanistan. They gave him up easily.”
Brass chuckled. “Bestial might have had something to do with that. He went into the cells with Tim to persuade them to be agreeable. Tim is good at intimidation but not as convincing as an enraged Species male. They tend to believe we’ll eat them alive.”
“True.” Justice hesitated. “We also have a lead on who might be behind the drug given to Moon but they were unsure of exactly how Miller acquired it. We’ll know more once the human is caught.”
Anger filled Shadow. “We don’t have authority to go to Afghanistan.”
“Lucky for us, we know someone already there.” Justice held his gaze. “Jessie has a brother who works for a private security firm that protects American workers. I made a call. He was sympathetic and is assembling a team. It will take some time but Jake will capture Douglas Miller and have him returned to the States. They will hand the bastard over to us just as soon as they are able.”
“I want to be there.” Shadow wanted to personally kill Beauty’s abuser.
“No.” Justice shook his head. “We need him alive. He has to tell us exactly what was done to Moon and tell us where he got the drug.”
“He abused a Gift Female.” Shadow wasn’t about to let it go. He wouldn’t rest until the bastard was no longer a threat to Beauty. “He sent mercenaries into Reservation after her. He’s too dangerous to be allowed to live.”
“He’ll suffer for his crimes but death is not the answer,” Justice growled. “Calm now. The Gift isn’t the only victim he’s harmed. Species were hurt when that team attacked Reservation and Moon is still feral. The drug hasn’t worn off. Every hour that passes harms him more. The doctors and specialists we’ve called in agree on that. They are frantically trying to identify the drug but so far haven’t been able to. None of the treatments are working to calm and return him to his natural state.”It ate at Shadow’s gut to leave Douglas Miller alive. He didn’t deserve to breathe for what he’d done to Beauty. He’d kept her locked up in chains and forced his body into hers. The more he thought about it, the more enraged he became.
“Easy,” Brass ordered, watching him with concern. “We understand but death is too swift. She suffered endlessly. Why shouldn’t every day he takes breath be hellish? Do you understand? Justice’s mate’s brother will find Douglas Miller. It could take some weeks since it’s pretty bad over there but he will get him. I met Jake when he visited to meet Justice. He’s a tough human with predatory traits. He would fit in with the task force if he wished. You’d like him.”
“I don’t care if I’d like him or not. It’s my right to seek revenge for Beauty.”
Brass’ eyebrows rose. “I see.”
“She’s mine,” he snarled, still furious. “He forced her to submit to sex and hurt her. He named her Mud.” His rage built. “Kept her from sunshine and exposed her to vile humans who threatened her with harm. I don’t want him to suffer. I want him really to be in hell after I take his life.”
Brass slowly stood. “You’ve deeply bonded to her.”
“Yes.” Shadow wouldn’t deny it.
“So fast?” Brass looked skeptical.
“It doesn’t take long,” Justice mused. “Trust me on that, my friend. I spent a few hours with Jessie and she was deeply embedded under my skin.”
Slade grunted. “Or a few minutes. I woke in a hospital after I was freed from Mercile with this angel leaning over my bed. I had her pinned under me in seconds, ready to claim her as mine. I wanted her immediately and I will never stop wanting Trisha. She’s my mate. The attraction was so strong. I almost lost her later though because I didn’t realize she was the same woman when we met again.”
Shadow gaped at him.
“She’d dyed her hair another color and I was pretty drugged at the time. My memories of her were affected.” Slade grinned. “I knew my attraction was unusually strong when I met that mouthy little doctor. I just didn’t put it together until she admitted who she was.”