Laurann Dohner - Wrath

Lauren turned her head and stared up at Wrath. He frowned at his friend and once again she wished she could see his eyes. “What is wrong with him telling me that?”

His lips parted but then he sealed them in a tight line.

“He is probably worried that you might think he is cruel to go after humans despite the harm they caused Species.”

“I don’t believe that.” Lauren reached out and placed her hand over Wrath’s. “I think it’s very brave.”

He didn’t pull away and she relaxed in her seat. She turned to Shadow again to get more answers since he was talkative. “I thought all the New Species had been found and freed.”

“We didn’t know a fifth testing facility existed but it was located. There is evidence there may be more and who knows how many others were stolen away in the manner Wrath and I were.”

“That’s horrible.”

Shadow jerked his head in agreement. “Yes. That is why we live away from our kind and sacrifice so much to do our duty.” His chin lifted and he stared at Wrath. “We must not forget the commitment we have made to our people.”

Wrath growled, his head snapped in Shadow’s direction and his fangs flashed in a scary show of temper. “Enough.”

Lauren glanced between the two men, wondering what she was missing.

“What’s your address?” Brian’s gaze met hers in the mirror. “It’s hard to drive there if I don’t know where I’m going.”

Brass gave Lauren’s home address before she could. He turned in his seat to meet her surprised stare. “We learned everything we could about you the second you showed up at that warehouse. I could tell you how much money you made four years ago and what you charged on your credit cards if I wished.”

The silence in the SUV stretched on until she realized they were near her home. “It’s the tan building with the big bushes. You can take the driveway to the left and park in the back. I have a visitor’s parking space.”

Brian parked where she indicated and Wrath helped Lauren climb out of the SUV. She spotted her neighbor and waved at Mr. Adams, flashing him a big grin. Amusement made her chuckle at the way his eyes widened behind his glasses as she passed him with her four large escorts.

“What is funny?” Wrath handed her purse over when she paused in front of her door.

She unlocked the door, pushed it open, and stepped inside. “Sorry if my place is a mess. I wasn’t expecting company.”

Wrath paused next to her. “Why did you find it amusing when the old man gaped at us? You are still smiling.”

Lauren chuckled. “Mr. Adams is a gossiping busybody with a wild imagination.”

“I don’t understand.” Brass spoke. “What is that?”

Brian laughed. “It means he’s very nosy. He’s always talking to everyone and makes things up.” Brian turned to Lauren. “They don’t understand some of our terms.”

Lauren chuckled. “By tonight he’s going to be telling everyone in the complex that I brought four big guys home and he’ll probably say we had an orgy.”

Brian grinned.

Wrath inched closer to her side. “Is that a party?”

Lauren laughed. “Kind of. An orgy is…” She looked at Brian for help. “Do you want to explain that one?”

He laughed. “The old man will tell everyone that Lauren had sex with all of us at once. An orgy is where a group of people all strip down naked and have sex together in a pile of bodies.”

Wrath growled as he turned his head to Lauren, his lips pressed in a tight line from anger before he shot a warning look at every other male in the room. “I’d hurt anyone who touched her.”

Shadow’s mouth twitched with a near smile. “Easy, friend. She wouldn’t survive four of us at once and we don’t share well.”

“Um, okay. I’m going to go change clothes so we can get this over with. Make yourselves at home.” Lauren spun and walked down the hallway.

Wrath followed, his presence something she couldn’t ignore, and both of them paused inside her bedroom. She glanced at him to watch his face as he peered around her room. She really hated that he wore the dark glasses that hid his eyes, more than a bit curious what he thought about her large four-poster bed and feminine décor. It was a far cry homier than what he was used to if his own bedroom was an indication.

Her cat leaped up on top of the bed, startled them both, and Wrath shot his arm out. His hand flattened on Lauren’s stomach and he knocked her back roughly, against the wall.

The cat stared at Wrath and suddenly tensed, his back arched and he hissed. Wrath bent slightly, snarled and showed his own teeth. Lauren was stunned as both of them continued to hiss and snarl at each other.

“Wrath?”

“Don’t move,” he rasped and reached for his weapon.

“No!” Lauren shoved the hand pinning her to the wall and lunged for his body, put hers between him and the bed, and caught his wrist as he raised the gun. “That’s my cat! Don’t shoot him.”

His head snapped down. “What?”

“That’s Tiger. He’s my cat. My pet.”

Tiger hissed again behind them but Lauren didn’t spare him a glance, too worried the man in front of her would shoot her cat. Wrath slowly holstered his weapon at his waist and frowned.

“That is your pet? It’s not some wild creature that managed entry inside your home?”

“I know he probably needs to go to the groomer but he’s not wild. He goes outside since I hate litter boxes but yeah, he’s my pet.”

He relaxed, the tight muscles bunched under her hand softened just slightly, and Wrath lifted his head.

“Your pet doesn’t appear to be friendly.”

She glanced at Tiger. “He’s usually not like this. Stop it, Tiger. Bad kitty! Stop hissing at Wrath.”

The cat bolted, rushed out the door, and Lauren laughed at the situation. “I take it you don’t like cats?”

“I don’t like cats who are small and don’t talk.”

A loud growl sounded and glass broke. Lauren cursed and darted around Wrath to rush toward the living room. Tiger yowled loudly and a deep, scary growl quickly followed. She halted just inside the entryway where Brass and Shadow had cornered her cat. The poor, terrified cat had his claws extended, his hair stood on end and he hissed at the men.

“Stop that!” Lauren lunged, getting between the men and her pet.

“What is that?” Shadow snarled.

Brian laughed. “They are canine. Dogs and cats don’t get along. You should have warned them you had one.”

“It’s not an animal that got into your home?” Brass stopped growling and straightened to his full height.

Lauren turned and dropped to her knees. “No. Come here, Tiger. It’s all right. They didn’t mean to scare you. Come here, baby. Come here, Tiger.”

“Tiger?” Brass laughed. “You named him Tiger? I have a friend by that name. I can’t wait to tell him about this.”

Lauren scooped up the shaking cat and used her body to shield it from the men in her living room. She moved, keeping her cat from seeing them as well and walked back down the hallway. Wrath stood inside her room at the foot of her large bed. She walked in and placed Tiger in the bathroom away from her guests, closing the door so he didn’t rush back into danger.

“You sleep here in that?” Wrath turned his head to face her.

“Yeah.”

He walked to the side of her bed and shocked her by tearing back the covers, exposing her sheets. She stood there mute as he bent over, pressed his nose against the pink material and sniffed loudly. He straightened and smiled as he adjusted the blankets back to where they’d been.

“What are you doing?” It was weird but she wasn’t about to state that aloud.

“I only smell you and the cat. No one has slept here with you.”