Page 6

Chapter

Six

A lthough escape was foremost in Abby’s mind as she crept through the cavernous den of the manticore—because what rational person wouldn’t want that?—she wasn’t altogether able to ignore the fact that in doing so she would be abandoning her task. As things stood, however, she didn’t really give a fuck. Her job assignment was not how Zayman led her to believe. Not to mention that it was unlikely that she would be able to bring down the manticore when her lance was broken and all her weapons confiscated to some unknown part of the cavern. She could search for them but the chances of getting caught and suffering repercussions for it wasn’t something an intelligent person would risk.

There was another small issue, namely that she didn’t know if she could actually go through with killing Samir. She couldn’t identify the source of her reluctance as he was certainly a formidable predator who had killed many humans and was determined to keep her captive, but she just couldn’t do it. It wasn’t just because he was capable of thought. While trolls, orcs, goblins, and various creatures were considered very careful prior to the hunt, she had never felt guilty about doing what needed to be done to protect communities. But then, those same creatures would have killed her in a heartbeat. But Samir had not. Was that the source of her discomfort the fact that he showed pity for her and made the decision to keep her, all the while treating her gently and with a measure of respect? Or was it because she was held down and fucked by him?

That whole incident should have made her feel violated and pissed off and yet she had been excited by the chase and some part of her wanted to be caught and fucked to satisfy the desire that had risen and burned within her. Had she formed an unhealthy attachment and become compromised because she had enthusiastically yielded to him and allowed a monster to rut her?

Whatever the case, she doubted that she could actually stomach harming him. She didn’t want to harm him. The truth was, she wanted to run far away from Samir. She certainly didn’t want to return to Veldala to resupply and carry out her assignment, even if that was the lie that was going to aid her escape. Presuming he bought it. But that was a worry for later. Right now she needed to actually get out and far enough away from the caves to light the flare and wait for Zayman to return for her.

To get to Veldala, she would tell him whatever he wanted to hear. She doubted that he would refuse if they were truly so anxious to remove Samir. For them to travel so far to recruit her parents they had to be pretty desperate, but she wasn’t so na?ve to believe that she wouldn’t be threatened with imprisonment for her failure, which she could possibly talk her way out of with promises to go back and finish the job. She would lie, of course, to save her own skin but then she was booking passage on the nearest ship to take her back home. Fuck the desert and Vedala’s king. Even if she could manage to convince herself to be okay with the idea of someone hunting Samir, it couldn’t ever be her. Not only could she not do it but she would have to be suicidal to return after escaping Samir, much less try to kill him.

No, she decided as she crept along the wall, she just needed to lie and cheat her way back home, whatever it took. The need to run far, far away was thrumming a fast and steady tempo, whispering to her with every pound of her heart.

The hair rose on the back of her neck, and she paused at the edge of the common room. Her breath stilled and she strained to listen. The cavern was silent, but an icy dread worked its way up her spine and her breathing faltered. She felt like eyes were on her—watching her—but though she saw no tell-tale glow of Samir’s gaze, she couldn’t say for sure whether she was merely paranoid or not. But she couldn’t escape the feeling of eyes on her.

Abby shook her head to clear her thoughts. Drawing in a deep breath, she found her center and moved forward quickly, keeping her steps light and swift. All the while her heart was beating a whisper of warning. Faster. Faster. He was right behind her. Her breath was growing uneven as something uncomfortably like panic began to crawl through her belly. She caught sight of the exit leading out into the main passage.

Her gaze swept over the room. It was dark except for the soft glow of the coals that cast a small amount of light and heavy shadows on her surroundings. There was no sign of Samir, but, then again, just after escorting her to the sleeping chamber with orders to stay put and sleep while he saw to things, he had locked himself in his study. The cavern was just beyond the sleeping chamber he forced her to share with him when they slept through the hottest part of the day but close enough that she was able to silently open the door and spy on him as he entered the room and closed an actual door behind him. The entrance to his home and bedchamber didn’t have doors, nor did most of the other rooms, but it seemed that these did, and the passageway was intentionally carved to adequately fit each door. As far as her limited vision could ascertain, there were several more doors that were visible along the passage that branched off from there. As curious as she was as to what was contained behind those doors, she wasn’t going to waste her chance at freedom.

It seemed that he was still in his study as far as she could tell. Good.

Keeping low, she ran in a half-crouch across the room, keeping to the darkest parts of the shadows. Excitement leaped in her breast as she crossed the halfway mark. She was nearly there. Just a little further and she would be inside the main passage and one step closer to freedom. She smiled in the dark as she drew closer to it and, belatedly, she registered the soft sound of a scrape directly behind her.

She was nearly free when something dropped heavily on her, drawing a yelp from her as the weight dragged her to the ground. Her breath exploded from her as she hit the floor, but her training kicked in so that she was able to recover and draw in a short breath rapidly before her lungs began to burn from the lack of oxygen. She tried to pivot to dislodge the weight, but it merely sank further onto her so that she could feel the heat emanating from it… from him. Samir.

“Samir,” she whispered.

He did not reply other than to press his weight more tantalizing against her. Heat unfurled deep within her belly as his face leaned close to her ear so that she could feel his breath on her cheek. She whimpered as his hot tongue snaked out and dragged along the outer edge of her ear. Was he going to claim his reward for triumphing over her yet again? Her arousal thickened within her at the thought, and she bit back a cry of disappointment when his weight suddenly lifted from her and he rose to his feet, taking her with him.

“Abby, Abby,” he tsked as he carried her effortlessly through the common room and back to the sleeping chamber. “There is really no place for you to run to. Do you not hear it?” he murmured, and his head cocked, his leonine ear shifting to catch some far-off sound.

Abby frowned and listened. “I don’t hear anything.”

“Humans have such dull senses,” he observed. “You would have walked out and been caught in that sandstorm brewing not far from here. The winds have not arrived at the cave yet so you would have likely noted nothing of it heading our way until it was too late. Had I allowed you to leave, I suspect that I would have found you in the evening with your skin abraded from your body.”

Her eyes widened. Gods, if she had gone out in that… she sagged in his arms, weak with shock. Her stomach flipped queasily and not because of the way he unceremoniously dumped her on the bed. She clutched her gut with one hand and swallowed thickly as her nausea threatened to overpower her. She jerked back in surprise, sputtering, when an old, stained bowl suddenly was shoved beneath her nose.

“If you are going to be ill, then do it in this,” Samir grumbled, though not unkindly.

She took the bowl gingerly from him, grateful to have it, and peered up at him thoughtfully. “You saved me.”

His bright green eyes narrowed on her for a moment and then he chuckled. “Naturally. I own your hide now. I would not like to see it damaged.”

Whatever kernel of gratitude she felt vaporized, and she glowered up at him. “So kind of you,” she bit out.

“No,” he rumbled, his smile growing wider. “I am not kind, little Abby. But you are very much mine and I will always protect what’s mine. Even from yourself.”

Her brows lowered into a scowl, her nausea forgotten as he leisurely climbed into the bed and settled beside her. She was going to ignore the way her stomach fluttered a little at his protectiveness and possessiveness. She was too busy fuming over the fact that her value was only being measured in terms of being conceived of as property. What was more, she couldn’t believe that actually said that to her face. It was infuriating and her determination burrowed deeper into her consciousness. One way or another she was going to get out of there, and when she did, she just might reconsider her stance on hunting down his mangy hide.