Her mouth parted as if to scream. Then her lips clamped down tight on the sound. Admiration rose through him as he sped up the process of pumping the hormone into her system and Garik didn’t often admire anyone. Very few beings surprised him.
Sensing he’d given her enough, he released the suction on her wrist and licked his lips. The honey sweet taste of the hormone and the tang of her blood mixed in his mouth. He glanced down and ran his thumb over the two savage rake marks from where he’d dragged his canines to break the skin deep enough to inject the bonding hormone and ensure it took.
Another pang of guilt hit him because he’d scared her. On the other hand, there was a definite twinge of satisfaction flaring from his gut. Others would know this mark for a sign she was under the protection of a Gerelin.
“Did it work?” she asked on a ragged breath.
Garik met her gaze and though her voice wobbled, she was still in his arms and hadn’t run away the moment he released her. He reached for the connection inside his core and sensed the tiny light that represented he was a part of a bonded couple. There was also the slight pull of an energy draw between them as his body began to reach for hers in an instinctive need to heal. Triumph surged.
“It worked.”
Chapter 5
Saedra swiped at the useless tears drying on her face. Now that he’d stopped biting her, an actual bite, the pain faded. She held her arm up, turning her wrist about and couldn’t miss the two lines about five inches long on the underside. There was no blood marring her skin as evidence of the serious hurt he’d put on her. He’d licked it clean. The act disturbed and aroused her in equal measure.
“What did you do?”
“Bonded us. Gerelins have a hormone in our blood that is released when we share our lifeblood with another. The scar that will form while an unfortunate side effect also acts as a visible sign to all that you are part of a bonded pair and that there is a male who will seek vengeance on any who would harm you. Actually, other Gerelin will also defend any female after seeing such a mark on her.”
Saedra jolted. She hadn’t expected that. She turned toward him, shifting sideways on his lap. “What?”
Garik slid her to the ground beside him on a wince. “It’s a Gerelin thing.”
So he hadn’t hurt her on purpose. It was a relief that she hadn’t misjudged him. Saedra wanted to follow up on more details about this thing that she hadn’t counted on. That thing which was also warming and softening the tense muscles in her belly.
Instead she watched as Garik rose unsteadily to his feet. Saedra stood as well and reached out to his elbow as if to help steady him.
Garik eyed her warily but didn’t lean away. “You mentioned you have a plan to get us out?”
Right. Saedra wanted to smack herself on the head. She switched her grip to his hand, entwining their fingers and tugged toward the door. “Yes. We should hurry. I’ve probably been down here too long and I don’t know if the guards check on you routinely.”
“They do,” he said as he followed along with a hunched gait.
Their pace was slow partly due to Garik’s injuries and partly due to Saedra’s fear of being caught. They crept down the hall back in the direction he’d come and toward the stairs she’d used to get into the dungeon. Worry fluttered through her mind at Garik’s stamina but he seemed to have gathered strength since they’d left the cell.
At the stairs, he placed a hand on her waist and squeezed. Saedra stopped and twisted about to speak but he used his other hand to press his fingers against her mouth in a gesture for silence.
Voices trickled down the steps. Saedra froze and her heart revved like a space shuttle about to take off. Should they rush up and fight? Go back to his cell where they could wait to leave again? As her thoughts flew, Garik gave a fierce shake of his head and pinned her to the spot with a sharp glare.
He didn’t want them to make any move. Fine. She understood that. Meeting his gaze, she tried to convey her understanding. Each breath panted against his palm and she couldn’t help but pick up the strong scent of sweat and dried blood.
He lowered his hand slowly as if waiting to see if she would remain quiet. Saedra sent her own sharp look in return. She wouldn’t make a mistake. She knew what was on the line.
The voices above moved away and Garik tapped her waist. They took the steps at a faster pace, Saedra in the lead.
“Hey!”
A guard appeared in front of them as if he’d been about to go down to check on the cells. Saedra gasped and drew back. Garik spun her further to the side and launched at the guard. He gripped him about the shoulders, turned him around, then slammed his face into the wall.
Saedra winced. The guard continued to struggle, his hand flailing as he tried to reach the weapon holstered at his hip.
“He has a gun,” Saedra whispered, dread sending a chill down her spine. If the guard screamed a warning or got his weapon out, this would be over.
Garik didn’t need the warning. One arm went around the guard’s neck as he kept him pinned to the wall and a quick twist had the guard slumping all at once. Dead? Her stomach rolled.
“Is he...?” She couldn’t finish.
Garik lowered the guard to the floor then fell against the wall with a hiss. Saedra hurried over to his side, stepping over the guard who she was pretty sure was dead based on his unblinking gaze toward the ceiling.
“Are you alright, Garik?”
His head wobbled in an approximation of a nod. The short scuffle had taken some of his energy. With an arm about his waist in case he needed help, they continued up the flight of stairs.
At the top, she turned to the right and pushed at the door, opening it a thin sliver. She peered around the corner. Seeing no one about, Saedra headed for the fastest route to get outside without being seen—the kitchen. There was a hidden doorway along one wall in there and she’d discovered it purely by accident during one of her nightly forays for meals.
They didn’t encounter anyone in the halls or the narrow passageways in the immense home that was Lord Maurin’s pride and joy. When they neared the arched entry for the kitchen, she ducked to the side and pointed. “That way. A secret door is by the counters in the rear and the wall ovens.”
Crouched behind her, Garik nodded. His face was pale and sweat had formed a waxy sheen on his face. “Go.”
What did he mean? “Are you...do you—?”
“I’m fine,” he cut in and urged her forward.
Withholding a frustrated sigh, Saedra entered the kitchen with as much stealth as she could manage. Her ears strained for every sound. Garik followed hunched over and one arm clamped over his mid-section. They were halfway across the cavernous space, her heart pounding at their potential success.
“Saedra, are you getting a snack again?”
***
Garik grabbed a sharp cutting blade beside a discarded pan from the counter. His muscles flexed with the intent to throw it at the intruder.
“No,” his new bond mate hissed. Saedra caught the upper part of his arm and squeezed.
The woman darted a look from Saedra then to him, her brown eyes flaring wide. “Wh-wh—”
Saedra held up one hand, the other retaining a tight hold on Garik. “It’s not what you think. Everything’s fine, Meka.”