“Not deliberately,” said Grace. “But I didn’t want to take that chance. I imagine you can land a good punch.”
“Better than your head butt,” said Bladen. “Will you give me my weapons back?” He felt naked without them.
Grace threw the harness to the ground and then slid down the rock and sat next to Bladen. She leaned over his bare leg and examined the cuts she’d made. “The bleeding has slowed, and your blood is clotting. And the wounds look clean.”
“I have no doubts as to your ability to take care of me,” said Bladen. “But I’m concerned about this.” His fingers traced along a black vein under his flesh.
“We need nanobots to get rid of it,” said Grace. “And the Fraken aren’t going to send any of those. You’ll have to minimize fast movement and try not to raise your heartbeat and get the blood pumping too much.”
“That won’t be possible if we come across another Fraken beast.”
“You’ll have to let me do the fighting if we do.” Grace smiled at Bladen. “And I guess I should offer myself as a sacrificial victim since you got that bite defending me.”
“I got it because I’m following orders,” said Bladen. “I need to keep you alive and get you out of the game and join my warrior brothers.”
“You only did it so you wouldn’t get reprimanded by a superior?”
This time, it was Bladen’s turn to smile. He liked seeing Grace relaxed around him. “Something like that.”
“I got into trouble for not following orders on the battlefield,” said Grace. “We were told to leave behind the soldiers who didn’t have any chance of survival to preserve supplies for those most likely to make it. And I knew that made practical sense, but when you’re dealing with the wounded in a war, you don’t think practically. I used to think of their loved ones, who were left behind and waiting for news. If we left people to die where they fell, their families would never know what happened. I got several black marks against my name because of that.”
“You must have been a good medic if they kept you on,” said Bladen.
“I wasn’t the best,” said Grace. “But when you have limited options to choose from, you take what you can. And I worked hard, never claimed the overtime, and enjoyed seeing people recover. That went in my favor.”
“When you get out of here, you might like to join the warrior squad I’m a part of,” said Bladen. “We need someone with medical knowledge.” The thought of working alongside Grace intrigued him. Now that she was calmer, he could see the real Grace, and he liked it.
“You can do better than me,” said Grace.
Bladen looked down at the wound on his leg. “You have a steady hand, and you’re not squeamish. Good traits for someone dealing with the wounded.”
“Guess that’s sort of a compliment.” Grace took a small sip of water and then handed the bottle to Bladen. “What do we do now?”
Bladen took a drink from the almost empty bottle and swiped his hand across his mouth. “We need to move, find somewhere new to shelter. We’ve been out of action for too long. How long have I been asleep, anyway?” His gaze went to the sky, and he saw the sun was up. So much for resting for a short while. His injury had made them both vulnerable.
“It's been hours,” said Grace. “After I removed the poison sacs from your leg, you sort of passed out. I did wonder about waking you but knew the sleep would help with your own regeneration abilities. I checked on your injuries several times and could see the poison was barely moving while you slept.”
“You didn’t see any sign of the Fraken during that time?”
“I stayed out of view as much as possible,” said Grace. “I did see several drones flying past, so they’re obviously looking for us. But nothing other than that.”
“The Fraken will want some action, and if we don’t give them something interesting to see, they’ll send in more beasts.”
“And we don’t want that,” said Grace. “If you get bitten again, there’s no way I’m going to be able to save you.”
Bladen grunted. “That spider bite was a lucky strike.”
“I believe you,” said Grace. “I watched you as you fought. You’ve got skills.”
“Now who’s throwing around the compliments?” Bladen smiled at her. “Let’s get moving.” He eased himself to his feet and tested his wounded leg. It stung like a Reaper’s tail whip, but it would take his weight, for now.
“You can lean on me if you like.” Grace shot a nervous look at Bladen.
He looked at the blade still in her hand. It seemed glued to her fingers, as if she was using it to comfort herself. He could tell he had to do more to earn Grace’s trust, and he wasn’t surprised by that. She’d expected to find a ruthless killer chasing her, and instead, he’d presented himself as a savior. No wonder she was confused and had acted so wildly when they’d met.
Grace held the blade by her side, her gaze traveling down to it. “I’ll keep this for now, just in case.”
“In case I turn rogue,” said Bladen. “I understand that. We are alien to each other, and I’m just getting to know you. I would think less of you if you didn’t want to defend yourself.”
“This game has been a surprise to me.” Grace shook her head but kept her gaze on Bladen. “I’m still not sure what to believe.”
“Let’s start by believing we will get out of here,” said Bladen.
Chapter 10
Grace had been following Bladen for two hours and was hot, thirsty, and tired. The blade she held felt heavy, but she refused to let go of it. She was still confused about what she’d learned from this warrior. Conflicting thoughts drove through her head as she watched Bladen limp in front of her.
He’d refused her offer of assistance, but she could see from the tight set of his shoulders that he was suffering with every step. And it would only get worse as the poison continued to creep through his system. At the most, he had a few more days before he could no longer walk.
