her as soon as he could. And who would protect her if he was not there?
“I could not go with you. Yet.”
“Oh.” She looked disappointed. “Why not? You can’t want to stay in this horrible place.”
“I’m a contract fighter. That means I have a legal agreement with Relkhei.” If he left, he would be violating his contract—something no Hothian ever did—yet how could he live with himself if anything happened to her? “I have never broken my word.”
“Your contract says that you have to stay and fight?”
“Yes. There are a designated number of matches that need to be completed under the terms of the contract.”
“How many matches?”
“I fight a minimum of once a week.”
She frowned thoughtfully. “Does it specify that? One per week? Or is it a specific number of matches over the term of the contract?”
He hadn’t considered the matter before. The contract was based on the assumption that he would participate in a weekly matches throughout the fight season. The time between fights was used to recover and train for the next match. He reviewed the terms in his head.
“It’s a specific number,” he said slowly. “I have five more that I am obligated to complete, but I am allowed to arrange the matches. Or rather Mehexip usually makes the arrangements. I believe it could be done.”
If he could be free of his contract without having to break his word…
Isabel smiled up at him. “That’s good. Then we could go together.”
“Is that what you want?”
He was suddenly conscious of how close they were. Her lush, naked body was almost touching his, the hardened tips of her enticing breasts brushing against the shorter fur of his chest as her sweet scent surrounded him. His kotra pressed against his sheath, anxious to be free. Almost unconsciously, his hand dropped to her shoulder and slid down the silky skin of her back, bringing her more closely against him. For a moment, she leaned into him, then her eyes widened, and she stepped back.
“I want you to come with me, but that doesn’t mean I’m your slave or anything. I’m not trading one owner for another.”
“I know.”
She looked down, and he watched in fascination as a tide of pink rose to her cheeks. “About last night…I don’t usually behave that way. I don’t know what happened.”
He had wondered that himself and at some point during his sleepless night, he remembered something a medic had mentioned to him a long time ago. “I think perhaps you may have had a reaction to the healing lotion. It has been known to happen to some species but I did not realize that it would occur with humans,” he added hastily.
“I’ll remember to stay away from it in the future, although it did a good job of healing me. Even the marks Asgii—” She stopped abruptly. After a brief pause, she added, still not looking at him, “Thank you for…stopping when I asked.”
“I would not take advantage of an unwilling female.”
“That makes one of you,” she said bitterly, then straightened her shoulders. “So what did you have in mind about leaving?”
“I think there are a couple of possibilities, but I need to talk to a friend of mine first.” He hesitated. “I don’t wish to confine you, but I think it’s best that you remain out of sight. You should be safe here while I am gone, and you can help yourself to anything you want.”
“Don’t worry—there isn’t anywhere I want to go other than off this planet.” After a slight pause, she reached out and briefly touched his hand. “Thank you for helping me.”
It had been the lightest possible touch, but as he bowed his head and departed, he could still feel the warmth of it branding his skin.
Chapter Seven
Baralt found Varga in his quarters. Unlike Baralt, Varga had chosen a suite of rooms on the surface of Tgesh Tai. The arena was located on the outskirts of the city, and Varga’s rooms were on the side that faced away from the populated area. From his windows, nothing was visible except the vast desert landscape.
“How hard would it be to leave this planet?” Baralt asked as soon as he entered.
Varga raised an eyebrow. “Are you planning on running out on your contract?”
Baralt fought back his instinctive anger that the other male would question his honor. “Of course not. Although I may have found a way to end it sooner.”
“How do you intend to do that?”
“It was pointed out to me that the contract only specifies