She looked at the bed she sat on, the color draining from her face. His bed? Her gaze jerked upward. He was closer. He put his hands on the end of mattress. Blue eyes stared at her intensely.
“You are everything to me, Casey. You carry my offspring in your belly. You belong to me and we both know it. Our offspring knows it. I apologize and regret the shock you suffered because I was unable to prepare a home for you that you would welcome happily, but I have fixed that. The house helpers are in new homes. I have arranged for an older house helper to come in the morning. Her duties never include touching me. She will take care of our home and our meals. She will keep you company and be your companion. All I require is you.”
The shock was wearing off. Anger was slowly building in her. “You think it’s that simple?”
He nodded. “I bound you and my seed planted in your body. I am thrilled, my Casey. Lord of the Moons, you make me proud.”
“That was so the wrong word to use.”
He frowned. “What word?”
“Proud. Let me tell you what I think of you. You should be ashamed of yourself and I think you’re lower than a pile of dog shit.”
His frown deepened. “I know ashamed and I apologize. I made mistakes, but I corrected them. I know shit, but not what a dog is.” His eyes narrowed. “I understand the insult and I understand that you are angry with me.”
“Understand this. I’m not bound to you. As a matter of fact, Ariel is going to introduce me to other men. I’m going to find a nice Zorn who isn’t a lying asshole for me to bound to. I’m not your anything, but the woman who happens to be carrying your child.” She glared at him. “I can’t believe you had those guards bring me here knowing I want nothing to do with you.”
Rage hit Argernon’s features. He snarled. His hand fisted on the bedding. “You will not bound to another male. You are mine.”
“No. Bara, Ville and Din are yours.”
“Not anymore. I found them other homes to live in.”
“Well, you better get them back because I’m not staying here.” She climbed off the mattress. She had to get closer to him to reach her pants. She bent, grabbing them, and backed away from him. “I want taken to Ariel’s home where I’m supposed to be.”
Hands grabbed Casey and she gasped as Argernon lifted her. She ended up sprawled flat on her back on the large bed. The pants went flying. He came down on her, pinning her to the bed under his large body, but he was careful not to hurt her or crush her. His eyes were inches above hers as he glared down at her.
“You live here with me in our home. You are going nowhere.”
“You can’t keep me here against my will.”
“I can and I will. If you let another male touch you I will kill him. If you escape and bound yourself to another male he will die, Casey. I will challenge him and kill him while you watch. You are my bound and I won’t let you go.”
Rage hit her. “You son of a bitch. Get the hell off me. You make me sick.”
He moved, rolling them both easily with his strength, and scooped her into his arms as he slid off the bed. He carried her to the bathroom. Very gently he put her down. He waved his hand so the light came on. Concern etched his features while he pointed to the toilet.
“You are ill? Should I contact Ahhu? She cares for our family and she will care for you if you need medical attention.”
Casey backed away from him. “I’m not going to puke. It’s a saying. It means I can’t stand you and you make me feel nauseous just looking at you. Do you get that? I don’t need a doctor. I need you to get the hell away from me and never come near me again.”
Argernon paled. “I have made things right, beautiful. You should know this and know how committed I am to you.”
“Don’t call me that. Never call me that again, you son of a bitch. We’re over. Do you get that? You’re nothing but a four-timing asshole. You had three women who depended on you, and who you slept with, yet you still fucked me. Do you think I believe you’re a better person because you shoved them to the curb for me? It just makes you a heartless bastard.”
He stared at her. He looked confused.
“What don’t you understand? Your girlfriends lived here and you just dumped them out like garbage. Is that supposed to make me think you’re wonderful? What about when you meet someone else and you come home to toss my ass out on the street? You’re really a winner. That’s sarcasm, which means the opposite of true. I think you’re an asshole and I think you’re mean. I also think you should get the hell out of my way because I want to leave.”
“I didn’t dump them on the street like garbage. I found them safe homes they requested to go to when I told them they weren’t under my protection any longer. They are in good homes with men they wanted to be with. I would never replace you. You aren’t a house helper. You’re my bound. I would never throw you out of our home. I swear to stay with you until death.”
“I don’t want a man like you, Argernon.” Some of her anger slipped away. “I just want free. I don’t like you anymore and I don’t want to be around you. I could never be with a man who lies to me and then does something shitty to someone else, three of them in fact, claiming to do it for my benefit. Thanks, but no thanks.”
“So you want me to bring them back here with us?” He frowned.
“There is no us. It’s over, Argernon. I’m leaving. Have a nice life.” She tried to walk around him.
He moved in her path to growl softly at her. “We were happy before, Casey. Remember? It’s just us again. Just you and I. Please forgive me. I made mistakes but I corrected them. If I hadn’t been injured I would have made all the arrangements before we reached Zorn. They would have been gone from your sight.”
She stared up at him. He really thought it was that damn easy. “You lied to me. I was happy with you because I didn’t know you had three women you were fucking waiting for you at home. One of which, I know for a fact, you just fucked hours ago. Get the hell out of my way before I do puke all over you. You make me sick.”
