New Species 11 True by Laurann Dohner

finally captured.”
    And almost killed. He kept silent.
    “I’ll return to the hall.” Jericho paused by the door. “You
might want to hide your emotions better.”
    He spun around. “What does that mean?”
    The male cocked his head, staring back at him. “You should
be filled with rage but that’s not what I see when you look at her. She’s
little and pretty, despite the bruising. Don’t forget what she is and where she
comes from. That’s not a female you should trust.” His lips curved into a
smile. “You’d have to keep her in front of you at all times to be sure she
doesn’t strike when your back is turned. You want to mount her.”
    “I don’t.” His temper flared.
    The primate had the nerve to outright grin. “Humans have a
saying that is appropriate right now. You protest too strongly. That means your
anger comes from knowing that what I say is right.” He stalked out of the room.
    True fumed. He didn’t want Shiver. Perhaps once , he
admitted. That had changed when he’d learned she had a motive for being kind.
Polanitis had attempted to use his fondness for the female to force him to
agree to participate in breeding experiments. The thought of what would have
happened if they’d been successful was enough to cool his desire.
    She was human and he could have gotten her with child. He
hadn’t known it was possible at the time but the consequences would have been
horrific. Mercile would have bred countless Species infants after learning
humans and Species could breed, exposing their offspring to the hell their
fathers had suffered at their hands. His fists clenched and he had to swallow a
howl of rage. Shiver had tempted him to mount her and that weakness caused a
deep sense of shame.

Chapter Three
     
    Jeanie opened her eyes, peering in confusion at the bedrails
rising on both sides of the mattress she lay on. It came as a shock to be
alive. The familiar sights of a hospital room assured her that she hadn’t died.
The dull pain in her side when she shifted was also proof.
    She tried to touch her face but her arm jerked to a halt as
something pinched her wrist. She stared at the handcuffs securing her to the
bedrail. Confusion instantly surfaced.
    “Hello?” Her voice came out dry and rough. She swallowed,
wishing for water.
    A white-haired man sporting a pair of glasses appeared and
stared down at her, frowning. “Hello. I’m Dr. Harris. You’re at the NSO
Homeland in Southern California, Ms. Shiver.”
    “Water,” she croaked.
    He disappeared for a few seconds then reappeared with a
glass and a straw. He lowered it to her mouth and she sipped the
room-temperature liquid. It wet her tongue and throat, soothing away the
soreness.
    He drew it back. “Not too much at once. You can have some
more.”
    “Thank you.”
    “How do you feel, Ms. Shiver?”
    She swallowed. “It’s Shy -ver. That’s how you
pronounce it.”
    He blinked. “Fine. You’ll live. You may wish you hadn’t by
the end of the day but I did my job. I’m sending in a nurse to help you get
showered and dressed. The NSO wants answers. You’ll be escorted to the lower
floor where your questioning will begin.”
    Jeanie swallowed, taken aback at his words and cold
attitude. “Why am I handcuffed?”
    He hesitated but instead of answering, offered her a few
more sips of water. She accepted.
    “Do you know what NSO stands for?”
    “Yes. New Species Organization.” She shifted on the bed a
little to get comfortable. “I understand where I’m at.” She glanced down. “Am I
okay? The bullet didn’t do any severe damage?”
    He seemed at a loss for words for a moment. “You’ll heal
just fine but expect a scar. We had to operate to remove the bullet and you
suffered internal bleeding. You needed a blood transfusion but it didn’t hit
anything vital.” He paused. “Expect tenderness at the wound site for a while.”
    “Thank you.” She was stunned the injury wasn’t worse.
    She saw a flicker of emotion in