New Species 02 Slade (4 page)

all the other candidates.

Everyone in the medical community was fascinated

by New Species. Their total surviving numbers were

unknown but Mercile Industries, a leading drug research

company, had been using them as live test subjects.

They’d introduced animal DNA into their genes. Rumor

had it that they had created them to combat diseases that

crossed from animals to humans and to create vaccines

and medicines to battle diseases in humans that animals

were naturally immune to. Later it was said the company

had branched out to physical enhancement drugs to

make humans stronger, more muscular, and in better

shape just by taking the pills they created.

It stunned her that other doctors and scientists had

sold their souls for a paycheck but obviously many had

done the unthinkable to the men and women forced to be

living experiments. The fact that someone had even

figured a way to successfully combine human and

animal DNA to create life had set the medical world on

its ear. Living proof existed though with the New

Species.

Trisha hoped she’d learn more detailed information

about them now that she had landed the job but so far

they hadn’t told her much. She’d been given one file to

look over. Some of the information had stunned her but

she’d been ready for any challenge presented.

Unfortunately, it seemed they’d only hired her to play

nurse to the human employees since none of the New

Species had stepped into the clinic.

She leaned back in her chair, propped her feet on her

desk, and reviewed the facts she had learned. New

Species picked weird names for themselves, usually

something that had meaning for each individual. They

had chosen to call themselves New Species because

many of them were not altered with the same animal

DNA strands. She’d learned there were three types—

canine, feline, and primate species. Then there were a

few documented notes on the physical differences

discovered about them. Her thoughts instantly fixed on

the reason for her aggravation.

Slade doesn’t remember me. He practically molested me,

swore to do obscene things to my body, and he just…forgot what

he did? She hissed out air, surprised steam didn’t rise

from her ears from the anger that burned brightly inside

her. She’d just had a confrontation with him and she

hadn’t seen a flicker of recognition in his eyes. How could

he forget? I sure can’t and it’s not fair. Just like a man. Turns a

woman on, gets her all hot, and then forgets her the second she’s

out of sight. Jerk!

He’d been extremely rude to her, adding insult to

injury. One of the fully human employees at Homeland

and a canine New Species male were living together.

Trisha knew they were having sex, despite their denials,

and she wanted to study the couple’s sex life. Slade had

gotten in her face, had been vulgar, and had the nerve to

call her nosy!

Any details about the couple’s sex life could be

important. There was so much not known medically

important. There was so much not known medically

about the New Species. Were they even sexually

compatible with humans? Trisha wasn’t sure what

percentage of males were involved but it had been

documented in the few reports that she’d read to prep for

her new patients that some of the males swelled at the

base of their penises right before ejaculation. Was that

painful for a woman? That was a question she’d wanted

to ask the woman living with a New Species but Slade

had ordered her to stay away from the couple.

She wanted to explore the possibility of humans and

Species having children together. She had been told

Mercile Industries had paired the New Species females

with their male counterparts for years, hoping to create

more of them. They’d never had a single pregnancy

result. It might be that none of the New Species were able

to conceive children due to something simple that could

be medically treated. She might be able to figure it out if

anyone would allow her to help but that wasn’t going to

happen if no one would permit her to run tests on them.

“Dr. Norbit?”

The voice pulled Trisha from her thoughts to glance

at Paul as he walked inside the clinic to relieve her shift.

He was the only nurse and he seemed nice enough. He

was in his early forties and he’d mentioned he had a

military background.

“A penny for your thoughts.”

Trisha forced a smile. “They aren’t worth that much.

I’m feeling sorry for myself. I wanted this position to

learn about New Species but I’m getting stonewalled at

every turn.”

“Yeah. The NSO aren’t real talkative. I’ve been here

longer and I still don’t know much. We’re supposed to

care for them but they won’t tell us squat about their

physiology to help us do it.”

“NSO?”

“New Species Organization. It’s what they call

themselves around here. I’m surprised you haven’t seen

the uniforms they outfitted some of their people with. I

don’t think they appreciate our security and have created

their own teams. I don’t blame them. You missed out on

the attack that happened here not too long ago.”

“I heard something about it on the news.”

Paul winced. “It was bad. Those protesters and

human rights bastards broke down the front gates and

about fifteen trucks full of gun-toting morons came

pouring inside. The buildings are thankfully built to

withstand attacks and security was able to get most

people to safety when the gates were being breached.

Those bastards came in here as though someone had

declared New Species hunting season. Ever been on a

deer hunt?”

“No.”

“That’s what it reminded me of. There were a total of

seventeen fatalities by the time it ended. It was the

longest forty-some minutes of my life before I had help.

That’s why they wanted to hire a doctor. I was swamped

with injures that day and in way over my head.”

“Seventeen fatalities? I didn’t hear that the numbers

were that high.” The news horrified Trisha.

