Primal Bond (Warlords of Vasz #4)

12. Chapter 12

Chapter twelve

Z anik stood in the docking bay of the Ironclad, his icy stare fixed on the viewport. The half-derelict space station loomed beyond, a chaotic amalgamation of rusting metal and flickering lights.

It was the kind of place where only the desperate and the damned gathered.

He gripped the railing, his knuckles turning white. He had faced countless dangers — battles, betrayals, the frontlines of war — but this felt different. Risking everything on this harebrained plan to take down Rivek was madness .

He repeated to himself that this was a strategic move. Once Rivek was out of the picture, Zanik would control all the smuggling routes in the sector. Control. Power. That was what this was about.

He forced himself to believe it, trying to ignore the knot in his stomach.

Footsteps echoed through the bay, pulling Zanik from his thoughts. He turned, and his breath caught in his throat.

Finn stepped into the docking bay, his usual oversized borrowed Borraq clothing replaced by something else entirely. The silver collar around his neck glinted under the harsh lights, and the scanty clothes left little to the imagination.

Zanik’s eyes traced the lines of Finn’s lean body, the exposed skin stark against the backdrop of the cold metal bay.

A strange mix of anger and desire flared within him. Anger at seeing Finn in such a vulnerable, degrading state — and desire that he struggled to push down, a primal instinct that had been simmering ever since Finn first defied him.

Finn’s expression was a mix of embarrassment and defiance. His cheeks flushed a deep red, but his eyes held that familiar spark of challenge. The human’s lips curled into a forced grin.

“Well, don’t I look fetching?” Finn’s voice was light, teasing, but Zanik could hear the strain beneath it. “Think they’ll buy that I’m your helpless little slave?”

Zanik swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. He couldn’t let his thoughts wander, couldn’t afford to lose focus. But Finn’s presence, the way he looked, made it nearly impossible.

“You look…” Zanik’s voice was rougher than he intended. He cleared his throat. “Like you’re ready to play the part.”

Finn’s grin widened, though his eyes betrayed his unease. “Good. Just don’t get too used to it, alright? I’m still me under all this.”

Zanik nodded, forcing himself to maintain his usual stoic expression. He couldn’t let Finn see the effect this was having on him. The human’s resilience, his spirit, had become a source of begrudging respect.

But now, seeing him like this, that respect mingled with something far more dangerous.

Kelara's voice crackled over the comms, cutting through the haze of his thoughts. "Boss, are you good to go?"

The sudden intrusion jolted him back to reality. He glanced over at Finn, who was still standing there, looking far too vulnerable and exposed for Zanik's comfort.

Shaking his head, he replied into the comm. "We're ready," he said, his voice steadier than he felt. He motioned for Finn to follow him into the shuttle.

They boarded the Ironclad's shuttle, a compact vessel barely large enough for two. Zanik stepped into the small cockpit, the cramped space making Finn's presence even more palpable. He could feel the heat radiating from the human, the scent of his skin distracting in ways he didn't want to acknowledge.

"Sit down," Zanik ordered, trying to keep his tone neutral.

Finn dropped into the co-pilot's seat, the movement making the silver collar around his neck glint in the dim light. Zanik focused on the controls, determined to ignore the way his peripheral vision kept drifting to all that bare flesh.

Finn's voice cut through the tense silence. "We're gonna break this club wide open, you know. Rivek won't know what hit him."

Zanik grunted in response, eyes fixed on the readouts in front of him. He activated the thrusters, feeling the shuttle hum to life beneath his fingertips. He brought up the navigation, plotting their course.

Finn leaned back in the co-pilot’s seat, eyes gleaming with a mix of excitement and nerves. "We’re going to break his trafficking ring wide open," he said, voice filled with bravado. "Rivek won’t know what hit him. We'll get in, take him down, rescue the human, and be out before anyone else even realizes what’s happening."

Big words, but Zanik could see through Finn's bravado.

The kid was scared.

Zanik didn’t blame him. This mission was risky, and failure meant more than just their lives. It meant staying enslaved — or worse.

But Zanik had never been good at comforting words. So he just steered the shuttle out of the docking bay. The hum of the engines filled the silence that stretched between them.

Finn’s eyes darted to Zanik. "Are you even listening to me?" he asked, irritation creeping into his voice. "We need to be on the same page here."

Zanik kept his eyes on the viewport. "I’m listening," he replied curtly.

Finn huffed, clearly dissatisfied with Zanik’s nonchalant response. "You’re ignoring me."

Zanik didn’t reply, flipping a few switches as he set the shuttle on autopilot. With the shuttle finally cruising on its own, Zanik leaned back in his captain's seat.

He was just starting to relax when he felt a sudden weight in his lap.

He froze, muscles tensing as Finn settled himself there, eyes sparkling with mischief. "What are you doing?" Zanik demanded, his voice a low growl.

Finn smirked, looking far too pleased with himself. "For this to work, we have to look like master and slave," he said, his tone light but with an edge of seriousness. "It won’t work if you can’t even look at me."

Damn. He was right.

Zanik’s hands twitched, wanting to push Finn away but knowing it would ruin the illusion they needed to create. The sensation of Finn's warmth, the press of his body against Zanik's, was almost too much. Every instinct screamed at him to shove the human off, but he stayed still, jaw clenched tight. "I'm looking at you."

"No, you're not. I can see you looking at the viewport."

"You're being a brat," Zanik warned, eyes darkening.

Finn's grin widened, his defiance shining through. "I’m just being tactical," he shot back. "If I can play my part, you're sure as hell going to have to play yours."

