Best Friends (New Species Book 15)

by Laurann Dohner

  His confession surprised her. “You slept in trees sometimes?” Her gaze went to the bed hanging near the roof. “Oh, is that why you like your bed so high?”

  “Leo built a platform in one of his trees but I just slept in the branches. Now I see why he wanted a flat surface. My bed is more comfortable than the thick limbs were to sleep on.”

  “Leo?”

  “He’s like me.”

  “A lion man?”

  He nodded. “He has a tail, though.”

  She wasn’t sure what to say about that. “Is he your friend?”

  “Yes. He visits sometimes. You’ll meet him. I thought about your cave suggestion. Leo has one of those. I’ll ask for one to be built but on a smaller scale.”

  “I didn’t know there were any caves in this area.”

  “It’s a house they built mostly underground for him. It resembles a cave from the outside. It helps us feel safer from humans. There are security doors he can activate to seal it off in case of attack.”

  It made her extremely sad that some New Species feared humans so much. She hadn’t noticed that about the ones who visited the diner. They’d all seemed at ease mingling with the townspeople. Maybe it was only a problem for the ones like Lash. It made her want to hold him a little tighter to make him forget all the horrible things he’d survived in the past. She hated Mercile.

  It wasn’t lost on her that he feared humans almost as much as she feared New Species.

  Mary slid her fingers into his hair and drew closer to his mouth. He immediately parted his lips as she kissed him. He growled, his chest rumbling against hers.

  They’d learned each other’s mouths on the mats across the room. She was shocked to discover he’d never kissed anyone before. But Lash had picked up kissing fast and was already a master at it. That didn’t surprise her. He was a very passionate man. The things he could do to her body had her urgently rubbing up against his even now. He always made her come, never leaving her high and dry like other men had in bed. He always got her off first to make certain she was wet enough to take him without pain. That was a good thing, since he was larger than a human in that department.

  A ringing sounded and Lash snarled, ending the kiss. “Someone is coming.” He turned in the water, lifted her, and set her on the edge of the pool. “Go into the bathroom now. Stay there until I come get you.”

  The phone near the door went silent, and she hesitated.

  “You’re naked. I refuse to let males see you this way.” Lash pulled himself out of the water next to her, hooked her around her waist, and slid down the fake moss-covered embankment with her.

  She gasped as he stood then tossed her over his shoulder. “I can walk. This is undignified. Put me down.”

  “I don’t know what that means and I don’t care. No other males get to see my mate bare.” He stormed into the bathroom, stopped near one of the sinks, and gently lowered her until her butt landed on the counter. “Stay in here.” He spun away, grabbed a towel, and came back to her. He threw it around her as if it were a blanket. “Be good. Listen to me.”

  He took the time to yank another towel off the wall before he stomped out of the bathroom. Curiosity had her sliding off the counter, wrapping the towel more firmly around her body, and tucking the corner of the material at the top to keep it in place.

  Part of her worried that the NSO had come to demand she leave. They couldn’t be happy about a random human being there. Lash would fight them. He could get hurt, and that scared her. She was already falling for him.

  That realization had her softly cursing and pausing by the bathroom door.

  She was falling in love with Lash.

  How could she not? He could be pushy, stubborn, and a bully. But she’d hardly been nice to him in return. And the way he looked at her, touched her, and some of the incredibly sweet things he said had broken through her resolve to not get emotionally involved.

  “I’m so fucking attached,” she admitted aloud. “Damn.”

  She took some deep breaths, checked how secure her towel was, and then silently slipped out of the bathroom. She hoped Lash wouldn’t notice since the door was located all the way across the large basement.

  It was a relief when the lights remained dim and no one had brightened them. But the sound of male voices arguing had her freezing in place.

  “No,” Lash snarled.

  “You need to listen to reason,” another voice yelled. “You can’t just keep a female because she accidently fell into your lair. The humans consider that kidnapping.”

  “Humans can’t come get her.” Lash sounded furious. “I’ll kill them if they try.”

  “Goddamn it, Lash.” The male’s voice softened and she couldn’t make out the rest of what he said, just that he kept talking.

