Page 3 of Primal Bond

But there was none.

Finn remained on the ground, his breath shallow and quick. The cold metal of the docking bay floor seeped through his thinclothing, chilling him to the bone. He didn't dare move, trapped between Urlek's desperation and Zanik's cold disdain.

"Zanik, please!" Urlek's voice trembled with desperation. "I don't have anything else. You know I'm just a poor trader, and conditions in this sector have been so bad…! But, look, the human, he's valuable."

"I'm here for your debt repayment, Urlek. Money."

"Oh, Finn's better than money." Urlek's voice grew smug, his tone cruel. "You can use him any way you want…"

Finn's heart sank as Urlek continued, each word a knife twisting deeper into his gut.

"Face down, on all fours... Trust me, you've never had a toy like this—"

Finn's vision blurred as he stared at the ground, willing himself to disappear. Just vanish. His mind detached from his body, a familiar numbness creeping in.

"Or in your lap," Urlek pressed on, his voice growing more insistent. "He's good with his mouth, too. You can make him take it all the way down—"

The words were a distant buzz in Finn's ears as he shut down further, retreating into himself. He felt dirty, worthless. Each word from Urlek stripped away another piece of his humanity.

Urlek's voice droned on, listing more vile uses for Finn's body, but he didn't hear the words anymore. He was gone, lost in the darkness of his mind where no one could reach him.

He wanted it all to end.

"Enough."

Finn looked up at Zanik in surprise, his heart racing. The word had cut through Urlek's degrading monologue like a knife. Zanik wasn't even looking at Finn; he was narrowing his eyes at Urlek.

"I don't care to listen to a catalog of your rutting habits," Zanik said, his voice icy and commanding. "And I don't have time tolisten to you whine. I have a sector to run. I'll take the human now for half the debt, but I want the other half in a week."

Urlek's face contorted with outrage. "Half? The human is worth more than the entire debt!"

"Not to me," Zanik replied coolly.

Finn's heart pounded in his chest, a sudden anger surging through him. It was better than the cold, numbing feeling from before. At least this fire made him feel alive.

Urlek sputtered, desperate. "You can't be serious! He's... he's valuable!"

Zanik's gaze remained fixed on Urlek, unwavering. "Take it or leave it. But know this — if you fail to pay the other half in a week, I'll come back for you."

Urlek's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine," he muttered through gritted teeth.

Zanik gestured for Finn to stand. "Get up," he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Finn got to his feet, every muscle protesting from his earlier fall. He stood there, feeling like currency being exchanged between merchants.

"Follow me." As Zanik turned and walked towards his ship, Finn followed him automatically, glancing back at Urlek one last time. The Borraq's face was twisted with fury and humiliation — a sight that gave Finn a grim sense of satisfaction.

But as he stepped onto Zanik's ship, that satisfaction was quickly replaced by apprehension. He didn't know what awaited him with this new owner.

Anger still simmered beneath the surface, but for now, he clung to it like a lifeline — something real to hold onto amidst the chaos.

He had no idea what lay ahead with Zanik, but one thing was certain: he would not be broken so easily again.

Chapter two

Zanik stood in the docking bay of his ship, arms crossed and a scowl etched deep into his features. He glanced at the human —Finn, Urlek had called him, the name thin and wispy between Urlek's sharp teeth — standing a few feet away.

The boy was a sorry sight: grimy, bruised, and hunched as if carrying the weight of worlds on his shoulders.

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