Page 14 of Primal Call

But deep down, he knew it wasn't just that. The memory of Jasper's eyes meeting his during the auction haunted him — clear blue and full of a mixture of fear and defiance.

It stirred something within Kyral he didn't want to acknowledge.

Zee nudged him with her nose. Kyral shook off the thoughts and focused on the task ahead. They needed to move quickly if they were to stay ahead of any curious eyes from the outpost.

Kyral glanced over at Jasper, who was awkwardly fumbling with the oversized coat Kyral had bought him. The smallest Borraq coat Kyral could find still dwarfed the human, the sleeves falling past his fingertips and the hem dragging near his knees. Jasper had cinched it with a belt, but that only made it look like he was a child playing dress-up in an adult's clothing.

Zee, ever curious, trotted over to inspect the new addition to their little group. Her six legs moved with a fluid grace, scales glinting under the sparse sunlight. She sniffed at Jasper's boots, her muzzle twitching.

She wasn't the only one intrigued by the human's scent.

Humans. Everyone knew their pheromones were enough to turn the head of even a trained warrior.

Kyral tightened his jaw. Out here in the clear, thin air, the effect was reduced. Bearable.

But in the bar, closed in, Jasper's scent had hit Kyral like a wild beast. It had taken all his control to keep it from controlling him, from sinking into him right down to his instincts

Down to parts of him that he'd kept locked away for years.

Jasper froze as Zee snuffled his boots, trying his best to stay calm but clearly uneasy about the creature circling him. His eyes darted to Kyral for reassurance, but he didn't make any sudden moves.

"She's friendly," Kyral said, his voice gruff. "Just curious."

Jasper swallowed hard and gave a tentative nod. Zee, sensing no immediate threat, nudged Jasper's leg with her nose.

The sight was almost comical — this delicate human trying to maintain some semblance of dignity while being dwarfed by an alien coat and investigated by a six-legged beast. Kyral found himself wanting to smile despite himself.

"You look ridiculous," he commented, folding his arms over his chest.

Jasper shot him a glare that was half irritation and half helplessness. "It's not exactly like I had many options," he muttered, tugging the belt tighter around his waist in a futile attempt to keep the coat from swallowing him whole.

Kyral studied Jasper, taking in every detail. The human looked fragile, like a reed that could snap in a strong wind. Yet, there was something in those big blue eyes that suggested resilience.

At the bar, he'd never begged. Never pled for mercy or help. Not once…

Zee gave a small whine and settled down at Kyral's feet, clearly bored now that her curiosity had been sated. Jasper seemed to take that as a cue that he could relax — at least a little bit — and let out the breath he'd been holding.

Jasper’s eyes darted up to meet Kyral’s, filled with a wary fear that made Kyral's stomach twist uncomfortably. He wasn’t used to seeing that look directed at him, especially not from someone he'd just saved. “You’re scared of me.”

Jasper flinched at the challenge, but he held his ground. “Can you blame me?”

Kyral chuckled dryly. “No, I suppose not.”

Jasper swallowed hard, clearly summoning every ounce of courage he had left. “Why… Why did you buy me?”

The question hung in the air between them, heavy with unspoken fear.

Kyral leaned back against a tree, arms crossed over his chest as he considered his answer. It was good for Jasper to be wary. There were many reasons why a Borraq bounty hunter might purchase a human slave — none of them good.

“Like I said. I need a medic.”

Jasper blinked in surprise, clearly taken aback by the simplicity of the answer. “There have to be Borraq medics. You really need one so badly that you'd buy me?”

"Out here, any medic would be as likely to steal your organs as to heal you." Kyral kept his gaze on Jasper. "You could read my symptoms even in a place like that. That's skilled. I need someone skilled."

Jasper's eyes narrowed in suspicion, then softened into uncertainty. He chewed on his bottom lip, clearly wrestling with his thoughts. "I... I don't know much about Borraq anatomy," he admitted hesitantly.

Kyral felt a pang of frustration. Of course the human didn't know about his species. It wasn't like their species had been exchanging medical knowledge across the battlefield.

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