The Unexpected Bonding Vow

by Michelle Howard

  This was the moment. Saedra tightened her fingers on Garik’s shirt. Her father was going to see to it that he got her back. The truth stared back at her as well as his malicious pleasure and what he was about to say.

  “Don’t.” The plea escaped in a whisper.

  It went unanswered. It was evident he took great relish in saying, “You are more fool than I thought, Denikon. My daughter has played her part well.”

  Garik’s body stilled against her. He didn’t say anything in response but Saedra felt the change in him. She bit down hard on her inner cheek to keep from crying out. Her father was doing what he did best. With only a few words, he was ruining her plans before her eyes. Stopping her from leaving because it was a certainty that Garik would leave her behind with the reveal out in the open.

  “So, what were you saying again? Still leaving with my little Saedra and our cleverly devised plan?”

  “You lie.” Saedra trembled and released her clenched hand from Garik’s shirt. She couldn’t let him get away with what he was saying. “You are a rotten liar and no father to me. Never have been.”

  Maurin laughed again and propped his hands on his hips. He rocked back on his booted heels and his smirk taunted her. She wanted to wipe it from his face. She wanted to destroy him as he sought to destroy her.

  “Tell you what. I’ll let Denikon here go if he leaves now.” He arched a brow. “Without you of course.”

  Saedra gritted her teeth and boiled with anger. Tears pricked her eyes but she didn’t shed them.

  “You are the epitome of cruel, Maurin,” Xyman said in a somber tone. “I took the contract on you to retrieve the item you stole from the Queen of Zephil but if Garik wishes, I will take you out now despite the request for execution being under his name.”

  Saedra still had no idea who he was or his connection to Garik but she appreciated his defense.

  “How do you plan to do that? My guards surround you.”

  Her father didn’t appear remotely afraid but Garik and Xyman exchanged a knowing look and there was a staggered click from the black ship they’d been heading to. Xyman’s ship. The canons turned on their mounts and a mechanical voice said, “Targets acquired. Fire on your command.”

  Xyman sauntered forward. He held his hand aloft and the object in his fist caused Maurin to curse. “I got what I came here for. We can end this with you and all your guards dead or you will stand aside and let us leave. Including your daughter.”

  A whisper of breath slid from Saedra. Hope surged.

  ***

  So many emotions flashed through Garik’s mind. Namely betrayal, but he ruthlessly shoved that to the back. He’d deal with it later. He had no weapons and he wasn’t sure how much faith he put in Nevo being on his side or against him.

  “She’s not going anywhere,” Maurin snarled. “Now!”

  Possessive fury took over and Garik pushed Saedra down. Lasers blasted around them. He hunched around her body and moved them forward, managing to roll at the last second beneath the landing gear of Nevo’s ship. The canons boomed once, twice. The thud of bodies hitting the ground filled Garik with a rush of pleasure.

  “End this, Maurin!” Nevo yelled. “You can’t win.”

  Garik leaned into Saedra. “Don’t move.”

  He hated the fear that flashed over her face then blocked it and launched to his feet to face Maurin. The Dragonian stood alone, his men on the ground unmoving around him and Nevo. A sneer twisted his face when his gaze locked on Garik.

  “Make your choice, Maurin. Let us leave with her or your death is next.”

  Nevo’s threat hovered in the air. Maurin pursed his lips then spit out a curse. “She played you perfectly, Denikon. Go ahead and take her...if you’re so foolish and trusting.”

  Nevo kept his dual laser pistols aimed at Maurin but spoke to Garik. “Get her on the ship.”

  The door behind them slid open and the ramp lowered with a smooth metallic click. Saedra crawled from under the ship, her hesitant gaze moving from him to...her father. Her lips trembled and her hair was a tangled mess about her pale face.

  “Is it true, Saedra? Are you his daughter?”

  If possible, her face lost even more color. Her gaze implored. “Garik...”

