“Positive.” Tammy hesitated. “Does any of this make sense to you? I didn’t want to tell Sheriff Cooper any of that because he’d want to know about what happened between us too.”

“Did you tell anyone what happened at Valiant’s home?” Tiger sounded alarmed.

“No.” Tammy turned her head to peer at him. “I didn’t tell anyone but I asked Ted not to mention it either. He swore he wouldn’t tell a soul. He totally believed me and thinks Valiant and I, well, he thinks I told him the absolute truth. Those men tonight were certain that I had been with Valiant sexually and they said their informant had overheard a conversation between Justice North and his head of security speaking about whether I’d press charges for rape or not. They also said their boss and more men in their group were coming here the day after tomorrow.”

“Not good,” Tiger growled. “Justice and I had that conversation.”

Valiant’s arms tightened around her. Tammy looked at him. His eyes were narrowed as he glared at her with a hurt expression on his handsome, albeit scary face.

“Don’t look at me that way. I never said the word rape. I said you didn’t do that to me.”

“She never accused you of forcing her,” Tiger agreed.

“She made it clear there was nothing for you to be punished over but I just wasn’t sure I believed her words or not. You carried her off, Valiant. You weren’t yourself that day and you were being aggressive. I considered she might be lying. Some women who are raped deny it.

Justice and I had a conversation but obviously someone overheard it and fed information to those terrorist groups.”

Valiant still looked angry but his hold on her relaxed while he snuggled her deeper into his arms. He sighed.

Tammy closed her eyes and rested her cheek on his chest again. She was tired but managed not to doze off.

The Jeep stopped when they reached the main gates of New Species Reservation. She lifted her head and stared at the high walls that protected the property from intruders. She knew everyone in her town and the towns around theirs had been thrilled because they had hired a massive workforce to build them. Guards were lined up on top of the walls with weapons. A guard shack stood next to the gate and two heavily armed men walked out to openly study Tammy.

“Is everything all right, Tiger?”

“Yes. Miss Shasta is going to be our guest for a while.”

The officer nodded. “I’ll call guest housing and have them prepare her a room and get a security detail lined up.”

“She’s going home with me,” Valiant stated firmly.

Tiger shook his head. “You can’t take her to your place.”

“She is going home with me,” Valiant growled.

Tiger hesitated. “Valiant, you can’t take her out there.

You can move into the hotel if you want to stay with her.

Those assholes specifically targeted her and as head of security, I’m telling you that she’s safer at the hotel with all of our security nearby than she would be at your remote home. The sheriff wants to get a statement from her too and I’m sure Justice might want to talk to her.

She also needs medical attention. Once things cool down, and if she wants to go home with you, we’ll discuss the matter. Right now I’m pulling rank. She stays at the hotel and that’s not up for debate. You can shut up and stay with her or you can go home alone.”

“Fine,” Valiant growled. “We stay at the hotel.”

Tiger turned his attention to the waiting gate officers.

“I don’t want her around the other humans. She’s to stay inside one of the suites with Valiant. She’ll need clothes and medical attention.”

“The doctors are pretty busy.” The officer still studied Tammy. “Can she wait? One of those assholes is in critical condition and the docs are all operating on him.”

“She will not wait second to one of the men who harmed her,” Valiant snarled. “Let him die.”

Tiger lifted his hands to make a gesture for Valiant to calm. “I’ll call Slade and ask him to bring Trisha to care for her. A ll right, Valiant?”

He nodded. “I would prefer Trisha look at her anyway. I trust her with my woman.”

His woman? Tammy arched an eyebrow.

Valiant scowled at her. “You are mine.”

“We’re a possessive lot,” Tiger informed her softly.

“Really?” Tammy rolled her eyes. “I never would have guessed.”

The gate officer snorted. “Valiant’s got himself a human woman. I thought they were too fragile, Val.”

Valiant growled at him and the gate officer to took a step back. “Just kidding.” He glanced at Tiger. “You know the rules. A ll incoming humans are to be searched. I need her out of the vehicle.”

Valiant snarled again. “You won’t touch her.”

Tiger intervened. “She doesn’t need to be searched.

A ll she has on is Valiant’s sweater and…” his attention lowered to Tammy’s waist. “A nd a sheet with Valiant’s undershirt covering her panties. I’m vouching for her. I’m pretty sure Valiant already did a thorough search of her to make sure she wasn’t too injured. Is she carrying any weapons, Valiant?”

“No.”

The gate officer sighed. “Understood, fine, go on in, Tiger. I’ll make those calls to the hotel and the supply building to order her some clothing.”

Tiger drove through the gates when they opened. He reached for his cell and dialed. “Hi, Slade. Valiant is requesting that Trisha come look at his girlfriend. I’m driving them to the hotel. She’s been injured.” He paused. “Human.” He paused again. “It’s a long story.”

He listened for a few seconds. “Thanks.” He hung up.

“Slade is bringing Trisha. He said he usually wouldn’t bring her out this late but there’s no way he’s missing out on seeing this.”

Valiant flashed sharp teeth to show his displeasure.

Tammy frowned at the unusual comment but decided to just let it go. She wasn’t sure she wanted the answers to the questions floating around in her head. She hadn’t been to this part of Reservation so she carefully studied her surroundings. She saw a small two-story building.

“That’s the guest housing,” Tiger said. “It’s where visiting humans stay. There are six two-bedroom apartments inside. It used to be the staff housing when this place was a resort but we had it remodeled. Up ahead is the hotel where most of our people live when they are here. It was remodeled as well. It’s mostly one bedroom units but there are a few two and three bedroom suites. We’re putting you up in one of them and you should be comfortable there. A ll meals are served by the cafeteria but yours will be brought to your rooms.

You won’t be permitted to leave your suite without an escort. Do you have any questions?”

More than a few, actually. “Why don’t you want me near other humans and why are we referred to in that manner? You are human too but you just have extra stuff that I don’t.”

Tiger chuckled. “Extra stuff as in boy parts or extra stuff as in my changed DNA ?”

“Your DNA .”

“We refer to your kind as human because we want to be called New Species. We’ve been set apart all our lives.

It’s difficult for everyone, including us, to consider us just plain ole human. It wouldn’t be true anyway. We aren’t plain ole anything.”

“Thanks. Why can’t I leave the suite without an escort?”

“You’re going to be living inside a building that is totally New Species and you’ll make some of them nervous. Most of us have a hard time trusting your kind.

It will make them feel better if they see less of you and you’ll be safer. Some Species aren’t real keen on humans.”

Valiant growled. “It might have had something to do with being locked up by them for most of our lives and dealing with the kind of men who took you tonight.”

Tammy met his angry gaze “You sound as though you hate humans.” She bit her lip. “Does part of you hate me too because I’m not New Species?”