Darkness Read online

  “Where are they going to be held? No one said.”

  “The bar. It’s big enough to house everyone who wants to come.”

  That surprised her. “I’m holding class in a bar?”

  Sunshine opened cupboards and removed a plate. “It’s not like the ones in your movies. We dance there and they mostly serve caffeine. That’s an amazing thing.”

  “Dancing?”

  “Caffeine.”

  Kit grinned. “I’m partial to it myself.”

  “Most of us don’t drink alcohol. It tastes horrible and with our metabolisms it’s tough to get and stay drunk.” She curled her lip and revealed her fangs. “I don’t see the draw in it. Alcohol makes you lightheaded and stupid. Where is the fun in that?”

  “I’m not sure. I’m not much of a drinker myself.”

  “Good. A lot of us signed up for your class. We rarely have human guests who hold classes. Everyone is excited but I should warn you that some of the males will be there because you’re female.”

  Kat opened the fridge. “Do you want a soda?”

  “No thank you. Do you want me to leave?”

  “Stay. I enjoy the company. Why are guys coming just because I’m a woman?”

  “Some of them are looking for mates. Justice strongly discourages them from talking to the protestors or the mate hunters at the gates.”

  “Mate hunters? What are those?”

  Sunshine took a seat at the counter. “Females who show up looking for one of our males to mate them. Most of them are a bit…what is that saying? One nut shy of a full bag of peanuts?”

  Kit laughed. She opened the lid on the tray and stared at the biggest steak she’d ever seen. It had to be over twenty ounces. “Wow.”

  “You don’t like meat?”

  “It’s enough for two. I can’t possibly eat all that.”

  “Good! I’m hungry.” Sunshine slid out of her seat and took out another plate. “That is if you don’t mind.”

  “Nope.”

  Sunshine found silverware, cut the steak in half and passed one of the plates to her. “Here you go.”

  Kat sat at the counter and opened her soda. “Thanks. So tell me more about these mate hunters. I’m curious.”

  “They flash their breasts at us. I walk the wall by the gates and they can’t tell which of us are male or female. I’m tired of seeing boobs.”

  It was funny. “I bet.”

  “As if a little breast flashing would be enough to drive our males into a sexual frenzy. Maybe if they tried that at the Wild Zone. Some of our males there would go for it. Those humans would be so sorry if they lured one of those males into taking them home.”

  “Why?”

  Sunshine paused. “I don’t know if I’m allowed to say.”

  The implied secret piqued Kat’s suspicious nature. Where they hiding something?

  “Well, I guess it would be okay to say it’s called the Wild Zone for a reason. Some of us aren’t as civilized as others. They were badly mistreated at Mercile so humans aren’t their friends. They live there to avoid running into any except for mates. Ta…” She stopped. “A mate lives there year-round. Of course her mate is very protective so she’s safe from anyone being mean to her.”

  “She’s human?” It was a calculated guess.

  “Yes. There’s no harm in telling you that.”

  “So why would a woman be sorry to end up with a Wild Zone mate? I am curious.”

  Sunshine cut into her meat and glanced at her. “Wild. Get it? They aren’t so polite. Your females see Justice on television and assume all have his manners. They would be wrong. The Wild Zone males wouldn’t use polite words and conversation with a female. They’d just want to seduce a female. They aren’t into extended discussions first, if you know what I mean. They like sex and can get a little carried away. A male would get a woman to say yes and then go right for the good spots. I know human females are used to human males taking things much slower. Species love burying their faces between a female’s thighs. Often.”

  “Oh.” Kat took a bite of her steak. It was delicious. She thought about what she’d learned. “They just go for it, huh?”

  Sunshine grinned. “It makes for hot sex but they are a little rough. I don’t know if a human could handle it. They wouldn’t hurt them or force the issue but it would be a wild ride.”

  Darkness flashed in her mind. He’d implied he liked rough sex. “How rough?”

