Page 11 of Bound to the Alien Gladiator
“What?” I stammered and hopped back as pain tore through my chest.
Which one of us was he playing?
“I don’t understand, Tezakk.” I stumbled in the sand. “We had an agreement.”
Khit laughed and tossed an axe to Tezakk, who caught the heavy weapon with one hand. Khit gave me a once over and said, “He’s made many such agreements over the years.”
Numb, I looked for anything to defend myself as my lover approached. Bits and pieces of lion littered the sand. I hopped to the closest one. The wet, blood-soaked fur was cold and heavy in my hand. The claws permanently extended in death.
“Look at the human.” Khit laughed and pointed with their axe. “Thinking she will defeat us, the Champion and his bride, with nothing more than with the foot of a Lyigrith.”
“She might.” Tezakk snarled and swung his axe.
The blade whirled inches from my face and kept going. Khit danced back but not far enough. The sharp edge sliced into their side. Tezakk jerked the axe free. Khit stumbled as green blood seeped through their leathers.
Khit touched the cut, their fingers coming away coated. Their stunned expression turned to rage. “Do you know what you’ve just done?”
“Ruined your plans?” More confident now than I’d ever been in my life, I wobbled up to Tezakk’s side and mimed scratching Khit with the Lyigrith’s paw. “Poor you.”
“Careful with that,” Tezakk said, forcing the paw away from my leg.
“You’ve killed us all.” Khit growled at me and swung their wrist, arcing the axe at their side. “I could have saved Tezakk if he had agreed to my plan, but now to survive, I’ll have to kill you both to appease my benefactor.”
“What favors did you fail to produce?” He tilted his head to the side and then clicked his tongue. “Who did you insult?”
“Is that why you’re back in the pit?” I taunted, waving the claw in my hand. “Pissed off too many people?”
“Only one,” Tezakk said beside me, tentacles floating around his head. “The one who plucked them from the pit in the first place.”
Tezakk’s lips kicked up at the corner as he glanced at me and pointed with his axe. “Khit could never keep their mouth shut.”
Khit’s grip tightened around the weapon’s handle. “I will kill you for that.”
Unimpressed, I feigned yawning. “You’ve already said that.”
Khit’s face darkened, and I felt their rattling growl deep in my bones. I chuckled. “Perhaps I hit a nerve?”
“I’m going to enjoy murdering you in front of Tezakk.” Khit stepped closer. “So he can watch yet another woman he’s mated with die in this pit.”
Tezakk flinched.
Khit spun her axe. “And then the real fun will begin.”
My anxiety ratcheted up. Khit could do it too. They had both the motivation and the need. The look in their eyes was pure hate whenever they landed on me. Never a good sign for my imminent safety.
Tezakk’s voice cut through my fear as he moved in front of me. “You’ll have to go through me first.”
My core heated low and tight, but that could have been from blood loss. I brushed my free hand down the center of his back, my fingertip grazing the white scar I’d given him just a few days ago. “You say the nicest things.”
Khit circled away from the flooded pit, and I followed behind Tezakk as he kept them in sight. His tentacles were undecided which way they wanted to move. Half remained stilland focused on the warrior in front of him, while the rest twitched restlessly as they reached for me.
His green eyes met mine. “When I ask it of you, run into the water.”
I settled my hand on the base of his spine; his rough scales reminded me how well-suited he was for these games, and how I wasn’t. “There’s a dangerous flesh-eating lizard in there.”
“Do your best not to get eaten.” He reached back and brushed the sensitive skin of my wrist. “My Mate.”
My fingertips slid from his body as I limped back toward the edge of the water to give him more room to maneuver. “Don’t die.”
