Her wide-eyed gaze flickered between him and his discarded weapon as if she couldn’t quite believe what he’d done.
He kept his palms up and out. “I don’t blame you for running and I’m not upset. I just want to make sure you’re okay."
She swiveled and ran.
Just like before. Except everything was different now.
He left his weapons and surged forward.
Thanks to his longer legs and her injured ankle, he caught up easily.
“Nayla, stop.” He cupped her shoulder, the warmth of her skin burning his palm.
Her body vibrated beneath his touch, as if caught between flight and obedience, before she shrugged him off and ran harder.
Her fierceness surprised him all over again.
She’d fought like such a wild thing in that pit. It had made him think she was hardier than she was. But now, with bruises crisscrossing her skin, she looked frighteningly fragile. All too easily breakable.
Except she hadn’t given up then, and she wouldn’t now.
His bid to keep his emotions in check took a bigger hit.
Arms wrapping around her, he took her down, twisting at the last moment so he ended up on the bottom, bearing the brunt of the fall.
She was still thrashing as he used his momentum to roll, bringing her under him. He did his best to keep the bulk of his weight off her. He had no intention of crushing her, just stilling her movements enough to keep her from hurting herself.
“Shhh, wild thing. It’s okay. I promise.” There was a good chance his crew had heard the same shouting he had. “You can’t keep running on that injury. You’ll hurt it worse.”
She made no sound, but fought harder.
He understood. Talg had forced horrific punishments on her and she likely expected the same from him. He’d started to show her that he was different, but it would take a lot more than one time for her to believe.
“No one is going to hurt you.” Using her momentum to his advantage, he lifted her and flipped her, turning her on to her back and stealing some of her leverage. He forced her hands above her head into the dirt. “I’m sorry, baby. I should have taken better care of you. I’m going to make up for that now. I need you to stop fighting before you accidentally hurt yourself. All I want to do is make sure you’re okay.”
“All?” Her skeptical gaze flickered to the rope at his hip. He’d used it during the initial attack, but switched to his ax once she was out of the strike zone.
“That’s it.” Transferring her wrists to one hand, he used the other to unlatch the rope from his holster. He tossed it aside.
Surprise flared in her gaze.
“I won’t use that rope to tie you up again. Unless you ask real nice.” He tried for a joke. It was better than yanking her from the dirt and cradling her close, proving to his panicked mind she really was alive and in one piece.
He suspected that kind of behavior would only cause her to run again. So, instead, he stayed where he was, and forced a smile while his gaze cataloged everything. The red hand print at her cheek, the marks around her throat, the bruises at her wrists, hips, and thighs.
“Your words playful, but your eyes angry. Like when you say all fine, but you argue with friends who come to cave.”
Shit. She knew him too well. Saw him too well. He should have remembered she wasn’t the only one whose true self was exposed back in the cave.
“I’m mad at myself for letting you get hurt, and I’m mad at those who hurt you.” He gave up pretending. “I want to rip them apart all over again for what they did to you.” Was it any wonder her kind wanted to kill his? So many of them deserved it. Him maybe most of all.
“You mad at me, too, for running.” She didn’t phrase it as a question.
“No, I’m not mad. I understand. I wish you’d stayed, but I didn’t give you a good enough reason to stick around. I’ll do better this time.”
She pretended not to hear. “Thank you for save me.” Her gaze shifted away from his. “I was scared. Th-thought I would join Void.”
“I will always come for you, Nayla. You’re not on your own anymore.”
He caught the flare of pleasure in her gaze, followed by dismissal. “N-no more nice words. I already give you information. No need pretend. No need pity me. I am fine.”
“I don’t pity you.” He rolled off her, but kept a firm hold of her elbow.
She sat up, dust flying. “That not what your crew say.”
He hid a flinch. What the hells had she heard? He racked his brain trying to remember what had been said. “I don’t pity you. I want to help you.”
“I don’t need.” Anger and pride glittered in her stare. “I am more than capable. I help Others knock you out. I put you in their chains.”
“And I returned the favor. I consider us even.”
“Y-you hate me. My kind.”
Rising to his knees, he clapped his hands around her forearms. “What I feel for you is far from hate.”
Her breathing hitched. There was longing in her stare, but the doubt was stronger.
“I’m not like Talg.” He reminded her. “You know that.”
Her gaze only narrowed. “I hear crew. You talk of destroying pack.”
Fucking Malin. That damn male and his big mouth had given her way too much ammunition to throw in his face. But Grif had always demanded honesty from her. He could only give the same.
“That depends on Talg and your pack’s willingness to return the females. If they back down, if they give up on the plan to annihilate us, I should be able to convince my crew to do the same.”
“Should.” She shrugged off his hold, and he let her. “You going to take full responsibility for pack too? Convince your commander not to kill them because you know how to handle them? You going to give them no choice like you do me?”
Hells. More of his earlier words thrown back in his face. She’d heard way too much of his conversation with Malin and Ryker, her grasp of the language far better than her ability to speak it. “I’ll do everything in my power to prevent bloodshed. I won’t apologize for my methods.”
“Talg never back down. He hate Others.”
“Then what do you expect?” Frustration sharpened his tone. “We’re not prey. We won’t just let ourselves be killed.”
Her chin rose a notch. “Neither will pack.”
He blew out a breath. “I’ll figure out a way to ensure it doesn’t come to that.”
“Im-impossible.”
“I need you to trust me, Nayla. I’ll make this work. I’ll find a way. I’ll take you to my crew and—”
She stiffened. “Go to Others? No. I will not. They don’t want me. I won’t be a burden. Not again.”
“I’ll keep you safe.” Blood pumping, he jumped to standing, pulling her up with him, absorbing her weight so she could stand on one foot without difficulty. His arm clamped tight at her elbow.
“No.” This time, she fought his hold. “I don’t need you save me. I no belong in Other camp.”
“You belong where I say you belong. Where I can keep you secure and unharmed.”
“No.”
His gaze narrowed. “I wish it could be different, but in this, neither of us have a choice. The noise from the fight will have attracted my crewmates’ attention. They’ll be here in a heartbeat. They need to see you as an ally, not the enemy. But I won’t let them touch a hair on your head, Nayla. Have faith.”