Valiant

by Laurann Dohner

  “See?” Trisha drew her attention. “You don’t have to worry about him cheating.”

  “I will bathe in his blood if another man touches you.” Valiant growled deeply. “I’ll tear off his limbs. I’ll rip off his head.” He paused, took a deep breath. “He’ll die horribly. I will never hurt you though.”

  Trisha managed to keep the smile in place. “Did I mention they are very possessive and graphic too?” Trisha shot him a dirty look and shook her head. “Can you cut back on the gory details a bit? Humans aren’t keen on hearing that stuff. It isn’t a great selling point. Work with me here.”

  He growled. “I always tell Tammy the truth.”

  “I’m learning that. I’m not ready to have a baby though.” Tammy met Valiant’s angry glare. “I want to get to know you better first before we even discuss having one together, if that’s even possible. Please understand that and don’t get mad or hurt. I’m not saying no forever, I’m just saying that right now I want to spend more time with you before I consider that option.” Tammy faced the doctor. “Could you put me on something?”

  Trisha nodded. “Of course. I’ll have to call it in and have it delivered since we don’t carry birth control on Reservation. In a few weeks you will need a pregnancy test to make sure you didn’t already conceive and we’ll put you on the Pill.” Trisha paused. “I don’t want to start them right now in case you’ve already conceived. Let me know immediately if you start your period. I—”

  “No sex?” Valiant interrupted.

  Tammy frowned. “Quiet and allow her to talk.”

  Trisha glanced between them, settling her focus on Tammy. “I would also appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about this discussion. There are a lot of hate groups out there who would be very unhappy if they learned it was even possible for us to have children with them.”

  “That’s an understatement if I ever heard one.” Tammy grimaced. “They’d go ballistic. I saw a show a few weeks ago about some idiots who started a business taking bets on how long each known New Species will live.”

  Horrified at what she’d said, her gaze darted to Valiant, hoping it hadn’t hurt his feelings. He met her stare calmly, not appearing shocked at hearing that someone wanted to make a profit of their deaths.

  “Yeah. We heard about that.” Trisha got a sad look on her face. “And they’d probably do anything to kill the woman carrying that unborn baby and the baby if it had already been born. A lot of them are looking forward to the thought of New Species dying out in time. It would send some of those assholes into a rampage if they discovered that generations more of them were possible.”

  “See? That’s another reason why I don’t want to have a baby right now. I’ve already been targeted once. I may as well buy a bull’s-eye T-shirt and live in it. I’m not ready to take that chance just yet. I want the pills as soon as you’re able to prescribe them to me.”

  Tammy turned her head to see how Valiant reacted to her decision. He was gone, had left the room, and she softly cursed. He’d walked out without saying a word. Obviously he didn’t agree with what she wanted. Damn.

  “Give him time.” Trisha reached out and touched Tammy’s arm. “I think he might feel a little rejected.”

  “I didn’t mean for him to take it that way. You understand, don’t you? I met him five weeks ago, he scared the hell out of me, we had incredible sex, and I hit him over the head with a lamp. Last night he came back into my life when he saved me. I’m very attracted to him but we need to spend a lot more time together before we purposely take risks of that kind. Hell, I think I’m falling—” She closed her mouth. “In all, I’ve spent so little time with him and certainly not long enough to make a lifelong commitment of having a child together.”

  “I do understand.”

  Tammy saw compassion on the other woman’s face. “There’s the whole we’re-different factor. I was kidnapped last night because someone heard I had slept with him. Just slept with him. What if I got pregnant? Those stupid bastards and every stupid asshole like them would want to get their hands on me. And that’s not even touching the subject of what the press would do. I watched what they did to that married couple. Those two can’t do anything without having reporters all over them. They don’t even leave Homeland anymore, do they? I heard the press stalked them as though they were movie or rock stars. Hell, I think those two groups of celebrities have it easier than that couple does.”

