Page 30 of Galaxy Games Four-Book Box Set (Galaxy Games)

30

Until the End?

T itan

Slavers ripped me from my family, made me live in harsh conditions, forced me to train and fight in burning heat and blowing sands. I’ve had to kill to save my own life. I’ve known hardship and misery. I’ve never experienced this feeling before.

It’s worse than that time in the arena on Aeon II when that Frain took a sledgehammer to my stomach. Worse than the slice to my belly where three feet of my intestines spooled to the arena floor. Seeing my female being pawed by these two gray males has turned my guts to ice.

As I run forward, I watch my next twenty moves play out in my mind’s eye.

When I’m certain of my plan of attack, I shrug out of my makeshift pack, tighten my grip on my sword and run full tilt toward the three people on the ground.

I want to scream, but I don’t. I’m not trying to be stealthy, though. I’m a male on a mission. They’re so consumed with what they’re doing, they don’t even hear me coming until I’m upon them.

I slice off the male’s head, the one between Blaze’s legs, the one whose cock is out of his pants, glistening in the suns. Striking with such force, I not only separate his head from his neck, but launch his skull on a trajectory over five feet away.

When I take a step toward the other, the one holding her shoulders flat to the ground, he pulls a six-inch knife from his boot and places it at her throat.

“Hold on, friend,” he says, his lips pulled into an angry grimace meant to approximate a smile. “We can share.”

I’ve killed many males in arenas around the galaxy. Bloodlust is something I’ve never experienced before. I want to kill this male more than I want to draw my next breath. He’s holding a sharp blade at Blaze’s throat, though. I can’t put her in danger.

I take a moment to glance at her for the first time this morning. Her eyes are flared wide, her body paralyzed.

My mind flies like the fastest computer as I run scenarios in my head. No matter how I imagine it, if I strike, he can cut her carotid faster than I can behead him. I need to plan this out.

“I had her already, although I wouldn’t refuse another turn,” I say smoothly, trying to sound casual. “You go first, friend.”

“After you.” He smirks. He doesn’t look familiar, but these males have to be contestants, just like the Halckons we killed yesterday.

“She snuck out on me this morning.” I sneer. “I guess she knew I was going to kill her before I ate my breakfast.” I grab her, place her chin in my palm and squeeze her cheeks until her mouth puckers. “Bitch! Don’t fucking move.”

I pull my cock out of my pants and hunker closer between her legs. I have to look like I’m about to rape her.

“No!” Blaze says as she kicks me with all her might. By the look on her face and the force of her kicks, she really thinks I’m going to rape her.

I laid my sword behind me, out of the Charthian’s reach. I’m going to kill this bastard up close and personal. I won’t need my sword.

“Hold the cunt’s shoulders,” I seethe as I spread her thighs wider.

The look of fear in Blaze’s eyes pierces my heart, but I don’t have time to calm her. I certainly can’t tell her what I’m about to do.

As soon as the Charthian shifts his posture and puts his weight on my female’s shoulders, I move forward, grab his throat, and squeeze with all the strength I possess.

“Run!” I tell Blaze as I keep squeezing even as my enemy grabs my throat. The spikes on his wrists would be slicing me to ribbons except they’re snagging on my thick plating.

He’s a huge male. By his build, he could be a gladiator.

Blaze is no longer between us. We’re both on our knees, our hands wrapped around each other’s necks. We’re evenly matched. Every time I tighten my grip, I feel him choking me even harder.

I haven’t been able to breathe for long moments. I’m going to pass out if I don’t get the upper hand. As I’m grunting, squeezing, trying to move my thumb to crush his windpipe, he groans, his eyes flaring wide.

Blaze is standing behind him, my sword’s blade red with his blood. She sliced his back.

Blaze

The moment I’m released, I scuttle away from their fight. It takes a few seconds to shift back to reality.

Luckily, the first thing I see is the sword glinting in the sunlight. After grabbing it, I run behind the Charthian, trying to figure out how to strike the killing blow.

I can’t cut the gray male’s neck because Titan’s hands are around his throat. The broad expanse of his back is exposed. It’s the only target I have.

