The Unexpected Bonding Vow

by Michelle Howard

  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.”

  At least Saedra was keeping a low tone, but Garik’s fingers fisted about the handle. If he wanted to break her hold, it would be easy enough despite his current state. This might very well be a trap set by Lord Maurin—all to play upon Garik’s weakened state. Mental torture, sending a woman who exuded innocence and teasing Garik with the possibility of escape was a truly brilliant strategic move.

  Saedra herself was an excellent actress if that was the case because Garik believed her. Gentle touches. Desperation. It was a nice touch and had gotten under his guard.

  Fuck, he’d mated her. If she chose to betray him now or this was an elaborate scheme, he wouldn’t be able to kill her due to the unspoken vow of lifelong protection.

  He eyed both women carefully. The plump dark-haired servant with the skin of warm brown he could take out easily. The trembling woman beside him...Garik wasn’t sure he could look her in the eyes and incapacitate her. She was his bond mate for better or worst. He’d made a commitment and for Gerelins it was life or death, no mind changing. It had been a calculated risk, one he’d known and accepted when she’d made her problematic offer.

  Killing her after making the vow he’d made would go against his every instinct and dangerously destroy something within his core.

  “Are you...leaving?”

  Garik stilled. At any moment, he expected the newcomer to scream of their presence to his enemies.

  “Yes,” Saedra responded.

  For the first time, Garik took in how both females were dressed. The servant in a light blue sleeping gown with a robe of darker blue thrown over it. He recognized the poor quality clothing from his first glance and a match to the material that made up Saedra’s worn black dress beneath her cloak.

  “With him?” the servant asked in a timid voice as she threw a stealthy glance at the door opposite the one they’d entered.

  His senses screamed for Garik to eliminate the threat, but still he hesitated. As an assassin such a mistake would see him dead.

  “Yes,” Saedra said again, then straightened to her full height, which didn’t put the top of her head much beyond Garik’s shoulders. “I’m leaving, Meka. I have to.”

  The servant faced Garik as she took a step backward toward the safety of the second door which Garik assumed would lead to another part of the house. He eased around Saedra. There was no way he could let her summon the guards or Lord Maurin for that matter.

  “I see. Does Lord Maurin know?”

  Saedra dropped his arm and took a determined step in front of Garik. To protect him? Or the servant? He snorted. It would be nothing to get around her slight frame. In the brighter light of the kitchen, he could see Saedra’s face better. He was correct in his assessment that she wasn’t a female to be hailed as a great beauty. Her features were sharp, intriguing angles, and a jutting chin that tipped toward the ceiling this very moment.

  Her act of bravery right now, however, was drawing him in to admire her. He’d always been more attracted to strength in his be partners. Looks could fade, but someone with courage was everlasting.

  “He doesn’t.”

  Garik’s body pulled subtly on the low feed of energy from Saedra to heal his wounds. It was instinctive between mates, but by drawing on her strength, he would be prepared to fight their way out if need be.

  “And the man with you?”

  It was the first time Garik witnessed Saedra falter. Her hands clenched into fists at her side and she didn’t break the servant’s stare. “With me. He’s going with me, Meka.”

  “I see.” Meka lowered her head and spoke. “Peace to you, Lady Saedra.”

  Saedra exhaled, tears glistening in her brown eyes. “Thank you, Meka. For everything.”

  Then she grabbed Garik again and he let her lead him toward the counter and around it. Behind them, a door slammed. Saedra jerked, her fingers tightening convulsively on him. Garik threw the kitchen knife at the first man who entered and dropped him dead, the hilt of the blade quivering in his throat.

  Meka gasped and fell back into the wall. Two more men charged in on shouts of alarm when they spotted him and Saedra. She pressed a panel on the wall with a fleur-de-lis design and the panel cracked open to reveal a dimly lit interior. “Hurry, Garik.”

  There was no way he could fight them all. Not without a weapon and not with Saedra in danger beside him. He ducked inside with her and the door closed with a thud. This time Garik took the lead and wrapped his fingers around the wrist of her right arm. If anything attacked them in the dark, he would be in the front shielding his bond m
ate.

  She squawked in outrage, but it was a tiny sound, quickly muted. He bit off a smile and asked, “Now what? That won’t hold them off.”