  Trisha sighed. “Yeah, I know. Luckily they don’t mind since they both work at Homeland and their lives are inside the secure walls there.”

  “I don’t know if I could live that way. Right now I am not supposed to even leave this suite. Is that how it is with Ellie? Is she locked down inside their home?”

  “No. She has a job at Homeland and it’s more settled there. Reservation just opened and that’s why you’ve been kept inside the suite. The New Species are used to humans but not the ones who live here. It’s just for your safety. I can’t walk around either without an escort. I don’t have that issue at Homeland. I have a house there.”

  Tammy desperately wanted to change the subject. “How did it go with the father of your baby? Does he live around here? I might know him since it’s a small town.”

  Trisha shook her head. “He usually works and lives in Southern California.”

  “Oh.” Tammy nodded.

  “He’s working somewhere else right now on assignment. In a few months he’ll be back in Southern California where his home is and so will I. We did talk this morning and he’s reconsidering marriage.”

  Tammy did a thumbs-up sign. “Good for you.”

  Trisha nodded. “Yes. I want to marry him and I love him more than anything.”

  Tammy sighed, her mind refusing to budge from the worry that rose inside. “Valiant is really angry with me.”

  “I think he’s hurt because you mean a lot to him. I don’t think you realize how attached he is to you. We have New Species who have engaged in sex with humans but they didn’t stake claims to them. I think for whatever reason, he imprinted you already.”

  “What if he meets someone else and changes his mind?”

  “As I said, they are very loyal. They aren’t the kind of men we’re used to. They had hellish lives and they really value something they care about. He obviously cares about you or he wouldn’t have claimed you.”

  Tammy nodded. “I’m really confused.”

  Trisha nodded too. “I understand. Trust me, I really do.”

  “Thank you for telling me everything. Once I start taking the pills how long until they work?”

  “A month. I’ll send a large supply of condoms. I can get them to you today.” She hesitated. “You will probably have to show him how to use them since I doubt he’s ever had to. Mercile Industries only permitted them to have sex with females when they were doing breeding experiments. It was the only time they were ever allowed any kind of physical closeness with another of their kind. I don’t think he’s ever had any physical contact with anyone human except you. You’ll have to ask him. I don’t know much about where he was kept before they opened Reservation but from what I understand, it was in a remote desert location. They tended to assign women, human ones, to guard them since New Species won’t attack females. Who knows if any of them were attracted to him.” She cleared her throat. “I’d bet not. He’s pretty intimidating.”

  Tammy couldn’t imagine many woman approaching Valiant without being super brave. “It’s horrible what was done to them.”

  “I know. As I said, they had rough lives.” Trisha made ready to leave. “I’ll bring a picnic lunch in a few days so we can talk again. I make a mean fried chicken. Talk to Valiant and try not to lose your temper if you get frustrated with him. Sometimes they don’t understand things but they learn quickly and if you explain it clearly, they usually get the gist of what you’re trying to say. Their feelings do get hurt and they tend to react by appearing angry. It’s one of those his-bark-is-far-worse-than-his-
bite kind of sayings that fit.”

  “Thank you.”

  Trisha left the bedroom and Tammy sighed loudly. Valiant was probably hurt that she wasn’t jumping for joy at the concept that she might be pregnant. She barely knew the guy and they were just so different. It wasn’t anything bad against him, not a form of rejection, just a smart decision to take things slower.

  She glanced at the bed and snorted. She was having hot sex with the guy, often, and nothing about their relationship so far seemed to have any brakes to it. She couldn’t resist him once he started growling and purring at her. His mouth needed to come with a warning label. She smiled and finally stood. She needed to talk to him and clear the air. The idea of him feeling rejected didn’t sit well with her.

  Tammy walked out of the bedroom. After a quick search of the other bedroom, bathroom and the living area, she came to the conclusion that Valiant had left. She hugged her chest and walked toward the suite door. She hesitated before opening it.

