Ka’Cit’s Haven

Riv’s Sanctuary - Book 3

A.G. Wilde

Ka’Cit’s Haven

Ka’Cit’s Haven © A. G. Wilde 2021

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, businesses, or locales is coincidental and is not intended by the author.

For those still waiting for their happily ever after <3

Disclaimer

This work of fiction is intended for mature audiences only.

All sexually active characters portrayed in this book are eighteen years of age or older.

Contents

Ka’Cit’s Haven

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Epilogue

A note from A.G

Other books by A.G.

Acknowledgments

Keep In Touch

If you enjoyed this book…

About the Author

Ka’Cit’s Haven

“Not the best of ways to introduce myself to you…A gentleman would have at least greeted you first…

… but I’m no gentleman.”

He’s the Bone Crusher. A man in a mask.

His face is hidden alongside his intentions.

He doesn’t do things for free…or to be nice.

So just how did Nia end up stuck on a ship with him by her side?

She’d wanted adventure, but Ka’Cit Urgmental was SO. MUCH. MORE.

It’s obvious he’s only come to help her get back to the Sanctuary.

Nothing more.

BUT…when he starts looking at her as if she’s meant to be in his arms, in his bed…his, it soon becomes clear that things aren’t that simple.

That mask he wears? His face isn’t the only thing it hides.

It’s a metal shield veiling so much more…

Whether what’s underneath will break them apart or pull them together, that is another question.

1

Nia’s eyes blinked open and she squinted at the ceiling. The room was still quite dark. It wasn’t light out yet and she wasn’t sure exactly what had woken her up, but something had.

For a few moments, she lay in the dark, her eyes adjusting to the lack of light around her.

Then she heard it.

A dull thud and then another right against the wall behind her head.

Uhhhh.

She knew what that was.

In any other circumstances, she’d have been alarmed, thinking someone had broken into her apartment.

But she wasn’t in her apartment anymore, she wasn’t even on Earth, and no one was breaking into her room here.

Another dull thud hit the wall and the undeniable muffled sound of a woman moaning reached her ears.

Nia squeezed her eyes shut and groaned as she buried her face in the bedding.

Oh God.

A male grunted, and when the woman moaned again, Nia cringed and buried her face deeper into the bedding.

It was Riv and Lauren. The other human female and her Merssi mate slept in the room directly adjoining hers and, unfortunately, that meant Nia heard quite clearly whenever they were getting it on.

And they ‘got it on’ A LOT.

Maybe it was Lauren’s hormones or something else, but she couldn’t seem to get enough of the guy.

“Please…” She heard Lauren beg.

Riv growled something fierce.

Fuuuck. Goddamnit. Nia cringed again.

To Nia, that growl sounded more scary than sexy, but from the moan that left Lauren’s mouth, she guessed it was the latter.

They were so loud.

The walls weren’t thin either.

It was either that Riv was fucking good at what he was doing or Lauren was putting it on.

Something told her it was the former. Why else would they be at it so much?

Something slammed hard into the wall and it caused Nia to jump.

She half expected someone to howl out in pain, but that didn’t happen.

It was probably Riv’s body that collided with the wall then.

Despite that the male was the grumpiest person she’d ever met, he was incredibly soft and caring to his mate. The sex sounded rough, but Lauren never had bruises…and she never complained.

Nia shrugged. Not her business, really. At least one of them was having some fun around here.

That thought made an uncomfortable heaviness settle over her, and she shook her head to push the feeling away.

She needed to get out of bed and head outside to feed the animals.

When another moan reached her ears, it was enough to have her hopping off the bedding.

Her feet hit the floor in one smooth motion as she stood.

The bed was like a huge cushion on a hard slab, but it worked well. She always got a good night’s sleep…well…apart from the times when she was awakened by people doing the dirty.

Slipping on the brown trousers and matching blouse that Lauren had gotten her, Nia tiptoed to her door and slowly opened it.

The bathroom was right across from her room and she slipped into it quietly, but not before another one of Lauren’s moans reached her ears.

Yep, she definitely needed to head out.

It was way too early for anyone to be going outside to start their day, but it had become a sort of ritual for her.

It was either that or lay awkwardly listening to the closest thing to porn that she’d have in this new world.

And she wasn’t a creep or anything, but the more she heard them, the more it stirred things inside her that she’d rather not face every morning.

Listening to them reminded her that she had no one.

The other human who lived on the Sanctuary, Cleo, was mated to Riv’s brother, Sohut. That couple wasn’t any different either. She was sure she’d probably hear them going at it too when she had to go by their side of the house on her way outside.

There was just a lot of…sex happening in this house.

As she washed her face, Nia forced away the last bits of sleep.

The water was cool as it ran over her skin, and she scrubbed her eyes so she would wake up faster.

She had nothing to complain about. Life could have been worse.

According to some of the stories Cleo and Lauren told her, she could have ended up in a zoo, or worse, sold as a sex slave.

It was an easy decision. Listening to sex was way different from being forced to perform it.

This was her life now.

As she smoothed the last bits of water over her skin, she ran through the chores she had to do.

She’d have to deal with the umus first—little round animals with wool like sheep. They were so round and fluffy, they didn’t look real. But they were incredibly stubborn and were always trying to bite her or escape.

More than once, they’d almost gotten out of their enclosures when she wasn’t paying attention.

Feeding the umus while half asleep was a bad, bad idea.

For that reason alone, she washed her face again.

There was mouthwash, and she took a mouthful. It fizzed as she shook it around in her mouth, cleaning her teeth.

Spitting the fluid out, Nia took a breath and cracked open the door.

