Page 3 of His Little Garnet

“Sure.” John exits through the other side of the room.

Janie is talking again, nervously. “You think it’s broken, Livy?”

I nod. “It’s definitely broken.” I sigh. “So much for starting my new job on Monday. I’ll be a patient at that hospital instead of a nurse.” I’m trying to sound light, but damn this hurts.

The guy in front of me lifts his gaze from the arm I’m cradling to my face. “I’m Zack, the manager.” He turns toward the bartender. I don’t know his name. “Can you see if Chadka would mind coming to take a look?”

The bartender nods and disappears through that noise-inducing door.

“Who’s Chadka?” Janie asks.

“One of the Eleadian guests. He’s a doctor.”

“Oh.” Janie flinches.

I roll my eyes. Great. Now she’ll probably end up taking off with the Eleadian man, and I’ll never see her again.

John returns with an ice pack and hands it to me. “You’re a nurse?” he asks.

“Yes,” Janie tells him. “We just finished our last class today.”

I wince as I set the ice along my arm. It hurts. I don’t really want to touch it, but I know it’s necessary. I close my eyes and force several deep breaths. I’m in a lot of pain, but my brain is running ahead of me. This really is inconvenient. I’m not looking forward to telling my new nursing supervisor that I’ve broken my arm two days before my first shift.

The door that faces the less noisy side of the room opens a moment later, and a man ducks to step into the room. He meets my gaze as the door closes behind him.

I suck in a breath. Jesus. He’s…what is he? I know he sucks the air out of the room, making it difficult to breathe. He doesn’t move for long moments, his gaze locked on mine, his piercing eyes a gorgeous shade of green. He’s so damn big. It’s just odd to see a human who stands over seven feet and is proportionately built.

Of course, this isn’t a human. He’s Eleadian. But there’s nothing obviously different between our species except his size. It’s imposing. I have the sensation he could kill everyone in the room with one hand, without breaking a sweat, if he wanted to.

But that’s not on his agenda. He’s got kind eyes. A gentle soul. I know all of this before he approaches or says a word.

It’s not until Janie gasps at my side that I shake myself out of my weird stupor and remember where I am.

“Everyone out,” he commands.

A tremor runs down my spine at his words and the tone of his voice. Demanding but not angry. Just…authoritative. I remember his name is Chadka. That’s what Zack called him.

Janie flinches again. “I’d rather stay. She’s my friend.”

Zack pushes to standing. He’s a big guy too, but not nearly as big as this newcomer. After all, he’s human. More like six-five. He clears his throat and addresses Chadka. “We can call an ambulance, or I can take her to the hospital myself. I thought it might be helpful if you assessed her injury first.”

Chadka finally drags his gaze from me as if it’s a hardship. His head turns toward Zack long before his eyes shift that way. “I’ll go over her options with her after I examine her. I need everyone to step out of the room, please.” His voice isn’t quite as sharp this time as if he’s intentionally trying to temper himself.

Janie sets her hand on my shoulder. “Livy?”

I tip my head back to look up at her. “It’s okay. Just wait outside a moment. I need to think.” I’m not sure what I need to think about, but I need…oxygen. The newcomer is using it all, and if there were less people in the room…

That makes no sense at all, but it’s seemingly true.

Janie gives my shoulder a squeeze. “My offer still stands,” she jokes.

I chuckle. I probably shouldn’t. This isn’t funny. But I need a fraction of humor in this mess. Janie reminding me she offered to run away with an Eleadian male if one should approach me lightens my mood.

She walks slowly toward the door, skirting around the tallest man I’ve ever seen. She hesitates at the last second. “She’s…” She swallows, her head tipping back and back and back. “She’s my friend.”

Chadka nods at her and holds the door open. Zack’s brow is furrowed as he follows Janie out. Thank goodness they step out the less noisy door. Why is that music bothering me so much? I can feel the beat from inside this room, but I sure don’t want to hear it anymore.

I flinch when Chadka locks the door. I’m not scared. I’m petrified. Not because I think he will hurt me. I instinctively know he won’t. No. He won’t harm me in anyway. But he’s going to destroy me. I know it deep in my soul.

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