This is Part 1 of Protected, book two of my new Sci-fi romance series, The Alien Mate Index. I'm putting it out as a novella to give you a taste of what you can expect. There are order links to the entire book at the end of this novella.Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Grav N’gol. Half Braxian, half Vorn, and one hundred percent son-of-a-bitch. I’m a murderer, an ex-con…and a Protector. Some people think a Protector is just a bodyguard for hire but it’s so much more than that—I’ll lay down my life for my ward if I have to without hesitation. Which means I’m damn picky about who I chose to ward.Enter Leah Roth, a bewitching little Earth female with silky hair down to her luscious ass and big brown eyes a male could easily drown in. I know this gig is only temporary—I haven’t even given her my oath. I’m just supposed to make sure she’s okay and then report back.So how did she end up on my ship, traveling with me on a top-secret mission that might affect the fate of the entire galaxy?And why do I feel like I’m falling for her?It doesn’t matter, even if I am. I have a secret in my past—a bloody one that would turn even the kindest and most forgiving heart against me. I have to put distance between the luscious little Earth female and myself, no matter how I long to possess her.From my past and my true nature, Leah must be Protected at all costs.