"You don't want a mate and she doesn't want a third husband."

He pushed away from the door. "That's true."

"That's bullshit." Creek shook her head slowly. "You appear unhappy and I know she is. You refused to share sex with another female. She has refused to share sex with other males who have offered. That's already a commitment. We are Species, Tiger. I know you spend a lot of time with human males from the task force but don't forget what you are. We don't lie or hide from our nature."

He took a seat in the chair. "I don't know what I want anymore."

Creek smiled sadly. "You know. Listen to your instincts. What do they say?"

"I want Zandy. I'd like nothing better than to go snatch her from her bed and bring her to mine."

"You enjoy sleeping with her in your arms?"

"Yes." Admitting it was a relief. "I want her there every night."

"Males can be so stubborn." Creek stood and reached into her back pocket. "Here."

He stared at the key she held. "What is it?"

"The spare key to Zandy's front door. I snagged it from the wall where it hung. I'll distract the officers while you sneak in. Humans are strange about sharing sex and allowing everyone to know about it. Go to her and fix her pain. She thinks you don't want her anymore."

Tiger rose to his feet and took the key. He stared deeply into Creek's eyes. "Thank you."

"She's my friend. Stop fighting your instincts and remember she isn't Species. They seem to enjoy being dominated by a male. It makes me curious about human males since obviously they are a lot softer. Females always want what they don't have."

"Will you come in the morning to give me time to sneak out? I want to stay the night with Zandy."

"Piece of cake. I'm off shift tomorrow and will bring the officers breakfast. They will flirt with me." She smiled. "One of them won't turn me down if I offer to share sex."

He reached out and clasped her shoulder. "Thank you."

"I care about Zandy and you are my friend too." Her smile faded. "Don't hurt her or I'll hurt you."

Causing Zandy pain was the last thing he wanted. "I owe you one."

"I'll remember that."

"Let me grab a change of clothing. Thank you."

"Just allow those male instincts of yours to rule and you should be fine. Humans seem to think it's cute when males get possessive." She chuckled. "Their males don't taste them often either. They expect the females to tempt them into sex. No wonder so many of them appreciate our males. I never fully understood why they'd so easily take mates until she shared that information with me."

He hoped Zandy would easily accept him as a mate. He'd just have to go slow and talk her into it.

The bed moved and it woke Zandy. She gasped and rolled over, expecting to be attacked again by some stranger. Instead she stared at Tiger. He'd turned on the living room light and had left her bedroom door open so she could clearly see him sitting on the edge of her bed.

"I'm sorry we had bad words." He hesitated. "I was angry because Vengeance could have put his hands on you. It wasn't your fault and I shouldn't have yelled at you. Just the thought of him touching you put me in a rage."

It took a stunned moment for her mind to process his words. "What are you doing here?" Her gaze dropped to his bare chest and legs then back up. He had one leg tucked to hide his sex but his bare hip made it clear he wasn't wearing anything. "You're naked."

"I was hoping you'd allow me to sleep with you. I want to stay the night."

He wasn't with someone else. It was almost sad how relieved she felt after Creek had told her that other women would offer to have sex with him. He'd chosen to come to her instead. She threw back the covers and opened her arms to him.

His gaze lingered on her clothes. "Will you take them off?"

She sat up, grabbed the T-shirt and tore it over her head. Tiger softly growled to encourage her as she dropped flat on her back, lifted her hips and grabbed the waistband of the sweats to wiggle out of them. He helped by pulling at the ankles, tugging them down her legs. In seconds she was bare and Tiger shifted positions until he stretched out on his side against her. One hand cupped her face as he peered deeply into her eyes.

"Do you have any idea how insane you make me? All the things I want to do to you?"

"No. Tell me."

He dipped his head and nuzzled her cheek with his while he inhaled deeply. "You're in heat. You smell so good I could eat you alive."

Her belly clenched in response and she turned on her side to face him while her hands opened on his chest to flatten there. His hot skin felt satiny and she loved to touch him.

