Baited (Gladiators of the Gryn #2)

Blayn

BLAYN

J oy runs through me, although it’s not my own. It comes from my mate, my Izzy, my world. She is joyful my family is alive.

“Why didn’t they look for me? Why didn’t they see me in the dome?” I growl at the male Tref, Nood. “Do you know what they do to a gladiator in training?”

It’s only because I have my Izzy by my side I don’t remove the Tref’s head from his body because even if my memories of my family are cloudy, my memories of the time I spent in the training amphitheater are raw.

My mate shudders, her little body vibrating against mine. I loved the thoughtbond when I could tell she wanted to mate with me. I hate it when it hurts her. I do my best to clear my mind of the horrors I endured.

“They did look for you, ,” Nood says, spreading his long fingers. “For a long time.”

“Then why didn’t they find him?” Izzy’s mind spits with anger.

“They moved off world,” Nood replies. “They couldn’t bear being in the place where they had lost their young, and such a special one. Such a loved one.” His face softens. “They did everything to find you, , but now I know why they thought you had perished. Instead you were swallowed by the dark side of Trefa.”

“Where did they go? They must have heard about the Gryn gladiators,” Rych interjects. “We’re famous.”

“Not everyone is interested in death games, youngling,” Nood says to him in the tone of someone explaining to Klynn he can’t have something. “They went to the other end of the galaxy. Chances are even your great fame has not reached them.”

Rych bristles at being called a youngling as Izzy strokes down the side of my wing, her mind completely calm on the surface with an undercurrent of concern for me.

She wants to know what I want to do.

“I want to be free of the dome.” I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life. “I want to be with you, to bring up our young together.” I place my hand over her stomach, as if I can touch the life growing within her.

Rych snorts. “You? Leave the dome willingly?” His face brightens up as he smiles with all his fangs on display. “I knew I liked you better now you have a mate.”

I fire out a wing at him, and this time he’s not quick enough because I catch him on the side of his head.

“Vrexer!” he exclaims, dramatically clutching at himself.

“Izzy is mine,” I growl. “Do not touch.”

“Believe me, , the last thing I will ever do is get between you and your mate,” Rych grumbles, continuing to nurse his ear. “Do you have a plan? Or are we back to the escape again?”

“Plan is the same. Back to Tatatunga, only this time, I’m going to see the procurator and gain my freedom.”

“You mean it?” Izzy throws her arms around my waist, and I enclose her in my wings.

“They took everything from me. I want it back,” I murmur into her hair. “I want you.”

Rych narrows his eyes at the Habosu female and the two Tref. I can see him calculating how best to get what he wants.

“What’s the best way of getting out of Sartak without drawing attention to ourselves?” he asks with a knowing look at me. “Because I am not flying all the way back to Tatatunga.”

“You’re not supposed to be here?” Nood says with some surprise.

“We’re on a day pass,” Rych says slickly. “But if we’re not back by nightfall, they’ll start looking, and you don’t want us around when they do.” He picks at his teeth nonchalantly with a claw.

The Habosu folds her arms and glares at him, but the two Tref have taken his words to heart.

“There’s some transport I can organize,” Nood says.

“Discreet?” Rych queries.

“To Tatatunga?” I add.

Nood nods.

“Fast?” the Habosu madame asks.

“It could be. Faster than scheduled ground transport,” Nood says with a twinkle in his eye.

I don’t think Nood is just a kindly Tref who helps orphaned younglings at all. Izzy squeezes my hand, her internal mirth echoing through the bond, along with her agreement.

Maybe I like the bond a little after all.