  She tiptoed closer, wishing the waterfall wasn’t on to be able to hear their entire conversation.

  It was her chance to escape. All she’d have to do is yell for help. Someone from the NSO had obviously come to check on her wellbeing. She didn’t make a sound, though, trying to quietly creep close enough to overhear the conversation about her.

  “You need to leave, Jaded.” Lash almost roared the words.

  She flinched and peered around one of the artificial trees, trying to keep in the shadows. The sight of Lash facing off against four New Species had her worrying about his safety. He was the biggest of the bunch but they outnumbered him. What if they attacked him? He could get seriously hurt.

  Three of them wore uniforms but the sight of a New Species sporting a black tux surprised her—until she put the name Lash had said with the face. Jaded Wild was a celebrity. She’d seen him on television plenty of times when they covered the animal charity events he attended.

  “At least let me talk to her.” Jaded’s tone rose, a bit gruff. “Is she up in your nest?”

  “I don’t want other males near her.”

  “Lash, I came here to speak to you because I knew you’d remain calm with me. We’re friends. Torrent just wanted to bring in a team to take you down so we could access the female to see if she even wants to be here with you. Don’t make me look like an ass by having to turn this over to Torrent after I argued on your behalf. I just want to speak to the female, make certain she wants to stay with you, and avoid violence of any kind.”

  Lash said something low but she couldn’t hear it.

  “I know that,” Jaded replied. “Why in the hell do you think I wanted to keep this all calm and reasonable? I just need to speak to her and hear her say she’s willing to stay with you. That’s not too much to ask.”

  Lash snarled.

  Jaded sighed and put his hands on his hips. “Miss Muller?” He yelled. “Please talk to me.”

  Lash snarled louder and lunged. He tried to shove Jaded Wild but the New Species only stumbled slightly before shoving back.

  “Don’t make me take off my jacket, damn it. I’m not the enemy. I just want to talk to your female.”

  “You think I’d hurt my mate?” Lash snarled.

  “No,” Jaded snarled back. “I don’t. I trust you, Lash. She’s human, though, damn it! We try like hell to keep the peace with them. Her people don’t seem to know she’s missing yet but at some point, her family or friends will contact Sheriff Cooper about her disappearance. We’d like to fucking avoid having bad press. I want to have her call whoever she thinks might worry when they don’t hear from her to avoid a publicity nightmare. I can see the headlines now. New Species holding wedding guest hostage, or some such shit.”

  Lash growled.

  Jaded reached inside his pocket and withdrew something. “This is her phone. We were able to retrieve it from the vent. I’d like to give it to her and ask that she make whatever calls she needs to prevent humans from showing up at our gates. We’d also like to fix the air conditioning. Maybe you haven’t noticed because you’re still getting cool air down here, but that broken section she fell through means it’s no longer blowing it up into some parts of t
he hotel. There’s a shitload of pissed-off, sweating Species right now in the affected sections.”

  Lash said nothing.

  “I’m glad you found a mate, but let’s not make it some huge mess, okay?” Jaded’s voice lowered. “Nobody plans to take her away from you unless she demands it. I know you wanted time with her. I spoke to Snow and Jinx. I understand…but you need to understand we don’t need a shit storm of bad press or Species suffering heat stroke because it’s too warm in their homes. You like food, don’t you? The kitchen area was also affected. No air conditioning.”

  “I won’t let you take her from me.” Lash crossed his arms over his chest.

  Mary had heard enough. “I’ll put a message on my voicemail that I’m staying with a friend for a few days and cell reception is bad, so no one calls the cops,” she called out.

  Lash spun and snarled, his gaze finding her fast. “I told you to stay put.”

  “You’re so bossy.” She stayed against the artificial tree, glad it hid most of her from the other New Species. Her gaze went to Jaded Wild. “We’ll also let people in to fix the air conditioning.”

  “I don’t want anyone near you.” Lash walked toward her.

  “Do you know how miserable it is without air conditioning when it’s hot?” She glared at him. “You’re being selfish if you don’t let them fix it.”

