I jerked awake as a warm cloth slid across my open wounds. I snapped my teeth and snarled at the female cleaning the injury. She jumped, and her wide, frightened eyes shot to mine. I moved to shove her away and found my hands tied to the headboard.

I pulled at my bonds, shaking the bed and ignored the small bubble of panic that rose in my chest at the thought of being trapped. “What have you done, human?”

She stepped back from the bed and pointed a handgun at me. “It’s just a little insurance. I don’t know who, or what you are, and until you convince me that you won’t hurt me you’re staying tied to that bed.”

I sneered at her. “Your ropes can’t hold me.”

I tried to change, and found that I couldn’t. I roared and yanked at the ropes. Dizziness swamped me, and I had to lay my head back down. Whoa.

“You have a fever.”

“No shit, female.” Spec-fuckin’-tacular. I couldn’t change with a fever this severe. Thankfully I wasn’t human. One of their kind would be dead. Eventually my body would fight off the poison, but for now I was helpless.

“Untie me.”

She didn’t move, just stood there with the gun in her hand. “My name is Maura.”

“How is that a response to ‘untie me’?”

She bit her lip. “What’s your name?”

I growled. “I’m called Jayden. Now…Maura untie me”

She shook her head, her golden curls cascading around her shoulders. She pointed the gun at the floor. “No,” she said as she backed toward the door. “You haven’t been very friendly. I don’t trust you yet.”

I took a deep breath and tried not the shout at her. “I’m not going to hurt you. Just let me go, and I’ll leave your home.”

“No.” Her eyes locked on mine and she hesitated a moment. “Besides, you’re hurt. You should at least stay here until you heal.” She turned and fled.

“Female, get back here!”

My command fell flat in the empty room. I sighed and lay back on the bed. I couldn’t afford to be tied up if my ‘buddies’ decided to bust in and kill us.

I started working the knots. Fortunately, she wasn’t good at tying them. Within seconds, the restraints fell away. Rubbing my wrists, I sat up. I’d have to take the woman by surprise or she would shoot me. Any damage she could inflict would heal, but I really didn’t want a gunshot wound. Besides, there was always a chance she would hit the head or the heart and then I’d be worm food.

I followed her scent, and the smell of chicken soup, as I limped down the hallway. My ankle had more than likely been fractured in a few places, but it was already partially healed.

The most pleasant sound filled my sensitive ears. I peered around the corner. The female bustled around the kitchen, singing quietly to herself. She had the voice of an angel.

No, she had the voice of a goddess.

And the looks of one, too. Her blonde curls spilled to her waist. Her body was lusciously curved. The women of my culture were all bone. There was nothing for a man’s hands to grasp. No lush cushion or warmth.

I sucked in a deep breath. Lord, and she smelled incredible. Most women wore too much perfume. She wore none. Hers was the aroma of soap and her unique feminine scent.

My dick started to harden. Great, just what I needed to convince her I meant her no harm. Unfortunately, it wasn’t something I could stop, and given my heightened libido because of the disease I carried, I was surprised it hadn’t happened sooner.

Her taunting frame beckoned as she leaned forward and avocado, tomato, cheese and lettuce out of the fridge. She slapped the cheese into a frying pan and then moved to the cutting board on the counter.

I darted into the kitchen and pushed her against the counter top. She screamed and made a wild grab for the knives in the wood block. Before she could reach a weapon, I had her by the wrists. Bringing them around behind her, I clasped them in one of my hands, then I pulled them up, forcing her upper body onto the counter.