“I’m sure some of it.” She sat the phone down. “He doxxed me. Revealed not only that I was going up onto the station, but how to reach me, all my private information, it looks like, to the public. Those are from some of the hate groups that are all against the idea of other humanoid species coming to Earth. He did this all while I was in orbit. I can’t believe he’d go this far because we broke up.”
Her face was pale, tears running down her face. Karuk’s fury built.
She leaped up and ran to the bathroom.
Karuk kept looking at the hundreds of messages.
And then he heard Jenny making horrible retching sounds.
He crossed to the door to assist if he could. “Jenny?”
“Don’t go in there,”Mr. F hissed at him.“You’ll regret it.”
Karuk glared at the cat.
He tucked back into his furry ball and turned away from him.
The waste disposal bowl cycled.
“Jenny, are you well? Should I call a healer?”
“No, I’m just…” She pulled the door open, and her face had paled, her eyes were watery, and her hair was disheveled.
He pulled her into his arms and held her. She cried, and he held her tight.
“I can eliminate the threat,” Karuk said. “Whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
“Just hold me. I’ll have to figure out what to do later. I just can’t right now.”
He held her close.
And promised himself that he would do whatever it took to protect her from this wicked male who dared to hurt her.
Regardless of the consequences.
12
Jenny woke several hours later, her eyes swollen from crying and her head throbbing. For a moment, she forgot where she was. The bed was a lot more comfortable than the apartments on the space station.
She rubbed her eyes. They felt smooshy from the swelling.
Everything felt smooshy. Like her entire world and reality. Not just her physical world, but her mind.
Traveling to space.
Living on a space station.
Meeting beings from other worlds.
Mating one.
Rather, potentially mating with one.
She glanced over her shoulder and studied Karuk. He’d held her while she cried, and he held her while she slept.
Being in his arms felt safe and warm. And she was certainly falling for him. Anyone who tried so hard to remain stoic while still looking like he could take out an army for her got a lot of points in her book.
Part of that made him feel that much safer in his arms.