He snarled. “I wasn’t offered a choice. If I had been I wouldn’t have let Bara touch me. I woke up with her touching me. I thought it was you. I dreamed it was you. It was your name I said as the first word I spoke when I woke.”
She stared at him. Pain hit her. “It doesn’t change the fact though who it really was, does it? Get out of my way, Argernon. We’re over. I’m leaving. Get your girlfriends back and forget we ever met. I’m going to do whatever it takes to forget all about you.”
Argernon’s eyes narrowed. He shook his head. “No.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
His lips curved upward. “I do have choices and I will not let you go. I kidnapped you from your planet to keep you and I am going to keep you.”
Uneasiness settled in the pit of Casey’s stomach as she stared up at Argernon. “Please move.”
He backed up into the bedroom. Casey followed him. She walked to the pants that had fallen from her fingers when Argernon had grabbed her. She yanked them open to step into them. She pulled them up, keeping her back to Argernon, and fastened them. She bent to put on her boots. She was leaving. The bastard couldn’t stop her.
She straightened as she turned. Argernon was by the nightstand. He eyed her. She eyed him back.
“Goodbye, Argernon.”
He moved. For a big man he could move fast. He grabbed Casey around her waist to lift her. She screamed out as her boots left the floor. She landed on the bed face-first where he dropped her. Déjà vu hit her, as she felt him pin her down with his knee, while tugging her hands behind her. This time though he didn’t jerk them behind her back. He yanked them above her head. She heard chains rattle.
“Don’t,” she yelled. “Damn it!”
A restraint closed around her wrist. He yanked her other hand closer as another restraint closed over her second one. His knee moved away. Rolling over, she glared at Argernon.
“You can’t do this.”
He smi
led, but his eyes were cold. “You give me no choice.” He pulled her up the bed as he reached for the nightstand.
She heard the drawer open. Struggling didn’t do a damn thing. Argernon didn’t release the chain that held her wrists together over her head. He used another set of restraints to secure her to the headboard. She glared at him as he moved back on the bed. He backed up more to move down the bed. She kicked at him, but he grabbed each of her feet, tearing off her boots.
“Don’t do this, Argernon. I don’t want you.” Tears filled her eyes. “You swore you’d never force me.”
He met her eyes. “You’re tired. I would never force you. I won’t let you go, Casey. You belong to me. You’re my bound.” He reached down for the front of his pants and slowly stripped them off.
She glared at him. He was turned-on. Argernon was always aroused. She jerked her gaze down to his cock that was standing straight up. She forced herself to look away. He met her angry look as he sat back on his legs.
“I need release. I’m in pain.”
“Fuck yourself.”
He nodded. “I assumed you wouldn’t help.”
She watched him turn his body to stretch for the nightstand again. Another drawer opened. He withdrew a tube. She had a feeling it was Zorn’s version of lube. He uncapped it, squeezing a white cream into his hand, spreading it on his hard cock. Argernon met her shocked gaze.
She refused to look down at his body again, but she could see his hand moving. He didn’t look away from her as he masturbated. She saw his eyes narrow as his mouth tensed. The bed moved with him as he started to move, his hips in rhythm to his fist on his shaft. She watched him tip his head back, his eyes closing, as his lips parted. He groaned as he came.
He moved off the bed to walk into the bathroom. Casey shut her eyes. She was in hell. He wasn’t letting her go. In the morning Ariel had to come for her. She’d figure out when she woke up and Casey wasn’t there that something had happened to her. Ariel had sworn she would help her and she trusted Ariel. Casey just needed to get through a night with Argernon. The water in the bathroom shut off. She opened her eyes to watch Argernon walk out of the smaller room totally naked. His glowing gaze locked on her.
He reached for her shirt when he settled on the bed. She tried to turn away, but the annoying alien was too strong. Her shirt lifted up as he tugged it to her ribs. His eyes went to her stomach.
“My seed planted there.”
“Let me go.”
He lifted his gaze to meet hers. His hands released her shirt. Both hands went for the waist of her pants to unfasten them. Beautiful blue eyes turned fierce.
“Never.”
She struggled, but she was no match for Argernon. He tore her pants down her legs, leaving her bare and exposed. One of his large hands caressed her thigh. She rolled away, which left her on her stomach with her bare ass exposed. He reached over again to caress her. A large hand cupped her ass gently, massaging.
“Don’t touch me.” She turned her head to glare over her shoulder at him.
Argernon sighed. “I would never hurt you.”
“You already have more than you’ll ever know. I won’t forgive you. Don’t you get that? Every time you touch me all I can see is Bara touching you, Din with her damn hands on your chest and Valle running her fingers through your hair.”
He snarled. His gaze jerked to hers. “I wasn’t awake to stop them.”
“They live with you. You have sex with them. Don’t act all innocent. It’s not something they haven’t done a thousand damn times before, right?”
He growled.
“Don’t growl at me. I don’t have three men at home who I sleep with. I don’t cheat. I’ve never screwed around on a man in my life.”
“Cheat?”
“Betray their trust by sleeping with other people when they think they are the only one.”
