"Tell me. Does it bother you to be around Amber?"

Brass choked on his extra rare roast beef sandwich. He took a slow drink of water, looking over at Vengeance.

Brass had come outside to eat as it was a particularly beautiful day at Homeland. He'd heard Ven and Amber were coming back from Reservation yesterday. Actually, he'd watched them exit the helicopter, albeit from afar, late last night. Wanting to make certain with his own eyes Amber was safe.

But he hadn't expected this—Ven plopping into the chair opposite him and asking him a question like—

"What the fuck kind of question is that, anyway?"

"An important one. Answer it." Ven looked serious as a heart attack. Damn. Brass supposed he owed him the truth.

He took a breath, then let it out, looking out over the sun-spangled grounds. "No, Ven. At first, it did. Yeah. Missed opportunities and all that. I really liked her. I still do…." There was a short growl from Ven, Brass turned his head, lifting an eyebrow.

"Sorry," Ven murmured. "Continue, but…be careful."

Brass laughed softly. "I understand. I'd feel the same if she were mine. But you need to understand, she's not mine. I care about her as a friend. I always will. And respect her as your female, Vengeance. When you two came back from Reservation yesterday….she's in love with you, man. There's no doubt. She fucking glows with it." He blinked at the sudden start from Vengeance, a smile forming on his face. "Yeah, I saw you come in. But don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. Or that you're not stupid with it yourself."

"Love is not stupid." Ven growled, but then he sighed. "And you are right. I love Amber."

Brass nodded, picking up his sandwich again. "So why have I not seen you rushing North for mating papers and one of those human marriage licenses?"

It was Ven's turn to look away. For a long moment, he said nothing. Brass waited him out, finishing his meal.

Finally, when the lunchroom was beginning to clear, everyone filing past them, more than one curious look aimed their way, Ven spoke up again.

"She calls me 'sweetheart' you know. I don't even think she realizes it." He looked bemused, then turned serious in the space of a heartbeat. "Amber talked to me of her last 'boyfriend'….is that not a stupid word? Boyfriend?" He spat the word as if it tasted foul in his mouth. "What male would allow themselves to be insulted twofold; being called both a boy and a mere friend by one's potential mate?"

Brass had to laugh. "Their mating is not like ours, man." Then his face darkened. "Is that the one Flame said hurt her?"

"Yes." Ven's face tightened, but not with the rage Brass has expected. There were sparks of it, deep in those black eyes, but Ven mostly looked…troubled.

"Amber, she's the real deal, Ven. She gets us. Whatever is in her past, is past. If you ask her to be your mate, she's going to jump. You gotta know that."

"You'd be surprised." Ven let out a rueful laugh of his own. "But that is not what I am concerned about…this boyfriend of hers. He was a banker…a man who worked in an important office."

"So? She left him, right? And after what he did, why the fuck do you give a damn about what he is, Ven?" Except to find him and put him in the ground. Brass growled. Ven ignored him, obviously refusing to be distracted. Though by the clench of his jaw, it didn't look easy.

"Yes, but her father…he has position in their world, too. Amber... sheeis used to men who have a position, Brass, power…education…purpose. What can I offer her?"

"What she wants, you idiot. You."

Ven waved an impatient hand. "You are a loyal friend, Brass, but you misunderstand. Amber is choosing me over them, over that life. I get that. I am not interested in changing who I am. I am New Species, not human, and glad of it…except… I want to be the best male I can be, for her." Ven watched the thinning crowd moving past them and shifted in his seat. "I have no real place here since I had to leave the Task Force. I am tolerated, shunted aside. I must change that before I ask her. You see?"

Brass nodded, as he leaned forward, suddenly all sympathetic understanding. "That sounds great, Ven. Did you have something in mind?"

"Actually, yes." Ven's smile gleamed. "It has to do with this secret project of Justice's."

There was a puzzled look on Brass's face. "What? The land purchase? I know he told you because of the offer to Amber, but what—"

Ven chuckled. "I want to talk to him tomorrow. Can you set it up? I have an idea. A place for me and Amber both in the NSO."

"Sure. Consider it done." Brass got to his feet to throw his trash away, but stopped short when Ven threw a hand out, catching his arm.

"There is one more favor I have to ask."

"Shoot."

"You know we're taking Amber back to her house today, to pick up all the things she needs for the trip north, right?"

