“This one is the only one they implanted. I didn’t understand a thing you said.” He frowned. “Only one of your ears is implanted?” She nodded.

“I said don’t meet anyone’s eyes and eat fast.” She nodded and turned to face her food. She ate fast. Ral wolfed his down. He rubbed her arm. He lowered his face again, next to her implanted ear this time, to whisper to her.

“Ready to leave?”

“Yes.”

“We’ll go to the urinate room and then go back to our room.”

“Sounds good.”

Ral stood up and helped Ariel to her feet. He pulled her against his side. They headed for the door. They were almost out of the room when three men moved into their path. Ral tensed, easing Ariel behind him. He growled at the three men.

“Move.”

One of the men frowned. “Share her. We have needs and she’s a different species.

She’s not a Zorn woman.”

“She’s mine. I have bound her,” Ral growled. “Move away from my woman or I will kill you to protect her.”

Ariel turned her head. Some more men had moved closer. They stared openly at her body. She didn’t like the hungry looks on their faces. She inched closer to Ral, trying to mold herself to his back as fear set in. He turned his head and snarled. The men moved back but not far enough away for Ariel’s comfort. Ral turned his head to face the three men in front of them.

“Gru, if you do this you will die. Do you understand me? I have given to our people plenty. I will keep her. I will kill anyone who tries to take her from me. She is not to share. She is bound to me.” He eyed the men with Gru. “I will kill you all if you don’t back away now.”

“Then one of us will die but we want her.” Gru snarled.

Ral snarled back. He turned his head. “Rham, Ber, Hosh, protect her.” Three large men moved forward. They shoved men out of their way. Ral met Ariel’s eyes. “My pack. They will protect you. Go with them.” Terror hit her hard. “Ral—”

“You will be in my sight. They will make sure you stay there.” The three large men surrounded Ariel. One of them gripped her arm and yanked her against the wall out of the way. She stared at the three men protecting her. She wondered what a pack meant to Zorn. She heard a roar and jerked her head toward Ral.

Four men attacked him instead of three.

Horror rushed over her. She looked up at one of the three big men. “Can’t you help him fight?”

One of the men shook his head. “You are Ral’s woman to fight for. We only guard you. It is our way.”

“Your way sucks,” she whispered. Terror for Ral hit her as she watched him fight.

Ral was damn good. There were four men surrounding him. Two of them grabbed his arms while the third man gripped him from behind. The fourth man came at him from the front. It was Gru. Ariel gasped and tried to get to Ral. She wanted to jump on one of those bastards. Ral needed help. One of the men ordered to protect her gripped her arm yanking her back.

“Stay.” He spoke softly. “Ral needs no help.”

Ral threw his head back slamming it into the face of the man behind him. Both of Ral’s feet shot out in the same instant to kick at the man coming at his chest. Both men gripping Ral’s arms staggered backward trying to keep hold of him. It knocked both of them off balance.

Gru roared in pain when Ral had kicked his chest. His body flew backward, slamming hard into a rough rock wall. When Ral’s feet hit the floor he yanked his arms together. It sent both off-balanced men crashing into each other in front of Ral. He yanked an arm free to slam his fist into the face closest to him.

It was brutal. It was bloody. Ral beat the hell out of all four of them. The men on the floor were bloody and some of them had broken bones. Ariel learned that Zorn also fought with their teeth. Ral had torn up one man’s arm when the man had tried to use that arm to batter Ral’s face. Ral turned to snarl at the room. He walked over to grab Gru by his hair. He yanked the man up to his unsteady feet.

“She is mine. I told you it would cost you your life, Gru.” Ral glared around the room. “Death to any man who tries to touch the woman I bound to.” Ariel almost collapsed when she watched Ral snap Gru’s neck. He just twisted it and she heard the pop sound. Ral threw Gru’s body down. He reached down and grabbed up the next man. That man whimpered.

“Please, Ral—”

Ral broke his neck. He threw him aside. Ariel shut her eyes fighting a sob. She heard two more pops. Both of the remaining men had begged for their lives. Ral hadn’t hesitated to kill them.

“She’s mine,” he roared.

Ariel’s eyes flew open when a hand gripped her. A bloody Ral was panting as he jerked on her hand. She stumbled after him when he didn’t give her a choice. He dragged her from the room, around the dead bodies of the men he’d fought, and down the corridor. He didn’t stop until he reached the bathroom. He yanked her inside. Two men occupied the room. Ral snarled at both of them.

“Out. Baras, guard the door.”

One of the men nodded, glancing at Ariel. “Are you all right, Ral?”

“I had to kill four men stupid enough to try to take my bound woman.” The man paled. “I will guard the door.”

“Appreciated,” Ral said softly.

He stared down at Ariel. She looked up at him fearfully. He frowned. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You killed all four of them.”

He softly growled at her. “I don’t know how things are on your planet but you aren’t there anymore, Ariel. If I did not kill them then I would have to fight to keep you every day. Would you prefer I let them take you? Do you know what they would have done with you? They would have bred you until they passed you to other men. You are little. You would not survive long. They would hurt you. You are mine. You and I are in love. Do you understand?”

She nodded. “I’ve just…” She fought tears. “It scared me and I’m not used to violence. I realize you had no choice and I appreciate that you did that for me. I really do. I’m just in shock.”

He sighed as his hold on her arm loosened. “I will wash. Remove your clothes. We wash together.”