She stared but she couldn’t help it. The guy was different from Gohl and his two shipmates with his rounded ears, really beautiful eyes that were a shocking electric blue, and his tan skin looked more golden than the men standing next to him. Muscles bulged under his shirt, his wide shoulders and massive chest making his lower hip and thigh area look only a bit smaller since he was big all over. He growled.

“Collis trespassers, you dare come to Zorn? Did you think I would not be informed of your ship landing on the surface?” The big guy’s angry look shifted to Shanna.

There was no mistaking the shock that widened his eyes, the way his black eyebrows rose, and he growled deep in the back of his throat, obviously not only surprised by her presence but he looked super furious in seconds. His gaze tore from hers to narrow at Gohl.

“You have a human?”

Shanna saw fear on Gohl’s features. He actually looked kind of pasty and pale. That was saying a lot since all the men seemed naturally tan. She hadn’t seen a pale-skinned alien yet. Her captor swallowed hard as he took a step back.

“She isn’t a Zorn female so you have no authority to interfere. I came here to trade my possessions to your warriors and human females are in much demand.” Gohl glared at the blue-eyed big guy he was obviously afraid of. “I have a seller permit so unless you wish to bid on her, you will leave.”

Rage flashed on the features of the blue-eyed, leather-clad alien. “You dare tell me the laws on my own planet?”

“Even Hyvin Berrr must follow the law.” Gohl looked nervous as he spoke.

“Slave trade is against my law.”

“It is against your law to sell Zorn or Collis women but there is no law on humans.” The giant of an alien slowly smiled. It was a cold, harsh twist of his full lips that didn’t reach his eyes. Shanna decided it was actually a scary expression.

“I make the laws so listen closely to my words. Let it be known I decree a new law that it is a violation to sell human women from this moment onward.”

“You can’t do that, Hyvin,” Gohl snarled.

“I just did it.” Hyvin Berrr turned to the men in uniform. “Take them all before a judge, the Collis for selling women and the Zorn present for illegal trading.” All hell broke loose a heartbeat later as Gohl spun and ran for the back of the room to flee. The aliens not in the leather outfits tried to fight their way past the uniformed ones. The two shipmates of Gohl were the only men in the room who didn’t resist as they put their hands behind their heads, locking them there, and dropped to their knees in submission. Fights broke out and all of a sudden the giant called Hyvin Berrr was storming right for Shanna. She stared up at him as he drew closer, stopping just out of reach of her chained, standing form, a frown firmly in place on his face.

“You are safe. I give you my vow that no harm shall come to you, human. I am—”

“Look out behind you,” Shanna yelled, seeing Gohl rush from the back where he’d tried to escape. He’d yanked a knife out from a pocket in his pants, gripping it, as he ran right at the bright blue-eyed alien with his back to him.

Hyvin Berrr spun just in time to avoid Gohl’s knife. A vicious snarl filled the room over the other fighting sounds. For a big guy, the leather-clad alien could move fast. He sidestepped the blade Gohl tried to embed into his chest. Hyvin Berrr’s hand moved quickly as he threw a hard punch. His fist slammed into Gohl’s throat, sending him flying backward to hit the floor sprawled on his back a good six feet away.

Shanna heard a horrible sound coming from the fallen alien. As Gohl grabbed for his throat his body started to buck and convulse. Two uniformed males walked slowly to stand over him, staring down and frowning as they watched silently. One of them turned his head, his bright green eyes almost glowed while staring calmly at the alien who had put Gohl on the floor.

“You crushed his throat, Hyvin Berrr. Shall I end it? He suffers.” Hyvin Berrr shook his head, turning his back on the dying man. “Let him suffer for having no honor.” Bright blue eyes locked on Shanna. He moved in her sightline of Gohl who was full on rolling now on the floor, his legs kicking, as he struggled to get air that would never come. “He sealed his fate when he came to our planet with slaves.” Shock rolled through Shanna. Gohl was dying on the floor but no one was helping him, realizing they were just going to watch him die. The big alien standing in front of her had crushed his throat and was now watching her. Her attention rooted on him.

Will he crush my throat next?

He took a slow step forward before he hesitated. He blinked a few times, silently watching her, making her notice his long, black eyelashes. His hands slowly inched for his waist. In shock Shanna watched the alien open his shirt, jerking it open to reveal a massively muscled chest. She saw the ridged lines of each muscle waving from his ribs down to the waist of his pants. His arms were super buff, making his biceps appear just huge when he pulled the material off his arms. He looked as if he were a bodybuilder on steroids without the ugly vein lines most of them got. He held his shirt in one hand, his stunningly bright look fixed on her.

“You are safe.” He draped the shirt over his shoulder and to her shock lowered to his knees before her and moved on them closer to her. “I will free you and you may wear my shirt. I will take you somewhere safe where you will not be sold into slavery.” Shanna held really still as the guy hesitantly reached for one of her manacled wrists, deciding she wouldn’t fight him. He wasn’t Gohl, he claimed to want to free her and she was all for that. Her gaze flashed over his massive chest and muscled arms again, swallowing, and she realized she wouldn’t stand a chance of fighting this guy off if he wanted to hurt her. He was much bigger than Gohl and his two goons had been.

Large, hot hands brushed against her skin as he gripped the metal gently, examining it, and then he pulled it apart. A sharp snap sounded and Shanna realized he’d just broken it with his fingers instead of trying to unlock it. The guy is strong. He dropped the destroyed manacle on the floor, freeing her wrist.

Shanna tore her gaze from his face to stare down at her now-free arm. Her wrist was red and bled from where she’d fought, causing the metal to scratch her along the side by her thumb. It ached but it wasn’t really that painful. When the large alien gripped her other wrist she jumped, too focused on her freed wrist to notice what he was about to do.