Baited (Gladiators of the Gryn #2)

Blayn

BLAYN

T here is another knock on the door, and I growl under my breath. Despite all my snarls, I still very nearly had to end the other Gryn in order to get her back to the pleasure house. All of which means I’ve had no time at all to complete the nest with the items I ordered in Solyom.

The nest for my mate. My beautiful mate, Izzy. The mere fact I thought for a moment she was gone has made my desire to nest for her verge on desperation.

I have to finish it.

“Give me a nova-minute,” I call out.

“The madame is coming,” Izzy replies. “You have to let me in, , or she’ll want to know why I’m out here and you’re in there.”

I tweak a few final things, wincing at what I think is a poor job, and then I open the door, filling the frame with my body and wings before I usher her in.

“The last thing I want is Madame asking quest…” She tails off, eyes wide as she stares around her. “, what have you done ?”

My Izzy moves my wing aside and walks slowly around the space, touching the items I have added.

“I nested,” I say, following her, watching what she does intently. “For you, my mate.”

She trails her hand over the bright items which caught my eye in the market, and they tinkle pleasingly like blades on blades.

“This is…amazing,” she says. “Did you do all of this just now?”

“I did.” I pull myself up to my full height and set my wings. “A Gryn warrior should be able to nest for his female whenever and wherever possible.”

Izzy flings her arms around me.

“I absolutely love it, . No one has ever done anything like this for me before. It’s incredible. Thank you.” She lifts herself up on tiptoe, takes hold of my face, and applies one of her ky-sses to me.

Her soft lips on mine send my body into a flat spin, my wings drooping, my cocks rising, and I’m lost in bliss, the likes of which I’ve never experienced before.

I nested for my mate, and she is pleased. The warmth spreads through my stomach, making my wound tingle. I don’t know what this is, but I like it far more than I could ever express.

Instead, I lift her up and carry her over to the bed, which I have rearranged to my satisfaction, placing her in the center and taking a step back to admire how perfect she is.

“I am going to breed you here, my Izzy. In my nest,” I rasp. “I will fill you over and over until your belly is round with our youngling.”

I dip my head to kiss her, but every single feather goes up as there is a knock at the door.

Izzy looks at me. She knows as well as I do, the captain and his guards do not knock.

“Is it the Habosu?” I query.

“Knocking in her own establishment, unlikely,” Izzy says.

I snort, and with some reluctance, I leave her in the center of my nest and make my way to the door, throwing it open to a squeak of surprise.

The tiny Tref female from earlier, the one who let me in, and even if she didn’t help much, she still helped, is standing outside, trembling.

“I’m sorry to intrude, is Izzy here?” she asks.

Izzy is already at my side, pulling the female into our nest and shutting the door.

“What’s wrong, Riklinn?”

The female shakes more. “He’s here again.”

“Who?”

“The Yetag.” She can barely get the word out.

I growl. I’ve never been a fan of the tentacled creatures, Voyon excepted. They believe themselves to be great fighters, but the ones I’ve encountered in the dome have been easy enough to beat.

“Has he…hurt you?” Izzy is checking the female over.

“No…yes,” she says with a sob. “He grabbed me yesterday, and he told the madame he wanted me one on one. When I said no, he said he’d come for me anyway.” Her words are punctuated by sniffs and more water from her eyes.

Izzy makes a noise which sounds very familiar. Like a growl but deadlier. “Show me.”

I shake out my wings.

“Mate, if you wish me to deal with this… Yetag …I will do so.”

“No,” Izzy says. “You’re injured, and you can’t risk making it worse.”

“A Yetag is nothing,” I protest.

“Maybe just having your Gryn make an appearance will help,” the Tref female suggests, wiping her face on her long dress.

Izzy looks between us. I make myself look as big as possible.

“I suppose. But where are Gkah and Lyba?” she queries. “They’re the Zarvu bouncers Madame employs to stop the sort of behavior Riklinn is experiencing,” Izzy explains.

“They’re out. Madame sent them on some errands,” the Tref says.

“Fine,” I rasp. “I do not require any assistance.”

The Tref leads the way through all the passages until I can hear music, and Izzy curls her hand around my bicep.

“Please, . Be careful,” she says, eyeing the bandage over my wound.

“I have disposed of Yetag in my sleep,” I reassure her.

“Don’t kill him!” Izzy exclaims. “Just…you know…stand there.”

“Stand?” I query.

“I don’t want him thinking you’re here for a fight. Please don’t actually hurt him. The madame will be furious with Riklinn and me.”

“I promise I won’t hurt him,” I say, giving her a short bow. “I will stand where you wish me to stand, and I will not kill him.”

Izzy searches my face. “You promise?”

“I promise.” I slam my fist over my chest. “As your mate.”

Izzy looks over her shoulder at the noisy room, then clamps her hand around my wrist and propels me through the doorway into the cacophony of swinging lights and music. All my feathers bristle, but as soon as I see the Yetag, everything becomes still.

He is a large one for his species, and he has a look on his tentacle face I dislike intensely. Not only is he a threat to the Tref female, but this one is a threat to anyone, including my Izzy.

“You!” I point at him. “Out. Now.”

I hear Izzy saying something behind me, but I’m concentrated on the Yetag, who has unfolded himself from where he’s perched on his tentacles.

“I didn’t know any establishments employed a Gryn,” he says. “Or even the great gladiator . Although without weapons, I note.” He burbles unpleasantly.

I snatch the pulsar disruptor he’s trying to conceal under his many tentacles. The Yetags were always too full of themselves to understand combat.

“Leave, or I will break a promise I made to my mate.”