  “Our males are strong. I haven’t shared sex with one of yours but I’ve seen porn videos on the internet.” She hissed. “I don’t want to share sex with one of your males. I’d break his jaw if he called me some of the things I’ve heard them say to their partners and they seem very selfish.” She snorted. “Ever see the massage videos? They play with the female but don’t get her off, then shove their dicks at them. How is that mutual pleasure? They find it but the female gets the shaft. Did you notice my innuendo there?”

  Kat laughed.

  “Most of them don’t know what to do when they go down on a female either. How is it satisfying to have them lick around your clit? It looks annoying.”

  “Those videos are pretty sad.”

  Sunshine peered at her curiously. “How are human males in reality?”

  “Not like those videos or they wouldn’t have sex often. I’d never have sex if even half of that shit is what really goes on in a bedroom. Those things turn my stomach.”

  “Do you have a mate? I don’t smell a male on you but you’ve recently showered.”

  “No. I’m single.”

  “You’re an attractive female. I thought all of you wanted mates. I assume you chose not to have one.”

  Kat shifted in her seat, reminded of her last conversation with her mother. It had been more of a lecture. She wasn’t giving the woman grandkids and that apparently was a disappointment. “I work a lot. Some men are intimidated by my job and don’t appreciate knowing they come second on my list of priorities.”

  “You solve crimes. That’s important. They should be proud.”

  “I think they mostly feel irritated or neglected because I love what I do. I admit my last relationship ended because of a case I worked. I missed his birthday party and then stood him up a week later at his best friend’s wedding because of work. He gave me an ultimatum and didn’t like my answer.”

  “What was the ultimatum?”

  “Him or my job.”

  “Oh. That’s sad.” Sunshine took a bite.

  That summed up Kat’s life. The job came first and everything else second.

  “I have recently considered taking a mate.”

  Sunshine’s announcement brought her out of her thoughts. “Really? What is he like?”

  “I haven’t chosen one yet. It would be difficult. The males I share sex with all have their good qualities and flaws.”

  “How many are you sleeping with?”

  “I don’t allow them to sleep in my bed. That would imply a commitment I’m not willing to make yet. Our males tend to get possessive fast if you don’t set boundaries. They respect those. Your world is different from mine. Sharing sex with many males is considered bad where you come from. Here?” Sunshine smiled. “Have you seen our males? I am a female with a healthy sex drive. We don’t have to worry about sexual diseases or pregnancies. It would be strange not to share sex often with different males unless we wanted a mate.”

  Kat wasn’t one to judge. “I was just curious. I don’t know much about New Species.”

  “To allow a male to spend the night in your bed would give him the idea that he could just sleep there every night. There’s a saying you’d know. Give them an inch and they will take a mile. They are aggressive so you have to be just as aggressive. Remember that while you’re here because some of the males will come after you. They view humans as more submissive and easier to dominate.”

  “Okay. I’ll remember that.”

  “Kick the male out of your bed if you allow one to share sex with you
. Tell him to leave afterward. Don’t cuddle with him. Well, unless he’s a primate. They tend to need that or their feelings get hurt but cut it off after about five minutes. Otherwise they’ll try to press you to stay. They can be persuasive.”

  Persuasive was an understatement. She would have begged Darkness to fuck her if he hadn’t been called away from that interrogation room. She’d come dangerously close to breaking a few times. He had been that good at tormenting her body until she’d been physically hurting to come.

  “They see the mated pairs and wish to have someone depend on them that way.”

  Mason’s accusation popped up. He thought the women were addicted to the men. “How are they dependant?”

  Sunshine finished her half of the steak and frowned. “Your females enjoy the constant cuddling and the way the males are protective of them. We call it annoying but your females seem to think it’s endearing when they snarl at other males who get too close to them. The males really seem to crave a female to love them.” She paused. “We never had that. They also enjoy feeling needed by a female. Does that make sense? To be the most important person to another after we were just numbers is a remarkable thing.”