He shrugged. “Some of them died later from gunshot

wounds. The hired security sucked. The New Species

guys teamed up to kick some ass when they showed up

here to stop a few of those bastards from trying to ram

open the medical doors. I was alone, thinking they were

going to get inside and kill me since they weren’t real

picky about who they shot. If you were breathing, you

were target practice to those goons. The New Species

officers wear black SWAT-type uniforms with NSO

written on the front of their vests in white lettering.”

Slade had worn a uniform like that when he’d

stopped her earlier. “So men who wear those are NSO

security guards?”

“They call themselves New Species officers, and

yeah. You don’t want to mess with those guys. One of

them told me he was an experimental prototype at the

facility where they held him. The rumor is that some of

them were trained to fight and kill just to show off what

they could do and how fast they were. I heard Mercile

Industries might have had a contract with a few third

world countries to sell their enhancing drugs to the

highest bidder. The New Species deny it but who knows

what the truth is. Either way, they are badass. They aren’t

denying the fact that they were tortured regularly and

beaten to see how much damage they could survive and

heal from. Have you seen some of those guys up close?

Jesus! They are huge and add in the fact they are fast,

have enhanced hearing, sense of smell, and vision, and

they just kick ass in general. I was in the Army and I sure

as hell wouldn’t want to find myself facing off a few of

them even with my entire unit backing me up.”

Trisha glanced down at her watch. She didn’t want to

hear any more about how mean and dangerous New

Species probably were. They intimidated her enough

without listening to the speculation. She’d also learned,

since meeting Paul, that he had a tendency to ramble for

hours if given the opportunity.

“I am off shift. I guess I’ll go home.”

“How do you rate the housing? Isn’t it great? They

gave me a two-bedroom, cottage-style house. My wife

loves it.”

“They are nice,” Trisha agreed. She stood, reaching

for her purse. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Call if you need

me.” She tapped her pocket. “My cell phone is on.”

“Will do, Doc… uh, Trisha.”

Trisha left the medical center and walked down the

street. Her house was only a block away inside the

human employee area where dozens of cottage-styled

homes had been built. They’d assigned her to a cute little

blue one. She peered up at the moon, deciding it was a

beautiful evening.

“It’s kind of late for you to be walking by yourself,” a

husky male voice rasped from behind her.

Trisha gasped as she spun around, trying not to

show her surprise at seeing Slade. He wore his black

uniform and her attention fixed on his right chest where

the letters NSO were printed clearly over a small patch.

Her gaze lifted to the most amazing blue eyes. They

were a dark shade that she couldn’t help but stare into.

If he was an NSO officer, he had to be pretty tough, a

survivor of the worst of the abuse, and possibly had been

trained to fight to be one of their prototypes they filmed

to show off what horrendous things they’d done to his

body, if Paul had his information right. That meant Slade

could be super dangerous. She took a deep breath, trying

to calm her pounding heart.

“I didn’t see or hear you,” she admitted.

He flashed sharp teeth when he grinned. “My point

exactly. You shouldn’t be out walking alone. It could be

unsafe.”

“This is a highly protected facility with security

guards all over the place.” She frowned. “I think I’m

pretty safe.” Except with you, she amended silently. He’s

way too attractive. Look at those gorgeous eyes and that mouth.

I wonder what it would be like to kiss him. Don’t go there, she

mentally ordered her thoughts. He doesn’t remember.

Wide shoulders shrugged. “Are you still interested

in learning something about the breeding process

between our two species?”

That question had her heart racing instantly. “Did

you talk to Mr. Fury and Miss Brower? Have they

changed their minds about allowing me access to them?”

Excitement at the concept of talking to the couple who

lived together was instant and strong. She could learn so

much from them. She’d be doing something real instead

of sitting behind a desk waiting for people with paper

cuts to come see her. “I’d love to talk them into running a

few simple tests.”

“Nope.” He took a step toward her. “They still aren’t

interested. I was just wondering if you were still hoping

to study the breeding process between our species.”

Her excitement died. “I’m very interested. Is there

another couple that I haven’t heard about? I’d appreciate

the opportunity to speak to them if there is.”

He took another step, stopping just feet from Trisha,

making her realize he was a good foot taller than her.

Trisha immediately felt intimidated by his size. A

memory flashed of him pinning her under his large body

on his hospital bed. She swallowed hard and tried not to

allow the attraction she felt show in her features.

“I could go home with you.” He winked. “You could

examine me all you want, Doc.” His attention lowered

and he stared at her breasts before meeting her gaze

again. “I would be more than happy to volunteer to

show you personally how we could have sex together.

I’m up for an hour of meaningless sex.”

Trisha backed up a step, stunned. She knew she

shouldn’t be since he’d once talked to her worse. He

didn’t remember it but she did. It hurt her feelings that

he’d offer her so little, something so trivial, when he had

become a fixation in her thoughts.

“No thank you.”

The skin next to his eyes crinkled with amusement

while he shrugged again. “It’s your loss. You know how