Page 28 of Taming Chaos

“S-so it’s t-true. You Kordolians really are impervious to cold.”

“I suspect that once upon a time, we must have been light-dwelling creatures, but when our closest star died, the surface of my home planet froze over. Kythia is a cold, desolate place, and our bodies are built to thrive in such conditions.”

To her relief, Seph’s teeth stopped chattering. “I get the impression you don’t exactly miss the place.”

“I do not.”

“Not your scene?”

“Kordolians of the old Empire aren’t the most fun people to be around. I found the place terribly boring. No culture.”

“Do you have a favorite place in the Universe?”

“Earth,” Torin answered without hesitation. “One gets accustomed to the heat after a while. You humans don’t know how good you have it.”

Of course it had to be Earth. He’d obviously spent some time there. Torin’s stunning admission made Seph forget all about the bone-chilling temperature.

Through the layers of her clothing, she could feel his heat. As he slowly shifted and caressed her, she caught gentle impressions of bulging muscle and unwavering strength.

Seph closed her eyes, momentarily allowing herself to forget that she was stuck in a metal death-trap in cold, dark space.

If only we’d met somewhere else…

But one didn’t just meet Kordolians on Earth. Although the silver ones had definitely settled on her home planet, they were rarely seen in public.

“Something’s coming,” Torin said quietly, jolting Seph out of her thoughts. The dangerous edge in his voice was at odds with his gentle touch.

Seph tried and tried and tried, but she couldn’t hear a thing. The silence of true space was an unnerving thing indeed. “If you say so. Let me guess, you have super keen hearing as well?” Despite her sarcasm, a jolt of fear went through her.

She had absolutely no idea what was going to happen next.

Uncertainty was a killer.

“Seph, listen to me carefully now. The people who retrieve us are going to be dangerous. They will probably be guarded by soldiers or mercenaries. We will be in a hostile environment, outnumbered and outgunned. The only way you’re going to survive is if you place your absolute trust in me, no matter what happens.”

Why did that sound just a little bit ominous?

“That’s…” Seph didn’t find it easy to trust people, but Torin was saying all the right things. What the hell, he’d gone to great lengths to retrieve her from the Ephrenians. “I th-think I can do that.”

“Good. I’m guessing that my presence here will come as a great shock to them. At first, they won’t know how to handle me. They might try and attack, especially if we’re greatly outnumbered. If that happens, don’t worry. I’m not that easy to kill.”

“But I am.”

“The only way they’re getting their hands on you is over my dead body.” He removed his right hand from hers, his broad chest flexing as he reached for something.

The next thing Seph knew, she was curling her fingers around something hard and smooth.

“You were trying to get your hands on plasma guns, so here you are. You won’t find anything better than this in the Nine Galaxies.”

Seph stiffened. “Wait, you’re giving me your…”

“I’m not leaving you defenseless. Here. Let me show you how to use it.” He curled his big silver fingers around hers. “Just like any of your human-made guns, there is a trigger here, and a safety here. This blue light on the side is the charge. It will almost always be at full capacity. If you find yourself in danger and you’re forced to shoot, make sure there’s something hard and solid behind you, like a wall. Otherwise, you’ll be thrown flat on your back. I’ve been told that’s what happens to humans who fire our weapons.”

“Too much recoil?”

“Indeed.” His warm breath feathered her cheek, obliterating all remaining traces of the freezing cold. “Finally, if you’re in danger, you must pull the trigger no matter what, even if I’m within range of the blast.”

“You’re saying I should shoot you?” The idea of hitting Torin with the full force of a plasma blast absolutely terrified her, one, because she might hurt him, and two, because who the hell in their right minds would want to shoot a guy who could kill you in the blink of an eye?

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