I can’t cut the gray male’s neck because Titan’s hands are around his throat. The broad expanse of his back is exposed. It’s the only target I have.
I slash at him below his shoulder blades. Barely hearing his grunt of pain, I raise the sword high and strike again and again. He’s a strong male, heavily muscled. At some point, I see his body tighten. Titan is choking him harder now. Between Titan at his throat, and me whittling away at his back, he finally quits fighting and slumps forward.
Titan rises and approaches me, wanting to fold me in his arms, but I’m having none of it. I stalk to stand in front of the gray male’s motionless body. He’s slumped forward. Placing the sole of my foot on his chest, I push him backward so he’s lying flat on the ground. Then I grip the sword handle in both hands and spear the asshole in the chest not once, not twice, not even three times. I just keep stabbing until I’m certain I’ve pierced the motherfucker’s heart—wherever it might be.
Carnage. I see blood everywhere. Not only is the gray guy bathed in it, I am, too.
I try to take inventory, to see where I’m hurt, to remember exactly what happened and in what sequence. My thoughts aren’t just jumbled, they’re leaden. They’re not moving. I can’t think.
Titan approaches slowly, a funny look on his face. Is he going to try to rape me again? Did he succeed the first time? Am I remembering that right? Why did I drop the sword? I’m defenseless.
Titan
I’ve seen this before. I’d been in gladiator school for a few years when a new shipment of males was delivered to theludus. One of them killed his opponent his first week there. He had the same wide-eyed, confused look on his face.
“Blaze. Blaze. It’s me, Titan.”
“You, you raped me?”
“No. I saved you. Remember? I got close enough to get my hands around his neck, then told you to run. Remember?”
Her jaw drops, her mouth popping open. Her eyes are glassy. It’s clear she doesn’t remember.
“You’re safe, Blaze. You’re safe now. Here.” It takes all my effort not to pull her into my arms and try to comfort her, but I don’t think it would feel like comfort right now. Instead, I retrieve a bottle of water and hand it to her. “Drink.”
She eyes me suspiciously, but takes the water and downs the entire contents.
Red is a few feet away, his large blue eyes blinking slowly as he appears to take everything in. I reach down for him and he darts onto my palm. When I approach Blaze again, he’s in my hand, which is outstretched with this peace offering.
There’s something about my gesture, or maybe it’s the little reptile itself, but she places her palm next to mine and lets him scamper onto her, up her arm, and settle on her shoulder. Her face softens, every muscle in her body stands down as she turns her head to commune with him.
“Did Red watch?” she asks, her voice hollow. “Poor little fellow shouldn’t have had to watch that.”
“You’re right. No one should have had to go through that,” I say, nodding even as I inch backwards, giving her space to collect her thoughts.
“Xzavic?” she asks, looking at me directly for the first time today.
“It’s me, Love.” I said it. I’ve vowed a hundred times that I won’t allow myself to muddy things between us. I’ve ordered myself not to say that word. And there it was—out of my lips before I could stop myself.
She hurls herself straight into my chest before I’m certain I should open my arms to her. But she’s nestled against me now, her face burrowed against my skin.
She’s so small. Tiny compared to me—and those Charthian fuckers.
I want to ask how far things got before I separated the first male’s head from his neck. The one who was between her legs. The one whose cock was glistening with moisture. Was it hers, I wonder? Did he breach her? I shut down my thoughts. It won’t do either of us good for me to speculate. I will never ask.
I’ve broken my vow not to say I love her. In fact, now that I remember, I think I said it last night in the heat of passion. I promise myself I will never ask about what just happened. Never.
She’s crying. Heaving big, loud sobs. Her little hands clutch my arms so tightly it’s as if I’m her lifeline.
“It will be alright, Love,” I tell her as I lift her into my arms and cradle her against me. Her bottom is naked.
I won’t allow half the galaxy to see her like this.
“Turn it off,” I seethe as I look my drone in the eye. “Turn the fucking camera off!” After setting her gently on her feet, I grab her pants and help her step into each leg. “Assholes,” I spit over my shoulder at the drone.
I lift her into my arms again and whisper into Blaze’s ear.
“Talk to me, Love. Tell me what hurts. How I can help. You know it wasn’t me who hurt you, right?”
She throws her arms around my neck and whispers back, “I remember exactly what happened. I left you this morning. I wish I hadn’t. Will you stay with me? Until the end?”