  A New Species man stood on the other side. He had black hair and gray eyes. He turned to peer at her curiously. She wasn’t really surprised that someone had been posted. She knew she wasn’t allowed to leave the suite.

  “Do you know where Valiant is?”

  He shook his head. “He looked really angry when he stormed out and I wasn’t going to ask him anything. I didn’t want him to roar at me.”

  “Thank you.” Tammy softly closed the door.

  She finally settled on watching television but then remembered what she’d said to Sheriff Cooper. She wondered if she was allowed to make phone calls. She returned to the suite door and opened it. The New Species turned, studying her again.

  “Am I allowed to use the phone?”

  He hesitated. “No one said you couldn’t. Go ahead.”

  “Thank you.” She closed the door and decided to use the phone inside the bedroom. She sat on the bed, got comfortable, and dialed her best friend’s number. Tim answered on the second ring.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, it’s me.”

  “Tam! How are you? Are you home? I’ll grab some pizza and be right over. I’ve been so worried about you.”

  “I’m not home but I’m fine. I’m still at New Species Reservation and I’m going to be here for a while.” She paused. “I’m kind of seeing one of them.”

  “Have you lost your mind?” Tim yelled. “Do you know what has happened since you were attacked? We have everything from news crews to protesters who hate those New Species people swamping the town. The support groups for those people showed up to counter protest early this morning. It’s a madhouse and on top of it, there are all kinds of rumors flying about how you are dating one of them but I thought it was bullshit. I’m your best friend and you would have told me. I yelled at the reporters who knocked on my door that it was absolute bullshit that you were hooked up with one of them. They showed a video of you and him on the news this morning with footage of him carrying you to a Jeep and sitting with you on his lap.”

  Tammy tried not to flinch over how upset Tim seemed to be. She wanted to try to calm him down. “Great. I was on the news and missed it? Did you happen to tape it for me? How cool.”

  “That’s not funny.”

  “Did my hair at least look good?” She winced, remembering how dirt and leaves had been stuck in it.

  “Damn it, Tam. I’m not kidding. I drove by your place this morning to feed that feral cat you toss scraps to since the sheriff said you were hurt and had been taken out to Reservation to be seen by their doctor. He said you would be out there for a day or so while you recovered. There were protestors picketing in your yard and you should have read the signs they carried, Tam. That bitchy old woman next door is threatening to put a petition together to force you to sell your grandma’s house. She came outside to scream at me that she wanted you gone because she wasn’t going to live next door to that kind of crap.”

  “What did the signs say?” Tammy could feel a headache coming on. She remembered her pain pills but couldn’t reach the bathroom with the corded phone.

  “Nothing you’d want to read, let me assure you. It was reported that you were dating the guy and that he was your lover. You can guess. It was brutal.”

  “So Mrs. Haller is pissed, huh?”

  “She yelled that she was putting a petition together to try to force you to sell. Did you hear that part?”

  “Well, she is a bitch and I’m sure she’ll give it her best shot.” Tammy suddenly chuckled. “Are there a lot of protestors? Are they really loud? Do you think they’ll stay out there all night and drive her insane? She complains at me constantly if my TV is even at a normal level. There’s a bright side, right? Maybe she’ll get so upset she keels over. That woman has hated me since I was a kid and moved in with Grandma.”

  “Tam, damn it, that’s not funny. I’m going to come out there and get you. You can hole up inside our guestroom to hide out from everyone. My parents are worried sick about you too. They don’t think you are safe out there and neither do I. You don’t know much about those people.”

  “Don’t be an ass, Tim. I know more about them than you do. I’m extremely safe.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since I’ve gotten to know them.”

  “That old bitch is really going to get a petition going, Tam. She’s really going to try to make you sell your house. What will you do if she succeeds?”

  “Well, remember a few years ago when I went through my heavy-metal stage? She put a petition together then too and asked all the neighbors to sign it by saying I worshipped the devil by trying to call demons into the backyard every time I lit the fire pit. They just laughed at her.”

