humor. “I had planned to kill you quickly.” He ran the tip of one of his claws down the male’s right cheek, leaving a grove of red on his skin. “But you insulted my gerel.” He decorated the male’s left cheek also. “Prepare for pain. You will feel it. Intensely.”
Lea was his gerel, was now an extension of himself.
She deserved deference.
The male screamed as Tolui vented his rage. No one would ever disrespect her again.
He would ensure that.
Chapter Nine
Tolui would return to her. He had vowed to do that, and he wasn’t the type of being to lie.
Lea reminded herself of that reality as she fastened strips of leather to a waistband. Her Warlord wouldn’t think to bend the truth. He stated his intentions bluntly.
During their fucks, he told her what he would do to her and then he did it. She squeezed her inner thighs together, the need for his rough touch building. They’d been apart for less than two shifts and she longed to see his scarred face, to press her slender curves against his hard muscle.
The ass coverings she was constructing was meant for him. He was a Warlord, a male without equal. And he deserved garments reflecting that status.
She poured all her creativity, her skill, into the project, piercing through the two pieces of leather with a fastening tool. It had been tucked into one of her pockets when she arrived on the planet. That was the only reason she retained it.
A sigh escaped her lips. She’d lost so much. Losing Tolui would hurt. Badly.
But he had a sector to conquer, warriors to lead. He had never hidden that he would leave her. She was a fool to expect any different action from him.
A small part of her hoped he would fall in love with Chamele 4, would be content with claiming it, would stay with her. “This is the best planet.” She didn’t want to live anywhere else.
“This is the armpit of the universe.” His deep voice originated behind her. “There’s nothing here except sand and death.”
“You’ve returned.” She hastily covered the partially constructed ass coverings with a sheet of leather, wanting the garment to be a surprise. “You couldn’t have explored much of the planet.” She bounced to her booted feet and turned to face her Warlord. “It’s—”
She stopped talking, gaping at him.
His face, chest, all of him, was coated with a layer of dried blood. Some granules of sand stuck to his exposed skin. His ass coverings were even more hideous than they previously were, the leather stained and stiff.
“What happened?” She rushed toward him. “Where are you hurt?”
Her Warlord frowned.
“Fuck.” She didn’t wait for him to answer her. “I need the medic pack. Where did I leave it?”
Her heart pounded as she gazed around them. It had been set against the far wall. She stepped toward it.
“Stop.” Tolui grabbed her right wrist, holding her in place. “The blood isn’t mine.”
“How is that possible?” She swept her left palm over his chest, searching for wounds, finding none. His lack of injuries and the physical contact eased some of her fears. “There’s so much blood.”
“Beings bleed.” He released her wrist and shrugged his shoulders. His muscles rippled under her fingers. “Especially when you skin them alive.”
Her hands shook. “Why would you do that?” She stared up at him.
That action seemed…extreme.
“The males were searching for you.” He scowled. “And they were disrespectful.” His eyes glowed. “I killed them slowly.” He lifted his arms and extended his claws. “They felt pain before they died.”
“Oh.” The thought of beings in pain unsettled her stomach, but if the males were Daisun or his brutes, they deserved that type of death. The universe was a better place without them.
“You will not leave the tunnels without me, little female.” Tolui widened his stance. “I have more beings to kill before you’re safe.” His tone was blunt. “I have more pain to inflict before you can venture outside on your own.”
He spread his claws. His biceps bulged. Scars grooved his face, his form.
Her Warlord was angry and dominant and vibrantly male.
She trembled with wanting. “I should wash the blood off you.” She yearned to rub her hands all over him, reassure herself he was well, he was with her.
Tolui didn’t refuse her offer. He also didn’t move.
It was her turn to grasp his wrists. She could only circle part of them with her fingers. That was how thick they were.
He retracted his claws, removing that potential danger. “While you wash the