Page 52 of Baited

“No,” Izzy says. “You’re injured, and you can’t risk making it worse.”

“A Yetag is nothing,” I protest.

“Maybe just having your Gryn make an appearance will help,” the Tref female suggests, wiping her face on her long dress.

Izzy looks between us. I make myself look as big as possible.

“I suppose. But where are Gkah and Lyba?” she queries. “They’re the Zarvu bouncers Madame employs to stop the sort of behavior Riklinn is experiencing,” Izzy explains.

“They’re out. Madame sent them on some errands,” the Tref says.

“Fine,” I rasp. “I do not require any assistance.”

The Tref leads the way through all the passages until I can hear music, and Izzy curls her hand around my bicep.

“Please, Blayn. Be careful,” she says, eyeing the bandage over my wound.

“I have disposed of Yetag in my sleep,” I reassure her.

“Don’t kill him!” Izzy exclaims. “Just…you know…stand there.”

“Stand?” I query.

“I don’t want him thinking you’re here for a fight. Please don’t actually hurt him. The madame will be furious with Riklinn and me.”

“I promise I won’t hurt him,” I say, giving her a short bow. “I will stand where you wish me to stand, and I will not kill him.”

Izzy searches my face. “You promise?”

“I promise.” I slam my fist over my chest. “As your mate.”

Izzy looks over her shoulder at the noisy room, then clamps her hand around my wrist and propels me through the doorway into the cacophony of swinging lights and music. All my feathers bristle, but as soon as I see the Yetag, everything becomes still.

He is a large one for his species, and he has a look on his tentacle face I dislike intensely. Not only is he a threat to the Tref female, but this one is a threat to anyone, including my Izzy.

“You!” I point at him. “Out. Now.”

I hear Izzy saying something behind me, but I’m concentrated on the Yetag, who has unfolded himself from where he’s perched on his tentacles.

“I didn’t know any establishments employed a Gryn,” he says. “Or even the great gladiator Blayn. Although without weapons, I note.” He burbles unpleasantly.

I snatch the pulsar disruptor he’s trying to conceal under his many tentacles. The Yetags were always too full of themselves to understand combat.

“Leave, or I will break a promise I made to my mate.”

IZZY

Blayn looks even larger than usual stood next to the Yetag, but his body language is calm, even after he’s relieved the creature of a nasty looking weapon.

Riklinn clutches at my arm, trembling. The Yetag says something to Blayn I can’t hear, and my huge gladiator leans into him, grasps hold of his lower face tentacles, and squeezes them. I can hear the squeak of pain.

But then Blayn releases him, and the Yetag backs away, tentacles squirming. He shoots a look across at us, and the growl Blayn releases reverberates around the bar, even with the music attempting to drown everything out.

Riklinn’s wannabe stalker exits the pleasure house bar as fast as his tentacles can take him. Blayn looks over at me, and I find I’m running through all the clients to get to him, to be in his arms, despite the fact Madame might see. I want to be with him. The male who made me a nest and told me what he would do to me once I was in it.

“I didn’t break my promise, Izzy,” Blayn says once I’ve finished kissing him. “I only pulled on his testicle tentacles a little.”

“His what?” I stare at Blayn. “But you had hold of the ones on his face.”

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