Erudan continued to pretend to be asleep. He kept his breathing slow and even as he listened to his dwelling-mate sneak through the front door and pad across the living space.

A smirk attempted to form on his lips and he pushed down the urge to chuckle. This was a game he often played with Corr. Corr was not a royally trained warrior like Erudan, but for such a large, street-trained male, he was quiet and agile. Corr had snuck up on Erudan a number of times, but not so many that he could call himself the victor in their games.

Corr would not become the victor tonight, either.

The air shifted with Corr’s nearness, and Erudan flexed his muscles, preparing to leap.

Except, before he could bound off the couch and knock Corr away, another surprised them both.

A high-pitched, furious scream split the night and a chill jolted down his spine. A combination of surprise and fear assaulted him and it didn’t take long to identify the source of the wretched sound. Rhea!

His blood heated and pure instinct took control. Only one thought throbbed in his mind—one wholly focused on the human female. He must protect her.

He jolted upright, leaping to his feet just as a pale-limbed blur collided with Corr.

Both Corr and his attacker went to the floor, the collision shaking the walls of the hewo dwelling with the impact. The two rolled across the floor in a tangle of curses, grunts, and growls.

Soft light glinted along the edge of a knife and his heartbeat doubled. He recognized Rhea, her smooth, shapely legs tangled with Corr’s.

A snarl built in his chest and then escaped his mouth, vibrating the air.

Corr was an unmated male. A male of honor. A male free and able—even willing—to take a mate.

And he touched Erudan’s female.

Unacceptable.

Baring teeth and claws, Erudan leapt into the fray. He shoved and rolled the two until Corr was close. He grabbed his dwelling-mate by the tunic and flung him to the far side of the central area. The side Rhea did not occupy. With a glance, he confirmed she was not bleeding, and then he leapt across the room and pounced on the other male.

It was not the first time they had exchanged blows, but it was the first time emotion fueled his actions.

Corr shouted as Erudan’s claws cut flesh and the tang of blood filled the air. It was the first and only easy strike. It did not take Corr long to realize Erudan was not playing and the male soon defended himself.

They grappled, grunting and growling as they both fought for supremacy. Erudan hardly felt the sting of Corr’s claws. He was too driven by the need to protect Rhea and punish the male for touching his female.

The scent of blood bloomed once more, Corr releasing a shout that vibrated the walls, and the male scrambled backward. “Mercy! By Vi, Erudan! Mercy!”

Chest heaving, Erudan froze in place. It would be dishonorable to continue his attack once Corr begged for mercy. That did not immediately banish his desire for blood, though.

Erudan shook his head, attempting to clear it of bloodlust, and bared his teeth at Corr. “Mine. She is mine. Touch my mate again and you will die by my claws.”

Corr’s mouth dropped open. “Mate?”

Across the room, Rhea sucked in a sharp, audible breath.

Erudan flinched. Why had he allowed that word to slip? Damn the stars. With one final show of teeth, he rose and ignored Corr.

He crossed to Rhea, crouching beside her, and scanned her curvy form for injury. The tunic she’d stolen rode high on her thighs, nearly revealing her feminine core. It took everything to resist stripping her until she lay bare before him. He did not realize he laid his hands upon her silken skin until he heard her swallow and her flesh pebbled against his palms.

Erudan jerked his hands away as if scalded. Perhaps she had seared him with her heat. His body blazed, a wave of scorching warmth flowing over his flesh, and he fought to ignore the sensation. “You are unharmed?”

He hardly recognized his own voice.

Rhea nodded. “Uh-huh.”

Still, he could not help looking her over once more. Her hair floated around her face like a cloud. Even though the light remained sparse, he spied the pink flush to her cheeks. Her plump lips were the color of bruised berries and were parted to allow for rapid breaths.

Breaths that made her chest heave.

He scrubbed his face with his hand, trying to banish the look of her only to… To look her over once more. It was as if his mind was no longer his own. He was unable to stop himself from staring at the alluring human.

Rhea’s body strained his worn tunic and masculine satisfaction filled him at the sight of her in his clothing.

Then hunger filled him—the threadbare tunic clinging to her chest and hips while the arm holes gaped. When she leaned over to place the knife on the floor, the cloth shifted, giving him a glimpse of the side of one of her plump breasts. His gaze followed the natural curve until he spied the hard points firm against his tunic. Then he traveled south, to her creamy thighs visible below the hem.

