Page 10 of Bound to the Alien Gladiator
I searched the ground for a missed weapon, something to help fight off this Khit, but only saw bits of pieces of the lion beast strewn across the sand. “How long did it take you to do that?”
“Only a few moments once I got past the claws.”
He kept his attention focused on the boat as it floated in. It was smaller than I’d originally thought. It wasn’t much more than a shortened version of a sailboat without steerage and only enough room for one person to stand on the deck.
“Who’s controlling that thing?” I hopped a little to get a better balance on the shifting sand and clutched at Tezakk’s loincloth to stay upright.
I did everything I could not to look at the powerful figure heading toward one of the floating platforms.
They had strong shoulders, a narrow waist, and muscular thighs. It would take stimulants and years of training for me to obtain that level of strength. They were too far away to get an accurate estimation of height, but I was more worried about the two small and the extremely sharp pairs of axes they held in their hands.
“Did you miss me, Tezakk?” They swung the axes in a circle with their wrist. “I know I missed you and your tantalizing tentacles.”
“So, this Khit is a being, not a species?” I kept them in my sight as the ship rammed into a platform.
It was easier to do that than watch Tezakk’s response to the overly familiar being that looked like they could rip me apart with their bare hands.
Khit jumped from the vessel, and the wooden pallet wobbled when they landed. The ship veered off, and the tip of the pole surfaced. Launching from the water, the lizard slammed into the ship. The impact ripped the boat in half, sending splinters flying. It sank to the bottom in a matter of moments.
When Tezakk spoke, he sounded both angry and hurt. “I thought you were dead.”
I jerked my focus to Tezakk. His hands fisted, and he stilled his ever-moving tentacles. Even his bioluminescence had dimmed into non-existence. Whoever this person was, it didn’t bode well for either of them.
Khit chuckled. “Why would you think that?”
He stepped forward, forcing me to follow or lose my balance. “You disappeared from the pit and my cell after a fight. What else was I meant to believe?”
“A mistake on my part when I moved up in this world, but now I’m ready to return to your side.”
I sucked in a breath. “What do they mean by that?”
Khit took a few steps back and leapt to the next platform, almost twenty feet away.
I flinched and wiped bits of peppered sand from my cheeks. “Fuuuuucccckkkkk!”
How the hell were we going to fight this powerful individual who could kill us both with ease? Well, at least me, if there still was an ‘us’ after this conversation? I knew Tezakk’ssurvival depended on winning, and Khit was powerfully built, unlike myself, a weak, injured human.
Tezakk took a step forward. “How can I trust you?”
I stilled. The horror of my new reality settled around me. Was he really going to leave me for Khit?
“Lover, I will show you my renewed level of dedication to our pairing once we’re back in your chambers.”
The crowd roared with laughter.
Tezakk stepped forward, and Khit jumped closer and slammed their axes into the wood. The rafts swayed in the water.
“That can’t be good for the structure.” I shifted my balance. “Do they sink like you?”
“No.” Tezakk pushed me behind him. I wobbled on my leg as he called out, “Come, my love, let us sort this out like civilized people.”
“I knew you would see it my way.” Khit leapt, weapons in hand. Their feet dug into the sand fifty feet away. Khit straightened. “After all, I got us through too many championships to count.”
They took a step forward and pointed their axe at me. “But what to do about her?”
I might have squeaked.
“Toss me an axe.” Tezakk held out his hand. “So that we may take care of this issue together.”
