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  “Okay.” The big alien appeared to consider the options. “There are other ways. I can break his spine.”

  “What?” This was sounding more and more gruesome. My big protector suddenly seemed more like a mob hit-man than the sweet teddy-bear of a guy who had held me so gently after my awful shower experience.

  “Or I can just break his arms or his legs. Or both if you want,” Grav offered as though it was no big deal. “There are plenty of ways to do permanent damage—ways that he’ll be in too much pain to ever lift a hand to you again.”

  “You…you’re talking about maiming or disabling him permanently?” I asked, my voice a dry whisper.

  “Maiming—that’s an idea,” he said, nodding thoughtfully. “I can cut off both his hands, if you want. Do your people have the tech to grow back a major limb?”

  “No,” I said, feeling sick. “No, we don’t.”

  He nodded. “Maiming it is.”

  “Wait—no! I didn’t meant I wanted you to maim him!” I protested. “Can’t you just, I don’t know—scare him into leaving me alone?”

  “Scare him?” He frowned. “I punched him out and he still popped up mouthing off. A male like that won’t scare easy, Leah. And unfortunately, I won’t be here to watch over you forever—this is a temporary assignment. That’s why I haven’t given you my oath.”

  “Your oath?” I asked, shaking my head.

  “A Protector’s word is his bond,” Grav said seriously. “If I swore my oath to you, to never leave you and protect you forever, then we could get away with just scaring your mate. But that would mean I would have to stay with you, by your side, until one of us died. Do you understand?”

  He looked so serious I felt my heart squeeze in my chest.

  “I, uh, understand you’re not up for that kind of, um, long term commitment,” I stammered at last. “But you still can’t go back down to Earth and kill my husband. No matter how much he deserves it.” I had a sudden thought. “And I bet you could scare him into staying away from me. He hasn’t seen you like this—the way you truly are, I mean.”

  “Right.” Grav gave a short, barking laugh. “I forgot you Earthlings have never met anyone outside your own species. And I am one ugly son-of-a-bitch. Maybe I could scare him into submission at that.”

  “You’re not ugly,” I said, frowning. “You’re…different. And different is good.”

  Grav laughed again. “It’s all right, darlin’—I don’t mind not being the prettiest one at the ball. Ugly’s good in the Protection game. All right.” He sighed. “I’ll take you back to Earth and we’ll have a sit down with your mate. I’ll give him a good talking to.” His black-on-white eyes flashed for a moment. “But I warn you, if he doesn’t seem willing to leave you alone, I’m gonna have to break something. Maybe not his spine but at least his arms.”

  His big hand reached up and brushed against my bruised cheekbone—the touch as light as a butterfly’s wings.

  “It’s the very least he deserves after what he did to you,” he rumbled.

  My heart skittered in my chest. How could he talk about doing such violence and yet touch me so gently?

  “Fair enough,” I said. I’m not a violent person but I did think that Gerald deserved some kind of punishment, not just for the way he’d beaten me, but for the way he’d been making my life miserable ever since we had gotten married.

  And if I was honest, the abuse had started even before that. Only it was mental and verbal abuse then which was easier to ignore or excuse. I always told myself he was just having a bad day or a rough time at work. Now, light years from Earth, I had a flash of clarity—I had been unhappy with Gerald for years. It was time to end this and never see him again.

  Looking at Grav, I had no doubt he could help me make that happen. I was grateful that Zoe had sent me such a loyal and strong guy to protect me. If I ever did get to Eloim to see her, I would tell her so.

  But for now, I had to get home.

  “Look, I’ll go reconfigure the flight-path,” Grav said, breaking my train of thought. “It’s going to take it a little while to get the new destination calculated and moved into the algorithm. But in the meantime, I have last meal prepared. Will you eat with me, Leah?”

  “Oh, of course.” I smiled at him. “I’d love that.”

  “Thank you,” he said gravely and held out an arm for me. “If you’ll come with me, the food-prep area is this way.”

  “All right.” Still feeling surreal, I took his arm and let him lead me out of the small, Spartan bedroom that wasn’t going to be mine after all.

  I felt a little twinge of regret at the thought. Part of me would have loved to go on an interstellar adventure and get away from it all. But you can’t run from your problems—they’re just there waiting for you when you get back.

  At least, that was what I told myself as Grav and I left the room and walked back down the long central corridor of his ship, my ridiculous shoes clumping on the metal floor and his muscular arm warm under my hand.

  Chapter Six

  Grav

  I was sorry she wasn’t coming to Eloim. Damn sorry. But it was probably for the best. I hadn’t even known her a whole solar day yet and already I was getting too attached to her. When I had talked about giving my oath, I’d actually had the urge to drop to one knee and give it to her right there!

  Which was fuckin’ crazy.

  I mean, you can put a time limit on it—in Teeny’s case, her grandfather had wanted me to give my oath only until she came of age. But when it’s given to an adult ward, the Protector’s Vow is almost always a lifelong oath. I couldn’t pledge my life to a female I’d just met—right?

  Right.

  This is temporary, I reminded myself again. It’ll be over before you know it. So just keep things cool, calm, and collected.

  But even as I lectured myself, I couldn’t help remembering the feel of her in my arms. The soft crush of her delicate body against mine. Her sweet, feminine fragrance and the electrical tingle I felt when we touched which meant she was, indeed, a La-ti-zal. Of course it also meant something else…but I pushed that thought away.

  Gods, she was gorgeous. And sweet and kind and caring, from the scenes I’d watched on the AMI. Was it any wonder I wanted to protect her? And to seriously fuck up the male who had dared to lay his hands on her?

  I cast a sidelong glance at her as we walked down the corridor, headed for the food-prep area of my ship. Her lovely face was still battered and the places that asshole had hit her were bruising up pretty badly. I wondered again if she would let me heal her.

  Sarden had told me that Earth males didn’t have the power to heal orally so she might think I was crazy if I asked. But damnit, I couldn’t help at least wanting to ask—she was so beautiful. I hated to see her beauty marred by that bastard’s violence.

  Better not, I told myself as we stepped into the food-prep area and I motioned her to have a seat. She’ll think you’re crazy or worse, looking to take advantage. She’ll heal naturally, even if it does take some time. She’ll be okay. Just leave it be. And then I heard myself say,

  “Leah, before we eat last meal, will you let me heal you?”

  I’m such a fuckin’ idiot.

  Leah

  “Excuse me?” I looked up at him, not understanding.

  The big alien was still standing in the doorway of the kitchen area, even though he’d motioned me in to have a seat at the tall, circular table in the center of the room. He looked uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot but a determined look came over his face and he repeated himself.

  “I said, would you let me heal you? Your face, I mean.” He made a motion to his own face with one hand, as though to illustrate his point.

  “Um…sure, I guess,” I said, wondering if he had some special quick-healing alien medicine. If so, why he hadn’t offered up to that point? “But…how?”

  “Well…” He shifted again and cleared his throat