Grace let out a quiet sigh. For all Bladen’s talk, it could just be that. Maybe he was as deluded as she was and had come into this game with an imaginary mission in his mind and had made up all of this. It wouldn’t surprise her if warriors in these games were as crazy as she was. How could you stay sane if you spent your life slaughtering others? She’d seen it before on the battlefields, proud warriors driven mad because of the violence they’d seen. She hoped this was more than a simple delusion on Bladen’s part. The idea there was something outside of this game, something worth fighting for, was tempting.
“This way,” said Bladen quietly. “These rocks provide deep shadow for us. We can sit against them and talk without being interrupted.”
Grace watched as Bladen eased himself to the ground and stretched his injured leg. She sat next to him. “How’s the leg doing?”
“It aches,” said Bladen.
“Let me see how the poison’s progressing. Lift your shirt so I can see how close it is to your vital organs.”
Bladen hitched up his shirt without a word, and Grace couldn’t help but admire the hard lines of his stomach. There was not an inch of fat on his abs, which made it easier to see the poison was still on the move.
Bladen lowered his shirt. “I’m guessing the news isn’t good.”
“You’ll live, for now,” said Grace. “But the first thing you do when you get out of here is get that poison removed. You’ll be lucky if you don’t lose the whole leg.”
“We have excellent prosthetics,” said Bladen. “Some warriors have injured limbs replaced, making them much stronger and faster.”
Grace shuddered as she flexed her fingers and released her grip on the blade she held, before sliding it into her waistband. “I quite like my limbs where they are.”
“Perhaps you wouldn’t if you’d injured them beyond repair,” said Bladen. “Modifications are not unusual in my race.”
Grace nodded, aware of the Vortens’ liking for genetic modification. It made the warriors strong and effective kille
rs, and that included the women, although at a price. She’d heard rumors Vorten females were struggling to reproduce because their genetic modifications had gone too far.
She shifted closer to Bladen. “Tell me why you’re going to save me. What purpose is there in coming into this game and taking me out?”
Bladen ran a hand through his dark hair. “It’s not about you, specifically, but more about wanting to change the games for everyone. When Axen met your friend, Eloise, he decided it was time to disrupt the games. He did so by removing your friend from it and escaping with her. It showed the Fraken there was a way to beat them and they weren’t without weakness. That was the first step Axen took to change things. After he got out, he instructed the rest of his squad to do the same with their prey. Lazet did it with Melody, Thunde did it with Jessie, and I’m doing it with you.”
“And what happened to my friends once they got out?”
“Eloise is with Axen, so they stay together,” said Bladen.
Grace shot him a suspicious look. “You said something like that before. When you say together, you don’t mean they’re an item?”
“Eloise is Axen’s mate,” said Bladen, “if that’s what you mean by item.”
“They’re dating?”
“It’s more than that,” said Bladen. “They’re partners. Eloise and Axen work together. They’re together in all things in their lives.”
Grace blinked several times and opened her mouth, but no words came out.
“Are Vorten so repulsive to you that you can’t consider mating with one?” Bladen’s lips twitched.
“Of course not!” Grace looked over Bladen’s body, with its strong hard lines and broad shoulders. She could believe women found him attractive. When she pushed aside the irrational, panicked thoughts she kept having, she found him attractive, as well. His dark, strong looks, that unusual streak of white in his hair, and the way his smile made his whole face light up, there was something about this Vorten warrior that stirred feelings in her she hadn’t felt for a long time. Not even with her husband.
“Glad to hear it,” said Bladen. “Because I speak the truth. Eloise is with Axen. And I believe the same occurred with my other warrior brothers and their prey.”
“Hold on; this is too much to take in,” said Grace. “Melody is in a relationship with her predator and so is Jessie? Tiny, shy Jessie Keenan won over the heart of a Vorten warrior?”
Bladen laughed. “Wait until you meet Thunde, and that statement will be even wilder. He’s the largest Vorten in the squad and leads with his fists first and is quick to anger.”
Grace smiled broadly. “I can just imagine Jessie with him. She was wonderful to be around in the cells. She had such a calm way about her, always trying to puzzle through problems and help people. Maybe that’s just what your friend needed, someone to keep him calm and show him there is a solution to everything if you think about it.”
“She does sound perfect for Thunde,” said Bladen. “I didn’t get the opportunity to meet Jessie before I entered this game, but I look forward to meeting her.”
Grace blew out a long sigh, and her gaze settled on Bladen. She’d thought everything was lost, but now this. There was a chance to get out and see her friends again. A flutter of hope moved through her.
“Why are you smiling?” asked Bladen.
Grace raised her hands. “Because of all of this. Because of the situation we’re in. I should be dead by now, but here I am, talking to you about escape. Talking to you about people I thought were dead, people I thought had been killed by Vortens. And now, you’re telling me everything is different, turned on its head. It’s hard to take in.”
“I understand that,” said Bladen. “When Axen first began to talk about change, I was hesitant. It goes against everything we stand for. But the more he talked about it, the more I realized there was something to it. These games are wrong, and us having to be a part of it is wrong. We aren’t doing that anymore.”
Grace caught hold of Bladen’s hand and held it between hers. “I want to believe you. But if you’re lying to me, I will kill you.”
