Page 50 of Shielded Heart 1
“Shh,” he soothed. “You did what was necessary to keep us safe. You were very brave, little terran.”
Brave.
That word cut through her shock. Had she been brave? She remembered being terrified, being nearly paralyzed with fear—both for her own life and Alk’s.
Arcanthus, not Alkorin.
She hadn’t thought they’d escape alive. And when those aliens had reached the bottom of the stairwell and fired their weapons at him… She’d simply reacted.
“I was?” she asked, her fingers curling against his chest.
Arcanthus nodded. “You were. Bravery is not a lack of fear but actingdespitefear.” He grinned, flashing his fangs. “I am proud of you.”
The voice that always haunted her—calling her worthless and weak every moment of every day—fell silent for the first time in years.
“I have killed people. I told you I was a fighter before I came to Arthos, and that is true. I killed people then and I still do, from time to time, when they pose a threat to the safety of myself and my crew. And I do so without remorse.” His smile faded, and a hard, intense light entered his eyes. “I’m not a good person, Samantha…but I wouldneverharm you. Never.”
Samantha stared into his eyes. She believed him without having to think about it. Everything he’d done for her, each of his actions on her behalf, had been to keep her safe. James would never have admitted anything like this to her. He would never have revealed his true self, not like Arcanthus was doing now. James had always blamed his emotions, or drugs, orherfor his behavior. She didn’t think he was even capable of acknowledging his responsibility for his actions.
Arc was being honest about things he’d done and would do again. About what he wouldn’tdo.
“I believe you,” she said.
Relief softened his expression. “I wanted to tell you sooner, Samantha. I wanted nothing more than to hear my name from your lips, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t risk scaring you away. I couldn’t bear the thought of putting you in danger…but it happened anyway.”
Samantha still couldn’t quite understand what he saw in her, why he considered her worth these risks.
“Besides…killing, what else do you do?” she asked.
“I’m a forger and a hacker. I craft false identities and install them in identification chips so people can fool Consortium systems.” He grinned and tilted his chin up. “And I am the pinnacle of my craft.”
Despite everything, Samantha laughed; somehow, he made arrogance charming.
His tail slithered a little higher up her leg, its tip brushing the back of her knee through her pants. “I think that has become my favorite sound,” he said in a deep rumble.
He lowered his face, and Samantha stilled, eyes widening. His mouth stopped only centimeters from hers. His nearness, combined with his touch, his scent, and his heat, made it difficult for Sam to breathe, made it difficult for her to form a coherent thought. He overwhelmed her senses.
His eyes focused on her mouth. “I’ve decided to make it my goal to hear you laugh as often as possible, little terran. It drives me mad.”
He settled the weight of his body on top of her, and Samantha’s heart quickened when she felt the hard evidence of his desire through the fabric of his loincloth.
“Are there any other secrets you’ve kept?” she asked quickly, her cheeks flaming.
Arcanthus lifted his head slightly and cleared his throat. “I can’t be expected to revealallmy secrets…but there isone pertaining to you that I should share. Our first meeting wasn’t a chance occurrence.”
Samantha’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I was following you the day we met.”
“What?”
Arcanthus slid his thumb back to her lower lip andresumed lazily stroking it. “I’d been keeping track of the terrans immigrating to Arthos when I found your file. The moment I saw your image, I wanted you—neededyou. I had to find you, had to meet you. And when you stepped out of your apartment building and I had my first glimpse of you in the flesh, I knew you were the most beautiful thing I would ever see. So, I followed you.”
Her lips parted, but no sound emerged. This big, beautiful, dangerous, wicked sedhi wantedher. Hearing him say it with such vehemence was startling.
Though she was shocked by his revelation, she was also thankful. If he hadn’t been there that day, she could have died, could’ve been trampled under the feet of aliens who would never have given her a second thought. Sam didn’t want to think about what could’ve happened when that gang had accosted her.
She offered him a small smile. “I…guess I should be glad you were, even though thatisa little creepy.”