  “This isn’t her hating your taste in music. This is super serious. There are at least twenty protestors on your yard carrying signs that are accusing you of liking to screw anything on a leash with four legs.”

  “That bad, huh?” Tammy winced again. “Well, even if I came to your house it wouldn’t make them go away, would it? They would only start picketing at your place if they learned I’d gone there. I’m staying here.”

  “You need to come back to town and tell everyone the news had it wrong. You need to denounce that guy until it stops.”

  “What do they have wrong? I am seeing one of them.”

  Tim remained silent for a long minute. “Why?”

  “Why do you think? He’s wonderful, sweet, and I just want to stay with him.”

  “You could have told me if you were that lonely. You don’t need to date one of them. Let me take you out.”

  “Oh, stop it. Don’t even go there, Tim. I swear, just don’t. You and I are best friends. I get asked out often, if you must know. I’m not desperate for any guy. I really, really am attracted to him.”

  “But he’s―”

  “Don’t say anything bad,” Tammy warned, cutting him off.

  “Fine. I hope you realize it’s going to ruin your life. When you stop seeing this…him…no guy in town is going to want to touch you. I have to go. You obviously have your mind made up and I just can’t even talk to you right now.” Tim hung up.

  Tammy held the receiver in her hand for long seconds before returning it to the cradle. She wiped at tears that momentarily blinded her. Tim had never hung up on her before. She scooted off the bed, walked into the bathroom and filled a glass with water. On her way back to the bed she stopped in her tracks when her gaze met Valiant’s. He leaned against the wall inside the bedroom right next to the door, his expression grim.

  “You’re back.”

  His golden eyes regarded her and a frown marred his full lips. His arms were crossed over his chest and he took a deep breath.

  “You are going to lose your house?”

  “You were listening.”

  He shrugged. “I have good hearing. I took a walk downstairs to get some fresh air and came back when you were talking on the phone. I stood outside the door so you could talk to your friend without interruption. You s
aid he was your best friend.” He shifted his weight, pushing away from the wall. “He made you cry. Answer me. Are you going to lose your house?”

  She shrugged. “It was a shitty one with a leaking roof anyway, but I doubt it. Most of the neighbors have been there forever and have known me for most of my life. My next-door neighbor is the Antichrist. She’s making waves but she always does that kind of bullshit. I have protestors picketing at my house.”

  “You don’t need your house anymore, sexy. You have my home and you have me.”

  Tammy stared at him. “But for how long?”

  He moved. “You won’t ever get rid of me.” He stalked toward her. “Not even if you try. You belong to me and I belong to you.”

  Tammy stared up at Valiant when he stopped inches from her. He reached for the glass and set it down. They stared at each other for a long moment before Valiant suddenly grabbed her, taking her flat to the bed. His hands tore at her clothes as his lips kissed her throat. Tammy moaned.

  Valiant pinned Tammy under him tighter, inhaling her wonderful scent, wanting to get her totally naked to be skin to skin. She’d stood up to her best friend for him, refused to leave him, and he wanted to make sure she didn’t change her mind.

  She might lose her home because of her association with Species. Guilt ate at him as his hands caressed her bare breasts. He stared into her passion-filled eyes and swore he’d make her forget everything but him. He’d make sure she knew being with him was worth any sacrifices she made.

  He growled at her, working at getting her pants off as he slid off the bed to the carpet, onto his knees. The scent of her growing arousal drove him nearly insane to taste her, to claim her, but she suddenly wiggled up the bed. He snarled at her and gripped the bed, intent on going after her. Her hand lifted, palm out, in a gesture to stop him and he froze.

  “Condoms.”

  He wanted to roar. She was his. He knew what the things were but he wanted nothing between them when he took her. He wanted to mark her with his scent, fill her with his seed, and if life took hold—so be it!