Page 4 of Guarded By an Alien Hunter

“I am Vander, the Hunter that was hired for you by Spartan Shield,” I say, using the local variation of human speak due to the universal translator than was implanted in my brain before I was assigned to this planet. “Can I come inside?”

She moves back.

I brush past and shut the door behind us and lock it. “I'm going to change all the locks tonight, before I fall asleep, everything will be changed and armed.”

“Are you sure that’s necessary?”

“Yes, it is.”

She shifts on her feet and reaches up to finger a strand of brown hair. “I'm Katie Roberts.”

“I know.” I worry for a moment that she is not fully aware of her surroundings, considering she’s already told me her name. And then my eyes travel down her features and her form and back up to her face. I find myself eyeing her more than usual. Her form is highly enticing. Her bare legs are shapely and her eyes sparkle with… And then I turn away and begin scanning the inside of her domicile, forcing myself to remain professional.

I know from my research that this female is not mated and has not yet started a family line. But I’m not here to find a pleasure mate, or even a mate. I’ve never been interested in a client and behaved in a way that would mar my record or the record of my family line. And I will not begin today. I am here to do a job and I will do that to the best of my abilities.

I move to stand in front of the large windows that provides a view of the street and also out to the ocean beneath. This is also a perfect position for a sniper to take a shot.

The sexy female stands next to me. “What planet are you from?”

Her voice is pleasing to my ears and her luscious scent reenters my lungs. This time I feel not only the basic imprinting of a hunter and the object of his protection, but also an unusual heat in my veins. This is not good. “Zagwe,” I say, knowing she has absolutely no idea where that is.

“Hmm. That sounds far away.”

“It is.” I turn toward her. “I was told that you are in the midst of jury duty and have received death threats. I will be here all day and all night, every day during the rest of this trial. We shall be locked together in the manner of my species.”

“You’re serious about moving in here with me during the trial?”

“It is the best way to keep you safe. I am a Hunter and that means the others are my prey, and you I protect.” And I don't tell her this, but I can feel an inordinate amount of need to protect this one particular female.

She exhales. “I did my best to clean up.”

I nod.

“Oh, I was cooking too. I have dinner in the slow cooker. All I need to do is make rice.”

“Show me the inside of your home.”

“You’re not very talkative, are you?”

“I am here to work, not to make friends. I will make sure that by the time this is over, you are perfectly healthy and alive. I'm not here to interfere in your life, or like I said, for us to be friends.”

“Don't you need to eat?”

“I have nutrition bars if necessary.”

“Can you eat the human food I make?”

“Yes, in fact I like human food,” I admit. “But it is not necessary to feed me. I can find my own nutrition.”

“Well, wouldn’t it be rude of me to make food for myself and ignore you?”

I shrug, because most of my clients do not bother to monitor my food intake.

Then she shows me the inside of her home. “As you can see, my house is small. I’m the only one who lives here and I don’t even have a pet. I had a roommate, but she recently moved out and took the cat with her so I’m all alone. This is the kitchen and dining area, and this is the living area, and…” She points to a back door. “Out that way is a porch, and I have a tiny little backyard. It's really nothing.”

“I have seen the outside already.”

She looks at me startled. “You have?”

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