Page 41 of Primal Bond

Kyral crossed his arms. “What were you planning to do when you found him there?”

Finn hesitated, the weight of their expectations pressing down on him. “Execute him,” he finally said, his voice steadier than he felt.

Jasper’s brow furrowed. “And what about Asher? How were you going to find him?”

Finn’s heart raced. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. The uncertainty gnawed at him. He thought about Asher, about the countless other humans still trapped in Rivek’s grasp. “I… I don’t know,” he admitted.

A swell of shame washed over him. He had fixated on revenge, blinded by anger and hurt. But Jasper had left whatever safe harbor he'd found, just to save Finn and Asher.

All the while, Finn had just thought about Rivek. The thought twisted in his gut, suffocating him.

He couldn’t let Rivek go unpunished, but what about the others? The ones still out there, suffering?

It felt like being torn in two. One part of him craved justice, the other yearned to help…

Zanik's hand settled on Finn's shoulder, warm and grounding. The touch sent a jolt through Finn, a reminder that he wasn't alone in this fight. “I have contacts on both sides of the law,” Zanik said, his voice steady. “We'll find him — whether Rivek is dead or alive.”

Finn looked up, meeting Zanik’s gaze. Despite his icy coolness, the confidence radiating from the Borraq enveloped him like a warm blanket.

Finn wished he could borrow some of that certainty.

“Jasper, Kyral,” Zanik said, turning to them, his grip on Finn's shoulder still reassuring. “What’s your next move?”

Jasper's gaze was pinned on the sight of Zanik's hand on Finn's shoulder, but he didn't ask questions. “We’re following leads. Rumors of who Asher might have been sold to. We’ve been tracking whispers across the sector.”

Kyral nodded, arms crossed, his demeanor all business. “There’s a market for humans just a few jumps from here. It’s a hot spot for traffickers. If we struck out at the club, that was going to be our next port of call.”

“Good,” Zanik said, approval etched on his face. “Keep the pressure on.”

Finn felt a rush of adrenaline at their resolve. He stood a little taller, bolstered by Zanik’s support. “Jasper,” he said, locking eyes with his friend. “We’re going to find Asher. No matter what.”

Jasper’s expression softened, a hint of pride flickering in his blue eyes. “You got it, Finn. We’ll figure this out together.”

Finn’s heart raced. They were moving forward, chasing a lead, but all he could think about was how Zanik’s hand had felt on his shoulder. It wasn’t just support; it was a promise that they could actually pull this off.

Chapter twenty

Finn lay on his borrowed bed, the dim light from the room's control panel casting soft shadows across him. The Ironclad was eerily quiet, the only sound the faint hum of the ship’s systems working in the background.

He stared at the ceiling, feeling the weight of the night pressing down on him. Sleep eluded him, slipping away like sand through his fingers.

He rolled over, frustration boiling beneath the surface. Half of him felt scared, the other half eager. The thought of taking down Rivek consumed him, but so did the fear of failing.

What if he couldn’t find Asher? What if they couldn't take down Rivek? The possibilities twisted in his mind, knotting his stomach.

After making their plans together, Jasper and Kyral had left, going back to their own ship. All of them would reconvene in the morning. But right now, morning seemed so far away.

Finn swung his legs over the edge of the bed, planting his feet on the cold metal floor. The ship felt so empty, and the silence echoed his own restless thoughts. He pushed himself up, heart racing as he made his way to the small mess kitchen…

Which was empty. No Borraq smuggler lord having a secret midnight snack tonight.

Until that moment, Finn hadn't realized how much he'd been hoping for it.

He rummaged through the sparse supplies, hoping for something to quiet the storm inside him. Nothing but ration packs and protein fluids greeted him.

He sighed, irritation bubbling up. He didn’t need food, and he knew it.

He needed something else —someoneelse.

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