Page 4 of Bound

“Hi,” I say breezily. “New here?”

Worst opening line ever.I cringe inwardly.

He grunts.

Maybe not such a bad opening line if he’s going to be rude. I fill my glass with water from the cooling fountain and lean against the counter.

“I’m Chrissie,” I say as he continues to shovel food into his mouth. He doesn’t speak. “And you are…?” I prompt.

The male lifts his head, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. He has liquid dark eyes, and no white shows within them, only a reflection of me. His cheekbones could have been carved by a Greek sculptor, his face severely handsome. A small scar runs through one eyebrow, giving him a rakish look under his dark floppy hair. Around his neck are a number of heavy precious metal necklaces, tangled together.

And that’s all he wears on his upper half. Some jewelry. Otherwise he is bare chested and what a chest! The same sculptor has had a field day on his abs. I’m getting hot simply looking at him, and it doesn’t help his eyes are raking over me from my toes to the top of my head.

“Rych,” he rasps before going back to his food, eyes down once more. “You should get your wound seen to,” he adds, not making eye contact.

He has one hand on the counter and now I notice the claws. They’re nothing like Fenek’s. These things have to be close to three inches long, curved like a big cat with needle sharp tips. They’re digging into the surface as if it’s cheese and not solid stone.

I take a gulp of water, choke, and then run for it.

Whoever this Rych is, he’s a dangerous predator, and as prey, I need to get as far away from him as I can.

But I only get as far as the doorway before I’m twirled around, and a hard, muscular body is pressed against mine, a pair of dark, dark eyes drilling into my soul. My treacherous body, the one I thought was broken, doesn’t shy away from him. Instead, my core pulses.

“Don’t think you can get away from me, little spark…” His voice is midnight velvet drawn over hot coals. “I eat morsels like you for breakfast, and I will certainly relish you.”

RYCH

Vrex it! The female ran!

Why did she run? I had no choice but to chase her, and given she seems to be injured, she didn’t get far. Now I have her beneath my claws, her bright eyes, beautiful, clear, searching my face, her chest heaving, her breath hot against my skin. Her scent fills my senses, heady, ripe, fertile. Long hair, the color of the suns, flows over her shoulders, framing her pretty face.

“Rych!” My new employer, the reptilian, stands next to us in the doorway. “Stand down, gladiator! This is my little pet, Chrissie.” He leans back. “She’s a human,” he adds smugly.

Chrissie—her name rings in my ears like the sweetest music—glares at him and then at me.

“I know humans,” I rasp. “I have met their kind before.”

“She’s not a threat to us, and she’s not the assassin who is stalking us. In fact, she was here that night.” He shudders. “And she was as much at risk as I was.”

“You really do think the assassin was for me?” Chrissie says, clearly trying to keep a tremble out of her voice.

“It could have been.” Fenek swells his chest. “In order to get to me. After all, you’ve been of great assistance to my empire of late.”

As much as I don’t want to, I back away from Chrissie, shuffling my wings back into place.

“I see you’ve met Rych. He’s a former gladiator I’ve employed as a bodyguard for us both,” Fenek says to her. “He will be residing here and accompanying us to any meetings or shows.”

“He’s going to be living here?” Chrissie asks, the words seemingly sticking in her throat.

This is not the usual female reaction to me. Running I can understand, but not wanting to be in my presence? I was always the most requested gladiator when it came to being paid for my time in bed. I was popular with females.

But not this one and it irks me considerably.

“I’ve assigned him quarters above the transport block,” Fenek says. “And he’ll take his meals in here.”

I straighten. “I’ve done a sweep of the perimeter. There are a few areas which could do with the security being tightened. I’ll see to it.”

Fenek looks pleased.

---