Baited (Gladiators of the Gryn #2)

Blayn

BLAYN

I understand we needed to both get away from Sartak quickly and back to Tatatunga with the same haste, but I would have appreciated more time with my mate.

Still, having her in my head is a good thing. Before the thoughtbond clicked into place, confirming what I already knew, that Izzy was my fated mate, having her close was everything, but now it’s like she’s always with me.

I just have to hide some parts of myself from her. My gorgeous mate can’t know what I’ve had to do to survive. She can’t know what happened in the amphitheater. It’s hard, but I push those thoughts back down inside myself. Then I concentrate on what I do like.

As soon as the Habosu announces we are closing in on Tatatunga, anxiety flows from Izzy down the bond.

“I’m worried for you,” she says out loud. “What if the procurator won’t let you go?”

“He will. He won’t have any other choice. Buying a youngling to put it in the dome is something even the Tatatunga council can’t endorse, no matter what amount of credits change hands.”

“But this isn’t the procurator who bought you. He’s new,” Izzy says.

“It doesn’t matter. He’s responsible now,” I reply. “And he’ll know how the dome acquired me.”

“So, he’ll have to let you go?”

“He can’t contain me, not now I have you.” I brush my knuckle down her cheek. The soft skin has a slight fuzz of fur I absolutely adore. “You are part of my soul, the shooting star which lifts my wings to the sky. I nest for you, my eregri . I will always nest for you.”

Her hand curls around mine, so tiny in comparison.

“I don’t want you to get hurt, and I don’t want him to play you either,” she says.

“I don’t play,” I rasp. “I kill, and he knows it.”

A slight shudder runs through Izzy at my words because I’ve been unable to hold back some thoughts, and they resonate down the bond, but her jaw sets and her eyes grow hard.

Her resolve to ensure I get everything I want—it is what I need, drilled into my heart and steeling my stomach. I have my mate. I need nothing more. The procurator cannot get to me.

The transport rattles as it sets down, and Rych strides back from the pilot.

“He’s put us down on the outskirts of the city and used a false coding for the port authorities,” he says with a grin. “I don’t know where Nood found him, or how he ended up owing that old Tref a favor, but your uncle is a force to be reckoned with.”

I stare at him blankly for a couple of nova-seconds, attempting to work out his meaning.

“Rych is saying Nood is your uncle because he helped you find your family,” Izzy says, giving me a kiss on my cheek. “And not that he’s your uncle because he’s into dodgy dealings.”

“That would be more my uncle.” Rych laughs. “ wouldn’t know how to do a deal.”

I huff at him. “I can do a deal.”

“Have you ever negotiated with your tattoo artist?”

“He gives me a good price,” I retort.

“He charges you twice what he charges everyone else!” Rych exclaims.

I shrug. “Who says that’s not a good price?”

Rych opens his mouth, closes it again, and releases a breath. He shakes his head and smiles.

“Maybe having a mate will be good for you after all,” he says.

The rear of the transport opens, and a swirl of hot air hits us, along with the stench of the city. The madame marches out to a waiting ground vehicle, and a set of bots rush in to collect her luggage. The things set my wings on edge, and I wait until they’ve gone before taking Izzy’s hand and emerging into the strong light of Trefa’s main sun.

In the far distance, I can see the dark shape of the dome. I look at Rych and he looks at the madame.

“I have a business to run,” she says. “I can’t be driving Gryn gladiators around. Find your own transport.”

Izzy pulls something out of her pocket and slides behind my wings as she inputs something. The Habosu takes a seat, and her transport pulls away as another appears on the far side of our landing spot, traveling towards us with purpose.

“I guess she forgot I have access to the transport account,” Izzy says. “Or maybe not. Madame has been very kind. She insisted she bring me to Sartak to find you.”

“A kind Habosu. Will wonders never cease,” Rych says, shaking out his wings.

But I bask in the soft glow of happiness the behavior of the Habosu has given Izzy, and I know it to be true. This thoughtbond thing is definitely going to work out.

Now all I need to do is face the procurator and deal with him. How I’m going to keep it from Izzy is another matter entirely because this is going to end in violence.