Dirt kicked up near his feet, but it only made him run faster. I raced toward the ranch, my heart pounding, knowing that Raven would be waiting.
The second I crested the hill, I saw him. He was already moving, his enhanced eyes locking onto me even from a distance. I didn’t have to say a word—he saw the danger, the men chasing me.
I barely had time to slow my horse before Raven was sprinting past me, his black armor shimmering as he moved with inhuman speed. A second later, the first of Jenkins’s men came into view, and Raven hit him like a force of nature.
Colby and the others barely had time to react. Raven was on them before they could turn their horses, wrenching one from his saddle and sending him sprawling to the ground. The second tried to aim his rifle, but Raven moved too fast, knocking the weapon from his hands and slamming a fist into his gut. The man doubled over with a pained wheeze before collapsing.
Colby, to his credit, had enough sense to turn tail and run. He spurred his horse hard, galloping back toward town without a backward glance. The other two men scrambled to mount their horses and followed him.
Raven turned to me, and his expression was fierce. “Are you hurt?”
I shook my head, still catching my breath. “No. They just came to leave a message.”
His jaw tightened. “Message received.”
I slid from my horse and went into his arms, pressing my face against his chest. “They’re scared, Raven. They wouldn’t bepushing this hard if they didn’t see you as a threat.”
He exhaled slowly, his eyes locking onto mine. “Then they will soon learn exactly what kind of threat I am.”
Now that I had seen what Raven was capable of, I began to believe we would be ready for whatever came next.
That evening, about an hour before the sun dipped below the horizon, Raven led me to the barn where he had stored his sky cycle. He took out two blaster pistols, handing one to me as he adjusted the settings on the other.
“You need to know how to protect yourself,” he said. “If I’m not around, I want you to be able to fight back.”
I took the blaster hesitantly, feeling its weight in my hand. It was heavier than I expected, and the grip was cool against my palm. “I’ve never used one before.”
“That’s why we’re going out to the field so that I can show you.” When we got to the field behind the barn, he stepped behind me, his arms encircling mine as he adjusted my stance. “Keep your feet shoulder-width apart. Steady your grip, but don’t tense up.”
I nodded, swallowing hard, the warmth of his body surrounding me. It was a bit distractingas I forced myself to listen to his instructions when all I wanted to do was sink into his warmth. His voice was steady and patient. “Now, line up the sight with your target.”
He pointed toward an old wooden post in the distance. I inhaled deeply, squeezing the trigger. The shot went wide, missing by several feet.
Raven chuckled. “Not bad for a first try. Adjust your aim slightly and try again.”
I took another shot, and this time, the blast hit the edge of the post. A thrill of accomplishment ran through me. “I did it!”
“You did,” he said, pride in his voice and a sparkle in his eyes. “Now, let’s keep practicing.”
But it was hard to concentrate in the face of the palpable sexual tension between us. How could I still want Raven this much when I had him every night? I shook myself mentally and dutifully concentrated on the task at hand.
After several more attempts, my shots grew more accurate. Raven then showed me basic self-defense moves, demonstrating how to break free from a grab and how to throw a proper punch. His patience never wavered, and by the time we finished, my confidence had grown.
As we walked back toward the house, he glanced at me. “You’re a fast learner.”
“I have a good teacher.”
He reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, Hannah. If Jenkins’s men come, I want you to be ready.”
I squeezed his hand, and determination settled in my chest. “I will be.”
Tomorrow, we will continue preparing. But tonight, I felt safer than I had in years. I wasn’t fighting alone anymore. I had Raven beside me, and he was a force to be reckoned with.
Chapter Nine
Koha’vek
The morning light filtered through the trees, casting shifting patterns across the floor of my small dwelling. I had lived here for months, a lone survivor in an unfamiliar world, but it was not loneliness that weighed on me—it was uncertainty. A warrior who had never wanted war, a historian without a home, I had no place among my own kind or among the humans who despised me for my origins. And yet, here I remained on Earth, unwilling to leave and unsure why.
