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Her attack had brought back flashbacks of the night they’d been together and how close he’d come to losing his life. He could not be claimed by Princess Isolt. He would lose his mind if he became hers.

The guards stopped outside a room with double doors, and they slid open.

This was it. His fate would be decided within these four walls. Either he would become the property of some psychotic princess who’d spend a few days driving him insane before killing him, or he’d get a chance of true love and happiness with Hayley.

Happiness and love, he wanted that more than anything, but not if it meant Hayley was harmed. He had only one option if she was to be safe. Convince her to drop her claim and walk away from him. It would kill him to lose her but better to have Hayley safe and without him than dead at the hands of Princess Isolt.

Elias raised his head, his heart hardening. He had to convince Hayley she’d made a mistake. He had to let her go.

Chapter 23

“Try again.” Solan towered over Hayley as he instructed her to strike him in the chest.

Her knuckles throbbed, and her heart raced, but she kept trying.

Solan had arrived just after she’d finished talking to Sally and had spent the last forty-five minutes giving her an intensive how-to guide when it came to defense and attacking an enemy.

She must have hit Solan fifty times, yet he looked completely unfazed, his enormous bulk easily withstanding her pathetic attempts at striking him.

“That’s enough,” Hayley said. “I need to get going. I don’t want to be late for the committee hearing.”

Solan nodded, his usually stern face sympathetic. “Remember the basics, keep your guard up, don’t hold your thumb inside your fist or you’ll break it when you punch, and throw your body weight behind each blow. Not so much that you over balance but enough to hurt. And watch out for her teeth. Retars like to bite, especially the females. Keep clear of her jaws. Focus on getting hard strikes to the head and nose. If you can break her nose or shatter a cheekbone, it will put her off. These Retar princesses are particular about their looks. She won’t want you messing those up.”

Hayley felt sick at how clinically Solan talked about injuring someone, but he was doing this for her. He was a warrior and knew how to disable an enemy. She tried to appear grateful as she shook out her throbbing hands. “Thanks for coming at such short notice.”

“Of course. When Vegas told me what you were doing, I was happy to help.”

Hayley led Solan to the door, wiping the sweat off her forehead as she did so.

He turned to her and placed a fisted hand against his chest. “You are a warrior. Go and fight for what is yours. Show no mercy.”

Hayley blew out a breath as she watched Solan walk away. “I am a warrior. Show no mercy,” she whispered.

She leaned against the door and let out a sigh. This would have to do. She’d use her new knowledge to beat Princess Isolt and save Elias. After that, she wasn’t sure what would happen. She’d let Elias decide what he wanted their future to be. Hayley had grown ridiculously fond of him in such a short space of time and couldn’t imagine him not being in her life. Did she love him? He was everything she wanted in a guy, but love was messy and got you in trouble. That’s how her sister ended up sick and broken in hospital and how Hayley had been thrown out of college, letting her make-believe love cloud her judgment.

Her door alert signaled someone was outside. It must be Solan back with more advice. Hayley opened the door.

Raymond stood there, a suggestive smile on his face. “I hoped to catch you. I wanted to see if you had received my gift.” He walked into the room without her asking him.

The box of underwear was on the floor where she’d thrown it. “Now is not a good time.”

Raymond stooped and picked up the underwear, sliding it through his fingers. “Now is a perfect time. Why don’t you try this on for me?”

Her eyes widened, and revulsion trickled through her veins. “There’s not a hope in hell of that happening.”

“Don’t be coy. I want a preview of what I have to look forward to.”

“You need to leave.” Hayley glared at Raymond. How dare he try to manipulate her. Beneath his refined, scholarly veneer lay a dark heart full of twisted desires. He was no better than Princess Isolt.

Raymond’s gaze ran over Hayley slowly, making her feel like she was already naked. “You owe me. Don’t forget what I know and how I covered for you, so you could get this job. It will only take a few words from me, and you lose everything. You’ll be stranded in space with no money and no future. My name carries weight, no matter what part of the galaxy I’m in.”

“Not around here, it doesn’t.” Hayley wouldn’t let him beat her, not this time.

Anger shone in his eyes. “Didn’t your boss say you need to be accommodating toward me? I need accommodating by you taking your clothes off and putting this underwear on.”

“That’s blackmail,” Hayley said. “Is that the only way you can get a woman these days?”

“Hardly. I’m simply making you aware of your situation,” Raymond said. “It’s not like it’s the first time you’ve spread your legs for me. I recall you enjoyed it.”