Now I rolled my eyes. “Earth women do.”
“Then it is good that I will take you off this planet. Your men are idiots.”
How could I argue with that?
The warden had stepped away, but she returned with a small wand that looked like my television remote control with a glowing blue coil extending from the top. She held it above the wound in my thigh and I sighed as it felt like light was entering my body, warm and comforting and perfect. I felt no more pain there, and looked down to discover my skin, though still covered in blood, was now completely closed.
“Oh, my God. That’s amazing.”
She smiled and moved to my shoulder, the relief almost instant. “Do you forgive me for not injecting you with anesthetic?”
“Yes.” The word was a groan as I stopped hurting. I laid my head down on the table with a deep sigh. God, that felt good.
I should have let go of Nial’s hand then
, but I wasn’t ready. Not yet. I just wanted to float for a minute and not think about the cartel, Clyde, or the Hive things hunting me. I just wanted to feel good and indulge in the warm strength of Nial’s touch. Besides being free of pain, his touch felt… comforting.
But I never was good at getting what I wanted and my mind, freed of the distraction of being shot, kicked back into high gear. I had things to do. My short respite was over.
I had to get the latest batch of photos to my contacts on the police force and in the media. I had to finish what I’d started. Clyde’s death would be discovered soon. I wanted to make sure the media frenzy wasn’t wasted.
“I need to get my camera.” I tried to sit up, but the room spun and my hand held tight to Nial’s as I used him to keep from falling off the table.
“The strange black box that hung from your neck?” Nial asked.
“Yes.” I tried to sit up again but a large hand settled on my chest at the base of my neck, holding me down. I lifted both hands to shove Nial’s hot palm off my sensitive skin, but he didn’t budge and I ended up holding onto him instead.
Frustrated, I looked up into his completely impassive face. The strength and confidence I saw in his expression made me shiver as I was forced to plead with him for permission to get up. “I left it in the car. I have to get it. It’s important.”
He looked down at me and the warmth was back in his gaze. Perhaps because I wasn’t fighting him anymore, but clinging to him. “I will have Ander bring it inside when he arrives.”
Ander. My second, whatever the hell that was. I’d forgotten about him.
“When will that be?” I shook my head and shoved at Nial’s hand again. “I need it. Someone could steal it. I have to get it now.”
“You will not leave the safety of this building, mate. You need to rest for transport.”
“What?” Transport? No. No. No. “I’m not going anywhere.”
His eyes narrowed. “You are my mate. You will go where I command.”
I choked on my laughter, and the sound wasn’t happy. I could hear my hurt, my disappointment behind the fragile sound. “No, I won’t. You had your chance and you rejected me. That means I’m free. My part of the bride contract was fulfilled. My obligation is over. I’m not yours anymore. You gave me up.”
His eyes narrowed even further and I could see that he did not like to be denied. I could sense his anger and frustration, but did not feel a bit of it in his touch.
“I care not for your Earthen contracts, female. You are mine, my match. My father denied you transport. I had nothing to do with it and was, in fact, enraged when I discovered what he had done. Nothing has changed except that I was forced to come here to retrieve you. Let me be clear. You were not rejected. I will not give you up. You are mine.”
I sucked in more air to argue, but Warden Egara, who’d been fidgeting uncomfortably at my bedside, held her hands up in the air. “I’ll go out to the car and get the camera. No one will think a thing of it. It’s my car.”
Happy to ignore this very intense version of Nial, I turned to her. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” She turned and left the room, the large sliding door closing with a soft swooshing sound behind her.
I celebrated that small victory for about five seconds. That was when I realized I was nearly naked, and completely alone with an alien warrior who believed—very, very seriously—that I belonged to him.
Chapter Seven
Nial