Page 40 of Primal Bond

As the unlikely group entered the Ironclad, Kelara raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of suspicion and curiosity. Her fingers danced over the controls of the ship, eyes darting between the newcomers and Zanik.

Zanik shot her a quick nod, a subtle signal that he would explain later. Finn fought the urge to laugh. He could already hear Kelara's voice:bringing one human on the ship wasn't enough?

“Alright, time to spill,” Finn said. “What was your plan, Jasper?”

Jasper sighed. He looked relieved, but tired. “Kyral and I have been searching for you and Asher for a long time now. We heard you'd been sold to a Borraq in this sector, but we didn’t know who. When we got information that you were seen at that club, we figured it was our best shot.”

Asher. The other human that Finn and Jasper had bonded with in those dark early days. Sensitive, barely hanging on.

In Rivek's hold, the three of them had talked about escape, tried to keep their heads up. It hadn't worked. One by one, they'd all been ground down and sold off to cruel masters.

It all seemed so long ago.

Kyral chimed in, his tone steady. “I’ve got connections in the underground. It wasn’t easy, but we managed to find the club and get in without causing a fuss.”

Finn exchanged glances with Zanik. “So, you just… walked in there?”

To save me?went unsaid.

“Of course,” Jasper replied, his eyes bright with determination. “I got out — trust me, it's a long story. But I couldn’t sleep right, knowing that you and Asher were still out there.”

Finn clenched his fists, fighting back the emotions that threatened to spill over.

Jasper continued. "When I heard you cry out, I thought—"

Oh. That bit was less emotional. "It was all part of the act," Finn cut in quickly, hoping his face wasn't as red as it felt. He avoided Zanik's gaze, memories flooding back.

The sting of Zanik's hand, the heat that had spread through him, the way Zanik's massive frame had dwarfed him — Finn swallowed hard. He wouldn't mind being punished more often ifthatwas how Zanik did it.

Jasper nodded, though he looked unconvinced. "Well, we're here now. You should come with us, Finn. I'll take you to a safe place quickly, and then Kyral and I can keep looking for Asher."

"Where's safe for a human in Borraq space…?" Something occurred to Finn. "Wait, where have you been all this time?"

Jasper simply looked at Kyral. There was something unspoken in the way he did, a wordless handing over of the baton. It was the look of two people who had been working together for a long time.

Working together, or—

Before Finn could finish that thought, Kyral took over the conversation. "My clan, in the wilds of Vasz. I'm not born to it, but it took me in with open arms — and Jasper as well. The alpha has taken in several lost humans now. Rael is a good man, and a strong warrior. He'll protect and shelter you while we keep looking for Asher."

OnVasz! The Borraq home planet?! Finn stared; beside him, he could feel the way that Zanik stiffened sharply.

Jasper took Finn's astonishment for fear. "It's true. I know it sounds scary, but Rael's clan is a safe place for us. No-one is looking for humans right in the heart of the Borraq home world, after all."

Somewhere safe.That was a nice idea, but…

Finn shook his head. "I can't. Not yet. I need to take Rivek down first. He's just going to keep doing this to more humans."

Jasper's face fell. Kyral stepped forward, his voice low and serious. "That's a dangerous idea, Finn. Rivek's not someone to mess with."

"I'll help him do it," Zanik said, his deep voice rumbling through Finn's chest. "It's Finn's choice."

Finn's heart swelled at those words. Zanik wasn't treating him like a fragile thing to be protected, or a possession to be controlled. He was acknowledging Finn's right to make his own decisions — something that had been stripped away when he became a slave.

Finn looked up at Zanik, taking in the sharp angles of his face, the intensity in his eyes. A warmth spread through him, different from the heat of arousal. This was deeper, more profound.

Jasper and Kyral exchanged glances, their silent communication evident. Jasper sighed, a heaviness in his voice. “I’d be more comfortable if you were out of danger, Finn… but I accept your choice. I can't blame you for wanting that bastard dead. Is that why you were in that damned place?”

Zanik stepped forward, his presence commanding. “Rivek is my rival. A powerful smuggler in this sector. He rarely leaves his warship, which makes him a tough target. But he has a human slave and visits that club, so that’s where we were waiting for him.”

---