  “This is amusing,” one of the New Species in uniform snorted.

  Lash reached her and stepped around the trunk, stopping inches away. “You should be in the bathroom. I told you to stay there until I came for you.”

  “I’m not a pet you can order around,” she snapped. “Let them fix the air conditioning, Lash.”

  “I don’t want males near you!”

  Her anger softened when she saw worry in his eyes. “I’ll stay with you, but I do need to put a message on my phone. Mr. Wild is right. My parents and boss will worry if they call but don’t hear back from me. They know I was going to Mel’s wedding. I’d also like some clothes, and a bed on the floor. That mat isn’t the most comfortable thing, and you already know how I feel about you carrying me up there.” She pointed toward the ceiling, then lowered her hand, placing her palm on his chest. “You keep saying humans are unreasonable. Too bad you don’t seem to own any mirrors, or you’d see that you’re behaving like one right now.”

  “We can’t stay here while a work crew comes in. They are aloud and will annoy me. I also don’t want them near you, either.”

  She opened her mouth, not sure what to say to that, but a solution came to her fast. “We can stay in your bathroom. It’s huge.”

  “They might have to bring in humans to fix it. No. I don’t trust them not to attempt to harm you. You’ll get mad if I kill them.”

  Frustration rose, and Mary grit her teeth. He could be so paranoid.

  “I can make a suggestion,” Jaded called out.

  Lash snarled and turned his head. “I’m talking to my mate. Not you.”

  “Stop being an ass,” Jaded growled. “You can stay in a suite on the top floor of the hotel with roof access. Justice keeps it available for when he and Jessie visit us. He likes to have an escape route. It would just be for a day, or maybe two. Work with me, damn it.”

  Lash inched closer, wrapping his arm around her. “I don’t like feeling contained in one of the rooms up there. I’d rather take my mate to the Wild Zone.”

  “I’ve been to your home, Lash. She’d be more comfortable here. Plus, you know the others will come visit you if they hear you’re back. I also doubt she’d like to eat just the fish or small game you hunted before moving to the hotel. The kitchen staff can still deliver meals if you remain inside the hotel. I’ll assign an officer to your door in case of attack if that makes you feel safer out of your lair.”

  “We have air conditioning here. You said it’s out upstairs.”

  Mary lifted her hand and smacked his chest. “But others don’t until it can get fixed. Stop being a jerk.”

  He glanced down at her and amusement flashed in his eyes.

  “You’re fucking with him right now, aren’t you?” she whispered.

  He shrugged. “Maybe. I’m satisfied with going upstairs with you for a day or two if we have an armed Species outside our door.” His gaze lowered down her body. “You probably miss sunshine. I will agree to this.”

  “I need clothes. You tore mine, and I don’t feel like walking through the hotel in a towel,” she softly admitted.

  “My female wants clothing,” Lash stated loudly, holding her gaze. “Then we’ll leave.”

  “You could put some on, too,” Jaded responded. “The towel does cover more than your usual attire, though.”

  “My loincloths are comfortable.”

  “Fine. You won’t leave your suite anyway once we escort you up there. Can I give your mate her phone? Oh, and please have her call Mel. She’s still upset with Snow over him leaving her friend down here. She’s worried.”

  Lash released her. “Stay put this time. I don’t want you near other males.” He strode toward the group of Species. “Bring my mate clothes, and I’ll give her the phone.”

  “We’ll be back in about ten minutes. I’ll find her something to wear.” Jaded handed him the cell. “Thank you for being reasonable.”

  “Just don’t try to take her away,” Lash warned, the snarl returning to his voice. “She’s mine.”

  “We wouldn’t dream of it. It’s clear she’s willing to stay with you. That was our main concern. It’s been alleviated. My word is true, Lash.” Jaded backed away, motioned with his head, and he left with the three other New Species.

  Mary stepped out from behind the tree and sighed. “You like to be difficult with everyone in your life, don’t you? At least I know I’m not alone.”

  “You’re never alone, Mary. You have a mate now. I’m going to get some of my loincloths. I’ll be right back.” He switched direction, ran, and leapt up into the air.