"More biting, huh?" She knew that wasn't what he meant and smiled when he met her gaze.

His tongue wet his lips and his gaze lowered down her body to her lap. "Open up for me. You know what I want."

She rolled to her back and spread her thighs, lifting her legs at the same time. Tiger moved fast and slid down the bed. Zandy's heart raced as she watched him crouch over her and his hands gripped her inner thighs. He softly purred and lowered his face.

"I could stay here for hours."

"You'd kill me."

His gaze jerked up. "Don't say that."

"It was a joke. I just meant I'm not sure I could take hours of that."

His features hardened and his voice came out deeper. "I'm trying to keep in control for you. I don't want to frighten you."

"You being right there isn't scary unless you bite. I really like it when you go down on me."

He caressed her thighs with his hands. "I want to do more than that."

"What do you want, Tiger?"

He closed his eyes.

"Tiger?"

He opened them to stare at her and she saw something in his gaze that made her hold her breath. There was a raw hunger showing but she didn't understand what caused it.

"I want it all with you but I'm afraid I'd frighten you if I let go of my control. You're in heat and it calls to me in ways that would shock you."

"I'm feeling really brave," she admitted. "Really turned-on."

"I'm not totally human."

"I know."

He blinked. "Do you really understand that?"

She nodded sharply. "You purr, Tiger. You growl. You've got those amazingly beautiful eyes that I love to stare into. You've got the sharp teeth. Trust me, I get it. I'm still here naked with you. I'm not afraid. You won't hurt me. I trust you so stop holding back."

"There are officers outside. Remember that." It was the only warning she got.

Tiger dipped his head and his mouth fastened over her clit. Zandy closed her eyes when his hot tongue began to tease her by rubbing strongly against the bundle of nerves. He nuzzled his mouth in tight against her, his hands shoving her thighs wider apart to make room for him.

Pleasure gripped her-fast and furious. Her back arched to press her pussy tighter against his hungry mouth. One arm lifted and she threw it over her open mouth to muffle the sound as she moaned. Tiger showed no mercy as he manipulated her clit, found that tiny spot that drove her insane and she climaxed hard.

He tore his mouth away and the bed moved. Zandy opened her eyes just as his hold on her shifted from her inner thighs to her ankles. She looked down as he slid off the end of the bed and yanked her down it. His intense stare held hers until he flipped her over, grabbed her hips and her knees softly hit the carpet. He bent her over the side of the bed and his legs spread on the outside of hers.

The head of his cock brushed the seam of her pussy as he reached between them to adjust it, found right where he wanted to be and slowly entered her. She moaned and clawed the bedding at the wonderful sensation of his thick shaft stretching her apart to take him.

"I can't stop," he growled. "I need you."

His body wrapped around hers to pin her tightly against the bed. His hands grabbed hers where they clung to the bed and his mouth brushed hot, wet kisses on the side of her throat. He drove into her deeply and fucked her hard, fast.

Zandy moaned loudly and pressed her mouth against the bed. She couldn't move at all the way he had her pinned. She could just take him and feel every thrust of his cock. Her vaginal muscles were still twitching from her climax. It didn't take long for him to bring her to a second one. She cried out, muffling the sound against the bedding as she felt him come.

His body shook over hers as hot jets of semen filled her deep inside. He growled, stopped kissing her while he panted and groaned. His hips bucked with each jerk of his release. She expected him to slowly withdraw after he seemed to recover but instead he began to move again, fucking her a little slower.

"I could take you for hours," he rasped. "I'm going to. I can't stop. You're so hot and wet for me. So tight. You're mine, Zandy."

She moaned. He might kill her but what a way to go. "I-" She stopped, shocked by what she'd almost said.

Tiger paused. "You what? Do you want me to stop? Are you sore?"

"Keep going," she urged. She'd almost told him she loved him. "Don't stop."

