Page 56 of Bound

I stand on the threshold as the two huge Gryn troop inside. Klynn sniffs the air and grimaces.

“Smells like Rych,” he says. “And death.”

I’m running before I realize it, through the lower floor living area, down to the empty kitchens, back up to the vacated bedrooms before finally finding myself outside Fenek’s office. Now I can smell it too, sickly sweet decaying meat.

I don’t want to go inside. I don’t want to find…

Maxym gently pushes me to one side. “Let me, little female,” he rumbles and opens the door.

I don’t want to look, but I look anyway. My heart spins, beats three times, and seems to stand still until I see the body on the floor.

It’s not Rych.

“Fenek!” I push through Maxym’s feathers and kneel next to my fallen boss.

There are pools of blood everywhere. The cleaning bots have done their best, but it is these which are producing the disgusting smell. Fenek looks all but dead, his usually vibrant scales dull. It is true, he does resemble the Drahon who attempted to kidnap me, only he is smaller and his facial features softer. Two horns rather than three and, as I take his hand, he opens his eyes, the pupils round rather than oblong.

“I tried to stop them,” he croaks.

“You did a good job,” Klynn says, examining the damage in the room. “You fought well for a small creature,” he adds, something which is probably not a comfort to Fenek.

“They wanted you. I sent you away with the Gryn to protect you.” He swallows roughly, staring up at the others. “And you have found more.” He struggles to sit up, and I help him. “But you can’t stay here. It’s not safe.”

“I have to find Rych.” I grab a pitcher of water which has miraculously survived the onslaught in the room and hold it to Fenek’s lips. He gulps it down greedily. “He’s my…mate,” I finish lamely.

“He is?” Fenek slowly lifts his head. “You have mated with him?”

I suddenly feel like I’m bringing a boyfriend home to meet my dad, all squashy inside, embarrassed, nervous, worried what he’s going to say when he finds out who I’m with.

“Yes.” I look at the floor.

“Thank all the gods!” Fenek says. “I thought the dumb creature might take me seriously when I told him to stay away from you!”

“You did what?” I exclaim.

Fenek looks at the two other Gryn who are filling the room. “It was obvious from the moment he set eyes on you that you were his mate. I’ve met Gryn before. I understand how you all work.” He gives Maxym a long, hard look. “Only the Gryn I met were different to the gladiators here. I couldn’t be entirely sure if he would mate you, so I gave him an incentive.”

“By telling him to stay away?” I gasp.

“If you were his true mate, he would be unable to resist. It wouldn’t matter if the Galactic Council themselves forbade him, he’d still come for you.” Fenek grins, shifts, and grimaces, wrapping his arm around his midriff. “And it sounds like he did.”

“He’s been taken by the Drahon,” I say urgently. “Do you know anything about this?”

“Help me up,” Fenek says.

Maxym reaches down and picks him up by the scruff of his neck.

“My desk.” Fenek’s voice is a little strangled.

“Where is my fellow gladiator?” Maxym rasps.

“All in good time, Gryn,” Fenek says as he settles himself behind his desk, looking marginally less like he’s at death’s door.

Klynn leans forward and stabs his sword through the top of one of the spherical cleaning bots which has unwisely decided to appear. Fenek’s eyes widen.

“Don’t like bots,” Klynn growls.

“You see, my dear Chrissie, I didn’t just have you as my pet. I was keeping you from the Drahon, a species mine have known about for nova-decades and who should, by all rights, be confined to their own planet.”

---