The door to the bathroom banged open and Nakan rushed into the room, claws and fangs bared. His gaze scanned the room, keen eyes missing nothing as he sought the source of the danger. “What is going on? An assassin?”
Kalinda struggled to catch her breath, fear and pain stealing air from her lungs. Instead of speaking, she simply pointed at the table.
Without hesitation, he strode to the table and flipped it over to reveal the hiding insect. The moment it was touched by light, it scurried away.
Nakan watched it go, eyes narrowed. “A soqeat? That is all?”
She took a deep breath and sought to steady herself. The guards lowered their weapons with deep chuckles.
“They are harmless, my kode.” Nakan bent and scooped the insect into his hands before carrying it to the window. “They eat other insects and secrete a fluid we use to tan animal hides.”
He set the insect on the window ledge and it quickly scurried outside until it disappeared from view.
Kalinda released a relieved sigh, a hint of embarrassment replacing the fear now that she knew the soqeat was harmless. Even if it had been grotesque and frightening. She’d always been afraid of bugs, even ordinary Earth spiders from home. An alien spider monster, harmless or not, was too much for her human mind. She stepped away from the wall and winced as movement caused the wound to burn. She pressed the fabric of her shirt to the wound, fighting to staunch any bleeding.
Nakan’s stare followed her arms to her hands and he grimaced when his eyes fell on her wound.
“You fools!” he bellowed and rushed to her, throwing her guards aside as if they were toys. One of them slammed into the wall while the other tumbled to the floor. “You have injured my kode. I will have your heads for this!”
He reached for one guard, claws bared and extended toward the guard’s throat. Her eyes went wide, and she grabbed his wrist, pulling against him with her puny strength.
“Stop it. I’m fine.” She tugged. “I promise I’m fine.” Another tug and then she lifted the hem of her shirt to check the wound. The statue’s spear was dull—merely decorative—and it hadn’t penetrated her deeply. The wound was little more than a scratch though she wouldn’t say no to a bandage to help slow the bleeding.
Nakan ceased his attempts to injure the guard, his attention now swinging to her wound. He knelt at her side while he carefully touched her flesh.
“Fetch a healer!” he barked at the guards and shot them both a dark glare. They made quick bows and murmured their assent before hurrying from the room. Nakan ignored them, his attention wholly on Kalinda and her wound.
“It’s fine. I swear. I just need a bandage.” She didn’t want anyone making a big deal over the small wound, especially after she’d already stirred up enough trouble with the insect. She certainly didn’t want the guards getting in trouble. They’d only been attempting to protect her.
“Sit.” Nakan guided her to the sofa. He forced her to sit and lean against its back. “I will attend to you, my kode. All will be well.”
His hands went to the hem of her shirt, lifting slightly, and his purpose smacked her in the face. He intended to strip her. Yeah, not happening. She slapped his hands away, anxious to get his roving hands elsewhere.
“Hold up! I’m not putting on a show here, buster.”
Chapter Six
Nakan hesitated and held his hands up in surrender. He did not understand her reaction. He only sought to tend her wound.
“Please, my kode.”
“Stop calling me that,” she snapped and tugged her tunic down to cover her abdomen once again. “I don’t need your help and I’m sure as hell not going to take off my shirt in front of you.”
Nakan frowned, eyes narrowed, and tipped his head to the side. He did not understand her unwillingness to disrobe so he could see to her injury. Ateran females wore far less clothing than the humans—many going nude as males often did—except when ritual clothing was necessary. Others wore light fabric when venturing outdoors, but only to protect their scales from the coarse sands carried by the punishing winds. When indoors and not performing their duties, there was little cause to cover one’s body.
The human’s obsession with constantly remaining clothed made little sense. They covered themselves daily but also wore far more than they should when bathed in the heat of the twin Ateran suns. Though he would admit there was something provocative about Kalinda’s covered form. Her beautiful graceful curves tempted him, but that desire was doubled by the way fabric clung to her body. The clothing teased him with hints of what lay beneath. The allusions of concealed flesh stirred his blood and stiffened his length hidden within his mating pouch.
Though now was not the time for such urges or thoughts. Not while his kode needed medical attention. He could fantasize about her naked body another time. Perhaps even see her unclothed himself if the goddess blessed him.
“I only seek to tend you.” He struggled to adopt a reassuring tone though he was not one to negotiate and cajole. He was a warlord. He issued orders and made demands. But, he reminded himself, she was his kode. Without understanding the cause of her upset, he could do nothing but offer to tend her as a caring mate should.
Kalinda crossed her arms over her large breasts and focused on the far wall of the space. “I’m fine.”
Nakan’s frown deepened. “No, you are not.” He reached for her shirt once more. “You still bleed.”
“I said no!” She slapped his hands away again. Did she seek to injure him? She could not. Her human strength was nothing compared to the warriors he sparred with during training.
He pulled back and shook his head. He wished he understood his kode better. That they were not so alien to each other. “Kalinda, you are my kode. It is my duty to tend to your needs. Particularly when you have been wounded.”
He did not add that guilt drove him as well. She had been injured while under his protection. He was to blame for her pain even if it had not been intentional.
“I don’t care about your duty.” Her glare intensified. “Just get me some bandages and I’ll handle it myself.”
“This is ridiculous.” He growled low and reached for her tunic. “I am your mate. Tending you is my duty, and my right.”
“Your right?” She jerked. “Your right? You think you have a right to take off my clothes?”
“That is not what I—”
“Yeah, I don’t want to hear it.” Kalinda rose and crossed the room, wincing with each jarring step while she pressed a hand to her wound.
“You are being foolish, my kode.” Nakan rose and crossed to her, but his mate dodged him and bolted, putting a table between them.
“And you’re being an ass.”
He reached across the table and she slapped his hand away once more. Nakan grumbled but was undeterred and attempted to capture her. Part of him knew his actions only acted to anger her further, but another was frustrated by her confusing behavior. Worry that her injury was worse than imagined refused to release him.
He darted around the small table and attempted to subdue her though she continued to fight him. Their struggles soon dissolved until they nearly wrestled, he to gain control and her to flee. At that point they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat.