Page 77 of The Warrior's Oath
“Then? Then we get you to safety. We have friends in a city not far from here. It will be a bit of a walk, but I promise, you will be safe and well-treated there.”
The survivors glanced at one another. There was no other even remotely good option. And this guy had just saved them.
“All right,” the man said. “When do we start?”
Korvin grinned. “We startnow.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY
Despite their exhaustion, fear, and injuries, the rescued survivors kept pace as they fled the Raxxian encampment.
Fear was one hell of a motivation, and the revelation that their former captors were not the only nasty sorts roaming this area only served to make them move faster, their aches and pains fading away—at least until they finally stopped for the night.
They covered a lot of distance before the sun set behind the distant mountain range, but Korvin made it quite clear, this was still deep in enemy territory. As such, that meant a bit more discomfort for the time being. No fire would be lit, not after such a daring escape. Whether Raxxian or Dohrag, if anyone came across the remains of the slaughtered guards, a search for survivors—and with them a significant profit—would certainly ensue.
Fortunately, no ships flew over as they bedded down for the night beneath a dense copse of trees. Korvin and Halvax spread out, forming a moving sentry line to patrol the perimeter, while the aliens among the group—members of the Dotharian Conglomerate, all of them—joined Nyota to search for what food they could scavenge in the area the Nimenni had declared their safe zone for the night.
All ate well, the taste of food, even just simple raw plants, was so much better without the shackles of bondage looming over them. And when sleep came upon them, it was sweeter than they’d felt in days.
At least, for most of them.
Korvin and Nyota were painfully awake, nestled close but unable to engage in the acts their bodies were screaming out for them to do. He was hard, pressed up against her ass, his arms wrapped around her tight. For her part, Nyota was wet and ready for him from the moment they lay down together.
But the safety of the group dictated they sleep close in a protective group. Should the enemy come upon them it would be far easier to defend themselves and less likely they’d lose contact with any of their number.
And so it was they spent their first night as Infala bonded mates in a most chaste manner.
It was not at all the way things usually went.
The following morning all were up with the sun and back on the move only a short while after, the cobwebs of sleep gone in a flash. The sense of urgency was not something that had to be reiterated to any. Freedom lay ahead, misery and death behind.
Korvin and Halvax took the front and rear of the group, respectively, handing off the salvaged Raxxian rifle to the new lead man and switching places periodically throughout the day to keep their eyes keen and engaged. Even for them, too many hours of the same old thing could sometimes dampen their sharp attention, and that was something they could ill afford.
Halvax appeared to take quite a liking to Nyota now that the drama of the prior day was behind them, and he did not show a single trace of irritation toward either of them since their big reveal. If anything, he almost seemed a little jealous.
“It must be amazing,” he said during one of his and Korvin’s swap overs. “To actually feel the bond. Tell me, is it all they say?”
Korvin’s cheeks flushed slightly. “More, my friend. And I hope one day you experience it yourself.”
“Not likely, for our sort.”
“And so I thought as well, but here I am,” Korvin replied, a smile spreading across his lips as he caught Nyota’s flirtatious gaze upon him.
Halvax chuckled. “She wants to do things to you, you know. All sorts of things, I would wager.”
“And I would let her, most willingly. But we are only just bonded, and this is not the time or place to complete our bonding.”
“And how are you faring in that regard? Is it terribly uncomfortable?”
“What do you mean, brother?”
“I mean, the looks she sends your way. The comments. The grazing touches as you pass one another. It must be maddening for you, not consummating the bonding yet.”
“With so many around, it is impractical,” Korvin noted, glancing at the others. “But yes, it does grow…uncomfortable.”
Halvax had sympathetic amusement overflowing in his grin. “Uncomfortable? Oh, Korvin. We have tended each other’s wounds in the battlefield for longer than I care to admit. You do not need to mince words with me.”
Korvin chuckled. “Well said, my friend. Well said. The truth of the matter is yes, it is becoming distracting. Almost painful, in fact.”
