Page 49 of Primal Vow

An unreadable silence stretched between them, the weight of Rhys's words hanging heavy in the air. Finally, Zarrack gave a slow nod, his demeanor shifting ever so slightly.

"Your actions speak louder than any words, human," he murmured. "And Taryn's faith in you is… unexpected." He fixed Rhys with an appraising look. "I would hear more of how this came to pass."

Rhys's breath caught in his throat. A chance to plead his case...

He glanced at Taryn, who offered the slightest of nods. "Tell him everything, Rhys."

Drawing a steadying breath, Rhys straightened his shoulders. "Okay, here goes…"

Chapter twenty

The Vasz night was cold, but Rhys's blood was pumping hot.

They were escaping. They were actually escaping.

Zarrack led them through the darkened hallways of the city walls, his steps sure and swift. The only sound was the distant hum of the city, the occasional far-off voice from guards who had no idea that their captives were slipping through their very fingers.

When Zarrack had opened the cell doors, Taryn had hesitated. "You're going to trust us?" he'd asked, his voice rough with disbelief.

Zarrack had simply nodded. "You have always been trustworthy, pup."

Now, after a slow, careful route through the city's walls, they emerged into the cool night air. The scent of the jungle, a clear run from the walls, filled Rhys's lungs.

Zarrack turned to face them, the light from the moon casting half of his stony face into relief. "I'm going to trust that you speak the truth," he said. "That the humans you seek are a threat to my city, and that they're out there."

"They are," Taryn growled.

Zarrack held up a hand. "That's enough for me," he said. "Not enough for the rest of us. But enough for me." He studied Taryn for a moment, his eyes piercing. Then he nodded. "Good. Now go."

Taryn didn't move.

Zarrack looked at him. "Taryn."

The other Borraq's jaw was set. "I'm not leaving you behind. Our presence was well-known… People will soon figure out that this was no jailbreak."

Zarrack's mouth quirked into a half-smile. "You think I'm too old to keep the military from sticking their noses into my city's affairs?"

Taryn's expression didn't change.

Zarrack's did. His hand shot out, and he cuffed Taryn over the back of the head. "I will tell Rael that his men have no respect for their elders!" A small smile played across his face. "Now go, before I change my mind about not snapping this human's neck."

And so they did. Under Zarrack's watchful gaze, Rhys and Taryn slipped out into the night.

They didn't dare exchange words, but as they set off into the night, their feet pounding against the earth, there was a charged, weighted feeling to the air between them.

They'd narrowly escaped death. But they'd chosen life — and they'd chosen each other.

When they finally reached the safe shadow of the jungle, far away from any prying eyes, Taryn came to a halt. He turned to face Rhys, and in the dim light, his eyes were dark pools of determination. Without a word, he reached out and clasped Rhys's shoulders.

His touch was hot through the thin fabric of Rhys's shirt, torn by the Borraq mob. It sent a jolt of heat through him. Despite everything — the danger, the stakes, the fact that they were in the middle of a desperate mission to save a city from certain destruction — Rhys's heart hammered in his chest, consumed by a need that was as urgent as their need for freedom.

In the heat of the moment, in the charged atmosphere of the night, it was the most romantic thing that Rhys had ever experienced. For a moment, time seemed to slow, the distant city and the wide-open plains around them fading away into nothing. There was only Taryn, and the fiery desire that blazed between them, banked down into a deep and steady burn.

Rhys reached up and clasped Taryn's hands where they rested on his shoulders, interlocking their fingers. He leaned in, and Taryn met him halfway. Their lips met in a silent, searing kiss.

When they pulled apart, Rhys smiled. "I've never broken out of a prison before," he said, the words half-breath, half-laugh.

Taryn's answering chuckle was deep and rich. "You were a natural."

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