  The urge to go to her was strong, yet he couldn’t completely ignore what Maurin had revealed. She’d lied to him about the most important thing he needed to know. Everything between them had been built on deception. Hardening his heart, he tipped his head toward the ramp and tried to ignore the warnings blaring in his head to leave her behind. “Go.”

  He’d discover the rest of the details later. Right now, they needed to leave Quantoon. Saedra bit her lip, then glanced at her father. Maurin wore a smug expression.

  “You can always stay, daughter. You don’t have to continue our plans now that he knows what we did. They’ll be others to satisfy your cravings for affection.”

  Garik blanched, his temper reigniting as he recalled thinking her touches were driven by innocence and true desire. Was it all a part of the lies? Was nothing between them real? He’d come so close to falling for her. Already cared for her deeply.

  Saedra wore a blank mask, keeping him from reading her thoughts. She couldn’t hide her body language though and tension lined her straight back. Guilt was splashed clearly on her face. Garik watched her fight indecision. Was she truly contemplating staying here?

  His core wanted to shout a denial. They were bond mates. He’d made vows. She couldn’t leave him until he forced her to confess all she’d done. The lies. The trickery. No, they would settle this between them and if she tried to stay, Garik would take matters into his own hands and forcibly bring her.

  Then to his surprise, she spun on her heels and raced into the interior of Nevo’s ship. No one stopped them during take off. Nevo was silent as he navigated them away from Quantoon. Saedra was belted in the seat to his left, Nevo on his right at the front. Saedra rocked in her seat and kept her head down.

  It was a good thing. Garik wasn’t sure what would have come out of his mouth if she’d spoken.

  Chapter 16

  Saedra shivered on the lab table as the medic straightened from her observation of her leg and smoothed down the blue uniformed shirt signifying her role. The smile on her face was stiff and filled with generic pleasantries. She hated Saedra. It was there in the heated blue stare which she couldn’t hide.

  “Everything else looks fine. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done for the leg. The damage was extensive and too much time has gone by.”

  Understanding the woman was easy since she’d had a translator implanted in her ears. Saedra fingered the smooth skin on her cheek. The scar on her face was gone as well. Pushing off the table, she said, “Thank you. I’m grateful for all the help I have received.”

  She’d still have the limp when overtaxed but the other things Maurin had done to her were healed. Once they’d taken off from Quantoon, Nevo Xyman, Garik’s associate had plotted a course for the nearest colony in the Alliance and dropped them off. Nevo had squeezed her shoulder and wished her well before leaving. Saedra took a deep breath and left the medical center. Since then Garik had been quiet and standoffish toward her.

  Sure he’d made it a point to see to it that she received a translator so she could understand the myriad of languages spoken around her. He’d even paid for her to be healed as well as the separate room in the high rise they were renting. But other than that, he’d been unavailable.

  Insecurities flared. Maybe this meant he wanted to leave her. She wouldn’t blame him. He’d yet to question her about Maurin’s claim in his role as her parent but she knew it was the cause of the rift between them. She’d given him time. Time for herself as well while she tried to think of a way to make him understand what she’d done and why.

  Now she needed to act. No more dawdling around letting her anxieties build. As she exited the medical center, she lifted her wrist and tapped out a direct message on the comm h
e’d also purchased for her.

  -Need to see you tonight.

  She didn’t have to wait long before her wrist vibrated from the incoming message.

  -What do you need?

  Saedra blew out a frustrated breath.

  -It’s important. I just left the medical center and am heading to my place.

  -Are you ill?

  Was he worried? She frowned, hating the wall he’d thrown up between them over the last week. It was obvious he was avoiding her but they needed to have this confrontation and she needed to know if he’d stand by the commitment he made.

  -I’ll tell you in person. Can you come by? Around 8?

  This time the response took longer. After several moments passed, Saedra was starting to fear he wouldn’t answer at all when her comm vibrated.

  -I’ll see you tonight.

  A relieved breath shuddered from her. Tonight she’d tell him everything and see if they could salvage a relationship. She wanted one more than anything. What she felt for Garik wasn’t a novelty nor a temporary obsession.

