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The three Ewanis still standing backed away, eyes darting about for an escape route. With a guttural snarl, I grabbed a fallen can and hurled it at them. It struck one in the chest, knocking the wind from his lungs.
While they were distracted, I seized the edge of a window and vaulted feet-first into the group. My boots smashed two of them in the face in rapid succession. They crumpled to the grimy deck, disoriented and moaning.
The last Ewani pulled a mini-blaster, the shaky movement of the muzzle betraying his fear before he turned to flee. I clamped one massive hand around the back of his filthy coat and swung him face-first into the alley wall. The metal denting under the impact before he slid to the ground limply. Pulling the weapon from his slack grip I spun, checking for any more enemies.
Silence descended on the passage, only the sound of my breathing remained.
The Ewanis were dead, the threat eliminated. Emma was safe.
I turned to check on her, bracing for her reaction. Would she see me as her savior? Or fear the brutal violence I was capable of, even in her defense? Her wide eyes gave no indication, seeming to stare through me in numb shock.
My shoulders slumped slightly. She saw the savage beast inside me unleashed.
I could only hope I hadn’t lost myself in her eyes forever.
EMMA
Istared in numb disbelief at the carnage surrounding me. Bodies littered the alley, some groaning in pain, others laying ominously still. My stomach churned at the grisly sight.
And at the center of it all stood Tazhr, chest heaving, fists and clothes splattered with blood. His eyes were wild, lost in some feral haze. I scarcely recognized him as the alluring lover who pleasured me just days before.
This was a beast unleashed. I awakened a monster.
Blind panic seized me. I turned and fled down the alleyway, sharp breaths tearing from my lungs. The pound of pursuing footsteps drove me faster. I darted around rusty bins and slippery piles of rubbish, desperate to escape the fearsome wrath bearing down upon me.
I careened around a corner into a narrow side passage. Dead end. Rough brick halted my flight, scraping my palms as I braced against it. Nowhere left to run.
An instant later, Tazhr’s solid form crashed into me, pinning me to the wall with the bulk of his body. I shuddered, anticipating cruel retribution for trying to escape him.
“Why were you out here?” he demanded, voice a harsh rasp. “What are you doing outside the compound?”
My teeth chattered as I stammered out an answer. “I-I was locked out. Missed curfew.”
His blazing eyes raked over me. “You’re shaking,” he accused. “Why?” His tone was suspicious, dangerous.
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself not to weep. “You scared me,” I confessed in a whisper. “Seeing you like that, I didn’t know you.”
He made a small, pained sound. I felt the press of his body ease slightly, though he still kept me pinned.
“Don’t run from me.” His lips grazed my ear, breath stirring my hair. “It only makes me want to chase you.”
Despite everything, desire kindled low in my belly at his closeness, his warm solidity enveloping me. I sagged back against him as his fingers trailed down my neck, gentle now.
“I would never hurt you, Emma,” he murmured, his lips so near. “Never.” He nuzzled into my hair, inhaling deeply. “You are mine to protect now.”
I trembled still, though now more from his intoxicating nearness than fear. “Tazhr,” I breathed, tilting my head back against his shoulder. An open invitation should he choose to accept it.
He made a small, hungry sound low in his throat. Then he spun me, his mouth falling on mine, devouring me in a searing kiss. My knees went weak, sensations overwhelming. I clung to him lest I melted completely.
When we finally broke for air, I gazed up at him dazedly. “Do you want me as much as I burn for you?” I asked boldly.
His eyes smoldered. “More than you could possibly know,” he rasped. “You fill my mind completely.”
Joy surged through me at this confirmation of our shared desire. I reached up to trace the alluring curve of his full lips. “Then why don’t you let me know.”
With a growl, Tazhr grasped my thighs, lifting me effortlessly. I wrapped my legs around his waist, lips finding his hungrily. Still trapped against the unforgiving brick, our bodies fused together.
My slender fingers urgently worked at the fastenings of his tunic, desperate to feel his bare skin against mine. I needed to erase any lingering barriers between us, physical or emotional.
