New Species 09 Shadow by Laurann Dohner Page B

loud. It had been welcome after the imposing silence of living in the basement at the task force headquarters. He missed Wrath and wished he could call him.
    His best friend and his mate had just moved into a house at Homeland. They needed time to settle in and he didn’t want to bother them. It wasn’t late so he needn’t worry that he’d disturb their sleep but he knew they’d been looking forward to spending time alone. Privacy wasn’t something they’d had much of in their previous quarters.
    He turned on his side, staring at the hallway. He should be back at Homeland acquainting himself with his new duties. Living amongst so many Species had been pleasant. They welcomed him with open arms and he’d started to make more friends. Then Beauty had decided to run in the rain.
    He couldn’t regret meeting her but resented the way he’d been manipulated into becoming a test subject. He’d sworn to never allow that to happen again. The fact that it might involve anything sexual really put him in a foul mood. No one had considered his feelings. He didn’t want any part of being someone’s guinea pig.
    That’s what I am , he admitted silently. He’d spent many hours familiarizing himself with New Species and their accomplishments during the almost half a year living with the task force. They’d given him access to all the information on his people that he wanted. Gift Females were one of the topics he’d read about. It was deemed that any sexual contact with a male would damage to their already frail emotional states. They’d been created weaker on purpose, to make them easier to control and less likely to fight back.
    A fine sheen of sweat broke out over his body although he’d just taken a cool shower. The idea of touching Beauty made him hot. The knowledge that a hundred things could go wrong if she initiated sex didn’t cool his blood in the slightest but it did fuel his fears of sharing sex. He could go at her too aggressively because he’d denied his cravings to touch a female.
    His dick began to harden just thinking about her under him. The memory of her in that wet nightgown plastered against her skin, which had hidden nothing from him, had been the most enticing thing he’d ever seen. He reached down, fisting his dick through his shorts and adjusted it to a more comfortable position. He paused before releasing it, tempted to tend to the desire to get off. He’d become an expert at masturbation to fulfill his sexual needs.
    Do it , he urged. It would curb some of his longing to walk into the next room to seek her company. His fingers stroked and his eyes closed. The feel of cotton rubbing against the head of his cock was a little irritating but still was good. It hardened even more and his balls started to ache.
    He pictured Beauty in his mind, her big dark eyes staring at him with trust and he bit back a snarl as he let go of his dick to fist his pillow instead. He’d terrify her if she saw him bare. Worse, patience wasn’t his strongest trait. He could take her too fast or too roughly. Knowing that still didn’t dull his hunger for her. The ability to face his fears seemed to lesson somewhat in comparison to the hot desire burning through his body.
    Guilty , he admitted. He lusted after the delicate female. She’d slept on his chest and he’d held her. Protective instincts were a part of his genetics but he’d felt something much more personal when they’d woken to hear someone approaching the shed. He’d wanted to kill anyone who posed a threat to his Beauty. The half-asleep state of his mind might have accounted for the feelings of possessiveness that had gripped him but he wasn’t about to lie to himself. That hadn’t been the reason or the cause. She’d given him her trust and he’d wanted to keep her at his side.
    That’s how you ended up here , he chided. Brass had reminded him that another male might harm her unintentionally and he’d have done anything to prevent that. Even if