Page 17 of Shielded Heart

You’re beautiful, Samantha, and I find myself eager to be in your company.

Biting the inside of her lower lip, Samantha clutched the food container closer to her chest. There was nothing special about her. How could someone like him findherbeautiful? She was…

Worthless. Weak.

Samantha quickly silenced that voice, locking it in the depths of her mind.

Thankfully, she made it back to her apartment complex without trouble. She’d kept to the outskirts of the crowds, avoided open alleyways, and checked her surroundings frequently; she wouldn’t forget the lessons of the previous day.

She entered the building and took the elevator up to her floor, standing against the back wall and avoiding eye contact with the other passengers who came and went.

Once the elevator reached her destination, Sam slipped out. She crept to the corner of the elevator space, which was offset from the main hallway, took in a deep breath, and leaned forward to peek into the corridor.

Rakkob stood outside his apartment, speaking to an unfamiliar azhera.

Samantha straightened.

Damnit!

So much for making it home without incident.

Just need to move fast, ignore him, and get inside. I’m not going to let him ruin my day.

Wrapping her arms securely around the food box, Samantha slouched down, bowed her head, and turned the corner. She walked swiftly toward her apartment, keeping close to the wall.

“Little terran!” Rakkob boomed as she neared.

So much for hoping he wouldn’t notice me.

Grinning, he stepped away from the doorway of his apartment and approached her. He extended an arm and placed his hand against the wall in front of Sam as though to block her path. “Look here, Cida. Didn’t I tell you a pretty terran lived here?”

The azhera—Cida—turned and settled his orange eyes on Sam. He made a rumbling sound in his chest.

Samantha didn’t slow; she ducked beneath Rakkob’s arm and hurried to her door. Before she could raise her ID chip to the scanner, Rakkob caught her wrist in a vise-like grip. She released a startled breath and nearly dropped her food as he yanked her closer. A sweet, smoky scent wafted from him.

Rakkob leaned down until he was eye level with her. His grin was gone, having been replaced by a scowl. “It’s rude to ignore someone talking to you. Didn’t they teach you that where you come from?”

“Let me go,” Samantha said quietly.

He tightened his grip on her wrist; much more pressure, and her bones would snap. “I don’t think I will.”

Cida leaned closer and sniffed, his cat-like nostrils flaring. “She smells good beneath the stench of food.”

“Perhaps a taste, then?” Rakkob said, bringing her hand to his mouth.

Samantha smashed the box of food into his face. Rakkob released his hold on her and reeled back, throwing his hands up to grab the container. It was enough of an opening for Samantha to dash to the door, scan her ID chip, and get inside. She slapped the interior control and looked up to see Rakkob’s furious expression—with bits of food clinging to his face—as he lunged at her.

The door slid shut just before he could cross the threshold.

He slammed into the other side, producing a heavy, metallicclunk, and Samantha leapt away.

“You’ll pay for that, terranji’tas!” Rakkob yelled over Cida’s laughter.

Samantha stood, trembling, as the cren pounded the door—it felt like hours passed, but it couldn’t have been more than a minute before he gave up.

“What am I going to do now?” she asked herself quietly.

Rakkob was pissed, and he didn’t strike her as the kind to keep his hands to himself even when he was calm.

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