I slash at him below his shoulder blades. Barely hearing his grunt of pain, I raise the sword high and strike again and again. He’s a strong male, heavily muscled. At some point, I see his body tighten. Titan is choking him harder now. Between Titan at his throat, and me whittling away at his back, he finally quits fighting and slumps forward.

Titan rises and approaches me, wanting to fold me in his arms, but I’m having none of it. I stalk to stand in front of the gray male’s motionless body. He’s slumped forward. Placing the sole of my foot on his chest, I push him backward so he’s lying flat on the ground. Then I grip the sword handle in both hands and spear the asshole in the chest not once, not twice, not even three times. I just keep stabbing until I’m certain I’ve pierced the motherfucker’s heart—wherever it might be.

Carnage. I see blood everywhere. Not only is the gray guy bathed in it, I am, too.

I try to take inventory, to see where I’m hurt, to remember exactly what happened and in what sequence. My thoughts aren’t just jumbled, they’re leaden. They’re not moving. I can’t think.

Titan approaches slowly, a funny look on his face. Is he going to try to rape me again? Did he succeed the first time? Am I remembering that right? Why did I drop the sword? I’m defenseless.

Titan

I’ve seen this before. I’d been in gladiator school for a few years when a new shipment of males was delivered to the ludus . One of them killed his opponent his first week there. He had the same wide-eyed, confused look on his face.

“Blaze. Blaze. It’s me, Titan.”

“You, you raped me?”

“No. I saved you. Remember? I got close enough to get my hands around his neck, then told you to run. Remember?”

Her jaw drops, her mouth popping open. Her eyes are glassy. It’s clear she doesn’t remember.

“You’re safe, Blaze. You’re safe now. Here.” It takes all my effort not to pull her into my arms and try to comfort her, but I don’t think it would feel like comfort right now. Instead, I retrieve a bottle of water and hand it to her. “Drink.”

She eyes me suspiciously, but takes the water and downs the entire contents.

Red is a few feet away, his large blue eyes blinking slowly as he appears to take everything in. I reach down for him and he darts onto my palm. When I approach Blaze again, he’s in my hand, which is outstretched with this peace offering.

There’s something about my gesture, or maybe it’s the little reptile itself, but she places her palm next to mine and lets him scamper onto her, up her arm, and settle on her shoulder. Her face softens, every muscle in her body stands down as she turns her head to commune with him.

“Did Red watch?” she asks, her voice hollow. “Poor little fellow shouldn’t have had to watch that.”

“You’re right. No one should have had to go through that,” I say, nodding even as I inch backwards, giving her space to collect her thoughts.

“Xzavic?” she asks, looking at me directly for the first time today.

“It’s me, Love.” I said it. I’ve vowed a hundred times that I won’t allow myself to muddy things between us. I’ve ordered myself not to say that word. And there it was—out of my lips before I could stop myself.

She hurls herself straight into my chest before I’m certain I should open my arms to her. But she’s nestled against me now, her face burrowed against my skin.

She’s so small. Tiny compared to me—and those Charthian fuckers.

I want to ask how far things got before I separated the first male’s head from his neck. The one who was between her legs. The one whose cock was glistening with moisture. Was it hers, I wonder? Did he breach her? I shut down my thoughts. It won’t do either of us good for me to speculate. I will never ask.

I’ve broken my vow not to say I love her. In fact, now that I remember, I think I said it last night in the heat of passion. I promise myself I will never ask about what just happened. Never.

She’s crying. Heaving big, loud sobs. Her little hands clutch my arms so tightly it’s as if I’m her lifeline.

“It will be alright, Love,” I tell her as I lift her into my arms and cradle her against me. Her bottom is naked.

I won’t allow half the galaxy to see her like this.

“Turn it off,” I seethe as I look my drone in the eye. “Turn the fucking camera off!” After setting her gently on her feet, I grab her pants and help her step into each leg. “Assholes,” I spit over my shoulder at the drone.

I lift her into my arms again and whisper into Blaze’s ear.

“Talk to me, Love. Tell me what hurts. How I can help. You know it wasn’t me who hurt you, right?”

She throws her arms around my neck and whispers back, “I remember exactly what happened. I left you this morning. I wish I hadn’t. Will you stay with me? Until the end?”