  She watched him as he made his way safely to the bed. She leaned against the artificial trunk and closed her eyes once he was up there. Life with Lash would never be boring. “You forgot to give me my phone,” she yelled up at him.

  “I didn’t forget.”

  “Stubborn jerk,” she muttered fondly, then yelled again. “I really do need to put that outgoing message on it and call Mel.” It would also be nice to see if anyone had called her. She wasn’t about to mention that part, though.

  Lash stripped one of his pillows of its case and used it to shove lotion, three loincloths, and one of his guns inside. The Species had sent Jaded to talk to him knowing he’d listen to his friend. Jaded was the one who’d taught him how to fire the guns he owned. He liked the male.

  He studied his bed, wondering if he’d ever get to sleep in it again. Mary hated how high it was. Having a mate was more complicated than he’d imagined. That was okay, though. She was worth it.

  He put on a loincloth, fisted the bag, and walked to the edge of the bed. He quickly jumped and used the smaller platforms until he hit the ground.

  “Thank you for staying put, Mary.”

  She nodded. “You’re welcome.”

  He showed her the cell phone Jaded had given him. “You can make your calls.”

  She lifted her hand and opened her palm.

  He hesitated. “You said you’d stay with me. This isn’t a trick, is it? To bring humans here after you?” It would hurt badly if she betrayed him.

  “I’m not going to dial 9-1-1 to tell them that I’m being seduced and kept as a sex slave by an extremely hot lion man who gives me amazing orgasms. Though it’s tempting just to hear what their reaction would be.” She grinned.

  “That’s not funny.” He was flattered that she described him that way, though.

  “It is a little. I’ll put it on speakerphone if you don’t trust me.” Her humor faded.

  Had he hurt his mate’s feelings? “I trust you, Mary. I just don’t know if you’ve accepted that we’re mates yet. Yo
u still act like prey. It’s in your nature to run.”

  She jerked her open palm. “Give me the phone. I’m going to stay with you, Lash. I could be pregnant by now. I’m not a total moron.”

  “I never thought you were.” He still hesitated to give her the phone. “What do you mean by that? Humans are generally stupid, but not you, Mary. You’re different.”

  “You don’t think much of humans. I don’t, either, come to think of it. I was there when those assholes came into the diner. They wanted to kill New Species. Now I could be carrying one. Plus, you’re growing on me. That is, when you’re not making me mad. But trust goes both ways. Give me my phone, please.”

  He handed it over. “In the bathroom.” He glanced at the door. Jaded might be able to borrow clothes from one of the females living inside the hotel. It wouldn’t take much time if one were readily available for him to ask. “Let’s go.”

  She turned and walked ahead of him. “They charged it. That was nice.”

  “Charged what?”

  “My phone.” She entered the bathroom and paused inside.

  He watched her tap the screen, curious. He didn’t know much about devices. He’d been offered one but refused. “What are you doing?”

  “Texting my parents. They want to know how Mel’s wedding was. You can read what I’m saying.” She suddenly stiffened and turned her head to peer up at him. “Sorry. I forgot. I’ll read it aloud. My mom says, ‘How was the wedding? You never said who Mel was marrying. Please tell me it wasn’t her Deputy Dud.’ I typed back, ‘It was great. No Deputy Dud. I’ll tell you about it when you’re in town or when we talk. I’m really busy so I can’t call right now, but I hope you and Dad are having a blast. Love you.’”

  He couldn’t verify if she was telling him the truth but he hoped she was. “Thank you. Who is Deputy Dud and why didn’t you tell them about Snow? Do they hate Species?”

  “They don’t hate New Species. Deputy Dud was a guy Mel dated for a short time when she first moved here. He works for Sheriff Cooper, obviously. He’s our police official in town. I didn’t tell them about Snow because it happened too fast. They might have been worried. Not because he’s New Species. It’s just that typically, people date and get married after a longer time. My parents love Mel. They’d be worried if they found out she married Snow within days of them getting together. I figure I’ll lie when they get back by saying she’d been seeing him for months but it had to be kept top secret.”