“How long until we land?” I ask.
“Eight minutes.”
I can tolerate eight minutes before landing gives me an excuse to get away from Menace. Unbuckling my harness, I reluctantly get up and walk down the main hall to the room Menace has entered. The door doesn’t open when I approach, so I knock.
“Menace?”
“What?” comes his muffled reply.
I hang my head and drag the words out. “Can we talk?”
He’s quiet for several moments. The door slides open. Menace walks back to the bed and sits on its edge. I enter and cautiously join him.
It’s unusual to see him sit on something so civilized when, just a short time ago, I watched him rip out the throat of a Quris clone with his teeth.
Menace won’t look at me or speak. I check him to see if he’s hiding an injury or another physical indication of what’s upsetting him. But I can’t figure it out. Unable to take the silence without even a glance from him, I rest a hand on his arm. “Hey.”
He inhales deeply, the breath lifting his shoulders. Menace pulls my hand across his body, and leverages me into his lap. Menace still doesn’t speak or look at me. He simply gathers me inside his arms and curls himself around me. I don’t fight him because I don’t have a reason to.
As Menace corrals my head against his shoulder, I sense his upset has something to do with me.
“Talk to me,” I whisper. “Tell me what’s wrong. Maybe we can fix it.”
Menace shakes his head and pulls me tighter against him. “I couldn’t save her. I almost couldn’t save you.”
“It’s not your fault,” I offer.
His whole body tenses. Menace growls, “It is my duty! Protecting humans is my purpose! If I can’t do that, what use am I?”
I cringe and tuck myself into a ball, knowing he could easily crush me if he lost control.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Sefi,” he rasps, slowly relaxing. “I just don’t know how to cope with repeated failure.”
“You didn’t fail. I’m right here.”
Menace finally meets my gaze. “I know, but—”
I can’t stay mad at him for long. He’s not Menace because he’s evil. He is what he is because of people who hurt him in terrible ways when he was vulnerable and impressionable. I no longer want to give him a chance to doubt himself, so I grab his face and kiss him.
Menace inhales sharply and digs his fingers into me as he draws me close. His mouth meets mine with hunger, and he breathes me in like I am his lifeline.
Menace’s brows knit in an expression most would call angry. Now I’m certain it’s pain, desperation, guilt, and momentary relief all rolled into one.
“Sefi,” he whispers to my mouth. “I don’t know what all happened to you since you were taken from Earth Minor, but I want—need you to know I will never hurt you on purpose. Do you believe me? I know it counters who I am on the outside, but I wasn’t always this way. And stars know I tried to save Mintaka like everyone. I always try.”
“After what Quris put you through and how you still tried to protect me, I believe you. And I’d be a total bitch if I blamed you.”
“Trying isn’t enough. I must succeed.”
“You did.” When he doesn’t respond, I find his mouth with mine again. “I’m here. And I don’t ever want you dragging yourself out of a cave with one arm over me. That was a past life. I want us to be a team. No more secrets.”
His breath mixes with mine, the scent changing to something more musky and metallic. “I respected your mother. I didn’t…didn’twanther for myself. Not like I want you.”
The idea makes my core tense, and my pussy slicks with anticipation.
“But I will willingly give my life if that’s what it takes to protect you. You can’t change that,” he clarifies.
I take his bottom lip between my teeth and pull until it slips from my grip. “Then I’ll just have to keep making sure you don’t sacrifice this sexy beast you’ve become. Because I need you, too.”
