Page 54 of Alien's Heart
Nox shoved him away, letting him stumble to his knees. Ruth shook her hand, hissing in pain.
Geral clutched his injured chin. “You’ll pay for this!”
It would be unsporting to kick an injured male, but Nox never cared much for being sporting.
He kicked Geral in the center of his back, sending the man forward in an uncontrolled fall. His face slammed against the ground. Nox pounced, keeping him down with a knee between his shoulders.
“Since you know who I am but you do not know enough to keep your fool mouth shut, I will have mercy. If you ever raise a hand against my mate again, I will remove it. If you speak ill of her, I will have your tongue. Do you see the direction this is going?” He lifted Geral’s head by the horn but did not wait for a response. He slammed the male’s face back into the ground. “I will cut away your offensive parts and rebuild you piece by piece. Do you see?”
Geral gurgled a response.
Nox jerked the male’s head up. “I did not hear you. Enunciate.”
“Yes! Yes. I think you broke my ribs.”
“Doubtful. There is a certain musical quality to a broken bone that your pathetic cries lack.” He released his hold. Geral’s face slammed into the ground again. The male blubbered and made threats. He tried to rear back and hit Nox with his horns, but the move was easily avoidable. While Nox took some satisfaction in seeing the arrogant male reduced to a bloody, bleating mess, the situation proved tedious.
“Nox,” Ruth said, her voice soft. He tore his eyes away from Geral. She pointed to something in the crowd. “We need to go. Now.”
Nox became aware of their surroundings. The music had ceased, and the crowd had turned its attention to them.
To him.
And Geral had said his name.
ChapterSeventeen
Nox
“Yes,you are correct. We must leave,” Nox said. He took Ruth’s hand, and the crowd parted around them.
When they were safely a street away and out of view of the town square, Nox examined Ruth’s hand. The knuckles were red.
She flexed her hand, working out stiffness. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Perhaps not, but the damage has already been done.”
“I mean, you drew attention. Everyone saw. Everyone heard.”
“My actions do not matter. The male had already announced my identity. Anyone who was not present to hear, he’d hand-deliver the message.”
She did not argue. They both knew it was only a matter of time before word of his location reached his uncle. He had to leave this place and Ruth.
Despair pierced through him. He did not want to go and he refused to ask Ruth to abandon her research to leave with him. He knew how important her work was, and he would not put her in an impossible position. No matter how much it pained him to leave her.
Still holding her hand, he headed toward the parked vehicle.
The truth of the matter was that if Nox remained, Ashen would see how deeply and completely Ruth had bewitched him and Ashen would not hesitate to use threats against her to control Nox.
And those heavy-handed threats would work. Now he would do anything his uncle asked. He would not hesitate if it meant Ruth’s continued well-being. She carried his heart, as black and shriveled as it was.
“You called me your mate,” she said once they reached the vehicle.
“You are. I will not deny it,” he said. “Your hand will bruise, but otherwise you appear without injuries.”
“But mates.”
“I have told you before.”
