Page 62 of Bound

“I don’t expect any of that from you.”

“I know, sweet mate. Which is why it makes it all the more important I keep fighting.”

“Don’t you think you’ve fought enough?”

“I wasn’t fighting, I was surviving. Now I have something to fight for. I have you.”

RYCH

Chrissie is cool against my skin, and I cannot wake her as we arrive at Fenek’s compound. As much as I hate the things, I race with her up to his room where the medi-bot should be tending to the Kijg.

Fenek is sat up in his bed, his scales pale, but he’s alive if nothing else.

“You found her!” he exclaims, seeing Chrissie in my arms.

“The Drahon told me unless the virus is removed, it will kill her.” I place her gently on the bed.

“Tend to the female,” Fenek orders the bot.

I growl.

“Let it do what it can, Rych,” he says gently. “She needs all the help she can get, even from a bot.”

“We have to find the scientist, Felia,” I growl. “She got away. She’s the only one I know can help Chrissie.”

At the mention of her name, Chrissie groans, her eyelids flickering. The bot moves away from her, which is a good thing because if it hadn’t, I’d have rent the thing in two.

“Myeregri?” I murmur as I gather her to me.

“Hey,” she says with a weak smile, her beautiful eyes dull. “Guess I spoke too soon about feeling well.” She puts her hand on my chest, but it slides away.

“I’m going to make the Drahon get this virus out of you, my mate. Then I’m going to kill them all.”

“Good,” Chrissie says. “But where are Maxym and Klynn?”

“Back at the dome, my mate.” I remind her quietly. “The captain took them, remember?”

She nods, her eyes closed again and I feel the bond weakening between us.

“Not exactly,” Fenek says, interrupting us. “I might be able to help.”

I give him a withering look. “You’ve helped enough. And in your present state, you’re more of a liability than a fighter.”

“I wasn’t offering my services,” he chuckles, “but those of the resistance.”

“The resistance? They’re useless.” I snort. “They claim they’ll bring down the dome, but they’ve done nothing.”

Fenek shakes his head slowly, clucking his tongue. “Young Gryn, you really don’t understand anything other than fighting or mating, do you?”

I bristle, all my feathers shaking until Chrissie slips her hand into my feathers, and it feels so vrexing good, I forget myself. I’m not even listening to Fenek anymore.

“…and that’s why the resistance is still fighting. Only they’re not taking direct action at the present time. They’re working from within, and this is the information they need to take down the council and the Drahon.”

“All I want is my mate to be well. All the rest is meaningless,” I snarl at him despite my mate’s fingers working at my feathers.

“I quite understand.” Fenek smiles.

I want to kill him.

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