Read Online Protected: Alien Mate Index Book 2: (Alien Warrior BBW Paranormal Science fiction Romance) (The Alien Mate Index) by Evangeline Anderson - Free Book Online
Authors: Evangeline Anderson
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was suddenly dry.
“Dealt with…how?”
He shrugged. “Put out of commission. I need to make sure he can’t hurt you again. Not won’t— can’t,” he emphasized.
“You…you mean…” I had to lick my lips before I could continue and I winced as my tongue ran over my wounded bottom lip. “You mean you want to kill him?” I asked at last.
Grav shrugged again as if it was no big deal.
“If you want me to, I got no problem with that.”
“No, no!” I put up a hand as if to stop him, though he was still just standing there. “No, you can’t do that! He’s horrible and controlling and abusive but you can’t just kill him.”
“Okay.” The big alien appeared to consider the options. “There are other ways. I can break his spine.”
“What?” This was sounding more and more gruesome. My big protector suddenly seemed more like a mob hit-man than the sweet teddy-bear of a guy who had held me so gently after my awful shower experience.
“Or I can just break his arms or his legs. Or both if you want,” Grav offered as though it was no big deal. “There are plenty of ways to do permanent damage—ways that he’ll be in too much pain to ever lift a hand to you again.”
“You…you’re talking about maiming or disabling him permanently?” I asked, my voice a dry whisper.
“Maiming—that’s an idea,” he said, nodding thoughtfully. “I can cut off both his hands, if you want. Do your people have the tech to grow back a major limb?”
“No,” I said, feeling sick. “No, we don’t.”
He nodded. “Maiming it is.”
“Wait—no! I didn’t meant I wanted you to maim him!” I protested. “Can’t you just, I don’t know— scare him into leaving me alone?”
“Scare him?” He frowned. “I punched him out and he still popped up mouthing off. A male like that won’t scare easy, Leah. And unfortunately, I won’t be here to watch over you forever—this is a temporary assignment. That’s why I haven’t given you my oath.”
“Your oath?” I asked, shaking my head.
“A Protector’s word is his bond,” Grav said seriously. “If I swore my oath to you, to never leave you and protect you forever, then we could get away with just scaring your mate. But that would mean I would have to stay with you, by your side, until one of us died. Do you understand?”
He looked so serious I felt my heart squeeze in my chest.
“I, uh, understand you’re not up for that kind of, um, long term commitment,” I stammered at last. “But you still can’t go back down to Earth and kill my husband. No matter how much he deserves it.” I had a sudden thought. “And I bet you could scare him into staying away from me. He hasn’t seen you like this—the way you truly are, I mean.”
“Right.” Grav gave a short, barking laugh. “I forgot you Earthlings have never met anyone outside your own species. And I am one ugly son-of-a-bitch. Maybe I could scare him into submission at that.”
“You’re not ugly,” I said, frowning. “You’re…different. And different is good.”
Grav laughed again. “It’s all right, darlin’—I don’t mind not being the prettiest one at the ball. Ugly’s good in the Protection game. All right.” He sighed. “I’ll take you back to Earth and we’ll have a sit down with your mate. I’ll give him a good talking to.” His black-on-white eyes flashed for a moment. “But I warn you, if he doesn’t seem willing to leave you alone, I’m gonna have to break something. Maybe not his spine but at least his arms.”
His big hand reached up and brushed against my bruised cheekbone—the touch as light as a butterfly’s wings.
“It’s the very least he deserves after what he did to you,” he rumbled.
My heart skittered in my chest. How could he talk about doing such violence and yet touch me so gently?
“Fair enough,” I said. I’m not a violent person but I did think that Gerald deserved some kind of punishment, not just for the way he’d
“Dealt with…how?”
He shrugged. “Put out of commission. I need to make sure he can’t hurt you again. Not won’t— can’t,” he emphasized.
“You…you mean…” I had to lick my lips before I could continue and I winced as my tongue ran over my wounded bottom lip. “You mean you want to kill him?” I asked at last.
Grav shrugged again as if it was no big deal.
“If you want me to, I got no problem with that.”
“No, no!” I put up a hand as if to stop him, though he was still just standing there. “No, you can’t do that! He’s horrible and controlling and abusive but you can’t just kill him.”
“Okay.” The big alien appeared to consider the options. “There are other ways. I can break his spine.”
“What?” This was sounding more and more gruesome. My big protector suddenly seemed more like a mob hit-man than the sweet teddy-bear of a guy who had held me so gently after my awful shower experience.
“Or I can just break his arms or his legs. Or both if you want,” Grav offered as though it was no big deal. “There are plenty of ways to do permanent damage—ways that he’ll be in too much pain to ever lift a hand to you again.”
“You…you’re talking about maiming or disabling him permanently?” I asked, my voice a dry whisper.
“Maiming—that’s an idea,” he said, nodding thoughtfully. “I can cut off both his hands, if you want. Do your people have the tech to grow back a major limb?”
“No,” I said, feeling sick. “No, we don’t.”
He nodded. “Maiming it is.”
“Wait—no! I didn’t meant I wanted you to maim him!” I protested. “Can’t you just, I don’t know— scare him into leaving me alone?”
“Scare him?” He frowned. “I punched him out and he still popped up mouthing off. A male like that won’t scare easy, Leah. And unfortunately, I won’t be here to watch over you forever—this is a temporary assignment. That’s why I haven’t given you my oath.”
“Your oath?” I asked, shaking my head.
“A Protector’s word is his bond,” Grav said seriously. “If I swore my oath to you, to never leave you and protect you forever, then we could get away with just scaring your mate. But that would mean I would have to stay with you, by your side, until one of us died. Do you understand?”
He looked so serious I felt my heart squeeze in my chest.
“I, uh, understand you’re not up for that kind of, um, long term commitment,” I stammered at last. “But you still can’t go back down to Earth and kill my husband. No matter how much he deserves it.” I had a sudden thought. “And I bet you could scare him into staying away from me. He hasn’t seen you like this—the way you truly are, I mean.”
“Right.” Grav gave a short, barking laugh. “I forgot you Earthlings have never met anyone outside your own species. And I am one ugly son-of-a-bitch. Maybe I could scare him into submission at that.”
“You’re not ugly,” I said, frowning. “You’re…different. And different is good.”
Grav laughed again. “It’s all right, darlin’—I don’t mind not being the prettiest one at the ball. Ugly’s good in the Protection game. All right.” He sighed. “I’ll take you back to Earth and we’ll have a sit down with your mate. I’ll give him a good talking to.” His black-on-white eyes flashed for a moment. “But I warn you, if he doesn’t seem willing to leave you alone, I’m gonna have to break something. Maybe not his spine but at least his arms.”
His big hand reached up and brushed against my bruised cheekbone—the touch as light as a butterfly’s wings.
“It’s the very least he deserves after what he did to you,” he rumbled.
My heart skittered in my chest. How could he talk about doing such violence and yet touch me so gently?
“Fair enough,” I said. I’m not a violent person but I did think that Gerald deserved some kind of punishment, not just for the way he’d
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