Trisha and Justice aren’t sure what you’re up to but as long as Dr. Alli agrees to be here, she can stay.

Just know there is an officer down the hall.”

Alli wasn’t sure if Tiger meant it as a warning to 880 or a reminder to her that help wasn’t far away.

“Leave,” 880 demanded.

“You really need to learn manners. You’re welcome.”

Tiger spun on his heel and left. 880 turned to face her and approached the bed. He dropped her bag and bent, unzipping it. His hands delved inside to scoop out her belongings.

“What are you doing?”

He shot her a glare and held up a pair of her sweatpants. He studied them before letting them fall on the bed. The nightshirt she’d asked for was inspected next. He read the words and frowned over the picture on it.

“Why do you have a shirt that says ‘bite me’?

Who has red canines?”

Embarrassment hit. “It is a shirt from a popular vampire show. Please put it down and stop going through my stuff.”

“Who is vampire and why do you want him to bite you?” Anger flashed in his eyes as he stared at her. “You said you didn’t have a male.”

“It’s not a who. It’s a…oh hell. They aren’t real. It’s a show on television.”

He dropped the nightshirt shirt and he held up her panties next. They looked small pinched between his thumb and index finger while he studied them. Alli launched to her knees and tried to grab them out of his hold but his reflexes were better as he jerked them higher, out of reach.

“Give those to me!”

“Behave,” he ordered as he grabbed the other side of them and used his fingers to open the waist as if she were inside them. His gaze left them to stare at her skirt. “These do not resemble the underwear they tried to give me. Where is the rest of the material? The slit in the front? Where is the back of them? I don’t understand why we now must wear something under our pants.”

“Those are bikini cut and women’s panties don’t have slits.” She inched closer. “I know you didn’t wear undergarments at Mercile but it’s just polite to wear them at Homeland. They gave you men’s underwear in the standard clothes package they put together for New Species. I brought my own clothes from my home when I moved here.

Give them back!”

“Are you wearing this under your skirt?” He stared at her waist.

“Of course. I’m not going to wear one without them.” Her open palm waited but he refused to hand them over, instead fingering the silky material. He shocked her more by rubbing it against his cheek.

“Soft. Show me what they look like on you.

Lift your skirt.”

“No way.” She forgot about her outrage that he was touching her panties and made a hasty retreat to the far corner of the mattress.

He dropped them on the bed. She was afraid he’d insist on seeing the ones she wore but he reached back inside her bag to pull out her bra.

He held it by the straps and frowned before he looked at her.

“Put it down. Please?” She knew she blushed.

“What is it?” He turned it in his hands and studied the cups. “These cover your breasts, don’t they? The form is the same.” He stared at her chest.

“Yes. It’s a bra.”

He growled and threw it over his shoulder. It sailed through the air and hit the opposite wall across the room next to the door. “You won’t wear that.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. There is no reason to restrain your body. It’s unnatural.”

She had no words. He went through the rest of her bag, sniffed at her shampoo, conditioner, and even the toothpaste. Alli seethed as she sat and crossed her arms over her chest. 880 was nosy and bad-mannered. He shoved things back inside the bag and walked it over to the bathroom, just dumping it inside the other room. He faced her.

“It will stay there until we shower.”

“We?”

He nodded. “We.”

“We are not showering together.”

His eyebrows lifted.

“You heard me. Don’t glare at me with that mean look. I’ve let you bully me this far but you just crossed the line—the Grand Canyon of them.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’m not taking a shower with you.”

He turned his head to stare at the door and sniffed. “He brings our food.”

Field appeared in the doorway, carrying two large covered trays. He met Alli’s gaze and smiled. The look of relief on his face obvious.

“I’m glad all is well.” He addressed 880. “Here are your dinners.” He held out one toward him.

“Make sure you take your medicines. They are inside.”

880 prowled across the room and accepted the food. “Thank you. Leave.”

The smile disappeared as Field backed away.

“You really need to work on your social skills but I appreciate you remembering to say thank you.

That’s a big improvement.”

880 growled a warning and the other New Species fled. “They try to train me to say words with every action.” He brought the food to the bed and placed the trays at the end of the mattress. “Eat.”

“It’s called being polite.”

“It’s annoying. I’d get my own food if they’d allow me to leave here.”

Alli opened the lid over the plate and her stomach rumbled. She’d missed lunch. 880 turned his head to glance at her belly before his gaze met hers. She blushed. He had a keen sense of smell and hearing.

“You need to eat more. You’re too small. Do my people starve you as punishment for being human?”

“No!” It astonished her that his mind would go there. “I just came here before lunch was delivered. I eat three meals a day but I’ve been watching my weight.”

“What does that mean?”

“I am on a diet.”

He blinked, frowning.

“I have put on excess weight and want to lose it. My clothes are getting too tight.”

“Wear bigger ones.”

She wished things were that simple. He removed the covers and her attention fixed on her dinner. She knew her calorie counting had just gone out the window. They’d sent her chickenfried steak with a river of country gravy and mashed potatoes. Her gaze skirted to his meal.

Nearly raw strips of beef were piled high on a plate with uncooked carrots and cauliflower surrounding them.

“You like those?”

He lifted a carrot and it crunched as he bit down. “Yes.”

“You don’t want them cooked at all?”

The disgusted look on his face was almost comical but she didn’t dare laugh.

“Why would they do that?”

“They are good when steamed with butter and cheese. It’s a way they cook them in hot water.”

She noticed he avoided his pills. “You need to take those with your food.”

A soft rumble came from his throat. She wasn’t sure if he’d just growled or it was a sound of dislike. His gaze lifted to hers. She started to speak but he pinched one of the pills between his thumb and finger. “I will take them.”

“Thank you.”

He looked away and just popped them into his mouth. She shuddered a little when he didn’t swallow them down with water but instead chewed. It had to taste horrible.

“You don’t have to—” His head jerked her way and he growled. “I took them because you’re a doctor. I understand that it’s important to you. How I take them is up to me.”

“Fine.” She lifted her fork and knife to cut her meat. “It’s just that it’s easier if you drink them down.”

His gaze narrowed. “Be silent and eat.”

His hand shot out to the nightstand table and he grabbed the remote control for the television.

It came on a second later and she concentrated on her food. He might be a New Species but she decided he had one human trait. He thought it was going to end a conversation just because he turned on a hockey game. Her gaze darted to the sports channel he watched.

The fact he didn’t turn up the volume made her ponder why it was even on. He ate quickly, putting away everything on his plate. She could see why he was gaining weight so quickly. He turned when he was done and watched her. She tried to ignore his intent stare until she’d eaten her fill.