Page 7 of Chained

“Nothing. He was easily overpowered by the guards, that’s all. They shot him full of something.”

“Paraxio.” Tibi raises her lips to show her sharp teeth in disgust. “I’d heard that was how they made the gladiators comply.”

Tibi loves her gossip.

“They don’t have to make them fight though. They’re there because they want to be,” I respond.

She laughs, and it’s not a happy laugh. “Oh, my little human, the Gryn aren’t in the dome because they want to be. They’re in there to die.”

“What do you mean?”

“Most of their permanent gladiators have gone, but those left—they’re criminals, sent to the dome by the Galactic Council for their crimes.” Tibi starts up her heater again, putting some vegetables in a shallow pan and shaking them as they start to sizzle. “They kill until they can’t kill anymore, and the dome exacts its final price. Then they’ve served their sentence,” she says, matter-of-fact. “Then they’re no one’s problem anymore.”

Despite my annoyance at Maxym, at the way he behaved, the way he decided I belonged to him, my heart beats overtime in my chest.

He has a death sentence and one way or the other, the dome will exact its price.

MAXYM

I roll over onto my side with the obligatory groan. My head spins unpleasantly, and I retch, but my stomach is empty.

From the smell, I know I’m in the hole, the place all gladiators are sent when we disobey. There’s little light and no home comforts.

“Drink some vrexing water,” Klynn growls in my ear.

I fire out an arm but only get air.

“Too slow, old timer.” He laughs.

“Vrexer,” I growl.

I feel around for a pitcher, finding the thing and shuffling myself until I’m in a position where I get some of the liquid in my mouth. It tastes stale, but I feel better for it.

“What did you do to get both of us a dose?” Klynn snarls in the dark.

He hates narcotics more than he hates anything else. But I suspect if I was trapped in what passes for Klynn's mind with no escape, I’d hate them too.

“They got you?”

“No warning,” he grumbles. “Just shot me with the stuff.”

The image of myeregriswims into my head. It calms me a little, takes some of the pain away. I don’t want to kill Klynn as much either.

“I might have vrexed the procurator off by attacking one of his guests.” I lean my head back against the rough stone behind me.

Klynn mutters some curses at me. I hear his wings swishing as he paces his cage.

“He’ll get over it,” I say. “We won’t be in here long. There’s games soon.”

All I get is a deep growl, which is probably what I deserve. I close my eyes and think about the little creature I very nearly had. My cocks harden to the point of pain, including, in a surprise move, my second cock.

The vrexing thing hasn’t ever managed anything in my life before, but now it throbs more than the rest of me. Its desire to sheath itself in the ripe little female almost makes me want to take myself in hand.

Although the cold drip of water down my neck dampens my desire somewhat. Instead I concentrate on remembering her pretty face, the way her body felt next to me, the young rounding her belly.

Did she say if she had a male? I can’t remember, and I know it won’t make any difference. The little female belongs to me regardless, and that includes her young. If anything, her being with young makes me want her more.

I want all of her.

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