Page 47 of Kidnapped from the Paradise Resort

The Goddess herself must have been guiding his aim because suddenly both of the Trollox’s heads were gagging and two big paws were grasping at their throats.

J’orn watched as the enormous creature sank to its knees. Stepping forward, he reached for the knives and pulled them out. At the same time, he planted his boot in the center of the freakishly broad chest and kicked forward, sending the Trollox sprawling.

“Not…fair…” it gasped and choked. Fountains of black blood were oozing from both of its throats as it bled out all over the floor. “I was…promised.”

J’orn bent to wipe the black ichor off his blades on the Trollox’s trousers.

“This is whatIpromised you if you didn’t leave her alone,” he growled. “I told you that I’d kill you if you tried to touch her. You should’ve fucking listened.”

Then he turned to the job of cutting Kara free of her bonds.

There was one good thing about the Trollox’s interruption, he thought grimly, at least they hadn’t Bonded. He didn’t hear her voice inside his head which meant that the Soul Bond which would have formed if they’d stayed tied together hadn’t gotten a chance to develop and stabilize.

He was sure that Kara would never have forgiven him if they had crossed that last boundary and been tied together mentally and emotionally for life. In fact, he wondered grimly if she would forgive him for what had just happened between them. True, she’d been in the grip of ay’thosinattack and had needed what he’d given her, but she’d made it very clear that she didn’t want any kind of relationship with him.

He just hoped she didn’t hate him for giving her what her body needed physically…even if she wanted nothing to do with him romantically.

29

KARA

Kara gasped and nearly fell when J’orn severed the last band that held her in place and set her free. She still felt incredibly disorientated—just a moment ago J’orn had been fucking her within an inch of her life and then he had pulled out and started fighting the enormous Trollox without missing a beat.

It made her dizzy with a strange combination of lust and fear. How could he switch gears so quickly? She was still aching inside—not as badly as before, but she felt a low-level sexual need, as though she hadn’tquitebeen satisfied.

And there was something else—for a split second, it had felt like something was happening between them. Like something was forming—something delicate and beautiful as a butterfly’s wings and yet as strong as a rope made of iron, if only it was allowed to finish its growth.

But the minute J’orn had pulled out of her, the sensation had stopped—cut off abruptly as though someone had chopped the burgeoning connection in half with a butcher knife. Kara felt it like an aching in her soul—the withered beginnings of something that hadn’t been allowed to grow before it was choked off brutally and left for dead.

She didn’t have much time to analyze the strange sensation, however—because as soon as J’orn finished cutting her loose, he stripped off his shirt and draped it around her shoulders.

“Here, baby—put this on,” he said. “And then we’re getting the fuck out of here.”

Kara fumbled with the buttons but only managed to get a few done before he brushed her trembling hands away. But as he was fastening them, his eyes seemed drawn to her hips. Frowning, he pushed the shirt out of the way and looked down to examine her.

“J’orn!” she exclaimed shakily, reaching for the shirt. She was tired of being naked! “What are you doing?”

“I marked you.” His voice was grim. “I took you too hard—muchtoo hard. I’m so sorry, Kara.”

“I don’t think—” she began, looking down at the finger marks on her hips. But he finished buttoning the shirt and was already leading her from the room.

She tried to follow him—she didn’t want to slow him down—but her legs were weak from the drug and she tripped and stumbled, nearly going to her knees on the floor.

Without missing a beat, J’orn stooped and scooped her up. He threw her over one shoulder and headed out of the room with one arm wrapped around her legs to keep her in place.

“Hey—where the hell do you think you’re going?” she heard a male voice demand. “You don’t own that girl—you only paid to fuck her!”

“Get the fuck out of my way or fucking die—your choice.” J’orn’s voice was a low, inhuman growl.

“Leave him alone, Hardig,” said a girl’s voice—the same one who had been in the room with the Paradisian and Spikes earlier, Kara thought dizzily. She couldn’t see anything but sets of legs and feet, since she was hanging facedown over J’orn’s broad shoulder. “He killed that Trollox all by himself!” she continued. “I saw him do it!

“Yeah, but the woman?—”

“The woman isMINE!”J’orn’s voice was a muted roar this time that shook Kara’s whole body. “If you make me put her down to fight you, you’ll suffer the same fate as your two-headed friend. Now get the fuck out of my way before I make you fucking sorry!”

“It’s not worth it!” The girl sounded anxious. “Just let them go—please, Hardig!”

Hardig must be the guard whose legs she was seeing, Kara thought. He backed away from J’orn and she could hear the unease in his voice when he spoke.

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