  It broke Kat’s heart a little. “I see.”

  Sunshine’s mood brightened. “Your females also seem to appreciate the sex and I don’t blame them. Our males are not anything like your males in those porn videos. No Species would ever call a female bad names or strike them. Our males have a high sex drive but aren’t selfish. They will do whatever it takes to give pleasure over and over.”

  Not Darkness. He’d tormented the hell out of her. She’d never gotten turned-on so fast or experienced sexual frustration at that level before. Sunshine’s words did blow Mason’s theory out of the water. Great sex and a guy who paid them a lot of attention would be reasons enough for women to want to live with a New Species. As for the men, it probably would be desirable to have someone to share their lives with after all the hell they’d survived.

  “I should go. I’m assigned to a shift tonight. We’ve doubled our patrols and increased security to handle the human workers coming in. I’ll see you at the bar tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to learning.” Sunshine offered her hand. “It was good to meet you and thank you for sharing your meal.”

  Kat shook her hand. “Thanks for bringing it to me and for the talk.”

  “Thank Darkness. You never answered my question. What did he do to you?”

  She wasn’t going to answer that. “We just got off on the wrong foot when I entered Homeland. It’s nothing worth talking about.” Fat liar. She forced a smile. “Have a good night. I hope nothing else happens.”

  “I do as well. We’ve had enough trouble to last us a month.”

  Kat led her to the door and waved goodbye. She spotted the Jeep parked down the street with a guard inside. He was probably there to keep an eye on her. She closed and locked the door.

  She wasn’t used to down time. Her job kept her busy and when she was home she and Missy were working on the house. They were about to start their remodel on the outdated kitchen. She longed to call her friend but couldn’t risk it. The NSO had access to her new cell phone when she’d been in that interrogation room and might keep tabs on any calls she made. It would lead them to her true identity.

  She walked around the house, admiring it. She hand-washed the few dishes, bypassing the dishwasher. Adding one to her house was a dream but she wasn’t going to waste it on a few plates and silverware. She walked to the slider, unlocked it and stepped out onto the small patio.

  It was a cool evening and she stared up at the sky. It was beautiful seeing so many stars, something she missed in the city. She was about to turn when the flare of a small light caught her eye and drew her attention to the house next door. A big figure stepped out of the shadows and Darkness met her stare.

  He held a cigarette in his hand and seemed to be watching her as he lifted it to his lips, took a drag and blew it out. She was surprised he smoked since she hadn’t seen any Species do it. It was also a reminder that her cigarettes and lighter hadn’t been returned. She had a few packs stashed in her suitcase though.

  He moved closer and stepped over the three-foot wall divider between their patios, entering hers. He looked really tall and was dressed in silky black pajama pants with no shirt. She tried to keep her eyes up and not admire his chest. She said nothing as he approached until he was close enough to touch. She tilted her head up to keep eye contact.

  He turned his wrist and offered her his cigarette. She didn’t hesitate. Smoking was her one bad habit. She accepted it and took a long drag. Her eyes closed and she held it in her lungs before slowly blowing it out. She looked at him and offered it back.

  “Keep it. It’s yours.” He reached inside his pants pocket.

  She followed the movement and admitted to staring a little too long at his abs. He had great ones, every muscle displayed beneath his firm skin. He withdrew her pack and lighter. He held them in his palm.

  “I wondered where those got to.”

  He removed a second cigarette from the pack and lit it then leaned over and placed the pack and lighter on the patio table. “It’s not healthy.”

  She’d heard that a million times. “Everyone has a vice. This is mine. I don’t smoke all the time but I do when I’m stressed. It’s been a tough week for me. I didn’t know you smoked.”

  He took a drag and blew it out. “I don’t.”

  She cocked an eyebrow and took another drag on hers. “It sure looks like you are.”