  Once inside, she banged her free palm on a button to the right of the jamb and a lock whirled into place. Fists immediately pounded from the other side. Then to his surprise, she ripped the casing off the security panel with a savage grunt.

  Impressive. Garik’s estimation of her increased with her every action. “Do you happen to have any weapons?”

  Though her voice quivered, she stood strong beside him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t have time and with the way my room is searched routinely, it would have been hard to keep them hidden without getting caught. Not to mention my punishment would have been severe.”

  Punishment? Who was she in this household?

  She urged him forward with a light push to his shoulder. Garik stumbled as his mind tried to process what she’d just revealed. Who exactly was his new bond mate? Servant or slave? Had she been imprisoned by Lord Maurin as well? If so, it would explain her poorly spun clothing and why she and the servant were on good terms.

  They raced down a steep and curved stairway so narrow they bumped and rubbed against one another from shoulder to hip. It also agitated some of his more critical injuries. Still, Garik ignored all of that, especially since it meant escaping and having a chance to repay his enemy at a later date.

  The steep stairs leading downward seemed endless, the pounding and shouts behind them eventually fading into silence. Garik hated to be so unaware. He planned missions through and through, seeing all the options and preparing for any eventualities. “What’s ahead?”

  “Long tunnel then another at the end. It opens into a path at the back of the main house,” he explained between ragged breaths.

  Garik realized he was tugging her along and his own pace while far from his normal speed prior to the torture, was still faster than she could run.

  His ribs continued to burn like a bitch too, and his head throbbed, but for the most part he felt better than he had since Lord Maurin and his men had tortured him for two long weeks in that hellscape.

  They reached the end of the tunnel which opened into a cramped space with hardly anywhere to move around each other.

  “Now what?” Garik asked.

  But she was already digging into the pockets of her skirt. She withdrew a fist-sized ring with two square key reading chips. Garik remembered she’d used another set to access his cell in the dungeon.

  “I stole these.” She entered one in the slot on the door. There was a pneumatic hiss and click. The door opened and a breeze smelling of grass, dirt and the brisk night air flowed in the tiny room. It was pitch black out and his pulse leaped. Garik did his best work in the dark. “We should hurry. Lord Maurin would have been made aware by now.”

  No sooner had she spoken, then there was a distant crash resounded through the tunnel. Lord Maurin’s guards had breached the kitchen door. The sound of alarms screeched directly after.

  “Let’s go!” Garik dragged her with him as he took off across the expanse of the wide, open courtyard.

  The estate was a huge building made of several smaller buildings connected by breezeways. Since Quantoon had been uninhabited at the time of purchase, Maurin had his way with restructuring the small city. He’d constructed his main residence with paved roads for vehicles that all flowed from this center complex. It meant no one in the area could miss the monstrous sized home he’d built.

  An arrogant move on Maurin’s part to boast of his ill-gotten riches. The Dragonian had made a fortune through stealing and profiting off of the missteps of others in addition to his own greed-driven need for acquisition. Profit and betrayal were Maurin’s motto and Garik couldn’t wait to come back and tear into him.

  Even as thoughts of revenge and plans worked through his thoughts, Saedra started to lag and her fingers slipped from his grasp. His heart shuddered as he felt a sliver of her fear pulse through their newly formed bond.

  “Garik!”

  Already drawing to a halt, Garik turned back. It was easy to see he’d gained a bit of distance from her in that brief split error of time.

  Saedra was struggling to keep up, her long skirt and cloak bunched up high in her fists. It was then he noticed the way she relied on one leg more than the other, a slight hitch in her step. Had she been injured and he missed it?

  A low baying sounded, the growls and snarls of hunting krels cut into the night. The animals were vicious when they cornered prey and often tore into victims with teeth and claws before a huntsmaster could call them off.

  “You should...leave...me,” she panted with some effort.

  Now was no time to falter. Garik rushed back to her side and looped his arm about her shoulder. “We’ve gotten this far. Hurry, Saedra. Maurin has released krels.”

  Moonlight revealed the fear and sheer terror in her gaze. Her emotions sliced into Garik’s chest as nothing else could.

  “Come!” he added force to his command and with a stuttered gulp, she nodded and moved.

  It wasn’t the easy stride they’d managed prior, but they were moving, and that’s all that mattered to Garik. All he needed was to get somewhere to use a communication device so he could contact the Guild for transport.

