Page 23 of Taming Chaos

Torin raised his eyebrows, a look of consternation crossing his handsome features. “Yes, that’s true. This cursed body of mine can survive all sorts of things, but you can’t, and I’m not leaving your side.”

It occurred to her that his hand was still on her back, his muscular arm curving around her right side, almost embracing her, but not quite.

A wicked little shiver coursed through her, because deep down, she couldn’t deny that he was magnificent.

Seph stared at the Kordolian in shock, noting the appealing curve of his lips, the sharp points of his ears, the wicked curves of his snow-white brows. His features screamed predator, but right now his expression was earnest, contrite, and almost… cute.

Seph didn’t bat his arm away. She didn’t recoil from his touch. She didn’t argue with him, and that was unusual, because she usually found a reason to argue with everyone.

This time, she just nodded. “Okay.”

There was nothing else to do. The Universe was against her, and her only sliver of hope came in the form of a silver alien named Torin, who was stirring some very strange emotions within her.

Although it wasn’t her primary area of expertise, she’d studied a little bit about Kordolian culture. She thought she had a fair idea of what the former Rulers of the Universe were all about, but this man was nothing like what the textbooks described.

Well, he was as vicious as they came, but she hadn’t expected him to be so damn nice, too.

Chapter Five

Torin was at war with himself.

If he were to distill the situation down to its most basic elements, he would say he was trapped inside a box with a dead Ephrenian and a spectacular human.

And unfortunately, she was still afraid of him.

He got it. He’d killed an Ephrenian right before her very eyes, and she’d seen everything.

What was he supposed to have done? The fools had tried to attack him from behind, one lunging for the fallen plasma gun on the floor while the other tried to distract him.

As always, Torin’s body had moved of its own volition, and before he realized it, his blade had pierced the Ephrenian’s neck.

What was it the military grunts said behind their backs?

Got a death-wish? There isn’t a surer way to die than to try and sneak up on a First Division warrior.

Now the alien’s body lay in the corner, cold and lifeless. He wished he could place it out in the corridor for the Ephrenians to collect, but they controlled the automated doors, and Torin didn’t dare mess with the controls or cut through the metal.

He couldn’t risk an oxygen leak. She wouldn’t survive if the cabin air went bad.

Kaiin’s Hells!

This whole situation was infuriating.

Seeing the fear on Persephone’s face, he’d allowed the other Ephrenian to escape. It went against all his training, but Torin had been in enough battles to know when he could make the call, and he’d decided then and there that her welfare was more important than teaching the foolish guard a lesson.

As he studied her face now, he realized it had been the right thing to do.

The stark terror melted from her eyes, replaced by a quiet wariness. He could sense the intelligence lurking there, and he wondered what she really thought of him.

“Hold still,” he said quietly, taking the edge of her voluminous cloak between his fingers. “May I?”

She nodded, going very still.

“Just need to get it off before it dries.” Torin lifted the fabric to her face and began to gently wipe away the Ephrenian blood splattered across her cheek and the bridge of her nose.

Thank the Goddess it hadn’t gone near her lips or in her eyes. It had stained her cloak too, but there was nothing he could do about that. At least her cloak was black, so the bloodstains wouldn’t show.

This was his mess. It was only fitting that he should be the one to clean it up.

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