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She loved the sound of her name when he said it. “To help you. There must be a way out of this.” Her concerns about Raymond seemed so insignificant. Elias’s life was on the line, and she’d do anything to get him out of this mess.

“It’s too risky. If the princess’s guards find you on the ship, they will arrest you.” His thumb grazed across her chin. “You have to go.”

“Not without you. She is wrong for forcing this on you.”

“I agree, but she has the power to do whatever she desires.”

“Then fight her. Don’t give up now. I don’t want you to die.” She felt tears in her eyes. Elias had given up. He had accepted his death.

The intensity in Elias’s gaze made her pulse race. “Neither do I, especially not now I’ve found you.”

“We will fight this together.”

“It’s not possible.” Elias stepped out of Hayley’s reach and paced around the room.

“I don’t believe that. There’s always another option.”

“There isn’t. You should go.”

“Not without you.” She grabbed his arm and held on tightly. “I can help.”

He shook his head. Indecision shone in his eyes. “No, this is not your problem.”

Hayley pulled him closer. She’d seen him behave like this before when he didn’t want to tell her something difficult. “What are you hiding from me?”

Elias glanced away and shook his head. “You can’t be involved with this. It’s too dangerous.”

“You let me decide how dangerous it is.”

He sighed and ran a hand down his face. “There is one way, but it’s a long shot, and it puts your life in danger. That makes it unacceptable.”

“What can be so dangerous? What do I have to do?”

Elias shook his head again before rolling his shoulders.

She stepped closer and stared up into his eyes. “Tell me. I’m not leaving here until you do.”

He stared into her eyes for so long, her insides warmed. She’d never felt this kind of electric tension with a guy before. She would never get tired of looking into those eyes. And she was not letting some alien princess have him.

“Tell me what I need to do. I will find that princess and beat it out of her if you don’t answer me.”

A small smile crossed Elias’s face. “Very well. We have a Retar protocol. It’s a way to challenge an individual’s claim over another. Female Retars use it when they both want a particular male.”

“I can claim you as my own?” Heat flared on Hayley’s cheeks. “Would that mean you’re mine?”

Elias’s smile was genuine as he looked at her. “It would. I’m not entirely clear how our laws stand when a human is involved, but if you challenge Princess Isolt and win, I will be yours. You would own me completely.”

The thought made Hayley’s head spin. Her feelings for Elias were strong. Were they strong enough to want him in her life forever? “I could get used to that idea.”

Elias curled his hand around her neck, sending warmth flooding through her. “No, you cannot do this.”

Her gaze went to his mouth. “You don’t want to be mine?”

He sucked in a breath. “More than anything. I don’t want a day to go by when I don’t see you or hear that laugh. I’d work as hard as I can to make you the happiest you’ve ever been.”

“Well, if that isn’t the loveliest thing anyone has ever said to me.” Hayley smiled up at him. “What do I have to do?”

Elias rested his forehead against hers. “You cannot make a claim for me.”