new college to get away from him.”
Ra’kur had stayed very still as she spoke but she could detect a faint tremble to his muscles now.
His fangs bared, his whole face savage. “Tell me where this male is. I will kill him.”
“No.” His expression was outraged and Jenna sighed. “Even if I knew where he was—and, thank God, I don’t—I wouldn’t tell you. Yeah, he’s an asshole and he should be stopped, punished, whatever, but I wouldn’t put you at risk for what happened four years ago. And I was lucky that I did get away from him. I mean, I just kept ignoring what my gut was telling me and by the time I admitted to myself how wrong things were I didn’t have any friends. I couldn’t bring myself to go to a therapist. Of course one of them would have seen it all before—the explosion, the sweetie-I’m-sorry roses time, then pretty soon the hurting and humiliating starts again. I know lots of women stay with men like that ’cause they think it’s going to get better, ’cause they get torn down and they don’t have anyone else or any money to go, ’cause they’re afraid if they leave the guy will kill them . . .”
“Jenna,” he growled softly. “Do you fear me?”
She studied his face and listened to her gut. It was funny to remember how alien and frightening he seemed just a day ago. “No. No, I don’t.”
He let his breath out. “I am glad of it. I would never hurt you.” He cupped her cheek, his hand very warm despite the chill. “But I am g’hir and I cannot be other than I am. I sought you under a thousand stars and seeking you gave meaning to my life. I must be permitted to protect you, to provide for you, or I would find my life unbearable.”
She raised her chin. “I won’t let you boss me around.”
He smiled faintly. “Even I do not possess such courage.”
Her eyes narrowed and he caught her hands in his, his expression solemn.
“Do you trust me, little bird?”
The truth was he was already a hell of a lot stronger than she was and it sounded like everything he’d done yesterday was in keeping with the way his people did things.
“Yes, Ra’kur,” she said softly. “I do trust you.”
“Then trust I do not seek to rule over you.” He touched his forehead to hers. “But only to safeguard the gift the All Mother has blessed me with. For me, to do less would be sacrilege. To protect our mates, to honor our women, was always a sacred trust. But now, in the wake of the Scourge—you cannot begin to imagine what a female, every female, means to us now. To harm one is unpardonable, a crime against the Goddess herself.”
“Okay,” she breathed. “Okay.”
He bent his head to rub his nose against hers then brushed a kiss against her mouth.
He drew back to look at her. “You are so beautiful, my Jenna.”
The light reflecting from the snow softened his features, his blue-black hair and rippled brow. “You are too.”
He laughed, his fangs flashing. “Males are not beautiful.”
“ I think you are beautiful.” She gave his hands a squeeze. “And there’s no use arguing with me.”
His eyes crinkled with humor and he inclined his head. “If it pleases you to think so.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You know, I was real patient while you were fixing that panel.”
“You were,” he agreed.
“You promised if I let you look at the panel,” she reminded, sliding her arms around his waist, “you’d leave me begging . . .”
Ten
Looking into her decimated pantry, Jenna blew a lock of hair that had escaped her ponytail off her face. The fridge was nearly empty too. She was lucky she could cobble together their lunch and even with her culinary skills she wasn’t sure she had enough to make dinner tonight.
Every morning after breakfast they went to his ship and he’d set pillows out for her so she could sit nearby comfortably and talk with him as he worked. The repairs were going well, but slowly on account of them stopping so often to get
Ra’kur had stayed very still as she spoke but she could detect a faint tremble to his muscles now.
His fangs bared, his whole face savage. “Tell me where this male is. I will kill him.”
“No.” His expression was outraged and Jenna sighed. “Even if I knew where he was—and, thank God, I don’t—I wouldn’t tell you. Yeah, he’s an asshole and he should be stopped, punished, whatever, but I wouldn’t put you at risk for what happened four years ago. And I was lucky that I did get away from him. I mean, I just kept ignoring what my gut was telling me and by the time I admitted to myself how wrong things were I didn’t have any friends. I couldn’t bring myself to go to a therapist. Of course one of them would have seen it all before—the explosion, the sweetie-I’m-sorry roses time, then pretty soon the hurting and humiliating starts again. I know lots of women stay with men like that ’cause they think it’s going to get better, ’cause they get torn down and they don’t have anyone else or any money to go, ’cause they’re afraid if they leave the guy will kill them . . .”
“Jenna,” he growled softly. “Do you fear me?”
She studied his face and listened to her gut. It was funny to remember how alien and frightening he seemed just a day ago. “No. No, I don’t.”
He let his breath out. “I am glad of it. I would never hurt you.” He cupped her cheek, his hand very warm despite the chill. “But I am g’hir and I cannot be other than I am. I sought you under a thousand stars and seeking you gave meaning to my life. I must be permitted to protect you, to provide for you, or I would find my life unbearable.”
She raised her chin. “I won’t let you boss me around.”
He smiled faintly. “Even I do not possess such courage.”
Her eyes narrowed and he caught her hands in his, his expression solemn.
“Do you trust me, little bird?”
The truth was he was already a hell of a lot stronger than she was and it sounded like everything he’d done yesterday was in keeping with the way his people did things.
“Yes, Ra’kur,” she said softly. “I do trust you.”
“Then trust I do not seek to rule over you.” He touched his forehead to hers. “But only to safeguard the gift the All Mother has blessed me with. For me, to do less would be sacrilege. To protect our mates, to honor our women, was always a sacred trust. But now, in the wake of the Scourge—you cannot begin to imagine what a female, every female, means to us now. To harm one is unpardonable, a crime against the Goddess herself.”
“Okay,” she breathed. “Okay.”
He bent his head to rub his nose against hers then brushed a kiss against her mouth.
He drew back to look at her. “You are so beautiful, my Jenna.”
The light reflecting from the snow softened his features, his blue-black hair and rippled brow. “You are too.”
He laughed, his fangs flashing. “Males are not beautiful.”
“ I think you are beautiful.” She gave his hands a squeeze. “And there’s no use arguing with me.”
His eyes crinkled with humor and he inclined his head. “If it pleases you to think so.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You know, I was real patient while you were fixing that panel.”
“You were,” he agreed.
“You promised if I let you look at the panel,” she reminded, sliding her arms around his waist, “you’d leave me begging . . .”
Ten
Looking into her decimated pantry, Jenna blew a lock of hair that had escaped her ponytail off her face. The fridge was nearly empty too. She was lucky she could cobble together their lunch and even with her culinary skills she wasn’t sure she had enough to make dinner tonight.
Every morning after breakfast they went to his ship and he’d set pillows out for her so she could sit nearby comfortably and talk with him as he worked. The repairs were going well, but slowly on account of them stopping so often to get
Similar Books
