Page 25 of Chained

There’s also the reaction to me touching him and the brief mention of a nest, neither of which I was prepared for.

My hand strays to my stomach, the secret I know I can’t possibly hide for much longer. Both Retah and Tibi are going to notice sooner or later. While I could potentially claim it’s a human thing, the eventual emergence of a baby is not going to be something I can explain away.

And I don’t fancy having to give birth in secret, on my own, either.

Outside, the forcefield across my window fizzes. I look briefly but expect it’s one of the bird-sized moths which occasionally and rather dangerously flit across Tatatunga, given how manyof them are likely to be eaten by predators or incinerated by transport engines.

It fizzles again, and this time there is a flash of blue light. I sit up. Retah’s entire dwelling is heavily fortified, even if you can’t see it, purely because of the weaponry he often keeps stored in the basement below us.

I shove the bedclothes aside and make my way to the window, picking up the sword I have leaning next to my closet, the one I use for my daily workout. Keeping back, I risk a quick glance into the courtyard. It seems quiet.

Then something large moves from shadow to light. Something Gryn-shaped.

“Maxym?”

His face appears, grinning. “Let me in,” he mouths at me.

I have no idea what Retah is going to make of this if he catches me, but it’s going to be worse for Maxym if he’s found in the courtyard, a place where no one unauthorized is supposed to be.

“That way!” I say in a hoarse whisper, pointing down the building towards the back door.

I race through the dwelling in my bare feet until I reach it, activating the lock as quietly as I can. Maxym stands against the limited light, hesitating.

“Come in, before you activate the alarms.” I grab hold of his hand and pull him inside.

Once he’s in, he seems bigger than ever and completely out of place. Retah is a big male, but Maxym is even larger. His presence is almost suffocating.

I certainly can’t risk him being found here, so I pull him back along the passage and shove him into my room.

Before I can say a word, I’m caged against the wall by my feathered guest. His spicy cinnamon scent surrounds me.

“I couldn’t get you out of my head, Cleo,” He rasps. “My head is not a nice place, but you make it better.”

“Did you…get permission to leave the dome?” I breathe as his dark eyes gaze at me.

“No.”

I now have a fugitive gladiator in my room. A huge predator who is here for me.

“You can’t…”

My words are cut off as his lips consume mine in a kiss which is devastating in its intensity. It’s the kiss I’ve been not thinking about since I first met him. The kiss he gave to me when I wasn’t sure what I wanted.

And I want it now, my body melding to his as he gives me everything.

“Needy little mate,” he murmurs over my mouth. “What else do you need?”

His hand runs over the swell of my stomach, but it doesn’t stop. Even as a groan bubbles in his chest, the hand slides down, over my nightclothes and back up my bare thigh, pushing between my legs to reach my folds.

“Already wet,” he rasps. “What have you been doing, bad little female?”

“Thinking of you,” I admit.

“And were you touching yourself?” he says, swirling his finger over my clit and making my hips slam into his hand.

“I was thinking about it.”

“Dirty little mate,” he growls in a voice so sinful I flood his hand with my moisture. “I want to watch you touch yourself while you think about me.”

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