Best Friends (New Species #15)(80)

“I told you about how Mary is with us. She’s certain everything with sharp teeth is out to kill her. A group of mice attacked her.”

Lash scowled. “How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know.” Snow shrugged. “Maybe she rolled in cheese dip. I didn’t get details. I laughed and it made Mel crack up, too. We got off the topic at that point.”

“Mary acts like prey,” Lash admitted.

“She does?” Snow’s eyebrows arched.

“You didn’t notice?”

“No.”

“You don’t watch her closely.” That helped make Lash feel as if the male were less of a threat.

“She’s my mate’s best friend, and Mel trusts her. So I trust her.”

Lash understood. Snow accepted Mary without any suspicion. He wouldn’t be overly watchful over any of her actions. “Tell your mate that Mary is safe with me. I need time, Snow. We are friends. Give me this.”

The canine sighed. “It would help if you could honestly tell me that Mary agreed to stay with you.”

“What female would just accept a mating? I’d give her to you if she did. It would make her too weak and possibly unstable in her mind, considering she fears Species. Her body knows we belong together, but she’s human. They think too much.”

“I understand.” Snow sighed. “It wasn’t easy to convince Mel I was her mate right away.”

“You had to seduce your mate into accepting you?”

“Not into my bed, but she was reluctant about mating me fast. Humans date.” He rolled his eyes.

Lash curled his upper lip in disgust.

Jinx stepped closer. “Lash, I agree that you should keep her if you are attracted. I’d keep a female, too, if I could find one I liked.”

“This one found me. She just dropped in.” Lash grinned. “I like her a lot. She’s cute and prickly.”

“And apparently acts like prey.” Snow stared up at Lash. “Are you sure you want to keep her?”

“I’m a lion. I like to play.” Lash relaxed. “She runs and I’ll catch her. It will be fun.”

Jinx chuckled. “Sounds like a perfect match to me.”

“I doubt Mary will agree.” Snow withdrew his phone, pulled it out, and texted something. “I’m telling Mel that her best friend is alive and well.” He looked up at Lash when he finished. “I’ll like to give you a few days to convince Mary that she is your mate, but that’s not possible. A female isn’t yours simply because she ended up in the basement. The humans will notice she’s gone. You need to hand Mary over to us, Lash. Maybe she’ll agree to come visit you later, and you can slowly talk her into agreeing to stay.”

“No.” Lash growled. He wasn’t about to allow anyone to take his mate.

Snow growled back. “She’s human. You can’t just keep her. They have laws against keeping a female against her will. So do we.”

“I’ll fight anyone who comes to take her from me.” Lash expanded his chest and flashed his teeth.

“Damn it, Lash! Be reasonable. Let me at least talk to her right now to make sure she’s not hurt.”

“I don’t hurt females.”

“I believe that.” Snow glanced up toward his bed platform before glaring at him. “My mate will come down here to try to rescue her female. Mel would try to hurt you if she thought you were keeping Mary against her will. You’d have to fend her off, and she might get bruises. I wouldn’t like that at all…”

Lash pointed toward his bed. “I’ll stay up there until you come get your mate if she enters my domain. Your mate can’t reach us. That’s fair.”

“You’re missing the point. You can’t just keep Mary.”

“I’m not letting anyone take my mate. I will fight for her.”

“He looks serious,” Jinx warned.

Snow’s phone beeped. He read his screen. “Mel wants to know if I’m bringing Mary to her right now. I need to handle this in person. She’s going to be upset.” Snow glared at Lash again. “This isn’t over. I’m going to have to call this in. Are you really going to make us send in a team to get her from you?”

“I’ll inform our people,” Jinx offered. “You go handle your mate, Snow. That’s your priority. I’ll deal with this.”

Snow glanced up at the platform again.

Jinx leaned closer to the canine. “Inhale, Snow. He’s shared sex with her. Think of the possible consequences. He’s a Wild Zone.”

Snow’s jaw clenched. “Fuck.”

Snow’s phone went off again, and the male cursed as he looked at the screen.

“Go calm your mate,” Jinx urged him. “I’ll deal with this situation.”

With a final snarl, Snow left Lash’s domain.

Jinx sighed. “He’s going to want a team sent in to get that female back for his mate. I do understand wanting to keep her, Lash. I’m going to have to inform the NSO what is happening, but I’ll tell them she’s safe. I’ll also make it clear you’re not willingly going to hand her over, and that you shared sex with her. You could have gotten her with cub. Even Snow wasn’t thinking about that until I reminded him. Our people won’t want her to leave until they are certain she’s not carrying a Species baby. She’d be in danger if she returned to the humans. It’ll buy you some time, I think. They also won’t dare to put sedatives in your food, just in case she eats it. Convince that female to be yours—quickly.”