The hem that had risen higher during the struggle and nearly exposed the juncture of her thighs.

Erudan groaned and closed his eyes as his head dropped forward. Only to realize what a mistake he’d made. The scent of her arousal floated closer and he felt himself harden. The craving to bury himself between her thighs surged and assaulted him once more.

Then he reminded himself that she was willing. She had already stated her intention and her body betrayed her need. He could claim her…

“I am just going to…” Corr began, only to stop the moment Erudan snapped his head up and glared at the male.

He had forgotten his dwelling-mate’s presence. If Erudan could see Rhea’s alluring qualities, so could Corr.

It was an unbearable thought. A thought Erudan knew would lead to death if he allowed it to take root—Corr’s death.

Erudan gripped Rhea beneath her arms and pulled her upright as he rose. He drew her close to shield her with his body.

Which was a mistake. Everything he did with Rhea seemed to be a mistake. Except when he had referred to her as his mate. That seemed to be the only time his mind and body did not cringe in regret.

But he could not think of that fact now. Not with Rhea’s form on display and Corr’s avid gaze enjoying the view.

Erudan glared at Corr. “Look away,” he snapped.

Rhea huffed. Did she shift closer? Was that the softness of her belly warming his hard length?

Frustration and indecision pushed a growl past his lips. He half marched, half carried her toward his sleeping area. “You should be in bed.” His bed. “Sleeping.”

“I was thirsty.” Rhea clutched his tunic—the one he wore—which meant her hands were a single layer of fabric away from touching his skin.

Ah, how he craved the feel of her hands on him.

Erudan prayed to Vi for strength to resist her charms. He bodily carried her to his sleeping area and placed her down just outside of the doorway. If he crossed the threshold, her nearness to his bed would be too much to bear. He knew his control would snap.

“Erudan, I said I was thirsty. I’m still thirsty. Even more after that fight to save your life. By the way, about the saving thing? A thank you would be nice.” She planted her hands on her hips.

Which made the tunic stretch further across her full breasts, and Erudan groaned.

“What?” She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t I deserve some thanks?”

He shook his head in both denial and disbelief. He braced his hands on the door frame. It was that or place his hands on her.

Rhea swallowed audibly.

Now his prayers to Vi had turned into desperate pleas. He grinded his teeth together. “I did not require saving. You endangered yourself for the second time this night.”

Her chin lifted. “Excuse me? I totally saved your ass. That guy was about to attack you.”

Looming over her was another mistake. From his height, he could see the shadow hollow between her breasts and another groan rolled from his chest.

Rhea stomped one foot, unfettered breasts bouncing with the movement. He gripped the door frame even harder and the crack of hewo wood echoed in the dwelling.

Rhea took a large step back, which was both a blessing and a curse. He could breathe once more, but now he was driven to follow her—to stay near his mate.

“Go to bed,” he rasped and regretted the angry heat in his tone.

She pressed her lips together, eyes flashing with a fury that matched his own. “Fine. I get it. Just tell me this before I go to bed like a good little puppet. Should I expect this kind of thing all the time? Because if I’m going to have to defend you every night, we’re going to have to get some smaller knives.”

Obtaining knives for her small human hands sounded more appealing than it should. Erudan banished the thought. “That was not an intruder. It is Corr, my dwelling-mate.”

She quirked a brow. “You fought him awfully hard considering he has a right to be here.”

“Because he could have claim—” Erudan stopped himself from revealing too much. He spun in place and stomped away, calling over his shoulder one last time. “Go to bed. Stay there.”

Before she could delay him with her seductive voice once more, he turned the corner toward the central area. The empty central area. Corr had wisely departed for his own sleeping quarters but the scent of blood remained.

Erudan retrieved the knife Rhea had used as a weapon. One which she’d intended to use to maim someone three times her size. Staring at the honed blade, it occurred to him that he had unfairly labeled her foolish. Brave was a better description.

As he returned the knife to the kitchen, her words continued to spin in his mind. Had she truly drawn a weapon and attacked Corr to defend him?

As Rhea would have said—hah.

Who would ever risk themselves to save a dishonorable warrior?

No one.