The large male tilted his head to peer over his shoulder. “Where is the doctor?”
“I put her in bed.”
A soft growl was the only warning he got before he was pushed out of the way violently and his shoulder hit the wall. He turned, stunned, watching Jericho rush down the hallway. It sank in quickly that the other male was going after Alli. Protective instincts burst forth and he snarled. Obsidian didn’t want anyone near her.
The door hit the wall hard and the uniformed male disappeared out of sight before he could catch him. He snarled again and lunged, attacking the male by launching at his back. They both crashed to the floor in a tangle of limbs. He was thrown when the male under him rolled, shoving back an elbow that dug painfully into his ribs. He grunted and twisted to kick out a leg to strike.
His bare foot made contact with a thigh and the male made a sound he’d never heard before. It was alarming in a primal way. It was a roar of sorts, part high scream. He dared to glance away, only to see the empty bed. Motion in the bathroom drew his focus as Alli stepped into view, clutching a towel in front of her body.
A heavy body hit him in the chest and drove him flat. Pain shot through his shoulder blades from the harsh contact with the floor and the air left his lungs. Rough hands grabbed his wrists in an attempt to pin him but he recovered quickly, rolling to his side, and tore out of the male’s hold. Alli was practically naked and the male was too close to her. A growl tore from him as soon as he could draw breath. He didn’t have time to avoid the fist that smashed into his cheek. The taste of blood instantly filled his mouth.
“Stop it!” Alli demanded and more weight crushed down on him.
His eyes flew opened when something wet touched his nose and he realized it was her hair falling over the shoulder of the male between them. She must have tripped to land on Jericho’s back but then her hands wrapped around the male, one of them covering his mouth while the other one gripped his throat.
“Don’t bite him,” Alli yelled.
The male had drawn back his fist to hit Obsidian again but hesitated as he turned his head slowly to stare at Alli’s face nearly touching his. She seemed to lock gazes with the one who’d struck him before her hands released him.
“What are you doing, Jericho? Have you lost your mind?” Alli panted the words. “Get off him right now.”
Pure rage flooded through Obsidian when the other male noticed she’d dropped her towel. He was staring at her exposed breasts. She remained sprawled over Jericho’s back.
“This is awkward.” The other male cleared his throat. “I thought he’d harmed you.”
“Do I look hurt to you?”
“No.” Jericho stated slowly, still staring at her breasts. “You look really good.”
Alli’s chin dipped to follow his gaze and she gasped. “Shit!”
Some of the weight eased off Obsidian as she scrambled off the male’s back and bent, flashing her naked ass to both of them while she tried to hide her body by retrieving the towel. Obsidian struck fast and hard with his fist, plowing it into the male’s jaw.
“Fuck,” Jericho snarled, the punch sending him rolling in the opposite direction. “What the hell was that for?” He ended in a crouched position to glower at his opponent.
Obsidian sat up and wanted the other male to keep his attention on him instead of watching Alli straighten and wrap the towel tighter around her form. He flashed his fangs in warning. The male had caught him by surprise but it wouldn’t happen a second time.
“Obsidian? What are you doing?” Alli stepped closer. “Don’t.”
He didn’t spare her a glance. Another male was too close to her and had seen her bare. Jericho had dared look upon her breasts and he’d pay for that. “Go in the bathroom where you will be safe from the violence.”
She disobeyed him when she purposely came closer, putting herself between him and the enemy. “Stop it. Don’t attack Jericho. You both need to calm down right now. You just woke from a coma and you can’t fight.” She whipped her head around, spraying water from the damp ends of her wet hair. “And you—what are you doing in here?”
Jericho gracefully straightened to his full height and puffed out his chest. “He said he put you in bed and I could smell you all over him. I believed he forced you to share sex. I came to your aid.”
Obsidian noticed the way Alli’s features paled but she didn’t speak for a moment. “Oh, crap. I forgot about your sense of smell.” Her cheeks became red. “Um, that’s not what happened. Stand down.”
The other male’s gaze narrowed. “All right.”
It wasn’t over for Obsidian. He climbed to his feet, took a step around Alli and lunged for the male. A soft gasp came from Alli and he was stunned when she released her towel to grab at his chest. Her body slammed into his with the forward motion he took, trying to punish the other male and he stepped on part of her towel. It hit the floor, baring her naked form again.
His arms wrapped around her and he spun, blocking the view of the male by shielding her with his body. He twisted his head and snarled. “Leave.”
Jericho’s hands slowly lifted, wide open. “Okay. Easy.”
Obsidian’s heart pounded and he wanted to attack but he couldn’t without releasing Alli. Her hands gripped his shoulders and she clung to him, flattened against his front. Her wet skin was chilled and her pebbled nipples were a distraction, shoved against his chest where he held her firmly.
“Are you sure you want me to leave you with him?”
“Go!” Alli’s voice shook. “Get out, Jericho. You’re obviously agitating him.”
“He wants to kill me,” he corrected, inching closer to the door. “Calm down, Obsidian. I was just checking on her. I’m not here to hurt her in any way.”