  “I wanted to try it.”

  “So?”

  “It tastes like shit and smells bad.”

  Her hand paused on the way to her lips. “Then why are you doing it?”

  “I’m trying to figure you out.”

  “So you’re smoking my cigarettes? How is that going for you?”

  He took another drag, turned and walked over to a potted plant. He bent, showing off a muscular ass in those silky, drawstring pajama pants. He ground the cigarette out in the soil, turned and approached her again.

  She didn’t try to stop him when he jerked the cigarette from her fingers and smiled. “Find another vice.” He leaned sideways and picked up her pack and lighter. “We don’t sell cigarettes here at Homeland.”

  “Good thing I brought more then.”

  He grinned. “Did you?”

  She’d seen them when she’d unpacked. She had thought she might need at least a few packs to get her through the ordeal of being at Homeland. “I did.”

  The soft chuckle was nice. “Are you sure?”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Good night, Kat. Sleep well. I’m next door if you need anything.” He flashed her cigarette pack in his palm before returning to his patio. She watched him put out her cigarette on the way before he entered his house through the back slider.

  She stood there for a few seconds before going back inside and directly to the master bedroom. She had left her suitcase on the floor next to the bed and lifted it, setting it on the mattress. She opened it and cursed. The four packs she’d brought were no longer inside the zippered section of the lid. It was unzipped and empty.

  He must have sneaked in and taken them. She examined the window and discovered it was wide open. It hadn’t been. She ground her teeth together and wondered what kind of game the tall New Species played.

  “Shit.”

  Did he expect her to bang on his door and demand the return of her cigarettes? Maybe break into his house to steal them back? She suddenly grinned. It was tempting to do just that. Her humor faded though. He might be tempting her to do something that would get her thrown out of Homeland. She couldn’t risk it.

  She sat down and sighed. It wouldn’t be the first time she couldn’t smoke. She usually stocked up on gum first though. She didn’t have any and wondered if Homeland had a convenience store open at night. She doubted it.

  “Damn.”

  Darkness watched
the screen and smiled at Kat’s frustrated look. He sat back and leaned against the soft pillows, adjusting the laptop higher on his thighs. He wondered if she’d confront him about the theft. She hadn’t found the hidden cameras in the house or looked for any. He’d been viewing her since she’d arrived, with the exception of her shower. He’d used that time to sneak inside her home to gain access to her suitcase. He wanted her to know he’d been there.

  She stood and walked to the window, shutting and locking it, before drawing the curtains. He followed her through the house by clicking on other camera feeds. She checked the locks on every window and closed all the curtains. Part of him felt a little guilty. She should feel safe at Homeland but it had been a strategic move to show her he could get to her at any time.

  Kat entered the bedroom and closed the door. She twisted the lock and went into the bathroom. He had a camera in there but didn’t activate it. She deserved some privacy. He could see her cell phone charging on the dresser. He would have turned on the camera if she’d taken it with her, in order to see what she was up to. Within minutes she exited the bathroom and shoved the suitcase off the bed.

  He grinned over her display of temper. The loss of her cigarettes would irritate her and keep her off balance. That’s what he needed. She’d make a mistake. The cell phone next to him buzzed and he reached for it, seeing it was Security.

  “Darkness here.”

  “I thought you’d like to know we’re set up for surveillance of the Gift location.”

  “Thanks for informing me, Fury.”

  The male grunted. “You got her location from Boris. I figured you’d want an update.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “Do you wish to be the one to make first contact if we recover her alive?”

  “No. I have no desire to ever leave NSO lands to venture into the out world.”

  “I thought I’d offer it to you instead of Jaded. He’s flying in tonight.”

  “Why? He enjoys being at Reservation.”

  “There is a charity event for an animal rescue group that he planned to attend.”

  “Ah.” That explained it. Jaded had made fundraising for animal rescue charities his undertaking. “Tell him he can make first contact.”