“I know this is hard for you and I know you must be frightened. I shouldn’t have tied you to the bed but I was afraid you would try to run away while I was gone and that would have been dangerous. Zorn warriors are very sexual and you are human, which makes you very desired. If you told them you were mine they would never touch you but I realize you are angry with me so I didn’t know if you would give them my name when you were caught.” He paused. “You would be caught.” Shanna relaxed in his arms, actually feeling comforted and safe in his warm embrace. She knew she should fight him, tell him to go to hell, and just for principle, cuss him out for what he’d done by tying her to a damn bed, but she didn’t. She burrowed tighter into his massive chest. He smelled really good with the scent of leather, man and the woods. She needed the comfort so she took it where she could get it at that moment.

“I spoke to my son’s human bound and she didn’t want to be with my son when she was brought to Zorn. She was offended by Argernon having three house helpers in his home. She told me how it harmed her and I am very sorry for the pain you must feel, my Shanna.” He rubbed her back, holding her tighter still. “I wish you to know that there will never be other women that I will touch or will allow to touch me. From the moment I saw you there was no other female I wanted. Do you understand?” She hesitated and then lifted her head, meeting his solemn gaze. She didn’t say a word.

Berrr took a deep breath, his chest expanding against her body, while he continued to rub her gently. “I would bound to you if I could and give you all that I have but I can’t do that for the reasons I have told you. I can’t give you my seed or offspring but I will give you everything else I have.” His hand slid from her back over her arm and then up to gently cup her face as he stared into her eyes. “I will do anything to make you happy.”

“Can I go home to Earth?” She knew it was worth a shot.

Berrr’s eyes closed. His body tensed and then he shook his head, his eyes snapping open as his body relaxed again. “I will never let you go, Shanna. Ask me for anything but that to make you happy.”

Gazing into his beautiful eyes, Shanna realized she was never going to find her way back to her old life. This man wasn’t responsible for her being taken by Gohl and his two goons so hating him or holding him at fault for that wouldn’t be fair. He’d saved her from being sold as some asshole’s sex slave and when she said she wanted to go home with him, he hadn’t denied her. In fact he had even tried repeatedly to hand off all the sex duties to her even if she hadn’t understood what the hell it meant at the time when he wanted to dump all the house helpers’ chores on her.

“I understand the word monogamy and I can give you this, Shanna.” He caressed her cheek. “My son’s bound said you would want love. I know what this means but I have never experienced it. I once thought that Alluwn held my heart but she harmed me with her words and her rejection of me. I suffered pain and shame from her actions that injured my pride. I swore to never allow another woman to mean enough to me to care if she wanted to reject me or not.” He paused, his palm left her face, and his fingers ran through her hair. “Your rejection hurts me.”

Shanna watched his sad eyes and damned if she didn’t see sincerity there and it made her want to curse out loud because she knew her heart melted a little at his confession. He’d been hurt before, she could plainly see that, and it made her attracted to the guy even more for opening up to her about it. He was laying himself bare, which few men did, and she knew that too. This wasn’t some line to get her into bed or some guy telling her a sob story trying to get a second date. The guy owned her ass, he didn’t have to tell her a thing, and she didn’t see deception in his eyes.

“Give me time without fighting me to show you that we can be happy together and that I will be the best protector for you, my Shanna. I vow to not touch another woman and to make time for you always. I was told this would make you know that I am serious about making you understand how strongly I am determined to keep you.” His eyes searched hers for a long minute. “Give me the opportunity to see if we can work things out between us. What do you have to lose?”

Closing her eyes to not look into those incredible eyes anymore, she tried to calm her pounding heart. Berrr just held her, waiting patiently, while she sat there in his arms. She was tired and she was scared. She was on an alien world and the only thing she knew was the man with his arms around her.

It could be a hell of a lot worse and she knew that. She could have been sold to one of those men at the auction and she doubted he’d be swearing fidelity or swearing to try to make her happy. Someone else wouldn’t care if she was hurt, frightened, and she didn’t even want to consider the kind of hell she’d be facing in the hands of a man intent on only using her body regardless of whether she enjoyed it or not.

“Shanna? Please look at me. Will you give me a chance to try to make you happy?” Opening her eyes, she met his intense gaze. His beautiful eyes regarded her silently while he waited for an answer. Shanna took a deep breath and nodded.

Chapter Seven

Relief was instant and evident on Berrr’s face as he slowly smiled at Shanna. “I will do everything in my power to give you a good and happy life with me.” Nodding again, Shanna locked eyes on him. “Can you get rid of all of your house helpers?”

Berrr’s lips twisted downward, his shock at her words apparent as he stared into her eyes. He was clearly thinking as emotions flashed across his features while he debated but a good minute later he shook his head no.

“It is my duty to protect them even if I will never touch them again. It would be cruel to strip them of their standing by sending them to homes that are less than what they are accustomed to. I don’t know how to explain it to you but it would be a harsh punishment if I did this to them that they don’t deserve.” He had no damn idea what those women deserved and Shanna debated on if she should tell him that they had threatened her. He didn’t know her well and she didn’t know him well. She had no idea how long Berrr and his house helpers had lived together so she wasn’t sure if he’d believe her.