Page 8 of Primal Vow

There was the sound of heavy footsteps coming his way.

The Borraq were closing in on him.

Rhys yanked at the fastenings of his gear, frantic. The heavy mining pack on his back slipped as he tried to wriggle out of the straps; the weight dropped, savagely yanking his shoulder. Pain blossomed in stars behind his eyes, but it was nothing compared to what was waiting for him if he didn't get away right the hell now.

He was going to die here, on the hellhole that was Vasz. He'd never get his money, never get his paradise, never have a chance to really live—

A thick, calloused hand seized him by the back of his protective suit and wrenched him up.

The Borraq who grabbed him was massive, a wall of muscle and golden skin. His presence alone seemed to suck the air from the scorching environment. Two sharp horns arched above a frowning face, and intense green eyes bore into Rhys with a glare that felt like it could tear right through his soul.

Without a word, the Borraq held him, his grip firm and unyielding. Rhys didn't know anything about Borraq, but he knew this had to be someone important, someone dangerous.

And from the look in the golden-skinned alien's eyes, he knew that this Borraq hated him.

The Borraq pressed his blade against Rhys's throat. Despite the heat, a bead of cold sweat trickled down his neck underneath his suit.

Rhys had been an afterthought his whole existence, kicked around between quarters and jobs and space stations. He'd always dreamed of a good life — but he wasn't the right sort of person for a happily ever after.

He was just… space trash.

He was nothing.

It was finally time to stop kidding himself.

Rhys glared up at the towering Borraq. "Go on, then!" he shouted, his voice cracking with rage and desperation. "Just get it over with!"

The Borraq's piercing eyes narrowed… but he made no move. Rhys bared his teeth in a snarl, his shoulders heaving with each ragged breath.

"My own people left me for dead," he spat. A single tear traced its way down his dirt-streaked cheek. "So what are you waiting for? Do it!"

The Borraq studied the human before him, his expression unreadable. The sounds of the rest of the skirmish seemed to fade into the distance, the two of them locked in a silent standoff.

Rhys held the Borraq's gaze, his jaw clenched tightly. Then, something flickered in his eyes — the barest hint of something unknowable.

The Borraq leader slowly lowered his weapon.

Rhys's breath caught in his throat, disbelief washing over him. Was he... being spared?

The Borraq gave a curt nod to his warriors. In a flurry of movement, Rhys found his heavy equipment stripped from him, and his hands bound tightly behind his back. He was hauled to his feet, the fight temporarily draining from his body as the adrenaline ebbed.

He had been spared... but why?! Rhys eyed the Borraq warriors warily, his mind spinning. What did these aliens have planned for him? Were they going to take him captive? Interrogate him?

The thought sent a shiver of dread down his spine, his earlier bravado faltering. He had screamed defiance at death itself, but now that his life was being prolonged, a hundred new horrors blossomed in his mind.

The group of Borraq looked over the mine site, the rest of the humans either dead or escaped. Then the leader gave a nod, his horns shining in the light of double suns, and they all began to withdraw — taking Rhys with them.

Rhys could only stumble along, his head spinning with unanswered questions. He had been ready to die, had stared into the face of oblivion…

And now he found himself being led into the unknown heart of the Borraq world.

Chapter five

Rhys was going to die.

He was certain of it. There was no way that he could survive being tied up to a stake in the middle of a Borraq camp, deep in the heart of their wilds.

The Borraq were strange and alien creatures, unlike anything that Rhys had ever seen. They were humanoid, like humans, but that was where the similarities ended. Their skin was a burnished gold, and two long, curved horns rose from their heads. Despite their alien appearance, there was no denying the power in their corded muscles, or the sharp focus of their strange eyes.

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