I’m annoyed that she’s been woken from cryo, and I'm not as practiced in kindness as I am in pleasure. I don't try to comfort the shaking Earthling in front of me.
“Stay here,” I say, quickly backing into the doorway and snapping the door closed in front of me. I must be alone to come up with a solution…I need to get rid of the social climbing parasites in my chamber. “Get the f’tee out,” I say firmly, lifting the two females from their seats to standing.
“What in the goddess’s name are you on about?” Kir’ron asks, her voice frantic.
“Get. The. F’tee. Out.” I enunciate every word, so there’s no misunderstanding. Each syllable stings like a poke'en barb.
Both fi’len females stand in front of me, shocked. I push past them, swinging open the double door of my chambers into the hallway. My personal butler, Jens’i, waits at the ready.
“The females are leaving now. Do not disturb me for the rest of the night.” I push both females unceremoniously into the hallway by their backs. Their faces are still shocked and confused as I wait for them to be escorted out of the estate, happy to finally be rid of them.
Jens’i nods and signals to the guards stationed in the hallway. Their faces are still shocked and confused as I slam my chamber doors shut, happy to be rid of them finally. I head back to the dressing room door. I hear the females’ grunts of displeasure as the house staff shows them out. I’m almost as happy to be rid of the overly ambitious duo as I am stressed about the angry human I’ve got locked in my room.
I face the closet, my hand twitching on the hidden handle until I can deliberately slow my breathing. I won’t let this earthling get the better of me.
Pulling my shoulders back, I swing the closet door open.
As if spring loaded, it releases my mate, who flings herself at me. Her fist slams down hard onto my sternum. She is deceptively strong, given how tiny she is. The air rushes out of her chest as we collide.
My arms wrap around her by instinct alone. For the first time, I can feel her skin on mine. She’s deliciously much warmer than I am. I can’t stop myself before I tilt my head down and bury my nose in her hair, inhaling her musky sweetness, a scent that reminds me of temple incense and thru’ik liquor.
She stills for a moment and holds her breath, tensing her muscles. But quickly begins pushing against my chest, struggling.
“I will drag your ass down to hell with me!” she screams, her nails digging into my skin. “You should have killed me when you had the chance, fucker!”
My small mate is like a wild xor’ro, whipping around as my arms encircle her even tighter.
“If I wanted to kill you, you’d be long dead. You should feel honored I didn’t let you rot on the Deenz ship.” I grit through my teeth, twisting my chin up to avoid the worst of her thrashing.
“Honored? Fuck off, you monster!” Her voice seems too loud for the size of her body.
Monster, maybe she’s right.I turn the scarred side of my face away from her.
“I saved you from the Deenz, from a life of sexual servitude, fromdyingin that f’teeing cryopod.” I tell her some version of the truth I think she can handle right now. I don't mention the other humans or that she's here secretly. That I stole her away in the dead of night from the Deenz ship’s wreckage. Not even Jens’i, keeper of my secrets and my confidant, is aware of her existence.
She huffs, her chin wobbling as fat tears threaten to crest over her lower lashes. Her face is now angry and red. Despite her small size compared to my people, she has a fierce look in her eyes that suggests she won't back down easily.
“Why would you help me?”
“Because I didn’t have a choice,” I tell her, and it’s not a lie. The bond wouldn’t have let me leave her there.
She doesn’t respond, but she stops her flailing. I set her down on the club chair, hoping she would mask the scent of Tri'ot’s perfume still lingering in the air. She sits straight as a board and stares at me. I’m sure she’s disgusted by my scars.
“If you can manage to control your post cryosleep mood swings, maybe I can introduce myself. My name is Raf’ere. I’m the Duke of the Liin’gan Reefs—the part of the universe where you now find yourself. Since you are here, in my domain, you are now my subject," I assure her. "I am bound by royal duty to ensure your safety..." I let my words hang in the air as I wait for her to tell me her name.
“Marta, my name is Marta.” The snarl on her lips turns into a fierce expression as she lands a punch right under my rib cage.
CHAPTER3
?SINK OR SWIM?
?MARTA
The fuckingmonster doesn’t even wince as my fist meets his thick and muscular ribcage. My knuckles thud dully against his solid core.
“Fuck!” I yelp, recoiling my hand.
Hitting his chest is like punching a brick wall, and my split bloody knuckle agrees with the sentiment. The big gray beast straightens to his full height over me. He must be over seven feet tall, his broad shoulders blocking any of the light from the room behind him.