Brass nodded. He also knew a small team had already scouted her house after the incident and that Tiger was working with the local sheriff to find this asshole Joshua Coulson, but so far nothing. The guy hadn't returned to work. He'd dropped off the radar entirely.

"I would appreciate it if you were part of the security detail."

Brass froze, staring at Ven in shock. "Absolutely. But, Ven…why would—"

The other Species got to his feet, his look dark and shuttered. "Because, while I know all Species will protect her with their lives merely because she is mine, you will go even further. You won't hesitate to kill that bastard or anyone else who goes after her, orders or not. Am I right?"

"You are." Brass's voice was rough.

Ven nodded decisively. "We're leaving at 2. The back gate." He slapped Brass's shoulder. A comradely gesture… if it hadn't nearly dislocated his shoulder. Ven's way of letting him know, despite the brotherly convo, just where they stood when it came to Amber.

Brass watched the big, bald-headed Species stalk away…and rubbed his tingling arm with a smile.

If Amber was surprised to see Brass getting into the van with them, she didn't show it.

"Glad to see the tape is gone." She indicated his nose with a sheepish grin.

He winked back. "Good thing we heal quick."

"Wish I was better at that. Then someone might have let me go home sooner."

Ven frowned, reaching across to test Amber's seat belt as if he didn't trust it. "You were still having headaches until three days ago."

She rolled her eyes and lightly batted his hand away, though Brass couldn't mistake the soft, adoring light that flashed in her eyes. "I rubbed my temples once, and you were looking up the symptoms of a migraine online, quizzing me like Dr. Oz."

Ven shifted back into his own seat, though he kept his hip firmly against Amber, who sat on the inside. Brass also noticed the male held the tail of her braid loosely in his fingers, stroking it absentmindedly.

Holy crap, maybe he should be glad he'd lost out on Amber, mating sure as hell made you into one hell of a sap.

"It's my job to take care of you." Ven's voice lowered to a possessive growl. Instantly, Amber relented, sliding up against him and tucking her arm through his, that adoring look in full force as she smiled up at him.

And maybe there was nothing wrong with being a fucking sap if it made a female look at you like that.

Suddenly, Brass realized he wasn't jealous of Ven anymore for having Amber, he was actually happy for his friend. He was just jealous of that bond, sappy, mushy looks and all.

Someday it'll be me, he promised himself.

"It's a hard, thankless job, huh?" Amber teased Ven as the miles bumped by.

Ven's lips twitched. "It has its rewards."

Flame let out a snort from across the passenger's seat. "Alright you two, can it. We're getting close."

Jinx, who was driving, just shook his head. "Mates. Spare me."

He picked up the radio to call back to Homeland. Even though they were on GPS—all Homeland and Reservation vehicles carried the trackers now—they were being cautious and staying in contact every step of the way. The sheriff and three of his officers were to meet them at Amber's place.

Personally, Brass thought that was overkill. Three New Species should be plenty to handle one asshole human who hadn't even been able to defeat a lone female, but given all his people had been through, he supposed overkill was best.

With Brass, Flame and Jinx outside, Amber pulled Vengeance to the door, surprised at how anxious she was to see inside and make sure everything was okay. On that night Josh had ran out the door without a backward glance, shrieking about his goddamn nose, but she had been so shaken, she couldn't even remember if she had locked the door.

Flame had assured her she had, that the police hadn't entered and that when he had personally led the other team here a few days ago, that nothing appeared overtly damaged. But his nose had wrinkled painfully as he said it, and no matter how she drilled him he would say nothing more.

It made her nervous. She yanked on Ven's arm again.

"I don't understand why the sheriff isn't here yet," he frowned, looking around her neatly manicured lawn as if expecting cops to pop out of the shrubbery. She could smell fresh-cut grass, telling her the laws service had been here recently.

She shrugged, letting go of him as she stepped forward to unlock the door. "They probably just got another call, Ven. Nevada County is huge, you know."

"They should have called us then."

"Maybe it's serious. Cops get pretty damn busy, you know. Humans aren't always predictable."

He snorted, then gave a sharp, menacing growl when he saw the open door in front of her. Amber froze in her tracks, long enough for him to catch her before she could step inside.

Vengeance's hands circled her hips and set her behind him before she could blink. "Me first."

"Or course." She shook her head and followed him over the threshold.

He stopped two steps into the entryway, shuddering.