  She busied herself cleaning up the small rental, which didn’t take much time. It was a basic place with a cleansing room, bedroom, seating area for guests and a small kitchen space for cooking. Far more than Saedra expected but also less. She’d thought to share a place with Garik but he’d led her to this door and pointed to one farther down the hall as to where he’d be staying.

  That should have made it easy over the last several days for her to speak with him but he was never there. The few times she tried to catch up with him, he claimed fatigue and she backed down. He was constantly busy in meetings with the two Guild leaders who’d arrived on their second day here. They spoke with her briefly and she sensed the curiosity and interest in their stares. That was the last she saw of them.

  Saedra prepared a light meal to settle her growling stomach. She paced, changed her clothes three times and gnawed on her thumbnail. By the time the buzzer sounded at her door a few minutes before the appointed time, Saedra admitted she was a wreck.

  “Did medical find something wrong with you?” were the first words out of Garik’s mouth.

  Saedra licked her lips and spoke through her suddenly dry throat. “No. I checked out fine. Come in.”

  She moved to the side so he could enter. He stared hard before sighing. Finally, Garik came in, immediately folded his arms and propped himself against the wall next to the door. “This is far enough. What do you need, Saedra?”

  The abrupt question caught her off guard. She’d envisioned several scenarios on how to broach the topic but there was nothing welcoming about his attitude. “I wanted to explain everything.”

  “Little late for that, don’t you think?”

  Saedra resisted the urge to punch him. He was being needlessly stubborn. “I was going to tell you.”

  Garik’s lips firmed. “I asked you if Maurin was your father. I asked you repeatedly who your parents were and you denied the truth and avoided telling me.”

  Saedra threw her hands in the air and walked away. “Because I knew you wouldn’t listen if I told you the man who captured and imprisoned you in a dungeon after torturing you was my father.”

  His steps stormed behind her and he gripped her shoulder to spin her around. “I warned you about lies!”

  The thunderous expression on his face didn’t deter her from yelling back. “You wouldn’t have trusted me!”

  “And I still don’t!”

  Saedra froze. Dismay and hurt clogging her throat. The claim echoed around them. Her nose and eyes burned with the need to cry.

  Garik removed his hand from her shoulder and jammed a hand through his dark hair. He dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling. “Fuuuck!”

  The truth she’d wanted to avoid slapped her right in the face. They’d started out on a lie and nothing would ever change those facts. Steel snapped her spine straight. Her heart was breaking but she’d deal with it. “You should leave.”

  Remorse drenched his voice. “Saedra...sesi.”

  He extended a hand toward her but Saedra ignored it. “This...this isn’t going to work.”

  ***

  Garik knew he’d messed up. The lies about Maurin had been banging around in his head since the discovery. He cared for Saedra—was pretty sure he was falling in love with her but his experience in the past with trust had him circling back around to the single lie standing between them. It didn’t help that two of the Guild Masters had reprimanded him for bringing her.

  Their dire warnings and predictions pointed at Saedra being apart of a more elaborate plot to infiltrate the Guild through him. Garik studied her hurt expression and the quivering bottom lip. He was a fool for listening to them.

  He drew close and attempted to wrap his arms about her waist but Saedra jerked away. “No. Stop. I want you to leave. You...y-you were right and this wouldn’t work.”

  What? He hadn’t said that. “Saedra, let’s talk.”

  She was already shaking her head. “A relationship built on lies can’t survive.”

  Garik swallowed. Isn’t that what he’d been telling himself when he’d avoided her for the last week? Except resisting the connection they’d forged had been torture for him and he’d wanted nothing more than to have her in his arms again, taste her sweet lips.

  Emotions tangled up in his gut when he choked out, “What about one born of strength, courage—the traits you’ve exhibited from the moment you entered my cell?”

