Page 63 of Nansar
Oh, hell no.
I sat up so fast that Nansar grunted in surprise, his arm falling away from my waist. "Out," I said, my voice cold enough to freeze fire.
The female blinked at me, clearly not expecting resistance from a mere human. "I was merely offering—"
"I know exactly what you were offering, and the answer is no. Now get out." I pointed at the door, my hand trembling with barely contained fury.
She had the audacity to look amused, one perfectly shaped eyebrow arching as if I'd just told a mildly entertaining joke. "The human has claws." She turned back to Nansar with renewed interest, her smile widening. "How delightful. The offer stands, warrior. When you tire of—"
"OUT!" I was on my feet now, stalking toward her like a woman possessed. I might have been smaller, might have been human, might have been from a different world entirely, but I'd had enough of this bitch and her wandering eyes and complete disregard for boundaries. Back on Earth, I'd kicked plenty of ass when the situation called for it, and right now, the situation was screaming for it.
My eyes landed on the woodpile stacked near the firepit. Without thinking, operating purely on instinct and rage, I grabbed a stick from the top—not large enough to do serious damage, but substantial enough to make my point crystal clear.
"I said OUT!" I swung the stick in a wide arc, not quite making contact but close enough that she had to step back quickly to avoid it, her eyes widening in genuine surprise.
"You dare—"
"Oh, I dare." I advanced another step, brandishing my makeshift weapon like a sword, my heart pounding in my ears. "And if you don't leave right now, you're going to find out exactly how much I dare."
Behind me, I heard Nansar make a sound that might have been a laugh, or maybe a groan, or possibly both.
The female's gaze darted between me and the stick, then back to Nansar, as if expecting him to intervene on her behalf and call off his crazy human. When he remained silent—watching with obvious amusement dancing in his eyes—her expression shifted from smug confidence to something closer to respect, or maybe just the self-preservation instinct kicking in.
"Very well," she said, her tone considerably cooler now, the honey gone from her voice. "I see the human is more... spirited than I assumed."
"You have no idea," I said through gritted teeth, gripping the stick hard enough that my knuckles had gone white. "Now move."
Something in my expression—probably the barely leashed violence simmering just beneath the surface—must have convinced her I was deadly serious. She raised her hands in mock surrender, that infuriating smile still playing at her lips like she'd won some private victory, and backed toward the door with measured steps. "As you wish. Enjoy your... spirited human, warrior."
The moment the door closed behind her, I heard it—a low, rumbling sound that made me spin around.
Nansar was laughing.
"It's not funny," I snapped, my heart racing with adrenaline, my entire body vibrating with the aftermath of confrontation.
"No?" His eyes were bright with amusement, practically glowing in the dim light, and despite the pain he had to be in, he was grinning like he'd just witnessed the most entertaining spectacle of his life. "You should have seen your face. I thought you were going to throw her through the wall."
"I considered it." I crossed my arms over my chest, still bristling. "And you just sat there enjoying the show!"
"What would you have had me do?" He shifted carefully on the sleeping platform, wincing slightly but never losing that infuriating smile. "Deny myself the pleasure of watching you defend what is yours?" His voice dropped lower, rougher. "You are magnificent when you're angry, Chloe."
Heat flooded my cheeks, but I refused to be distracted. I stalked back to him, jabbing a finger at his chest—carefully avoiding his injuries. "You're mine," I said passionately, the words tumbling out before I could stop them, raw and possessive and utterly shameless. "I don't care what their customs are or who thinks they can just waltz in here and offer themselves to you. You. Are. Mine."
The laughter faded from his eyes, replaced by something more intense—something that made my pulse thunder in my ears. "Yes," he said simply, his voice rough with emotion that sent shivers racing down my spine. "I am yours. Completely."
His hand came up to cup my face, thumb brushing across my cheekbone with devastating tenderness. "And you are mine."
The words sent a shiver through me, igniting something deep in my core that had nothing to do with anger and everything to do with desire. Before I could respond, he pulled me down to him, his mouth claiming mine with a hunger that made my knees weak and my thoughts scatter like leaves in a storm. I kissed him back just as fiercely, pouring all my fear and relief and possessiveness into it, tasting the promise on his lips.
When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, I became acutely aware of how close we were. How his hand had slid down to my waist, fingers splayed possessively across my hip. How my fingers were tangled in his thick platinum hair, the silken strands wrapped around my knuckles.
"Nansar," I whispered, my voice husky and breathless. "Your wounds—"
"Are healing." His other hand joined the first, both now spanning my waist, pulling me closer. "We Aljani heal fast. Much faster than humans."
"But—"
"You are my best medicine, Chloe." His eyes were bright blue-green, fixed on mine with an emotion that made heat pool low in my belly and spread through my limbs like liquid fire. "The only medicine I need."
