Obsidian - Miranda Bridges Page 0,28

faces. Wanted, dead or alive. Now isn’t that just fantastic?

Then again, I did kill Lord Tolas and incapacitate the madam.

And I killed an assassin.

So far, my presence on this planet hasn’t gone as undetected as I had hoped. It’s times like this I wish I were more like Xelias. That damn Iceblood single-handedly took down an entire operation in the Delta quadrant before an alarm was raised. Blaze, on the other hand, is too impulsive to achieve that. He’d rather fight and ask questions later. With how sloppy I’ve been acting on this planet, I’ve become a mixture of the two of them, and I can’t risk any more impulsive decisions when I have a mate to protect.

Her life means more to me than any other.

Even my own.

Castien

I lead the way through the station, descending the stairs carefully while a downpour of rain drenches us. Fortunately, the hotel is beside the station, and this one is mostly operated by artificial intelligence, which means there is less chance of us being detected. I book a room with two beds at the kiosk. As much as I would rather sleep with the female, I imagine she will appreciate the gesture after everything she has gone through.

At any rate, it’s not like my usual seduction skills have an effect on her. This is the first time I have ever come across such an unpleasant issue, but the other females were not my mate. If the female requires independence to feel safe with me, I shall give it to her in abundance. I will then watch from the shadows to ensure that she does not get harmed.

Inside our room, I drape my wet coat over a chair and select the complimentary robes from the wardrobe. I clench my jaw at the sight of Jade shivering in the doorway.

“Is it really safe here? I didn’t see any people, just a bunch of robots.”

“Yes, it is safe,” I tell her. “Come and remove your wet clothing.”

She arches a thin brow at the command. “I don’t have anything else to wear.”

“We’ll sort that out in the morning,” I say, holding out the robe for her.

After a beat, she takes it and scurries into the bathroom. I grin and remove my shirt, hanging it with my coat. By the time I dry myself off, Jade returns. She grasps the collar of her dressing gown tightly and remains shivering as she looks up at me. I reach out to caress her cheek, but her frown hinders me, and I pull back.

“How do you feel?” I ask instead, clasping my hands behind my back.

Her gaze roves over my body, tracing the droplets of rain that fall from my hair onto my chest.

“G-good. Better.” Her cheeks redden, and the nervous lurch of her heart pleases me. “My feet hurt a little though.”

Now that certainly does not please me, even if I knew this would happen.

“Let me see them.”

I move toward the bed and pat the edge of it, waiting for her to obey. She does with little protest, which makes me question the severity of her pain. Clenching my jaw, I kneel before her and lift a dainty foot for inspection. Her sharp inhale when I run the pad of my thumb over her skin infuriates me. Why did I allow her to walk barefoot? I should’ve picked her up despite her protests because now her feet have been injured by the asphalt.

What a fool I was to yield so easily.

I march into the bathroom and grab the medical kit from the cupboard. Thankfully, there are generic healing oils inside. I pour them into a basin of lukewarm water, grab some towels, and return to her with the kit tucked under my arm. She remains perched on the edge of the bed, watching my every movement. I set the materials on the floor and then bend on one knee at her feet.

“This should help with any pain,” I say, squirting a generous amount of healing cream into my palm. “And I am very good with my hands, damsel, so try to relax.”

She rolls her eyes, but the second I begin massaging her feet, she moans.

It’s such a quiet, erotic sound that encourages my efforts to please her even further. An honorable male would not turn this moment into a sexual act. However, I am not that male, and I want my mate any way I can have her—to claim and protect her, to pleasure and worship her beyond her little human