  This time she at least didn’t pull away when he touched her. Garik cupped her jaw and tipped her face up to see her eyes and to make sure she understood what he was saying. “I’m sorry. Finding out Maurin was...is your father shouldn’t have surprised me. The few things you did share about growing up in that household should have been enough. I let my temper get away with me.”

  And fear. He’d never felt about anyone the way he felt about Saedra. Knowing he was willing to ignore her heritage to be with her was a revelation. He had intentionally been putting distance between them though the bond constantly hammered at him, keeping his awareness of her sharp and center.

  The hardest part of these last few days was ignoring that intimate connection. He thought getting her the translator, a place to stay and seeing to her injuries would ease his need to care for her while he struggled with this new feeling. It hadn’t. All it had done was served as a reminder that he wasn’t alone anymore, didn’t have to be alone.

  “You made me believe in you and this bond.” She pursed her lips. “Then you abandoned me.”

  It was a shot to the chest. She was speaking from her heart and not disguising the pain he’d caused. “I am sorry, sesi. You are absolutely right.” He thought about it then added, “I have no excuse. But please know you’ve been on my mind. I care about you and want to explore what we could have. If you’re still interested.”

  Even if she wasn’t, there would never be another for Garik. The bond was for life.

  “I’m sorry I hid the truth from you. I was so afraid. Afraid the plan would fail. Afraid you wouldn’t trust me if you knew.”

  Garik wanted to hold her but said, “You didn’t need me at all. You had everything planned out perfectly. You would have escaped on your own. That was all you. Your strength, your courage. I was just along for the ride. You saved me.”

  Saedra gripped the front of his shirt and leaned up on her toes. “Don’t play with me. Are you really able to move beyond who my father is and what he did to you?”

  “Yes.” It was simple when he didn’t allow doubt, fear and his own issues clog up his thinking.

  The smile stretching her lips was worth it. He tightened his hold, bringing them chest to chest and bent his head to kiss her with everything he was feeling in this moment. She smoothed her hands up his chest and moaned into his mouth. His hands drifted eager to touch and reaffirm having her in his arms again.

  He cupped the back of her head, holding her steady as he nibbled her bottom lip, tongued away th
e sting and went back for more by deepening the kiss. His other hand lowered to her bottom and squeezed the round cheek. Saedra gasped into his mouth and this time he was the one groaning as he walked them backward until his back hit the wall. Saedra hiked her thigh on his hip, tiny sounds of pleasure teasing his senses as she tried to climb him. Garik slouched to align their groins far willing to accommodate her.

  When they broke apart panting, he asked, “We’re clear? You and me. No one else. I don’t care who your father is as long as we get to be together.”

  Her gaze brightened. With cheeks flushed, she nodded eagerly. “I felt something for you the moment I crouched beside you in that cell.”

  There was one thing he needed to clear up. “I was there because the Guild targeted Maurin. There’s a strong possibility I’ll be tasked to go back and finish the job.”

  And he would accept it gladly. Maurin was a form of evil that needed to be ended.

  Saedra brushed her fingers down his cheek, her eyes glowed with acceptance. “I understand. I don’t have any attachment to him. He killed my mother and abused me my whole life. He was never a father to me.”

  Garik shifted his grip and lifted her in his arms, her squeal bringing a half-smile to his face. The layout of the rental was the same as his so he knew exactly where to go to reach her bedroom. He shouldered open the door and stared at the bed with its neatly folded covers. A deep inhale brought Saedra’s familiar scent to him.

  “You and I are going to build a life together. After Maurin is taken care of I’m going to finish my contract,” he murmured as he glanced down at her glowing face. The scar was gone and he’d seen to it that she received a translator to understand those around them. He was always going to take care of her.

  “And kids? Maybe?” she hesitantly asked.

  Garik mulled the idea around. He hadn’t really thought about children. He also hadn’t thought he’d have a bond mate either. He grinned at what Saedra’s was bringing to his life. Things he never thought he’d want, yet now he saw the possibilities. “Whatever you want. My heart is all yours.”