He snarled again, debating whether Alli would be harmed if he threw her toward the bed to land on the soft mattress in order to free his arms so he could hit the other Species male. Her fingernails dug into his skin as if she could read his intentions.
“No fighting,” she whispered. “Look at me, Obsidian. Please?”
He refused to stop glowering at the male until he disappeared out the door. His arms lowered Alli and he snapped his head around to glare at her instead. She refused to release him, kept her body tight against his.
“Release me.”
“No. You look as if you want to go after him.”
“I do. Let go.”
She stunned him by wrapping a leg around his, hooking him behind his thigh. “No way! You could get hurt. One blow to the head and you could be killed or become comatose again. What is wrong with you? Why would you start a fight?”
“He came after you.”
“He was checking on me,” she argued. “Jericho wouldn’t ever hurt me. I know him well.”
Rage swept through him. “How well? Do you tempt him with your food scent, hoping he will mate you? What is he? He has strange eyes and makes bad noises.” The idea of her wanting another male to touch her drove him insane.
“He’s primate and his eyes aren’t strange. They are unique and pretty.”
He snarled before he could stop it, losing his battle with his temper fast. “You want him for a mate.”
“I do not!”
“You said his eyes are pretty.”
“They are. So is the color blue or a sunset. I don’t want to get physical with them.”
He was taken aback by her odd statement.
Her hold eased slightly but she didn’t release his shoulders. “Take deep breaths now. In.” She drew air into her lungs enough to press her breasts firmly against his chest. She exhaled. “Out. Breathe with me.”
“No.” He glanced at the bed while judging the distance and he strained to hear Jericho, attempting to track the male’s retreating footsteps. His arms tensed to throw Alli on the soft mattress but the leg she had locked around him prevented him from following through. “Let go.”
“No way.” She shook her head, wet hair dripping between them.
“You’re not fighting with him again. I forbid it.”
That made him glare at her. “What?”
She didn’t back down as he stared deeply into her blue eyes, although it seemed clear that she realized he wouldn’t take orders from her or anyone. He could feel her heart rate spike when his free hand gripped her throat. He didn’t squeeze but instead gently kept his hand there to keep her still.
“You could die,” she whispered. “Please calm down. I’d rather you fight with me than him. I couldn’t hurt you the way he can.”
“You don’t think I could win?” It injured his pride. The female must think him weak.
“I think you could die.” She took a shaky breath. “I don’t want that. I couldn’t stand it. Do you understand?”
She confused him as his temper finally subsided. Her words soothed his injured pride but he wasn’t about to forget that the other male had seen her bare. It angered him. Alli seemed to want a mate and the idea of someone else touching her made a snarl catch inside his throat.
His gaze dropped to his hand and he released the slender column of her neck. He needed to remember she wasn’t 46. His mate would have fought him until he had no choice but to subdue her to prevent the guards from coming into their cell with their drug darts. No danger lurked for Alli.
She continued to stare into his gaze as he slowly shifted his leg to get hers untangled from it. Her hands were pressed against his chest and they trembled. He suddenly felt really bad for handling her so roughly. She’s just human. He needed to remember that.
“It is bad to attack me.” He hoped that warning would be heeded by her. “Stay back when I am angry.”
“It’s called learning control and you need work on that.”
He grumbled and totally released her. She stayed pressed tightly against his front though and he glanced down at her cleavage. He could see part of her nipple on her left side and it drew his thoughts to sex.
“Don’t ever get between me and another male. You could be killed. You will do as I say.”
“Or what?” Her eyes narrowed and he easily read defiance in her expression as he studied her.
“Are you challenging me?”
“No. I’m just not taking orders. That’s a page right out of your book.”
“What does that mean? What page?”
“It’s a saying that means you won’t listen to me so why should I listen to you?”
“I’m bigger and stronger.”
“You’re being a bully again and it’s not attractive.”
“What does that mean?”
She backed up enough to break his light hold on her and retrieved the fallen towel, hiding all of her breasts from his view as she wrapped it around her middle. “I should go home.”
“You are staying with me.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You need some time by yourself to adjust to freedom. You can’t do that with me here.”
“You aren’t leaving this room.” He crossed his arms over his chest. She was little and he was faster. She’d never make it to the door before he stopped her. His gaze flicked to the big mattress. He could toss her on it. He could make sure other males didn’t approach her if she were with him.
“Don’t take that ‘I’ve spoken and it’s settled’ tone with me, Obsidian.”
She mimicked him in stance and amusement sparked when he gave her his attention again. Alli was cute when she was angry. Small lines formed around her mouth when she frowned and more creased her forehead.
“It is the truth.”
Her cheeks turned a little pink and her mouth pressed into a tight line. He also noticed that her hands fisted where they were crossed over her chest. “You infuriate me.”
Broad shoulders shrugged. “I understand.”
“That’s all you’ve got to say? Why can’t I go home? I could yell for help.”
“You could but then the male and I would fight again.” He knew she didn’t want that and wasn’t above using the information to his advantage. “You are supposed to be resting.” His gaze lowered to her bare legs and his dick hardened. “I want you again.”
