Page 11 of Primal Call

Kyral's brow furrowed in skepticism as Rivek whipped the crowd into a frenzy. What kind of 'treasure' could that wretched smuggler possibly be auctioning off in a backwater place like this? Likely just more of his usual contraband: smuggled weapons, illicit goods, the occasional slab of something to melt their frontal lobes.

Before Kyral could leave, Rivek gestured towards the entrance with a flourish. One of the thugs gave a signal, and another pair of burly Borraq shoved their way through the throng.

When he caught sight of what they were dragging between them, Kyral froze.

What — or, rather, who.

A young human male. Slender, with a shock of wavy brown hair. The human's clothes were tattered, his head lolling as though drugged or beaten into submission.

A shocked murmur rippled through the crowd at the sight. Kyral's jaw went slack, his eyes widening in disbelief.

A human? Here, on Vasz?

It was unheard of. Being on Vasz was a death sentence for the foolish alien. How in the seven hells had Rivek gotten his hands on a human?!

Kyral's mind raced as he studied the captive, searching for any hint of insignia or rank. A spy, perhaps? Or a prisoner of war, smuggled from the military prisons?

Rivek seemed to revel in the crowd's stunned reaction, that cocksure grin never wavering. With a harsh yank, he seized a fistful of the human's hair, wrenching his head up to face the crowd. The human's eyes were wide with fear, shivering.

"You're all in luck, because today I'm auctioning off a real prize!" Rivek crowed, giving the human's hair another cruel tug. "A genuine off-worlder, plucked fresh from the warfront! And this one's still nice and pretty! No marks… yet."

The smuggler's tongue flicked out to wet his lips, his gaze raking over the human in a way that made Kyral's stomach churn.

This was bad.

Rivek grinned. "So who wants to get their hands on him first? Who's got the credits to start the bidding for a real, live human?"

Chapter five

This was bad.

Jasper's heart pounded in his chest as Rivek's meaty hand gripped his hair, yanking his head up for the crowd's inspection. The stench of sweat and smoke hung thick in the dimly lit bar. Jasper squinted against the harsh lights, trying to make out the faces leering at him.

Scarred, weathered Borraq filled the room, their golden skins gleaming with a predatory hunger as they eyed Jasper like a piece of meat. He fought back a shudder, remembering how the other kidnapped humans had been taken from their cell one by one, sold off to buyers with hungry eyes and cruel smiles.

Asher had been the first to go, dragged away by a hulking Borraq despite his frantic pleas. Jasper could still see the terrified look they'd shared as the young man was torn from the cell. Then Finn, the injured teenage boy Jasper had tried so hard to comfort, had been ripped from his side. Their eyes had locked as Finn was hauled off, Finn's wide with fear.

And now it was Jasper's turn.

Jasper swallowed hard, forcing himself to meet the crowd's hungry stares with as much dignity as he could muster. His mind raced, grasping for any shred of hope, any chance of escape from this nightmare.

As Rivek's gravelly voice boomed out, announcing the start of bidding, Jasper could only cling to the belief that one day, somehow, he would track down Finn and Asher and free them from this hell. Focus on that, he told himself.

You'll find them. You'll bring them back.

But first, he had to survive this.

Rivek's grip tightened in his hair, the slaver's hot breath on his face as he dragged him closer. Jasper's heart raced. The crowd pressed in hungrily, their eyes roving over Jasper with sickening appraisal. He tried not to gag at the thick, musky scent of their sweat and lust filling the smoky air.

"Just look at this pretty little human," Rivek purred, his tone making Jasper's skin crawl. The slaver's hand slid down to grip Jasper's chin, forcing his head up. "Don't they just smell divine?"

A rumble of greedy agreement rose from the crowd. Jasper felt lightheaded, panic clawing at his throat as the Borraq leaned in, nostrils flaring as they drank in his scent. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to shut out the nauseating sight.

"Who'll start the bidding? This one's a real prize. You'd be lucky to get your hands on—"

A rough hand suddenly gripped Jasper's thigh. He startled, eyes flying open. A leering Borraq leered at him, tongue licking his cracked lips obscenely.

Before Jasper could react, Rivek snarled and the muzzle of a blaster pressed against the Borraq's head. "Touch the merchandise before you buy, and I'll blow your head off," Rivek growled. He shoved the gun harder against the Borraq's skull until he backed up, hands raised. "That's what I thought."

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