Zanik’s breath hitched as Finn settled further into his lap, the human’s nearly-naked body pressing intimately against him. He could feel the warmth of Finn’s skin, the soft texture of flesh and muscle through the scant fabric.

It was a heady mix of sensations that he hadn’t felt in a long time — one that he didn’t want to acknowledge, but couldn’t ignore.

The proximity made it impossible to focus on anything but the body atop his. The scent of Finn’s skin, laced with that tantalizing human pheromone, filled his senses. His body responded instinctively, heat pooling low in his abdomen, blood rushing south. He clenched his jaw, fighting to maintain control, but it was a losing battle.

As the shuttle hummed around them, Finn shifted slightly, his weight pressing more firmly against Zanik. Zanik’s breath caught again, a low growl escaping his lips.

He tried to focus on anything else — the controls, the mission, the damn stars outside — but it was no use. His body betrayed him, growing harder with each innocent movement Finn made.

Finn must have noticed. He began to shift more deliberately, his movements subtle but calculated. Zanik’s frustration mounted, his muscles tensing as he fought to remain still.

“Stop wriggling,” Zanik growled, his voice a rough whisper. His hands twitched, wanting to grab Finn and still him, but he didn’t trust himself to touch the human right now.

Finn looked back over his shoulder, his expression feigning innocence. “I’m not doing anything,” he replied, his tone light and playful. But there was a glint in his eyes, a challenge that made Zanik’s blood boil.

Zanik gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the sensations coursing through him. He was no untested young pup — he had plenty of experience. But since leaving the war, he had kept himself detached.

At first, it had felt wrong to get close to anyone, haunted by memories of Airen’s death. Then, as his reputation grew, he found that people only wanted to get close to him to use his contacts, or to curry favor. He'd shut down his feelings, focusing on growing his power instead.

But now, with Finn’s nearly-naked body writhing in his lap, he couldn’t fight the fact that he was still a man. His instincts were still there, buried but not forgotten.

And Finn was digging them up, one wiggle at a time.

Finn shifted again, his weight pressing more firmly against Zanik’s growing hardnesses. Zanik’s breath hissed through his teeth, his frustration and annoyance flaring.

“Finn…” he warned, his voice dangerously low.

Finn’s eyes widened with mock innocence. “I’m just trying to get comfortable,” he said, his tone dripping with false sincerity. But his body language spoke volumes, each movement a deliberate provocation.

Zanik's grip on the armrests tightened, his muscles tensed as he fought to maintain control. Finn, settled in his lap, kept sneaking little glimpses at Zanik’s reflection in the monitor glass.

The human’s eyes sparkled with mischief, but Zanik could see the underlying flicker in his gaze: fear.

It was subtle, but it was there — Finn was toeing a line, pushing Zanik’s buttons.

Seeing what Zanik would do, now that Finn was vulnerable.

Zanik’s breath hitched, the warmth of Finn’s body pressing against his own stirring something deep within him. He understood the human’s need for control, reassurance. After what Urlek and Rivek had done to him, it made sense that Finn would use bravado and teasing as a shield.

But understanding something didn’t make it any easier to handle when it was dropped in your lap.

Zanik’s emotions warred inside him — lust for Finn, a raw, primal desire that surged through his veins, and an unexpected protectiveness that surprised him.

He hadn’t felt this sort of alpha instinct in a long, long time. It was a fierce, almost overwhelming protectiveness, a need to keep Finn safe, to shield him from any harm.

He looked at Finn, really looked at him. The human was small compared to Zanik, his lean body fitting snugly in Zanik’s lap. Zanik could feel the subtle tremors of Finn’s muscles, the tension beneath the surface bravado. It stirred something deep within him, a Borraq warrior’s instinct to protect and cherish.

Borraq warriors loved fiercely, with a protectiveness that bordered on possessiveness. They cared for their beloveds, cherished them, bred them, protected them from anything the world might throw at them. Zanik’s body responded to those ancient instincts, his blood running hotter with each beat. His heart pounded in his chest, a mix of desire and a need to keep Finn safe.

Finn’s teasing smile faltered for a moment, a flicker of vulnerability crossing his face. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by that familiar spark of defiance. But Zanik had seen it, and it tugged at something deep within him.

His thoughts swirled, a chaotic mix of emotions. He wanted to protect Finn, to keep him safe from the horrors of the world.

But he also wanted to claim him, to feel the human’s body against his own in a way that went beyond mere proximity.

In the reflection of the monitor's glass, Zanik saw Finn's eyes fixed on him, wary and expectant. The human’s body was tense, coiled like a spring, ready to react to whatever Zanik might do.

The kid wanted to know if Zanik would hurt him, use him like the others had. But there was something else in Finn’s gaze, something that Zanik hadn’t noticed before.

Trust.

Finn wouldn’t be acting like such a brat if he thought Zanik was actually going to hurt him.

It was a startling realization, one that sent a surge of protectiveness and arousal shooting through Zanik’s body.

Before Zanik could act on the rush of emotions, though, the computer’s beep broke the tension, signaling their approach to the station. The sound was a cold reminder of their mission, yanking Zanik back to the present.

With a smooth, detached motion, Zanik wrapped his hands around Finn’s slender waist. He felt the human’s muscles tense under his touch, but there was no resistance. Zanik effortlessly lifted Finn off his lap, setting him on his feet. The warmth of Finn’s body lingered on his hands, a ghost of the connection they had just shared.

Zanik stood up, his movements precise and controlled. He couldn’t afford to let his emotions cloud his judgment now. Not when they were so close to their target.

“Get ready,” he said, his voice steady and commanding. “We’re heading in.”