His teeth lightly raked her throat. "I won't." He began to move again, fucking her deeply and steadily.

Pleasure rolled through her. He brought her to climax again and found his own. She didn't protest as Tiger lifted her afterward. He put her back on the bed and curled up behind her. Light kisses brushed her shoulder and cheek as he held her tightly.

"I'm going to wake you during the night. You're exhausted though. Try to get some rest."

"That was incredible."

He softly purred. "It was and it will be again. Rest, Zandy." Amusement sounded in his voice. "I think I wore you out."

She grinned and closed her eyes. "You totally make me understand why men pass out after sex."

Tiger knew when Zandy fell asleep. His dick was still hard and he ached to take her again. Because she was in heat, he'd stay in his aroused condition as long as the tempting scent of her filled his nose.

She was in full heat and he hadn't used condoms. She didn't know he could get her pregnant. Guilt ate at him for not warning her of what could happen but he didn't regret it. He'd need to tell her the truth though. Their relationship had reached the stage where he knew it was time to share the classified information with her. He wanted her for his mate and she'd need to be informed of the truth to make that decision.

What if she said no? Pain tightened his chest. She could tell him she didn't want another male in her life. She'd had two of them who had harmed her heart and betrayed her. They'd been human but she might not understand how different he was from them.

Tiger's buzzing cell phone woke him before dawn. He hated to turn away from Zandy but he had to answer it. He grabbed it from his pocket and walked into the living room, closing the door to prevent his voice from waking her.

"Tiger here."

"This is Brass. We've had a full-out assault at Homeland. Two of our males are injured, two humans are dead and we're facing a riot from the protesters. We need help immediately. The human task force is here and we have human police helping but Justice wants you here too. You have a way with our males, of keeping them calm."

"What happened?" Tiger instantly was alarmed.

"Two of those damn crazy humans drove right up to the gates and came out screaming about how we are animals. The car just blew up. We suspect a car bomb they set off. The humans died instantly. Two of our males were blown right off the walls from the force of the blast. They are in bad shape but they'll survive. Our males are furious. The protesters are lying, saying we blew up the car. It's turned into a nightmare. The human law enforcement and our task force are trying to handle the situation but our males are fit to be tied. They are tired of being attacked and Justice thinks your good nature and humor are desperately needed. How fast can you be here?"

"I'm on my way." He hung up and dialed Security. "Get the helicopter ready. I need to get to Homeland now."

"Understood."

He hung up and stared at the closed bedroom door. He didn't want to leave Zandy but he had no choice. He'd only be gone a few hours.

Chapter Fourteen.

Zandy woke alone but Tiger had left a note on the pillow. She read it and smiled. He planned to take her to his house for dinner later. That had to be a good sign that he planned to keep seeing her. She showered, dressed, and turned on the television when breakfast was delivered to her door by a grim officer.

She thanked him and took a seat on the couch, opening the bag. The commercial ended and the opening news story left Zandy gawking at the screen. The background sight of the scarred, twisted gates to Homeland held her attention as a chipper, blonde news reporter accounted what had taken place there in the middle of the night. Two suspected members of a hate group were dead while two New Species had been injured.

"Shit." Her appetite was gone.

She flipped the channels, picking up more of the story from different reporters. The two New Species would live. It had been a car bomb and both the men who'd driven the car to the gates had died in the explosion. Her mind went over all the hate mail she'd read but no one had made threats against the NSO with car bombs.

Was Tiger okay? Upset? She wouldn't blame him if he hated humans. She just hoped he didn't lump her in with the ones who'd attacked Homeland. Were the injured New Species friends of his? She stood and turned off the television. He'd call her and she'd ask him about it. She'd be there for him if he needed her. She put on her shoes and walked to the door, wanting to get to work.

Richard looked surprised to see her when she entered the office. "I thought you were taking a few days off."

"No."

He grinned. "I take it you're wearing panty liners?" Amusement lit his dark eyes. "I didn't see your escort sniffing at you or drooling."