turned toward her. In a bound, he’d entered her area, peering
at her with a frown. She leaned back, fear returning with a cold grip on her
heart.
****
As
soon as he’d heard Mateen’s assurance that Avanelle was secure, Bynton’s bloodlust had morphed into a heady brew of
anticipation and desire, and he could barely concentrate on anything other than
returning to the hover as quickly as possible. Her breathy little assurance
that she was unharmed had thrilled him, and when she’d inquired after his
health, he’d wanted to roar in triumph. Their bond held even though she’d run.
Mateen’s
expression was one of relief and satisfaction when he’d boarded their craft,
and his bondmate had immediately set the controls for takeoff. Enough of this wretched place. They were taking the only
thing of value from it now and never returning. He entered the shielded cabin
to see Avanelle reclining on the bench, her eyes wide with apprehension as she
stared at him. She’d been through so much that he was determined to set her
mind at ease immediately.
Her
clothes were wet and covered in grime, and her feet encased in sodden socks
that looked familiar. There was a daub of Xyran ink
on her shirt, and he itched to remove the stain of their intended slavery from
her. She shivered convulsively, and he realized she needed to warm up and
receive a physical assessment before all else. He punched in a temperature
increase for the cabin, then knelt before her to pull
off her clothing. Her hands caught ineffectively at his as he removed the
ruined socks. He noticed blackening Xyran blood on
the heavy knit, and his heart sank.
“Were
you bitten?” He looked over her slim feet with concern, but other than them
being cold and dirty, saw no marks. “How did that blood come to be there? Did
you encounter one of them?”
“I
kicked one, the head of one, when it was dead,” she whispered, and he caught
her gaze with his own. A fighting spirit lived within her, and his staff
hardened at the thought. She was a worthy mate indeed.
“Then
you’ve been blooded. We should have retrieved it and marked your cheeks with
gore as your badge of honor. I can go back and take their chest studs as jewels
for you. Not very fine examples. Mat and I have much
finer in our coffers to give you upon our return to Alpha.” He was only
half-joking about the blood, but Avanelle’s already pale face whitened further
and she lay back with a cry. Too late he remembered she’d fled them in fear at
their trophies.
“Are
you going to beat me?” Her question filled him with astonishment, and he
stopped tugging at the filthy pants she wore.
“Why
would we harm you?”
“Because I ran.”
“It
matters not. Mateen told me you returned at his call. You won’t run again.” He
was sure to his toes even if she was struggling with the link they had forged.
With careful attention, he knew he and his bondmate would be able to overcome
the last of her fear and caution. Sooner than they’d planned
if he had any influence in the business. He was on fire to claim her. As
he removed her wet and filthy garments and exposed her glowing skin in the warm
and now humid cabin, it took all his control to not bury his face against her
flesh. Her scent filled the air, both that of her skin and of her growing
arousal.
“What
were they?”
“ Xyrans . Our mortal enemies. Depraved raiders here
to capture women and children for the markets.” He rattled off the bare
facts as he looked over her skin for sign of injury. All he found were some
fresh bruises on her legs and some scratches on her feet. Any pain she felt was
too much.
With
a growl he turned to the storage bin and pulled out some cleansing cloths,
which he applied to her body with vigor. Her skin flushed pink as he worked,
and he stole glances at her face. She wasn’t struggling against his movements
any longer, sitting up when he indicated, allowing him access to her inner
thighs and the undersides of her
at her with a frown. She leaned back, fear returning with a cold grip on her
heart.
****
As
soon as he’d heard Mateen’s assurance that Avanelle was secure, Bynton’s bloodlust had morphed into a heady brew of
anticipation and desire, and he could barely concentrate on anything other than
returning to the hover as quickly as possible. Her breathy little assurance
that she was unharmed had thrilled him, and when she’d inquired after his
health, he’d wanted to roar in triumph. Their bond held even though she’d run.
Mateen’s
expression was one of relief and satisfaction when he’d boarded their craft,
and his bondmate had immediately set the controls for takeoff. Enough of this wretched place. They were taking the only
thing of value from it now and never returning. He entered the shielded cabin
to see Avanelle reclining on the bench, her eyes wide with apprehension as she
stared at him. She’d been through so much that he was determined to set her
mind at ease immediately.
Her
clothes were wet and covered in grime, and her feet encased in sodden socks
that looked familiar. There was a daub of Xyran ink
on her shirt, and he itched to remove the stain of their intended slavery from
her. She shivered convulsively, and he realized she needed to warm up and
receive a physical assessment before all else. He punched in a temperature
increase for the cabin, then knelt before her to pull
off her clothing. Her hands caught ineffectively at his as he removed the
ruined socks. He noticed blackening Xyran blood on
the heavy knit, and his heart sank.
“Were
you bitten?” He looked over her slim feet with concern, but other than them
being cold and dirty, saw no marks. “How did that blood come to be there? Did
you encounter one of them?”
“I
kicked one, the head of one, when it was dead,” she whispered, and he caught
her gaze with his own. A fighting spirit lived within her, and his staff
hardened at the thought. She was a worthy mate indeed.
“Then
you’ve been blooded. We should have retrieved it and marked your cheeks with
gore as your badge of honor. I can go back and take their chest studs as jewels
for you. Not very fine examples. Mat and I have much
finer in our coffers to give you upon our return to Alpha.” He was only
half-joking about the blood, but Avanelle’s already pale face whitened further
and she lay back with a cry. Too late he remembered she’d fled them in fear at
their trophies.
“Are
you going to beat me?” Her question filled him with astonishment, and he
stopped tugging at the filthy pants she wore.
“Why
would we harm you?”
“Because I ran.”
“It
matters not. Mateen told me you returned at his call. You won’t run again.” He
was sure to his toes even if she was struggling with the link they had forged.
With careful attention, he knew he and his bondmate would be able to overcome
the last of her fear and caution. Sooner than they’d planned
if he had any influence in the business. He was on fire to claim her. As
he removed her wet and filthy garments and exposed her glowing skin in the warm
and now humid cabin, it took all his control to not bury his face against her
flesh. Her scent filled the air, both that of her skin and of her growing
arousal.
“What
were they?”
“ Xyrans . Our mortal enemies. Depraved raiders here
to capture women and children for the markets.” He rattled off the bare
facts as he looked over her skin for sign of injury. All he found were some
fresh bruises on her legs and some scratches on her feet. Any pain she felt was
too much.
With
a growl he turned to the storage bin and pulled out some cleansing cloths,
which he applied to her body with vigor. Her skin flushed pink as he worked,
and he stole glances at her face. She wasn’t struggling against his movements
any longer, sitting up when he indicated, allowing him access to her inner
thighs and the undersides of her
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