Her hand unfurled, left her side, and she raised her middle finger at him. “Do you know what this means?”
“No.”
“Exactly. That’s what it means.” She spun and stomped toward the bathroom.
“Where are you going?”
“Away from you!”
She faced him just inside the door of the other room and glared at him as she slammed it closed between them. A faint click assured him that she’d locked the door. He took a step to break it down but he halted. The window was too high for her to climb out and nothing in there would assist her in reaching it to escape. Alli wasn’t going anywhere.
He began to pace, trying to figure out how to calm her. She wasn’t his mate and didn’t react the way 46 had when she was angry. Humans didn’t snarl or bite. He needed to remember that and never grab her throat again to prevent it. She did strike out at him that once but it hadn’t even drawn blood. He needed to rethink how to deal with her.
Alli fumed as she splashed water on her face just to cool down a little. Obsidian was impossible to deal with. He was a control freak and worse, he’d attacked another New Species without provocation.
His aggression could be the result of a brain injury or maybe he’s suffering from mental fatigue after all he’s survived. That thought made her chest hurt. She hadn’t seen anything on the brain scans she’d run that indicated a flaw but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there. He’d also lost his mate and been freed from a life of hell. She figured anyone would have issues dealing with so much in such a short time.
Guilt ate at her over their intimate relationship. She’d pretty much tossed all her knowledge from med school out the window when it came to her ex-patient because he was sexy and she’d grown far too attached to him. Her head hung as she softly cursed. She’d fallen hard for Obsidian before he’d ever opened his eyes and the reality of him awake wasn’t what she’d expected.
He had moments where she wanted to strangle him but then he’d do something sweet, totally throwing her off balance. He was a contradiction and it stumped her. The sexual relationship they’d begun wasn’t the smartest decision she’d ever made. The last thing he needed was more complications in his life.
“Damn,” she whispered, grabbing a towel to pat dry her face. Her gaze lifted until she stared deeply into her own eyes reflected in the mirror. “You really screwed up.”
A sound at the door made her start and she spun, watching it swing open. Obsidian blocked the doorway with a scowl on his face.
“I locked that.”
“I opened it.” He glanced at the handle before returning his attention to her. “Don’t try to keep me away from you again.”
“I wanted privacy.”
His mouth thinned into a grim line. “Adjust to not having it. I don’t like you out of my sight.”
She was tempted to tell him she didn’t care what he wanted but the hard glint in his dark eyes prevented her from speaking.
“My mate was always near me unless they took her away to do harm.”
Alli’s heart raced a little at the mention of 46. “You’re not at the mercy of those sadistic bastards anymore. I’m safe and you don’t need to watch me all the time.” His concern softened her anger.
Silence stretched between them while they had a staring contest. Alli lost and dropped her gaze to his chest. “I really should go home. You’re recovering well enough to pick fights and I need to figure out what is going to happen to my life.”
“What does that mean?”
She took a deep breath, noticing a few marks on his upper body that might turn into bruises from his tussle with Jericho. She didn’t see anything alarming that wouldn’t heal quickly though. New Species had amazing recuperative abilities.
“I kidnapped you from the NSO. They’re still debating on how to punish me. I’m sure I�
��ll be asked to leave. That means I need to pack up my stuff.”
“No one will punish you.” He snarled.
Her gaze jerked up and she saw the harsh lines of rage on his features. “They won’t hurt me. I broke their laws and I understand that they can’t allow me to do that without some kind of reprimand. I expected it. I think I’ll just be fired and escorted from the property. The house I live in came with the job. They’ll need to hire another doctor as soon as possible since they are shorthanded.”
He stepped inside the bathroom and approached until she had to arch back over the counter to avoid his body touching hers. Her chin tipped up to keep their gazes locked.
“You will live here with me.”
“I can’t.”
“You will.”
Her heart raced faster. “I’m not your mate, Obsidian.” The gentle reminder came out as a whisper and it was aimed at both of them. “I can’t stay here indefinitely and they’ll want my house vacated for my replacement.”
His arms moved and his hands gripped the edges of the counter beside her hips, effectively pinning her. He lowered his head until his warm breath fanned her face.
“Back off,” she ordered.
He shook his head, refusing to budge.
She wasn’t afraid, knowing he wasn’t a threat to her safety, but she was alarmed. He was acting aggressive again.
“You are not leaving.” He paused and his breathing came out a little fast. “Do you want to hit me? Do it.”
Memories surfaced of when she’d slapped his face. “I just want you to move out of my way.”
“No.” He invaded the remaining amount of space left between them until his chest pressed against her and the hard length of his sex nudged her belly when he leaned forward. “You. Stay. Here.”
“You have an erection,” she blurted, unable to avoid glancing down to verify the source. There was no missing his aroused physical condition.
His response was a soft growl. “Hit me.”
“No!”
His dark eyes narrowed as she stared into them and a vicious growl emanated from his parted lips. His sharp fangs flashed.
Alli fought down panic. He must have a head injury. He wasn’t making sense and seemed to crave violence. His behavior was irrational and she was trapped inside the bathroom with him.
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