He frowned. “House helpers don’t feel betrayed if I touch other women. It is acceptable to them.”
“I’m not a damn house helper.”
His eyes widened and then narrowed. “You feel I betrayed you.”
“I don’t feel shit. You did betray me and that’s a fact. If I’d known you had those women at home waiting for you I never would have let you touch me. The second I knew about those women I would have walked away from you. Not telling someone something important like that is just as bad as lying to them. I thought I was important to you. I thought…” She forced herself to look away from him before she started to cry. She shut her eyes.
“I smell your pain.” His voice lowered to a husky tone.
She ignored him.
He softly growled. The bed moved when he stretched out next to her. “I never meant to hurt you. It hurts me that you suffer.” His voice was soft. “I never planned on taking a woman from Earth. I made no arrangements like the other men did to find homes for their house helpers. I knew you were mine and I had to be bound to you from the moment we shared sex. I would have found my house helpers homes before we arrived on Zorn if I hadn’t been harmed. I never would have let them touch me after you. I know you are from a race that feels pain and rage at the sight of it, like I feel at the thought of a male touching you. I do understand. Look at me.”
“No.”
He took deep breaths. “I would want to kill another male who I had to watch touch you. I want to kill at the thought of another man in bed with you, inside you.” He growled. “I feel pure rage at the thought of the males who touched you before me. I understand, Casey.”
“You don’t.” She turned her head, opening her eyes. She had to blink back tears that swam in her eyes so she could see him. “I don’t feel rage. I feel raw pain. Rage is easier to take than my heart feeling like it was torn from my chest. I can’t forgive you, Argernon. All I can see is those women touching you and knowing Bara fucked you today. Please, if you care for me at all, get away from me.”
Chapter Twelve
Argernon looked frustrated as he stared at Casey. “I swear to you that she did not mount me.”
“She touched you. She got you off somehow, right?”
His eyes darkened. “I was in a dream state and wasn’t aware of what was real and what was not. I thought it was you, Casey. I thought it was your hair I had in my hand. I thought it was your breath touching me. I thought it was your tongue bringing me to release.”
She stared into his eyes. She hated him and she loved him. His lifestyle caused her pain. Part of her realized though that she could have prevented Bara from touching him to wake him up. Ariel had sent Ahhu to stop Bara from touching Argernon. Casey had told Ariel to let Bara do it. She hadn’t meant it at the time, but it was done. She held responsibility for that, but the rest of it was all on Argernon. It didn’t ease the pain of it though.
“I can’t get past this, Argernon. I hurt too much. I feel betrayed by you and I’ll never trust you again. I have pride. Do you understand? You kept important things from me that let me walk into it blind and it hurt. I don’t think much of a man who makes a commitment to three women and then just dumps them when someone else comes along that he likes better.”
“I don’t like you better.”
She almost winced. She looked away from him. He’d set her straight. It hurt.
“I love you.”
Jerking her head back to him, she let surprise hit her. Sincerity burned from the depths of his eyes. He nodded at her.
“I love you, Casey. You are everything to me. I will not give you up and I will not lose you. You speak of pride, but let me tell you of my pride, lost for you. I never thought I’d hand women over to someone else to protect. I offered them a home and I thought I would never send them away. I did that because I would rather go back on my word to keep them than to lose you. I would rather hurt the feelings of three women I was honored to protect because I would do anything to not hurt you even a little. You do not want me, and yet even knowing this, I am ready to plead with you to forgive me and not leave me.”
Casey was stunned. She couldn’t speak. Argernon didn’t have that problem.
His mouth hardened into a tight line for a moment. “I plead for nothing.” His voice deepened. “I beg for nothing.” He paused, searching her eyes. “You are my heart. I beg you to forgive me, beautiful. You come before everything to me. You even come before my own pride. I’m a Zorn warrior. I have fought many battles in war. I carry scars from lost lives I took in battle. I hunt and I do it well. I have never been captured and I have never been brought to my knees.” He reached out to caress her cheek. “Then I look into your eyes and remember your laugh. I am there, beautiful. You have caught me and I am on my knees to you.”
Her heart melted. How could it not? The things he was saying to her were too much. She saw honesty burning in his intense stare. His tone sent shivers down her spine. She gazed into his eyes. The urge to touch him was so strong that she even tried to until her arms jerked when she moved. They stayed above her head where they were chained.
“I don’t know how to get past the pain,” she admitted softly. “I do love you too. I just…” she blinked back tears. “I don’t know how to not feel like this.”
He blinked. “Don’t think. Feel.”
“That’s the damn problem. I feel hurt.” Her voice broke.
“Casey,” he growled, moving closer. “Let me touch you. Let me make you forget everything but us together. There’s no pain in my arms or in my touch.” He was so close to her mouth that she inhaled his breath. Their gazes were locked together. “Let me love you.”
Shaking her head, she turned her face away. “No.” She rolled on her back to put a little distance on the bed between them.
Argernon sighed. “I can make you want me.”
“Don’t, Argernon.”
“I want you and I need you. I hurt for you and with you. The thought of losing you is one I will not accept.” He sat up to straddle her thighs.
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