  The krels grew louder and Garik wished he could pick Saedra up and carry her to increase their speed but unless he wanted to drain what strength she had to supplement his own, it wasn’t feasible. They’d both end up back under Maurin’s control and Garik was sure the Dragonian wouldn’t stop at torturing him this time around. What he’d do to Saedra if he knew she’d helped Garik was not something he wanted to contemplate.

  “Not too far is a place I know where we can hide. We just have to get there,” Saedra muttered.

  Garik wasn’t big on trust or blindly letting another lead him, yet he followed where Saedra pointed. She half-limped and half-hopped, her breaths coming in pants, loosened curls sticking to her face. Her courage and perseverance were worthy of note. There was more to his mate than met the eye.

  Chapter 6

  Saedra led Garik beneath a row of overgrown bushes running along one side of the property at the back end of her father’s prized home. She dropped to her knees despite the pain in her bad leg and dug past the loose brush and bramble. Hope was a glimmer at the forefront of her mind and she wasn’t ready to give up yet.

  Ignoring the sound of the deadly krels, she finally revealed the hole she’d spent hours digging over the last few weeks during her walks around the property. It hadn’t been easy and she’d been scared of being caught.

  “What is this?”

  Garik knelt beside her and didn’t look nearly as shaken or worn out as she was. With his dark hair disheveled and strained features, nothing could dismiss the lethal, raw waves of energy emanating from him. This was why she’d forged forward with her choice, this dangerous man with the ability to kill on demand was exactly what she needed.

  To think she had been ready to give up and doubted the success of her plan. “This will get us through the barrier to the other side.”

  His brows pinched and she didn’t need the glare of the moon to show his displeasure and doubt. Then he shook his head and leaned forward. “I’ll go first.”

  His statement implied a lack of trust with having her behind him for the treacherous crawl. Saedra didn’t care. She glanced over her shoulder and nibbled her bottom lip. Someone could catch them at any moment. So far, the ego inducing madness that encouraged her father to make the back area pure green space dotted with groupings of trees was a hidden bonus. Such dense foliage worked in their favor. The guards wouldn’t know what direction they’d taken. “Fine. Hurry.”

  He flattened to his belly and crawled through. Saedra waited until he was more than halfway through to follow. Going feet first, she entered the narrow passage. With every scoot, she pulled the brush back in place as much as possible.

  It might throw off the guards but the krel ho
unds would merely be delayed and then regroup. It would have to do.

  Raw, damp odors laced with a light perfume from the brown soil assaulted her sense of smell. Saedra kept going and going, dirt and grime sliding across her front. She cringed and squeezed her eyes closed as she scuttled backward.

  A light breeze teased her legs and her thighs as her skirts bunched toward her waist with each twist and swivel. Right now, her bare legs would be flashing Garik. Heat seared her face but she ignored it. Embarrassment was a luxury she couldn’t afford. Saedra continued with her crablike crawl and bit off a muffled squeal from whatever clumps caught on her meager nails.

  Fingers clasped her ankles in a firm grip above her flat shoes and tugged. Gasping in surprise, Saedra held in a startled yelp. Her head popped up on the other side and swiped at the hair scattered with all manner of debris. Garik squatted beside her, eyeing her strangely. He’d yet to release his grip on her legs and another flush filled her cheeks at the way he stared.

  “What is it?” she asked in a hushed tone at his continued silence. Perhaps she wasn’t the reason for his intense scrutiny. Had she missed something?

  He shook his head sharply and released her then rose to his significant height. From her position on the ground, it was quite intimidating. Saedra jumped to her feet quickly for fear of being left behind.

  Too quickly. Her bad leg crumpled beneath her weight, tipping her sideways. She was caught at the waist, her breath a soundless exhale of relief as Garik held her. Another fall in her condition would bring on the spasms. Saedra couldn’t afford for anything else to slow her down.

  Her “thank you,” was muffled against his solid chest.

  Garik held her close as he righted her then ran an intent gaze over her from top to bottom. “What’s wrong? Did you injure your leg on the stairs?”

  Shame coursed through her blood and Saedra leaned away from him, hands fisted at her side. The truth almost flew from her tongue, but it would reveal more of her connection to Maurin than she wanted so the words lodged in her throat. Saedra stuck with a flippant mutter, “Of a sort.”