“There’s a fireplace in here too?”

Berrr turned his head, following her look. “Alluwn said she was always cold living with me so she wanted warmth in every room I was not in.” Wincing inwardly, Shanna turned her attention on the man hovering in front of her.

Either Alluwn was a bitch or Berrr had some serious husband flaws going on that made his not-so-ex-wife really hate him. She didn’t know him well enough to decide who the bad guy in that relationship was but from what he’d said, he had a bunch of kids so maybe the woman had resented popping out so many babies for him.

He turned away from her and walked to a cupboard built into the wall and jerked it open to remove a box. Shanna guessed correctly that it was a first-aid kit as Berrr placed it next to her on the counter, opening it to reveal the contents. She took a deep breath and watched while the man removed things from the box.

“I really can do this myself,” she said softly. “You don’t have to do it.” He lowered to his knees in front of her but even on them he was abnormally tall as he stared Shanna directly in the eyes at face level. He frowned at her, looked away and reached for one of her hands.

“It is my honored duty and privilege to care for you when you are injured, Shanna.

That is the Zorn way and you are demanding to be treated like one of our women so allow me to do just that. I would never harm you so hold still and do not fight me.”

That made her eyebrows arch. Is he for real? Her ex-husband would never have cleaned up anything, especially not blood from her skin, but that’s exactly what Berrr proceeded to do. He was careful to not hurt her as he reached around her body, turned on the water and gently proceeded to pat at the scratches on each wrist. Shanna tore her attention from watching his face to watching his large hands gently touching her wrists while he used a hand towel to dab them dry. He studied the small cuts for a long moment before he reached for the box again.

“You really don’t have to do this, Berrr.”

An amazingly blue gaze lifted, locking with Shanna’s. “You shouldn’t have been hurt at all. Collis were once our allies but lately we’ve had trouble with them when they attacked a few of our vessels and now they dare come to my planet with slaves trying to sell them to my warriors, tempting them with human women to break my laws.”

“I’m not real thrilled about any of this either. I have a life back on Earth, you know.

I was minding my own business on my way home from work and then bam! I’m attacked, woke up in a cage, and then stripped to sell to your…ah…warriors. What about the other women who were taken with me?”

He frowned. “Someone alerted us to the auction so my warriors are hunting them down but we thought they brought their Collis women to sell. If the women have bound to the warriors who purchased them they will stay where they are. My warriors will be punished harshly if those warriors made them slaves and they will be freed like you were and taken under protection.”

“So are they going to end up here staying in your house too?” Shaking his head, Berrr smeared her cuts with a smelly white cream that was soothing to her skin. She watched him wrap each of her wrists carefully with a thin gauze-like material and tape it to hold it in place. It was a little overkill but she wasn’t going to complain about the sweatband-sized bandages on each wrist. When he was done he shut the kit and slowly rose to his feet.

“There will be no more humans in my house.” He looked angry as he said the words. “One is more than enough.”

Shanna’s temper flared to life. “What the hell is your deal about humans?” Black eyebrows arched as Berrr frowned down at her. “I do not have a deal with humans.”

“What’s your problem? What in the hell do you have against us? That’s what I’m asking you. First you get really angry that someone dared sell us, which got me thinking you liked humans and you sure found my neck fascinating. You liked that about me a hell of a lot by the feel of it but ever since we arrived in this house you’ve shown me what you really think about my kind. You tried to dump all your house helpers’ chores on me and then you won’t even let me call you by your first name. Did you think I didn’t notice that? Am I a second-class citizen? Is that it? You should have seen the total distaste on your face when I asked if the other women would be brought here. You don’t like humans, do you?”

Frowning, Berrr softly growled. “I have no problem and I don’t dislike humans.

You are not a second-class citizen even though I don’t know that meaning. You are now a Zorn citizen of this planet like any other Zorn.” He took a deep breath. “I told you to call me by my name. Is it an Earth insult that I allowed such an intimate gesture?” Staring up at him, Shanna grew confused. “Intimate gesture?”

“I offered you my name instead of my title to call me when very few get that privilege.”

It was starting to sink in. “Shit. Hyvin isn’t your first name, is it? You’re like a general or something so everyone calls you Hyvin for that term.”

“Hyvin is my title.”

“I thought you were making me call you a formal name but Berrr is your first name.

Damn. I’m really sorry I got upset about that but I thought you were being rude to me.” A little guilt ate at her for thinking and accusing him of being a snob to her when in fact he’d been the opposite. She studied his pretty bright eyes.

“You don’t like humans though.” That she was sure of. “What do you have against my kind?”

He sighed, watching her. “Three of my four sons have bound to human women and it sets a bad example for my people. I lead and my warriors wish to follow by my example and that of my sons.” His gaze slowly lowered down her body, taking in every inch, before it lifted back. “Humans are small and not warriors yet my sons are having children with your women. I worry that they will not have strong sons who will be able to hold our bloodline on Zorn as leaders. Our family is the strongest yet my sons have chosen the weakest of females.” His eyelids narrowed as his lips pressed into a firm line of anger. “I admit that I am not pleased to feel attraction to you either yet I do.” She was taken aback by his confession at being sexually drawn to her. She knew that’s what he meant but she was also getting angry. “I resent you saying I’m weak.” Pushing off the counter, she got to her feet, staring up at him. “You aliens are just freaky large but I’m not a pushover. I was raised in and out of foster care and by two alcoholics in some pretty crappy neighborhoods. I know judo, I took kickboxing and I’ve had to fight plenty of times in my lifetime just to not get my ass kicked because people thought they could take advantage of me because I wasn’t a big woman. Never mistake small for weak, Berrr. I managed to keep your warrior guys from molesting me at that auction while chained to a floor like a damn dog.” His arms crossed over his chest. “I think I understood most of what you said but you are weak. All women are and need protection from males but human women are even weaker than Zorn females.”