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“I can, and I will. Tell me, or I’ll find out for myself and do it, anyway.”
Elias’s fingers tightened on her neck. “It’s a Retar duel.”
“A duel? What are we talking about here? Rapiers or pistols at dawn?” She tried to make light of it, but Elias was not smiling.
“In order for you to challenge Princess Isolt, you must fight her.”
Hayley swallowed the sudden panic clawing up her throat. “A physical fight?”
Elias raised his head, sadness in his eyes. “Yes, a physical fight. You fight to the death or you fight until one of the combatants yields to the other.”
“Do you really think you’re worth fighting to the death over?”
Hurt shone in Elias’s eyes. Oh crap, she hadn’t meant to say such a dumb thing, but the situation was too crazy. Dueling to win the guy she’d gotten the hots for. Dueling with an alien princess who wanted to eat him. If she didn’t try to lighten the mood, she might just lose her mind.
He stepped away and shook his head. “Absolutely not. I will not have you put in danger because of me, because of what I have to face up to.”
“No, you don’t have to face anything.” She reached for his hand. “I will fight this stuck up princess and make her yield to me. I’m going to claim you. You will be mine.”
“It’s too much of a risk.” His fingers curled around hers.
“Let me decide that. You get used to the idea of being owned by a human.” Now, all Hayley had to do was figure out how to whip a Retar princess’s butt, and Elias’s problems would be solved.
Chapter 20
Elias took several steps back, stunned by Hayley’s offer. A flood of emotions hit him. She cared about him enough to put her life at risk. He didn’t deserve it. How could he ever be worthy of such an incredible woman?
“Stop staring and tell me what I need to do to make this claim official.” The color in Hayley’s cheeks remained high, and her gaze skittered around the room as if afraid to look at him.
“This is too much.” Elias strode back to her, unable to keep his hands off Hayley. He didn’t want to stop touching her. He couldn’t. She was like a magnet, pulling him close every time he let go. “You deserve so much better.”
Her gaze shifted to the floor. “We’re friends. It’s what friends do, help each other.”
Elias’s heart clenched. She was doing this because they’d become friendly? Didn’t she feel the same as him? That kiss they’d shared had meant everything to him. It opened feelings in him he’d kept closed down for so long because, if he let them free, he’d lose his life. He’d never expected to fall for a human. Yet here she was, standing in front of him, saying she wanted to lay a claim on him and own him in his entirety, and they were just friends?
Screw that. Elias couldn’t believe it. “Do friends kiss each other like you kissed me?”
Hayley’s hands fluttered over her chest. “No, I mean, of course not. We are friends. All relationships include friendship.”
“We are friends who kiss?”
She let out a long sigh and shook her head. “I’m not sure what we are to each other. All I know for certain is that I will not see you killed. Princess Isolt is wrong for wanting to punish you.”
“You’re right about her being wrong. When I was on board this ship earlier, I discovered her private bone collection.”
“Her what?” Hayley’s nose wrinkled in the most adorable fashion.
“I was investigating the ship. I’m supposed to complete some repairs on it. I opened this closet, and inside were bones. They have to be the bones of her mates. The ones who didn’t survive.”
Hayley grimaced. “Who keeps trophies like that?”
“What worries me is they weren’t just Retar bones. The princess’s tastes have diversified. She’s eating other aliens.”
Hayley’s mouth fell open. “That can’t be legal. And now she’s here to couple up with my old professor.”
Elias nodded. “It looks like she intends to have human on her menu.”
“That can’t happen. I’ve looked into the negotiations they went through before agreeing to match with each other. Professor Grenville won’t go through with the old ways of Retar mating. It’s in the contract. Princess Isolt agreed to it. She will not kill her chosen mate.”