***
“I believe you will,” said Bladen. He saw a spark of hope in Grace’s eyes, and his heart warmed. “My word is true. I will not let you down.”
He admired Grace for helping him when he needed it most and for not taking advantage of him in a vulnerable state. Most prey would have killed him after the fight he’d had with the spider, when he’d been at their mercy. But Grace had done the opposite, and her courage in not killing him only intensified her appeal. His gaze went to Grace’s mouth, and he felt the urge to lean closer, see what she’d taste like. He’d never been with a human woman before and had always shied away from them because they seemed so vulnerable and easy to break. But Grace had shown him she was physically and mentally strong. She’d been so close to madness when they’d first met, but had pulled herself back, saved his life, and joined with him. That showed a deep sense of resilience and determination, and he liked that in his women.
He tightened his grip on Grace’s hand, seeing sadness in her eyes, as well as hope. That would be something he would change. He’d barely seen a smile cross her face since he’d met her and imagined how stunning she would be when she did smile. He wanted to see if he could make her smile all the time, bring some lightness back into a life that had obviously been too dark and blood-soaked.
Bladen gave a slight shake of his head, realizing Grace wasn’t as fragile as he’d assumed. He needed to give her more credit, show her he trusted her to look after both of them, and help him to get out of this game. And he would need it, given the injury to his leg. Even with his own enhanced healing abilities, it wouldn’t be enough to save him. He was going to have to do something he rarely did and put his life in the hands of someone he barely knew.
“Do you believe me now?” he asked Grace. “I know I’m asking a lot of you, to trust me, when you should be running away and trying to protect yourself. But I have every intention of getting us out of here.”
Grace looked at their intertwined fingers and gave a slow nod. “I want to get out of here. I want to see my friends again and not look over my shoulder in fear of what’s coming after me. I thought I needed to fear you, but I got that wrong. If there is a way out, then I want to help you in any way I can.”
Bladen felt a stir of passion within him. It was an emotion he liked to suppress and took a weekly dose of a Vorten engineered drug to ensure his anger and passion didn’t overwhelm him. But despite having taken a dose recently, he felt something different when he looked at Grace, something that disarmed him and made him want to get to know her better. Maybe he needed to up his dose of the drug. But he didn’t hate the feeling. In fact, it sent a rush of pleasure through him, and he felt himself harden as he continued to admire Grace’s strong features.
He raised her hand and watched as her mouth parted slightly as his lips brushed across the skin on the back of her hand. Her mouth was too tempting to resist and he leaned closer, inhaling her scent as he did so.
“Well, isn’t this charming.”
Chapter 11
Grace jumped backwards, her head hitting the rock behind her. Standing in front of them was another Vorten. This one was taller and leaner than Bladen but had a similar weapons harness strapped across his muscular chest, accompanied by a full weapons belt. His dark blond hair was cut short, showing off his strong jaw and almond-shaped blue eyes.
Grace whipped her head around to Bladen, pulling the knife from her waistband as she did so. “What’s going on? Why is there another predator in the game?”
Bladen was already on his feet, his fists clenched and gaze narrowed on the other Vorten. “Tyran, what are you doing here?”
“Checking up on you, old friend,” said Tyran. “The Fraken don’t trust traitors, and it’s time for a new elite squad to take command and dominate these games. I’m going to be leading that squad.”
“You’re working for the Frak
en?” growled Bladen.
Grace jumped up and took a step forward, but felt Bladen’s hand on her arm and shot a glare at him. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain it to you.” Tyran took a step forward, a swagger to his gait as he moved. He shifted like a natural born predator, who had tracked his prey and was waiting for the right opportunity to strike. “Axen’s crew is getting old and out of date. They’ve exhibited disloyalty to the Fraken. It’s time they were removed. Someone else needs to take over.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” snapped Bladen.
“I know what’s going on,” said Tyran. “And so do the Fraken, which is why I’m here.”
Grace felt the tension oozing out of Bladen as he stood by her side. “You aren’t part of the same warrior squad?”
Tyran spat out a laugh and pulled a blade from his weapons belt. “I would never be a part of Axen’s squad.”
“Only because he’d never have you,” snarled Bladen. “You always had a treacherous way about you, and being here now has just proven that.”
“I’m not the one who’s been treacherous.” Tyran lazily swung his weapon in the air. “You’re the one going against the Elders and the Fraken. You’re the one having fun with your prey, rather than killing her and delighting the audience. Everything you’ve done in this game has shown you are not a loyal Vorten. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“I have nothing to be ashamed of,” said Bladen, “but you should. Siding with the Fraken, when you know what they do in these games.”
“As I understand it, we follow the orders of our Elders.” Tyran pointed his blade at Bladen. “Something you seem to have forgotten about. Has this prey given you something better than our Elders can?”
“Your Elders are making a mistake,” said Grace. “They can’t understand what’s going on in these games. They’d never let it happen if they did.”
Tyran’s gaze ran over Grace slowly. “You know nothing of my race. And you do not get to talk about our Elders. Your words are meaningless.”
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