Laurann Dohner: Valiant

“I don’t want one.” Tiger looked horrified. “They are cute as hell and the regular sex would be nice but I want to keep my freedom.”

“I am free,” Valiant growled.

Tiger arched his eyebrow. “Really? Do you want to go hunting with me for a solid week? I know you love chasing deer.”

“I won’t leave Tammy for that long but I would go if she comes with me.”

Tiger nodded. “My point is made. You would have said yes in a heartbeat before. Now you always have to think of her before you make a choice. I like it just being me.”

“The sex is not regular,” Valiant growled. “It’s amazing, addicting, and worth every second I won’t be chasing deer with you. I’ll have a better time with my Tammy.”

Justice laughed. “I can believe that. Nicely said, Valiant.” He grinned at 927. “Don’t listen to Tiger. A mate would be a wonderful thing. I am sure you will find one when the time is right.”

“But you have not found one? Do you want a mate?”

927 cocked his head to study Justice curiously.

Justice hesitated. “I would love to have a mate but I haven’t had the time to look for one yet.”

“You are very busy,” 927 agreed. “Tammy explained your job to me and everything you do for us.” He paused. “Will you find where I came from and set them free?”

“Yes,” Justice swore. “We are already working on it. We’ll do whatever it takes to bring them home.”

“I would like to be there when you do.”

Justice hesitated. “We’ll see. First we need to get back to Reservation. We don’t like to be away too long and we usually have a human security detail with us. It’s a task team that I control. We didn’t want them to be part of this mission though because we weren’t sure what we’d have to do to retrieve her or you. I didn’t want to make the task team uncomfortable or feel torn between their loyalty to their own kind and ours. Some of the humans who don’t work with us feel hatred and fear toward Species. Most don’t but the ones who do have a tendency to try to kill us when given the chance. We’re vulnerable to attack without more backup. We’re safe on Reservation but not always in the outside world yet.”

927 nodded. “I think I understand.”

Valiant took a seat in the SUV with Tammy on his lap. He wouldn’t let her go but she didn’t mind having his arms wrapped around her. She clung to him. Tiger drove with 927 in the front passenger seat. On their drive they wanted him to have the best view of the world he’d missed out on seeing.

Justice took up the back bench seat. He’d brought his computer and cell phone. He removed his shoes and his shirt to get comfortable before he started talking softly on his phone while viewing something on the laptop screen. Tammy realized he never stopped working. She turned her head to glance forward. 927 grinned widely as he peered, with sheer amazement, out the windows at the world. She smiled, finally turning her attention to Valiant.

“I’m kind of glad this happened.”

Valiant growled, a look of horror crossing his handsome features. “I’m not.”

“I was a little afraid to get married. You were so set on it and I felt as if we were rushing into it too fast. I learned something from all of this. I want to marry you and spend every day of the rest of my life at your side. I even want to have a baby. I hope we have at least three.”

He laughed. “Only three? I was thinking of trying to get eight.”

“Come on,” she gasped. “Eight? Are you kidding me?”

He laughed. “Yes. I am kidding you.”

“Thank you.” She chuckled. “As I was saying, I’m not afraid anymore. This whole thinking I would die and afraid I’d never see you again really slammed home how much I love you and how I want my future to be with you.”

“Good. Now your heart, your body, and your law will know you belong to me forever.”

“Yes.” She ran her fingers through his hair. “And we’ll get married the first chance we get.”

“Tomorrow,” Justice spoke up.

Valiant and Tammy turned to stare at him and he grinned. “I just heard from my staff. The license came through. We can schedule your wedding for tomorrow if you want. I’ll still be here. I postponed everything on my schedule for a few days to be on hand for this crisis. I want to be present while we plan the assault for Colorado.”

Valiant grinned. “Tomorrow is perfect.”

“Tomorrow is perfect,” Tammy agreed, hugged him hard, buried her nose against his neck and just clung to him. She’d been so terrified she’d never see him again and now she knew exactly what she wanted. Him.

Valiant closed his eyes, breathing in Tammy, and his arms refused to release her. She sat on his lap, safe, and once again he realized what a phenomenon she was to him. All the things that could have gone wrong began to filter through his thoughts.

She could have died, the newly freed male in the front seat could have forced bred her and killed her.

When they breached the building the human males could have rigged the cell with explosives they might have set off. She would have died before he reached her and that would have torn his heart—

“Valiant?”

Tammy halted his grim thoughts and his eyes opened to stare deeply into her beautiful ones. Her small fingers slid into his hair and she caressed his scalp.

“It’s okay. You look so angry but I’m fine. I’m right here with you.”

“Don’t ever leave me.”

She smiled. “Never.”

He pulled her tighter against his chest, brushing a kiss on her forehead, and knew he’d never survive if he lost her.

Tammy frowned at Valiant. “No.”

He stared back at her. “I told Justice I would go.”

“But we’re going to get married today, remember?”

He frowned. “We will when I get back. Justice personally asked me to go with them, Tammy. Please understand. We all owe Justice so much. He asks little of me. When you were taken, he did everything to get you back to me. He asked and I couldn’t say no.”

She nodded. “I’m being kind of petty when you put it that way, aren’t I?”

He moved forward, pulling her into his arms. “It is not petty to feel disappointed that we won’t get married today. Nothing will stop us tomorrow. We are leaving on helicopters to go to Colorado within the hour and I should be back by morning.”

Tammy nodded. “Be very careful and come back to me.”

“I will always come for you.”

“Is this going to be dangerous?”

Valiant hesitated. “It is a heavily armed place. They are holding over ninety of our people, Tammy. Species just like 927.”

“I understand. Is he going too?”

“Justice decided not to bring him. He is too fresh from the experience. We need control and the skills we have learned since we were freed. 927 is angry but he understood. The important part is getting our people free.”

“Did that crazy doctor jerk tell Justice where the other places are too?”

“Yes. They are working on that. We will find them and get our people freed.”

“We? You would go too?”

He hesitated. “No. This will be my one and only mission. I’ve calmed since I met you and Justice is worried that this place might be rigged with explosives. My senses are stronger than most Species and he needs me as an asset on this one. The doctor we captured isn’t sure if they rigged the cells or not. I plan to take care of you and this is the last time I’ll risk my life. I just need to do this one thing and I feel I owe them that much for all that was done to get you back to me. I’ll work with some of the others in the Wild Zone who are like me, have the same keen sense of smell, and make them more stable. That way Justice can take them if he needs help in the future.”