Free Khan by Kathi S. Barton Page A

“I don’t think that’s going
to happen. The way she screamed, I’m pretty sure she’s going to be out for a
while. You okay?”
    He nodded then shook his head. “I don’t
know. She…Christ, Walker, she bit me. And she drew blood.”
    “I’m happy for you. She’ll be fine. She
has your blood now and will be fine. I swear it. Come out here. We’ve got
something to—”
    “Khan?”
    He turned to her when she said his name,
shutting the door in Walker’s face. He heard him laughing as he made his way to
the bed and her.
    “Are you hurt? Did I hurt you too much?”
He lifted off the cover again and checked her pulse. “I’ve been so worried after
you slipped away that way. Are you sure you’re okay?”
    “Yes. How are you?” She ran her finger
over the scar and looked up at him. “You heal fast, don’t you?”
    “Yes. So will you now.” He lay down
beside her, but didn’t get under the covers. “You really all right? I didn’t
mean to bite you so hard. But you’re mine now.”
    She raised a brow at him. “I don’t
belong to anyone. I’m my own person. And the sooner you figure that out…what do
you mean I’m yours?”
    “We’re a couple, paired. You and I have
had sex and exchanged blood. I guess that makes us belong to each other. But
mostly, you belong to me.” He grinned. “I’m going to protect you.”
    “I see. Actually, no, I don’t.” She got
up, and he watched her grab things up as she mumbled. He thought he should tell
her that he could hear her, but decided that he might get hurt if he did.
    “What are you so upset about? I mean, it’s
not like you’ve done that good of a job taking care of yourself up till now. I
mean, look what happened to you when I first met you. That guy had beaten you
for shit and you didn’t fight back.”
    He knew the moment he’d said it he’d
screwed up. Before he could tell her that he hadn’t meant it that way, she
picked up the vase on the dresser and looked like she was going to throw it at
him. When she set it down, he let go of his breath with a whoosh. She went to
the door and opened it.
    “Get out.”
    He didn’t move, wasn’t going to.
    “If you don’t leave this room right this
minute, I’m going to scream for your brothers and tell them…tell them that you
hurt me.”
    “They won’t believe you. I can’t harm
you. It’s in our DNA not to harm our mate.” She left the door open and came to
the bed. He thought she was going to forgive him, but she pulled open the
drawer. Suddenly, there was a gun in her hand and she was aiming right at his
head.
    “It’s not in my DNA, and I will hurt
you. Now you either get out of here right now or they’ll take you away in a
body bag.” More than the gun she held to his head, he believed her because of
her voice. It was low, mean, and full of truth. He moved off the bed and stood
up. When he reached for his shirt, she jumped on the bed. “I’m not fucking with
you any longer. Get out of here.” The gun went off an inch from his head, and
he watched her steady hand. She’d do it, he realized. She’d fucking shoot him.
When the others spilled into the room, he glared at her.
    “This isn’t finished. You’re my mate and
I’m not going to put up with this from you or anyone else.”
    “Well that’s just fucking great with me
because I’m not putting up with it either.” She didn’t even look at the door. “Take
him away upright or dead, but get him out of here.”
    Khan walked to the door and out into the
hall. He didn’t look to see if they followed him or not, but went down the
stairs and toward the kitchen. The man standing in front of him was going to
regret trying to stop him if he was thinking he could. Before he touched him,
he turned. He looked at the man holding the gun on him, standing just inside
the door, and then back at the man in front of the door who now had a gun too.
    “We’ve been told to keep you here. You’re
to go to the living room and have a seat