Laurann Dohner - Wrath

The violence Vengeance had subjected her to had shaken her badly. That was nothing compared to the kind of evil Bill had done. He hadn’t threatened to force mate females in the testing facilities, he actually had assaulted some of them to achieve his own sexual pleasure. It hadn’t been for any other reason except the ability to inflict suffering on others.

Lauren stirred emotions inside Wrath that left him feeling unsettled. She hadn’t screamed when he’d revealed his true identity but instead seemed relieved. Him being Species was preferable to her than him being hired muscle for a criminal. She’d been very accepting of his origins.

She’d felt soft, slight and fragile in the cradle of his arms when he’d carried her into his room. It made his protective instincts flare to life. Lauren Henderson was trouble in a small package. A supple, seductive one that encouraged him to learn more about her but she was a curiosity he couldn’t afford to explore.

He was severely damaged inside, a victim of abuse, and human females were his trigger. Coldness settled inside him over the desire she stirred. The parts of him he tried to control, those animal instincts, fought to be free. He wanted her but he needed to resist. The sounds she made in the bathroom drew his attention as he waited for her to return to the bedroom. He’d get her food, keep her safe from Vengeance, and he’d focus on the simplicity of those things instead of the way his blood warmed with the temptation to hold her again.

The room was tiny—just a toilet, sink, and shower stall. It was bare basics, something found in a business rather than a home, and Lauran felt a little sad for Wrath for having to live in such a stark environment.

The sweats were huge and the legs way too long. She had to roll them to avoid stepping on the excess material. She used the toilet, washed her face and hands, and opened the bathroom door.

Wrath had taken a seat on the bed. His tall, large frame dwarfed the twin-sized, long mattress. He rose to his feet quickly and his gaze traveled down her body. He frowned and returned to the dresser then offered her a pair of thick white socks.

“Your feet must be cold.”

His concern warmed her heart and made her like him even more. For a guy she’d thought was a murdering ex-convict, she was really glad to be far off base. He wasn’t scary at all and was actually sweet to be worried about her catching a chill from the concrete floors. She put the socks on and had to roll those as well. One glance at his boots assured her the guy had huge feet and that’s why the socks would have probably reached her knees if she’d tried to straighten them out.

He hesitated by the door. “Come with me. They keep a small kitchen on this level for us and it is stocked with sodas and sandwiches. We have chips too. I apologize but it is all I have to offer until our main meals come. I will call and ask them to bring you cooked meat.”

“Cooked meat?” She walked toward him.

“We don’t enjoy our meat cooked much. We just sear the outside but enjoy it very rare inside.” He paused, his gaze studying her. “You may not wish to watch us eat in the morning. That is our next main meal delivery. I won’t forget to ask them to bring a human breakfast for you.”

“I can’t stay here until morning. I get why you want to keep me but I really have to go to work. I need my job. Maybe you don’t understand what rent or bills are. I don’t know how that works with the NSO but our world we have to make money to keep a roof over our heads. I’m almost flat broke and can’t afford to take any time off. I need to be out there showing properties, making sales. I earn a percentage of that.”

“I apologize for keeping you in captivity but there is no choice. Bill is too dangerous to risk allowing him to get away from us. They are not easy to track. They take false names and sometimes they try to harm our kind in retaliation for tracking them down. They are stupid and don’t feel they should be punished for what they have done to my kind.” His gaze softened. “I know how it feels to be held against your will but I promise, catching him is worth the time you’ll spend here.”

She could see from the determination in his steady gaze that he wasn’t going to budge. “I guess I should be grateful to come out of this alive. I really thought I wouldn’t.”

“No harm will come to you.” He opened the door to the hallway. “Please follow me and stay close. There is nowhere to escape to. The elevator needs a code to work and I doubt you would enjoy running into Vengeance after the scare he gave you.”

A shiver ran down her spine over that prospect. The bald man terrified her. Nothing was going to change that after what he’d nearly done to her. She quickly reached Wrath’s side. Once again she felt dainty compared to his tall, muscular form. New Species were much larger in person than in pictures and on television.

Amanda was going to flip when Lauren told her what had happened and how she’d been kidnapped by a few of them. New Species were their favorite topic of discussion and sometimes they watched television specials on them together. Two weeks prior they’d watched a documentary on how the New Species had been transferred to remote locations after their initial freedom to get used to life on the outside. The reporter had said they had to learn simple things such as how to use the phones and microwaves. None of those things had occurred to her until then.

Wrath stepped out of the room and she moved with him. She wasn’t about to lose him and risk running into Vengeance. He glanced at her.

“You are safe.”

She nodded, pretty sure he wouldn’t hurt her. “I know.”

His hand lifted and he motioned her to precede him. “Walk straight ahead and I’ll tell you when to turn to reach the kitchen.”

“I’ll just stick to your side, if you don’t mind.”

“Vengeance won’t hurt you. He’s calmed down and will be over his behavior.”

Lauren licked her lips. “I’m not.” She wasn’t embarrassed to admit how much she’d been frightened. “He’s scary.”

Chapter Four

Lauren felt trepidation as Wrath led her down a long hallway that opened up into a large room. There was a pool table in the corner. Couches, tables and a large television sat in the center, and along one corner was a kitchenette with a large refrigerator, cabinets, counters, and a sink. There was also a table and chairs. That’s where her attention fixed and she halted in fear.

A hand gripped her elbow gently and Lauren’s gaze darted up to Wrath’s face. He gave her a small smile. “It’s all right, Lauren. These are the males I work with. You’ve met one of them.”

She had no choice but get closer to the table since Wrath held her arm and tugged her along. Two men sat at the table opposite each other. One was the large blond from the warehouse, minus his sunglasses, and his eyes were clearly displayed. He was obviously New Species. He had blue eyes, unlike Wrath, but their features were similar. The blond man frowned as he watched their approach.

“This is Shadow,” Wrath introduced.

Shadow glanced at Wrath. “Why is she out of the holding cell?” He studied her with a quick sweep of his gaze. “Was her perfume bothering you so much while you interrogated her that you made her wear your clothing?” He sniffed. “I do admit I prefer being in her presence now more than before.”

Wrath ignored Shadow. He nodded toward the second man. “This is Brass.”

Lauren studied the man with brown hair and almost-black eyes. He was big too, had wide shoulders, and was as muscular as Wrath and Shadow. Brass frowned too.

“Why is she out here? We were trying to intimidate her.”