“Obsidian? What are you doing?” Alli stepped closer. “Don’t.”

He didn’t spare her a glance. Another male was too close to her and had seen her bare. Jericho had dared look upon her br**sts and he’d pay for that. “Go in the bathroom where you will be safe from the violence.”

She disobeyed him when she purposely came closer, putting herself between him and the enemy. “Stop it. Don’t attack Jericho. You both need to calm down right now. You just woke from a coma and you can’t fight.” She whipped her head around, spraying water from the damp ends of her wet hair. “And you—what are you doing in here?”

Jericho gracefully straightened to his full height and puffed out his chest. “He said he put you in bed and I could smell you all over him. I believed he forced you to share sex. I came to your aid.”

Obsidian noticed the way Alli’s features paled but she didn’t speak for a moment. “Oh, crap. I forgot about your sense of smell.” Her cheeks became red. “Um, that’s not what happened. Stand down.”

The other male’s gaze narrowed. “All right.”

It wasn’t over for Obsidian. He climbed to his feet, took a step around Alli and lunged for the male. A soft gasp came from Alli and he was stunned when she released her towel to grab at his chest. Her body slammed into his with the forward motion he took, trying to punish the other male and he stepped on part of her towel. It hit the floor, baring her na**d form again.

His arms wrapped around her and he spun, blocking the view of the male by shielding her with his body. He twisted his head and snarled. “Leave.”

Jericho’s hands slowly lifted, wide open. “Okay. Easy.”

Obsidian’s heart pounded and he wanted to attack but he couldn’t without releasing Alli. Her hands gripped his shoulders and she clung to him, flattened against his front. Her wet skin was chilled and her pebbled ni**les were a distraction, shoved against his chest where he held her firmly.

“Are you sure you want me to leave you with him?”

“Go!” Alli’s voice shook. “Get out, Jericho. You’re obviously agitating him.”

“He wants to kill me,” he corrected, inching closer to the door. “Calm down, Obsidian. I was just checking on her. I’m not here to hurt her in any way.”

He snarled again, debating whether Alli would be harmed if he threw her toward the bed to land on the soft mattress in order to free his arms so he could hit the other Species male. Her fingernails dug into his skin as if she could read his intentions.

“No fighting,” she whispered. “Look at me, Obsidian. Please?”

He refused to stop glowering at the male until he disappeared out the door. His arms lowered Alli and he snapped his head around to glare at her instead. She refused to release him, kept her body tight against his.

“Release me.”

“No. You look as if you want to go after him.”

“I do. Let go.”

She stunned him by wrapping a leg around his, hooking him behind his thigh. “No way! You could get hurt. One blow to the head and you could be killed or become comatose again. What is wrong with you? Why would you start a fight?”

“He came after you.”

“He was checking on me,” she argued. “Jericho wouldn’t ever hurt me. I know him well.”

Rage swept through him. “How well? Do you tempt him with your food scent, hoping he will mate you? What is he? He has strange eyes and makes bad noises.” The idea of her wanting another male to touch her drove him insane.

“He’s primate and his eyes aren’t strange. They are unique and pretty.”

He snarled before he could stop it, losing his battle with his temper fast. “You want him for a mate.”

“I do not!”

“You said his eyes are pretty.”

“They are. So is the color blue or a sunset. I don’t want to get physical with them.”

He was taken aback by her odd statement.

Her hold eased slightly but she didn’t release his shoulders. “Take deep breaths now. In.” She drew air into her lungs enough to press her br**sts firmly against his chest. She exhaled. “Out. Breathe with me.”

“No.” He glanced at the bed while judging the distance and he strained to hear Jericho, attempting to track the male’s retreating footsteps. His arms tensed to throw Alli on the soft mattress but the leg she had locked around him prevented him from following through. “Let go.”

“No way.” She shook her head, wet hair dripping between them. “You’re not fighting with him again. I forbid it.”

That made him glare at her. “What?”

She didn’t back down as he stared deeply into her blue eyes, although it seemed clear that she realized he wouldn’t take orders from her or anyone. He could feel her heart rate spike when his free hand gripped her throat. He didn’t squeeze but instead gently kept his hand there to keep her still.

“You could die,” she whispered. “Please calm down. I’d rather you fight with me than him. I couldn’t hurt you the way he can.”

“You don’t think I could win?” It injured his pride. The female must think him weak.

“I think you could die.” She took a shaky breath. “I don’t want that. I couldn’t stand it. Do you understand?”

She confused him as his temper finally subsided. Her words soothed his injured pride but he wasn’t about to forget that the other male had seen her bare. It angered him. Alli seemed to want a mate and the idea of someone else touching her made a snarl catch inside his throat.