Alien Paladin's Redemption - Mina Carter Page 0,8

and delicate.

Ignoring the shiver that wanted to roll down his spine at the idea of cradling such a fragile creature close to him, he focused on her features. In keeping with the rest of her, they were small and finely boned, but her eyes captured his attention.

Dark like his own, where his had varying rings of color—almost black through blue to golden at the center—hers had just the one color. A warm, rich brown that was utterly fascinating but not as much as her pupils. They were round. Not vertical like his.

“You are not Lathar,” he murmured in surprise.

“By god, I think he finally figured it out.” Her eyebrow winged up and then she winked. “Someone get this man a prize!”

His jaw clenched at the taunt, and out of nowhere, the urge to put her over his knee and spank her like a wayward youngling hit him. Only the fact that laying hands on what was the war commander’s honored guest was a bad idea stopped him and he stepped back, looking to Danaar for confirmation.

“You are correct,” the war commander confirmed, a small smile playing on his lips behind the short beard. “Both Lady Madison and Lady Indra are human, a variant of Lathar long since thought lost. Their planet was discovered recently and is under the emperor’s protection. We also have other human females on board, and I would advise you to treat them all with respect.”

Indra... her name was Indra. That nugget of information was the first to process and then he blinked. Human, a variant of Lathar. Looking at the females again, he bowed. “At your service, your ladyships.”

“Oh, he’s formal. Can we keep him?” Indra chuckled. “I know some of you Lathar have sticks up your asses but this one is something else.”

“The S’Vaan are a traditionalist clan,” Danaar commented but Nyek’s temper was too high to allow the comment to pass.

“Nyek,” he ground out, unable to stop the burr of irritation in his voice. Reaching up, he flicked his hair back over his shoulders. “My name is Nyek, not ‘him.’”

“Whatever you say, handsome.”

Danaar cleared his throat, shooting the female a warning glare that would have sent many a younger warrior scuttling for safety. Nyek held his place, sure the female would capitulate and apologize as she should. Instead, though, she wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out.

At the war commander. On his own command deck.

Nyek couldn’t think of a thing to say. He was frozen in place, but not with fear or horrified fascination at what would happen to the female after a blatant display of disregard. Instead, he fought his own body, that brief flash of her delicate pink tongue sending fire and heat through his veins like a solar storm.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself not to react, thinking of anything mundane he could to get his erection, pressing uncomfortably against the tight leather of his pants to go down. All it would take was for someone to look down and realize she’d affected him. More than he wanted.

Anger swamped him that she could call such a reaction forth when he didn’t even like her. Waspish little female.

His gaze caught that of the war commander and for a moment his heart stalled at the black look in the male’s eyes. Had he realized how Nyek had reacted? And had he taken offense that he unwillingly found the female alluring? It was to be expected, though. None of them had seen a female of their species for decades, and he had made no move or comment toward her...

Then Danaar’s gaze flicked to his wrists and he realized. His scars.

“Ladies,” Danaar growled, “if you will excuse us, the sub-commander and I have things to discuss.”

Commander... he wasn’t a commander. Not daring to correct Danaar, Nyek simply watched as Lady Madison nodded and lifted on her tiptoes to brush a kiss against his cheek. “Okay, love, have fun. Indra and I promised to spend some time with the girls anyway. See you later.”

Nyek bowed again as the two females swept out, straightening up to find all the humor had fled from Danaar’s face.

“Follow me,” he ordered, stalking off toward the conference room at the back of the command deck.

“Out!” he barked at the two guards on duty, and they fell over themselves to get out the door, practically shoulder-barging each other in their haste.

Nyek said nothing. He simply walked through the door and stood, hands clasped behind his back. This was the kind of