Page 23 of Savage Bond

It laughs then—low and gleeful and wrong. Kairon’s voice stretched thin and cruel, echoing off the cavern walls. “You think you have a choice, little soldier?”

I stare it dead in the eye, every inch of my body shaking but not with fear.

With fury.

“Yes,” I hiss. “And when I get free, I’m going to make you regret ever speaking with his voice.”

The creature bares its teeth wider, amused by my defiance. But I can see it—there’s a flicker. A twitch. It didn’t expect me to fight this hard. Maybe it didn’t expect fight at all.

But I’m used to being underestimated.

The creature lashes out without warning, one massive claw swiping across my chest. Fabric tears with a sickening rip, my uniform shredded to ribbons in an instant. Pain flares as its claws slice into skin, shallow but burning hot. I scream, more from the shock than the injury, jerking in my restraints as blood wells along the thin gashes. The remains of my uniform hang off me in pathetic, torn shreds, offering no protection, no modesty—just one more humiliation in this nightmare.

“It’s time,” the creature announces, Kairon’s voice causing a strange reaction in my gut.

My eyes widen in shock as the creature straightens, becoming even larger and exposing its massive cock as it flops out from some kind of protective flap beneath what I can onlyassume is its gut. It grabs my legs and wrenches them open as I scream and kick.

“Yes,” it grins, leering with rows of teeth. “Keep resisting. We like it.”

I spit directly in its face. “Fuck you. I’m going to fucking kill you.”

It just laughs, the haunting sound permanently scarring my mind as the tears begin to well again.

CHAPTER 13

KAIRON

The jungle gives way to a steep ravine as Ava’s scream pierces the humid air. I slide down, skidding through layers of slick foliage and loose earth, my heart thundering in sync with her cries. The forest gapes suddenly, revealing a camouflaged pit—a maw that leads into something darker, deeper.

I descend into the subterranean nest, every step echoing in the dank tunnel. The smell assaults me first—acrid and overpowering, a sickly sweet stench of rot mingled with the unmistakable tang of blood. Dust and decay hang thickly, and I force myself not to choke.

Bones crunch underfoot—bleached, splintered, empty. The thought of Ava being among them twists something fierce in my gut—a flash of nausea and ire I shove aside, quickening my pace, turning the corner into the dim cavern.

Light seeps in through the stone—weak, but warm, catching on the damp tendrils that cling to rock and bone. I pause, breath held tight, but what I see next punches through all the barriers I’ve learned to build.

Ava hangs suspended, wrists bound and uniform shredded, her skin a tapestry of grime and sweat glittering faintly underthe bioluminescent glow. Her eyes are wild, defiant even in captivity, and something hardens my resolve.

But then there’s the other thing—the sudden, unwanted heat that pools instinctively at the sight. It hits fast, sharp, mingling distastefully with the violence in my blood. I hate it, this visceral reaction—a traitorous acknowledgment of her tenacity, her audacity even in this predicament.

The creature squats grotesquely between Ava’s legs, its slimy, mottled skin glistening in the dim light. It grins with a mouthful of jagged teeth, an abomination of a face twisted in delight as she kicks at it. Her defiance burns hot—she won’t go down without a fight.

Then it speaks, and I flinch. My own voice comes back to me, warped and malicious.

“We will fuck you until you take our seed. And then our children will devour you.”

A fire ignites within me—pure instinct. I don’t think; I just act.

I roar, the sound ripping from my throat as I leap forward. In one fluid motion, I wrench the creature off her. It thrashes and screeches, but I hold tight, muscles straining as I fling it aside. The thing slams against the cavern wall with a sickening thud, and for a heartbeat, I savor the moment—until its shrieks echo around us.

Ava’s eyes widen with shock, a mixture of gratitude and disbelief flickering across her features. The haze of fury clouding my mind parts just enough for me to see her clearly, her expression cutting through the chaos like a blade.

“Kairon!” Her voice emerges raw and desperate, a guttural snarl that’s smothered beneath layers of fear and furious determination. It slices through the din of battle, pinning my attention with the force of a spear aimed directly at my heart.

The creature, still reeling from my attack, recovers quickly. It shakes its mis-shaped head violently, as if trying to dispel the remnants of confusion that clouded its warped mind.

“Interruption,” it hisses with a sinister undertone, my own voice clumsily mimicked, echoing back at me in a way that sends an unsettling shiver creeping across my skin. The sound is distorted and grotesque, a mockery of my own words, heightening the already tense atmosphere and reminding me of the twisted reality we’re both trapped in.

“Yeah, not really into threesomes,” I retort, my own disdain frank and biting. I lunge, primal instinct kicking in—no weapons, no armor, just muscle, and fury. The creature reels, unprepared for the sudden onslaught as I tear a fist through its patchwork hide.

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