Loving a Stranger Read online

  “Long walk,” Harryx remarked, breaking into her guilty thoughts.

  “Yes, my husband,” Nallah murmured. She hoped he wouldn’t be upset with her for the length of time it took to get home using the footways. She hadn’t asked him to walk with her but of course, that wouldn’t stop him from getting enraged with her if he decided it was her fault they weren’t home yet. “I will cook your favorite dinner as soon as we get home,” she added, hoping to defuse the situation.

  “Oh. Um, thank you.” He didn’t sound angry, Nallah thought. Just preoccupied.

  She was feeling preoccupied herself. They were approaching a part of the footway she always dreaded—a long stretch that ran through an alleyway between tall buildings. Most of the time the female footways ran directly along the main roads but in this instance, the engineers had apparently decided to divert the path because of the heavy flow of traffic. So while the well-lighted road continued on apace, the footway wound to the side and disappeared into the alley.

  This is where Gemmah was first punished, Nallah couldn’t help thinking, as she always did when she passed this way. She avoided it if she could but it was the fastest way home from the House of Healing and she was afraid that Harryx would get angry if his dinner was delayed much longer.

  As they entered the dark alley, she tried to take comfort from the fact that her husband was with her, but no comfort came. Harryx was a big male and hopefully a deterrent to the Punishment gangs who hung around this area but if it looked like there were too many males to take on at once, he might just leave her to her fate. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d heard of such a thing happening.

  It would be no great loss to Harryx—he was in the Inner Circle, after all. He could easily buy himself another wife. In fact, it was possible that he had come this way with her specifically to dispose of her and get himself a new bride. Men did such things from time to time when they were ready for a change.

  The dismal, frightening thoughts swirled around her head until dread constricted Nallah’s lungs and she could hardly breathe.

  What if he wants to get rid of me? What if he woke up and decided he’s tired of me? Maybe he wants a fresh start and that’s why he’s been so nice to me—to lure me out here and let the Punishment gangs take me.

  She was nearly ready to faint with fear by now but they were nearing the end of the alley and nothing had happened. Maybe the gangs weren’t out yet. Maybe they had moved on to other territory. Maybe she was just being foolish and scared for no reason.

  It’s all right, she tried to tell herself. Stop being so silly. There’s no one here to hurt you. Everything is going to be all r—

  And that was when a dark shadow stepped into the light at the narrow end of the alley.

  “Well, well,” said a deep, rough voice, hungry with lust. “What have we here? A woman in need of punishment?”

  Chapter Five

  Reeve didn’t like the dark alley one fucking bit. He wouldn’t have chosen to take it but this was the way Nallah led them. And since his host’s memory banks came up blank when he entered a query for “walking home” he felt he had no choice but to follow her.

  Still, when the big bastard stepped out in front of them and said something about punishing women, it was a nasty surprise. Reeve hadn’t expected to have to fight in his host’s body—especially without any weapons. But he was prepared to do what he had to. At least Harryx was big and reasonably strong.

  “Such a pretty little woman too,” the bastard at the end of the alley purred, eyeing Nallah who had shrunk back behind Reeve. “All ripe for punishment.”

  “Look, asshole,” Reeve growled, taking a step forward and thrusting out his chin aggressively. “I don’t know who you are but this is my wife. So fuck off before you have the worst night of your life.”

  The male drew back. In the dim glow from the end of the alley, Reeve saw surprise written on his lumpish face.

  “Your wife? Of course she’s your wife. Didn’t you bring her here for a punishment?”

  “I don’t know what you mean by ‘punishment,’” Reeve growled, although he was afraid he did. “But you touch one hair on her head and I swear by the Goddess I’ll end your fucking miserable existence for you right here.”

  Again the male looked shocked—although why he would be surprised that a husband would protect his wife, Reeve had no idea. He dropped back in confusion, freeing the mouth of the alley.

  Better get out of here while we have a chance.

  Reaching behind him, Reeve grabbed Nallah’s hand and pulled her around to his side—the side away from the lumpish thug who’d threatened them.

  “Come on, baby,” he muttered, keeping the other male pinned with a threatening glare. “Let’s go. Almost home.”

  The man drew back in confusion and Reeve saw there were several others behind him, standing just beyond the mouth of the alley. Gods, what had they planned—a gang rape? What kind of sick place was Hascion Five anyway?

  He gave the gang his best “don’t fuck with me” stare, keeping himself between them and Nallah, daring them to take him on. Seven against one—they would probably kill him if they all jumped him at once but he was damn sure going to take four or five of them with him on the way. For some reason though, they just stared at him until he and Nallah were out of sight.

  “Whew.” Reeve drew a deep breath as they came out onto a well lighted sidewalk next to a busy road where hovercars and trucks were whizzing past almost soundlessly. “That was fucking interesting, huh, sweetheart?” he remarked.

  Nallah didn’t answer and he realized her hand was trembling in his and she was taking deep, shaky breaths as though she was trying not to cry.

  Poor little female—she was probably scared to death! Can’t say I blame her.

  “Hey…hey.” Reeve stopped and turned to face her. Though she wasn’t really his female, he still felt responsible for comforting her. After all, his number one rule as a snatcher was not to fuck up anyone’s marriage, no matter what he might do to the other parts of their life. He had to care for her as her real husband would—it was only right. “You okay?” he asked her gently.

  “I…you…” Nallah seemed to be having trouble getting the words out.

  She was such a tiny little thing that Reeve had to crouch down to get a look at her face—or rather her veil. All he could see above it were her large golden eyes. They were shiny with unshed tears and her breath was hitching unevenly.

  “Hey, sweetheart,” he said, his heart touched by her obvious anxiety. “It’s all right. It’s all over now. They won’t bother us again.”

  “You…you didn’t give me to them.” Her words came out in a tight voice, as though she was still fighting not to cry. “You didn’t give me to them. I…I thought you would, my husband.”

  “What?” Reeve thought he must be hearing her wrong or maybe misunderstanding the Hascion language. But that couldn’t be right—when his soul overtook a host’s body, he had immediate access to their language and speech centers. It should be physically impossible for him to misunderstand her. “What did you say?” he asked. “Why would I give you to those bastards?”

  “I thought…” Her breath hitched again and she turned away so that her words were muffled. “I thought you might be…be tired of me.”

  “Tired of you?” Reeve could hardly believe what he was hearing. “So you thought I’d just give you away in a dark alley to some asshole? What would make you think that?”

  He couldn’t keep the incredulity out of his voice but his tone seemed to strike Nallah the wrong way. She fell to her knees in front of him.

  “Forgive me, my husband.” Her voice was low and raw. “Forgive me for misunderstanding you. Thank you for choosing to keep me by you. I swear you will not regret your decision.”

  “Of course I’ll keep you by me.” Reeve still felt bewildered. Was there some kind of cultural thing he wasn’t understanding here? Was it common for males to get tired of their mates on Hascion