"What, what is it? Is it horrible? Did that bastard do something to my stuff?" Nervously, Amber tried to peek over Ven's arm, jumping up and down on her tiptoes, waving a hand in front of her face at the eye-watering scent of the perfume Josh had smashed.

The huge body in front of her shook violently. Once. And again. There was a loud, barking sound that nearly made her eardrums rattle. Startled, she threw her arms around him. "Ven? Are you okay?"

He turned to her, his eyes alarmingly watery and bloodshot. He jerked in her arms and made that barking noise again. Then she realized, Ven was simply having the world's worst sneezing fit.

"Oh my god," she giggled, pulling him through the living room and into her room, where she slammed the door on the reeking scent. Amber crossed over the braided rug on the floor to yank open a window and flip on her bedside fan.

"Better?" She asked, a bit more worriedly when she saw his eyes were streaming helplessly.

He nodded, but disappeared into the bathroom, apparently unable to speak. She heard water running, a few more of those earsplitting sneezes, then Ven emerged, a towel in his hand, wiping his face.

"That," he wheezed. "Was excruciating."

Amber couldn't help it, she giggled again.

"What?" He tossed the hand towel on her dresser, stalking toward her, his eyes narrowed at her amusement.

She backed away, holding her stomach. "Big, tough New Species, gets tackled by five huge guys, takes a knock out dart strong enough to bring down a bull elephant…and not so much as a whimper or a whine. But one bottle of expensive French toilet water and you're reduced to tears." Unable to help herself, Amber collapsed onto the bed, gasping with laughter.

"You know damn well I am not crying, and you have to admit that stuff was lethal." Ven leaned over her, his eyes still red-rimmed, but definitely a spark there at the humor of the situation…for all of two seconds. "Wait.. what did you mean… toilet water?"

His expression had turned to dawning horror, making Amber howl louder, her own eyes starting to leak as she laughed so hard it hurt. When she could finally breathe again, she pulled him on top of her. "It's not really from a toilet, Ven."

"Could have fooled me," he muttered against her neck, snuzzling in, bracing himself with his arms as he inhaled her scent, obviously trying to clear the burn from his nose. She shivered, but he pulled back with a frown, his voice flat. "I can't smell you. Goddamn it, Amber, I can't smell you at all."

Amber felt the sudden tension that rippled through him and remembered one of the first things she had been taught about Species; how their sense of smell, especially for the ones with canine DNA—like Ven— was as important than their sense of sight. More, really.

He must feel damn near blind without it.

"Easy, sweetheart. It's okay. It will go away." She stroked his back, over and over, until she noticed his eyes, no longer red, were staring down at her. Not with rage, or humor this time, but with an intent look she knew intimately.

"Did you just realize you have me alone in my bedroom? At your mercy?" Her tone started out teasing but finished in a whisper. His irises were going that pure inky black that made her stomach do little expectant leaps inside.

The things he had done to her when his eyes looked like that…

"Anytime you are under me, you are at my mercy, Amber."

That was it, he was doing the growly thing again. When Vengeance did the growly thing, her brain went to mush, and everything below her waist went hot and liquid.

"But now isn't the time for sharing sex." His voice was purposely harsh, a dead clue he was having a hard time controlling himself. She could make it harder.

"Isn't it?" Amber sighed and wrapped her legs around his waist. "Ven, don't you think we could…" She rubbed up against him, unsurprised, but damn pleased to find him hard and ready. God, he felt so good against her. So thick. Her pussy tightened and pulsed. She undulated her hips, whimpered softly as pleasure shot down her spine in fiery burst. "Please, sweetheart."

He groaned deep in his throat, but reached back to unwind her legs from him, getting determinedly to his feet.

"No, Amber. We have to—"

With a suddenness that was frightening, he snapped to his full height, huge and menacing above her, his eyes going wide, his body twitching oddly.

"Ven!" Amber sat up in alarm, wondering if this was some kind of delayed reaction to the perfume when she was knocked flat as Ven fell, crashing into her.

All 260 pounds, 6 feet, 5 inches of him.

She couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't even beat her fists on his shoulders to get him to move off of her, because when he'd fallen, her hands had been at her sides and now they were trapped there, by his weight.

His suffocating, dead weight.

Spots danced in front of her eyes, why wasn't he moving?

Dear god, why wasn't Ven moving?