Moon snarled, ready to tear out the male’s throat.

“Don’t kill him,” Joy panted. “He’s sick.”

Moon didn’t give a damn. The human was inside Joy’s home and he’d taken a shot at them. Rage surged. Why was the male there in the first place? Was he the reason she’d left Homeland? Was he someone she cared about? Loved? He snarled and his fingers curved into claws as he eyed the exposed throat.

“Moon!” Joy sounded a little closer. “Please don’t kill him. Tie him up.” She tossed something at him that landed on the floor next to where he crouched.

He glanced at the dishtowel. It was black and thick.

“Tear strips and tie him up. I’m calling 9-1-1. Please, Moon? He’s a client of mine. He’s mentally ill.” She took a ragged breath. “He suffered abuse growing up. He is obviously delusional and dangerous now.”

I’d like to snap his neck, Moon grumbled to himself, battling the urge to kill the bastard. It would upset Joy more. He bent and grabbed the towel. It was easy to bite into an edge and tear it into three long strips. Moon wasn’t gentle when he rolled the human onto his stomach. It gave him satisfaction when he realized, from the odd way it was twisted, that one of the human’s legs was broken near the knee. It would be painful when he regained consciousness and hurt like hell.

The bindings might be too tight but he had no gentleness in him. Not when it came to Joy’s patient. He was tying a second binding a little higher than the first one when something caught his attention. He glanced at his thumb to see blood. He finished the job and examined his hands to see where he’d been cut. He wasn’t cut or wounded. He lifted his thumb to his nose to learn the scent of his enemy.

The stench of the gunpowder had left his senses a little dulled but the scent he picked up now stilled him. He knew it only too well. He turned his head to stare at Joy. She was in the kitchen on the other side of the counter, leaning heavily against it. One hand was holding her upper arm and blood seeped between her fingers.

He’d hurt her. It must have happened when he’d thrown her out of the way. Her arm must have slammed into a counter and cut her skin. Regret was instant as he stared at her. She was pale as she watched him. He glanced at her hand again as he rose to his feet.

“I’m sorry.”

Tears filled her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. “My phone is in the bedroom. Call 9-1-1. My cordless is in the charging cradle in there.”

He was torn between going to her and doing what she asked.

“Tell them we need the police and an ambulance.”

He growled, shooting a hate-filled glare at the unmoving human sprawled facedown on the floor. “I’ll tell them to come arrest him but I won’t ask for medical assistance. I want him to suffer for as long as possible.” He glanced back at her, hoping she knew what it had cost him not to kill the bastard in the first place.

“It’s not for him.” Her voice cracked. “It’s for me.”

Moon’s heart lurched. “I hurt you that much? Is your arm broken?”

She frowned. “You didn’t do this. I was the one who jumped in front of the bullet. I’m glad it hit me instead of you.”

He looked at her arm, noticing that she was bleeding a lot more. Her fingers were covered and it stained her shirt to the elbow. She’s been shot! The scene at the door replayed through his mind.

The human had stood across the room but Joy had been walking away from the door when it had come crashing open. She’d been much closer to him than the male holding the gun. She’d been facing the man so she must have seen him aim at Moon, ready to fire. The next part almost took him to his knees.

“You purposely got between us. You knew he was going to shoot me.”

“Call 9-1-1. I’m trying really hard to remain calm. I’ve never been shot before. It really hurts and did I even mention that I don’t handle the sight of blood well? I don’t. I am trying really hard not to pass out.”

He rushed to her and swept her up into his arms. She gasped but didn’t protest when he almost ran to her bedroom. It was easy to locate the bathroom. Human households were the same as Species. The light was already on in there when he placed her on the counter.

“What are you doing?” The pain in her eyes tore at him.

He gripped her hand tenderly and pulled it from the wound. Blood ran faster. It was too much for him to treat with any first-aid kit she might have stashed in the bathroom. He released her hand. “Put pressure on it.” She needed a doctor, not him.

She moaned. “I think I’m going to faint. I really can’t stand seeing blood.” She did what he demanded though, seeming to fight her reaction to the wound as she held on to it.

He slammed his knee into a corner of her bed as he ran into the bedroom, almost tripped, but recovered as he reached her desk. The small room was littered with too much furniture for him to easily maneuver. He noticed that his hand was coated in her blood when he jerked up the phone and found the talk button. He dialed with an unsteady finger.

“9-1-1. Please state your emergency,” a calm female answered.

“My female has been shot by a human male.”

There was a few seconds of silence.

“Did you hear me? Send an ambulance. She’s been shot in the arm and is bleeding.”

“All right.” The female didn’t sound alarmed by the news. “You said a female has been shot by a human male?”

“Yes.”

“Is she human too?”

“Yes.” He carried the cordless receiver into the bathroom to check on Joy. She sat where he’d left her, holding her arm. He was afraid she’d fall over so he pressed closer, wrapping an arm around her waist. She leaned into him. “Send help.”

“Sir,” the female on the phone sighed. “9-1-1 is for real emergencies.”

“This is one. A human male has shot my female. She’s in need of medical care.”

“Okay. I’m routing a patrol car to your location. The responding officers will be able to help you.”

“I need an ambulance.”

“I’m sure they’ll be happy to call one if you need more assistance than they can give you.” She paused. “Do you take medication?”

He growled. “You think I’m insane? My female is bleeding. The human male is tied up in the living room.”

Joy looked up at him and he hated the way she swayed before her lids lowered. He hoped it was her aversion to blood that made her woozy. He adjusted his arm behind her and shoved her fingers out of the way, hating to hurt her as he clamped down hard to apply pressure to the wound. It could be from the trauma of being shot or blood loss but he wasn’t going to take any chances with her life. She dropped her face against his chest and whimpered. He didn’t ease his hold.

“I’m not implying anything, sir. Officers should be there within a few minutes. Do you have a weapon? You said she was shot?”

“Not by me. It was a human!” Did they think he’d hurt Joy? It angered him.

“All right. As opposed to what? Aliens?”

It suddenly made sense. “I’m New Species,” he snarled. “I’m calling Homeland. They’ll send a helicopter to us if you won’t help.” He hung up and hit talk again. The phone beeped at him but he heard a dial tone. He called the NSO.

“You’ve reached the NSO. How may I help you?” He recognized the male’s voice.

“Book, this is Moon. I need help immediately.” He rattled off Joy’s address. “Scramble a team to this location and we need a doctor. My female has been shot. The human police are on their way.” All hell was going to break loose at Homeland but it didn’t matter. He’d face whatever punishment came his way. “I sneaked out to find Joy. Tell Justice and everyone that I’m sorry. You should call Harley too. I want him on that helicopter.”

“Shit!” Book snarled. “This isn’t a joke, is it? This is coming from an outside line.”

“No.” He lowered his chin to rest on top of Joy’s head, pressing her tighter against him. He hated feeling helpless. “Did you write down that address? Hurry. She’s bleeding. A human shot her in the arm.”