Page 14 of Primal Bond

Finn's mind whirled. He knew this! He'd seen the man visit Rivek's ship enough times. This was it — the golden ticket, the key to his revenge.

"I know who it is," Finn replied, trying to keep his voice steady. "But there's one thing that I need, too."

He took a deep breath. This was his chance. "I want to take down Rivek. Not just as your informant, but myself. I want to see him fall with my own eyes."

Zanik's laugh was sharp and humorless. "You? A human slave, taking down one of the most dangerous smugglers in the sector? Don't be ridiculous. Tell me, and then tell me where you want to be taken to. I will transport you to any location you request. You may have your freedom."

Anger flared in Finn's chest. Freedom, huh? Like Zanik could just drop him off at a station, and he could just pick his old life back up from exactly where he'd left it.

The idea was ridiculous. As long as Rivek was out there, hurting other humans the way he'd hurt Finn, Finn would never feel free. "I know Rivek. I've seen how he operates, how he thinks. You need me."

"I need the information you have," Zanik countered, stepping closer. "Not you."

Shit, Zanik was big. Goddamn Borraq. Finn stood his ground, even as Zanik's proximity sent a shiver down his spine. "Then you're not getting it. I won't be used and tossed aside again."

They were inches apart now, the tension between them electric. Finn could feel the heat radiating from Zanik's body, could see the subtle flecks of gold in his icy eyes. His heart pounded.

"You're playing a dangerous game, human," Zanik growled.

"I'm not playing," Finn shot back. "This is my life, my chance at justice. I won't let you take that from me."

Zanik’s eyes narrowed. His voice dropped to a menacing growl. “I could torture the information out of you.”

Finn’s heart raced, but he met Zanik’s gaze head-on. “You could,” he replied, his voice steady. “But I don’t think you will. You’re smarter than that.”

“You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

Finn’s jaw clenched, his thoughts flitting back to the countless nights he lay awake, plotting his revenge. “I knowexactlywhat I’m asking for,” he said bitterly. “I picture it every night before I sleep.”

Zanik’s eyes bore into his, searching for any sign of weakness. But Finn stood firm, his heart pounding.

“You’re a fool.” Zanik’s icy stare didn’t waver, but there was a flicker of something else — respect, perhaps, or reluctant admiration. Finn couldn’t be sure, and he wasn’t about to dwell on it. He had one goal, and he wouldn’t let anything, not even his confusing feelings towards Zanik, derail him.

“Fine,” Zanik said finally, his voice begrudging. “We’ll do it your way. But if you get in my way or endanger the mission, I won’t hesitate to remove you from it.”

Finn’s heart leaped, a mix of triumph and dread. “I won’t let you down.”

For the first time in months, he felt a glimmer of hope. The path to his revenge was set.

All he had to do was claim it.

Chapter seven

Zanik stepped off the Ironclad, the familiar hum of the engines fading as he entered the docking bay of Korros Station. His boots clanked against the metal floor of the bustling space station, the echoes swallowed by the noise of traders and travelers rushing around.

Subtly adjusting the earpiece, he spoke into the tiny mic hidden in his collar. "Testing. You reading me?"

A moment's silence, then Finn's voice came through. "Loud and clear."

Zanik’s eyes narrowed, scanning the crowd. The deal he’d struck with Finn still felt strange. Trusting a human went against every instinct he’d honed over the years. Humans had brought ruin to his people during the war. He had seen them as merciless, deceitful creatures. On the frontline, they'd mown down his brethren, his kin.

Yet, when he looked into Finn’s eyes, he saw something different. A clear, unyielding desire for revenge.

It wasn't an act; it was raw and honest.

Zanik strode through the bustling corridors of Korros, his posture relaxed but alert. The station hummed with life, a far cry from the calm Borraq villages he'd once called home. Neon signs flickered above makeshift stalls, their garish colors reflecting off puddles of spilled drinks and grime. The air was thick with the scent of metal and machine grease.

All around him, Borraq of various clans mingled. Some wore the traditional garb of their villages, while others had kept their gear from the interstellar war. Zanik noted the glint of cybernetic enhancements on more than a few individuals.

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