Page 9 of Tender Captivity (Human Pets of Talin)

“Well, not super easy. I mean, it’s a bit of a trip to get there and then you’ve got to acclimate to the Delorta climate.

They only colonize cold places. I mean really cold.

And you’d need to put up with every single Talin you met trying to talk you into staying with them.

Some of these guys really like to spoil humans.

It can be a little addicting. Especially the purring and the candy.

But other than that, yeah, it’s easy, I guess. ”

Jinna looked down at the collar she was still holding. The collar she could take off at will. The collar she thought symbolized slavery but turned out to be much more complicated.

Earlier that day, when he’d been bathing her, Jinna had fallen in love with Holian.

At the time she’d acknowledged to herself that the power inequity between them meant her love would probably be one sided.

But with the addition of this new information, she realized they might be on a much more even playing field than she first thought.

Holian wasn’t exaggerating when he claimed he risked death to be with her.

Suddenly she really needed to talk to Holian. Slapping the collar back on her neck, she got to her feet and stumbled a little because of the old injury the healer had dealt with.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to be standing yet,” the younger woman said as she scrambled to her feet and helped steady Jinna.

Her left leg was a little wobbly, but nothing that would stop her from walking. “I’m fine, but I need to tell Holian something.”

Lakin’s brows furrowed. “Is this about the Challenge? I wouldn’t worry about it. I mean, Holian is a little old to be doing one-on-one combat, but Dalt says he’s good, so there shouldn’t be a problem.”

“C-c-combat?” Jinna got out, her voice much higher pitched than she would have liked.

Now Lakin looked puzzled. “That’s why Dalt and I are visiting.

Holian asked Dalt to be his Body Bearer.

I think that means he’s supposed to help Holian get ready for the battle and inspect the other fighter to make sure everything’s being done according to the rules.

… Woah, you don’t look so good. Is your leg hurting you? ”

Jinna held up a finger to tell Lakin to give her a moment. It took her several breaths before she was sure she wasn’t going to panic. “Are you telling me Holian’s going to fight someone?”

Lakin’s eyes got wide. “Uh, no one told you?” Jinna shook her head, and Lakin started looking at everything but her.

“Well, if no one said anything, maybe it’s not going to happen.

Maybe it’s all for show, you know. Like bluffing at gav.

Have you played gav yet? It’s a great game, I can show you. We could—”

“Lakin,” Jinna said, grabbing the woman’s hand in both of hers. “Please tell me what’s going on with Holian.”

Guilt twisted Lakin’s features a little, but then she sighed and shrugged. “Well, I haven’t been in trouble for a while, so I guess I’m due. When Holian took you, it was considered stealing.”

“Because he was defending me from Nelaran?” Jinna asked.

“No, that’s not it. I was told he beat the Nelaran guy up, and no one sounded a single rattle of outrage or surprise.

But because he took you home and didn’t call for you to be collected by someone from the Committee for Pet Welfare, he’s in big trouble.

There’s a waiting list stretching from here to the nearest moon of Talins who want human pets, and Holian basically jumped the queue by taking you. ”

Fear twisted Jinna’s guts, making her feel like she might vomit. “Holian might die, and it’s my fault?”

“That wasn’t the takeaway from my explanation,” Lakin said with an exasperated huff.

“Challenges don’t always end in death. It’s an honor thing.

I think if one guy admits defeat, it ends there.

But Holian’s a warrior, and I saw him train with Dalt once.

He wasn’t as good as my guy, but he was impressive. I’m sure—”

Jinna didn’t hear what else Lakin had to say because she was too busy running for the house. Her left leg wasn’t responding like it should, so her gait was awkward and stumbling.

“Jinna! Hold up! Sit down, and I’ll go get Holian,” Lakin said as she sprinted in front and blocked Jinna’s progress.

“ Holian! ” Jinna screamed. She was frantic by now. She couldn’t lose him. It didn’t matter if Lakin thought he could win the Challenge, she couldn’t take that risk. “ Holian! ”

She yelled loudly enough to make Lakin flinch back. Even as she drew breath to scream again, Holian and another Talin she didn’t recognize raced out of the house.

“What’s happened?” Holian asked as he and the other male skidded to a halt next to them. The other male pushed Lakin behind him and searched the garden around them for a threat while Holian picked her up to cradle her against his chest. He was both sounding a rattle of aggression and purring.

To Jinna’s horror, she felt tears start pouring down her face. She’d never been a delicate, pretty crier. When she was stressed enough to cry, she turned into a watery, snotty mess. Already it was hard to talk.

“You can’t die!”

Before Holian could ask any questions, Lakin spoke. “This is my fault. But in my defense, I didn’t know we were keeping the Challenge a secret.”

Realizing there was no immediate threat, both men relaxed at her words. Rubbing his cheek across her head, Holian stopped rattling and only purred. The deep rumble was soothing, but not enough to calm her fears. Only one thing could do that, him promising not to fight.

“Please don’t fight,” she begged.

“If I don’t answer the Challenge, they might try to take you away and give you back to the Loklon Clan,” Holian answered.

“Nelaran and his family have been found guilty and punished, but the clan was found non-complicit. That means they submitted a claim for you, which I denied. They decided to shortcut the system by having Nelaran’s family issue a Challenge. ”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not going to make her feel better,” Lakin commented. If Jinna wasn’t busy sniffing and trying to keep her sobs at bay, she would have agreed.

It took her some time, but she managed to speak again. “We need to run. Far away. I lost my husband and child. I can’t lose you too.”

At her words, everyone went silent. Blinking through the tears, her eyes met Lakin’s sympathetic gaze, and then Dalt started making a strange, rusty, rumbling purr.

“Oh, my sweet flower,” Holian murmured as he turned and began walking back into the house. “Enjoy my home and don’t let Lakin destroy anything while Jinna and I talk,” Holian said to Dalt before turning away and carrying her into the house.

Jinna was so busy clinging to Holian and working on not crying that she barely registered Lakin’s words of outrage as they left her and Dalt behind in the garden. Jinna needed to get herself together and talk Holian into fleeing with her.

He didn’t stop walking until they were in the room she thought of as his office. Sitting down in one of the backless chairs, he arranged her in his lap so both his arms circled her and his head rested over hers.

She felt sheltered and safe.

“Please tell me,” he requested. “Tell me what happened.”