Page 25 of The Alien Warrior's Heart

Zar huffed and pinched the bridge of his nose. The alien remained like that for a long second as if contemplating what he should do with her. At last, he dropped his hands, strode toward her and swept her up in his arms again.

Simone collided with his sweaty chest. He smelled like blood and stardust. Like something magical and menacing all at once.

She pushed against him, protesting loudly. “Put me down.”

He ignored her.

“I know you hear me, Zar.” She struggled, but not wildly. Simone wasn’t really angry at him. She trusted him. She did. And that was what frightened her.

I can’t rely on anyone but myself.

If she forgot that for a second, she would lose everything.

Just like she had so many years ago.

Ten

Zar

Hadhe ever met a more exasperating creature?

Zar wrapped his arms tightly around Si-Moon as he lifted his full-sized zapten into the air. The Rulari guards had been slayed, but there were more troops marching into the territory. He could hear their armor rattling and their ships whooshing into nearby fields.

The Rulari were not known for their subtlety in battle. They weren’t particularly strong either, but those swords could do a lot of damage to a fragile human female.

Although, the way this woman acts, one would think she’s made of steel.

A memory of Si-Moon bursting from behind a tree, sword lifted and plump lips open in a roar flashed through his mind. Zar’s irritation burned anew.

Danger lurked all around them and yet this fragile human with only one thin layer of skin thought she could eradicate their enemies on her own strength? She could have gotten herself killed out there!

One stray bullet.

Just one.

A well-placed shot to her head. Or her heras. Or anywhere.

She could have gotten hurt.

And then where would he be?

The more Zar thought about it, the more his teeth clenched. Fury and fear swept a whirlwind through his body and tore through his insides the way he’d shredded the Rulari.

Si-Moon snapped. “Iz huttin me!”

He scowled at her.

Her dark fingers pried at his arms as if trying to peel him off. “Zar!”

“You might fall,” he growled.

He knew she did not understand him and yet her eyes narrowed as if she were calling him out for his lies.

He relaxed his hold on Si-Moon and tried to breathe.

The truth was, Zar was frightened. The thought of losing Si-Moon because of her outrageous bravery made him want to hug her tight and keep flying forever.

Touching down meant running into his enemies. It meant facing wave after wave of Rulari guards. It meant possibly being dragged back to the Heronas prison to finish whatever twisted experiment his enemies had planned for him.