Page 21 of Alien Protector's Mate

She took a step without realizing it. His eyes flashed, his deep voice cutting through the air. “Don’t even think about running, boy. I’ll catch you before you make it ten steps.”

She froze, her heart lurching uncomfortably against the inside of her ribs. Then his words sank in, and her eyes widened slightly. He hadn’t realized she was female. He thought she was a boy. Her disguise was still working.

She fought to keep her voice low and gruff as she responded, watching him from under the rim of her cap in case he made a grab for her. “I wasn’t looking for trouble. They attacked me for no reason.”

The big alien watched her for a long moment. She resisted the urge to squirm under his scrutiny, keeping her body language as neutral as possible.

“I believe you,” he said finally, and a wave of relief washed over her. “It seems that little lot have been causing problems for a while.”

He looked away, breaking the grip his gaze had on her, and tapped what looked like a thick leather bracelet on his wrist. Then he spoke rapidly in a language she didn’t understand. She should run while he was distracted. Surely with the crush of the crowd his warning was a boast. She was fast. She’d be gone before he could catch her. But despite herself, she stayed, listening to him speak. If he was speaking Latharian, it sounded beautiful, the lyrical cadence familiar somehow. As if, if she listened to enough of it, she would be able to understand him.

As he spoke, she couldn’t tear her attention away from him. He towered over her, easily nearly seven feet tall with broad shoulders and a muscular frame under all that leather. But his face held her attention. Handsome in a rugged way, he had high cheekbones and a strong jaw with masses of almost blond hair falling around his shoulders.

She flicked a look down and had to suppress a wince. Vicious-looking scars crisscrossed his chest and abdomen. Had he been in some kind of accident? She knew the Lathar were warriors. He must have been in some kind of battle—a nasty one by the looks of it.

The warrior finished his conversation and turned his attention back to her. “I am S’aad V’Renn,” he said, his words tinted with a slight accent. “Come with me.”

Before she could react or argue, his large hand closed around her upper arm. His grip was firm but not painful as he began to lead her down the promenade. Panic flared in her chest. Shestruggled against his hold, her feet skidding on the smooth floor as she tried to dig them in. But it was light fighting a juggernaut.

“Wait!” she cried, wincing as her voice cracked. She cleared her throat and tried again, deeper this time. “Where are you taking me?”

He didn’t slow his pace as he glanced down.

“To the shuttle bay,” he replied. “I’m putting you on the next transport back to the surface.”

Her blood froze in her veins. She couldn’t go back.

“No!” She gasped, forgetting to disguise her voice in her panic. “Please, I can’t go back. I can’t!”

The big Lathar stopped so abruptly that she collided with him. She recoiled as if he’d burned her. Releasing her arm, he turned to face her, his expression suddenly serious.

“Listen to me, boy,” he said, his voice low and serious. “You cannot stay here. This place is not fit for a human alone. If you stay, youwillbecome someone’s victim. If not those young thugs, then a trafficker… or worse.”

She jerked her head back. Yeah, sure she had known there were dangers…

“But… I thought just human females were at risk.”

A bitter laugh escaped him.

“For the bedchamber and breeding, yes,” he said, his expression tight as he looked down at her. “But other species are more interested in humanity for other reasons.”

“What reasons?” she whispered, not entirely sure she wanted to know the answer.

His expression darkened. “Trust me. You don’t want to know.”

Silence fell between them, and she wrapped her arms around herself. Her mind raced. She couldn’t go back to Earth, but staying here seemed just as bad now. As she struggled to findwords, she looked up to find S’aad studying her intently, his head tilted slightly to one side.

“Can you read and write human languages?” he asked suddenly.

“Of course,” she replied, forgetting to deepen her voice for a moment. “I mean, yes, sir. I can.”

His expression was thoughtful as he folded his arms across his broad chest. She tried to ignore the way the movement pulled at his jacket, revealing more of his scarred, cobblestone abs. Then he nodded, as if coming to a decision.

“Very well,” he said. “I find myself in need of a lab assistant. The job is yours if you want it.”

She blinked. Yeah, no… she couldn’t have heard that right.

“A… a lab assistant?” she rasped. She was going to end up with a permanently sore throat at this rate. “Me?”

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