The hallway was quiet.

Maybe they’d finished?

Well, even if they hadn’t, she wasn’t waiting around.

She slipped out of the bathroom and hurried quietly down the corridor.

The house was still mostly dark, but she knew that as soon as she reached outside, she’d see the dim glow of the sun lighting up the pink sky.

She was almost into the main room when she tripped and nearly stumbled over something huge, dark, and furry that was lying on the floor.

The thing growled and lifted its head. Four eyes blinked at her with mild annoyance.

“Oof!” Nia whispered. “Sorry, Grot.”

Riv’s huge dog-like tevsi put its head back down and ignored her as she continued on her way.

Grot was terrifying. He looked like something that would give Cerberus a run for most terrifying four-legged creature.

The first time she’d seen the animal, she’d almost pissed herself, but she’d soon realized it was harmless—at least, as long as she wasn’t being hostile to Riv or Lauren.

The tevsi loved Lauren as much as it loved its master.

She was almost out the door on the other side of the house when she heard more muffled sounds and panting.

Another cringe made her pause for just a moment.

She’d been right. Sohut and Cleo were at it.

“Fuck man,” she whispered. She’d never heard people having sex so much in her life.

Was it shocking?

A little.

Did she hate it?

Not really…

Was she jealous?

…

…

…

Nia cleared her throat and headed out the door.

That question wasn’t one she was willing to answer.

Fuck that annoying voice in her head for waking up so early and asking it in the first place.

2

Outside, the cool morning air greeted her. The dark purple sky was already starting to turn pink as the morning came and Nia smiled.

She was glad this was the planet she’d landed on and not some barren wasteland. Hudo III was beautiful.

The sky was pink in the daytime and there were hardly ever any clouds, but when there were, it was like looking at cotton candy floating above. The grass was orange and the leaves of the trees too.

And the animals…they were amazing.

As soon as she thought of them, a long-necked tilgran popped its head over its enclosure to look at her.

“Hello, Morpheus,” she said. Morpheus blinked at her.

She’d given him the name because he seemed all-wise, all-knowing.

As a matter of fact, she’d named almost all the animals on the Sanctuary. She’d certainly had the time to do so.

The others didn’t understand or could even keep track of the names, so she was the only one that used them.

Riv, for example, frowned at her whenever she called the animals by their names; he looked at her as if she was crazy and taking up his space…but then again, he looked at everyone like that. He didn’t understand why she named most of them…probably Lauren and Cleo didn’t understand either.

Don’t get her wrong, she was truly grateful for the fact Riv had taken her in. She shuddered to think what would have happened to her otherwise. But life wasn’t easy…and it wasn’t easy in one of the most superficial of ways—so superficial, she hated admitting it.

She was lonely.

There. She’d said it.

God, it felt horrible even thinking that.

She felt stupid and ungrateful. But the truth was, the feeling started small until it developed into something she was having a hard time controlling.

It was the sort of loneliness that came even when you were in a crowd, surrounded by people.

And what was surprising was that it came from a part of her life that she’d least expected.

She’d always been comfortable being on her own.

She’d never depended on anyone. Never expected anything from anyone.

So, this emptiness within her that was rooted so deep was one she didn’t quite know how to approach.

Morpheus blinked at her.

“No, Morpheus. I’m not talking about sex. It’s not sex that I want.”

She looked away.

It wasn’t about sex. If that was the case, she had her fingers and a wicked hot tub in the bathroom with super jets she could make use of.

It was more than that.

It had been well over a year and a half since she’d left Earth, and in all that time, she’d been mostly alone. Back in California, she hadn’t had time to think about relationships.

She’d always kept busy. Between working part-time at the clinic and helping her dad run his program for disadvantaged children, she hadn’t had much time to think about her romantic future.

On her off days, she’d be at the shooting range hitting targets for most of the time or playing Call of Duty.

Social relationships had never been her thing.

Not that it mattered now. None of the friends she’d have made on Earth would be able to keep her company now anyway, but she guessed seeing Lauren and Cleo so happy with their mates didn’t help either.

Their relationship was so close that she couldn’t help feeling left out sometimes, even when they tried their best to include her.

Third-wheeling was her life now.

Damn.

She couldn’t go down this rabbit hole. Not this morning.

Cleo sighed and entered Morpheus’ enclosure. The other tilgrans ignored her, but Morpheus dipped his head and chewed her afro a little.

“Morpheus! Stop! Down boy. I told you my hair isn’t food. You know that.”

Morpheus blinked at her, and she was almost sure he rolled his eyes.

The tilgrans were all purple and looked a bit like giraffes, but they were incredibly intelligent.

Whenever she spoke to Morpheus, she felt like he understood every word.

“Chew my hair again and I’m not going to clean your cage.”

Morpheus extended his neck to his full height and stepped away.

“Uh huh, thought so. You don’t wanna do it, do you?”

For the next few minutes, she went about shoveling the tilgrans’ waste.

It wasn’t a lot, not with five people working on the farm every day—she didn’t even have to do it if she didn’t want to—but she had to keep busy.

If she was idle, she began to think. And when she began to think, she started to reflect. And when that happened, she only ended up feeling depressed.

She’d rather not fall into that trap.

So she kept busy.

By the time the sun came up, she’d fertilized the fruit trees with the waste and checked all the trees for newly ripe ones. Then she’d headed back with a crate full of fruits and the poop bucket in the other hand.

She gave Morpheus a treat, and that’s when she remembered she’d planned to deal with the sheep-like umus first.

She headed that way next and made sure all the enclosures were filled with fresh hay.

She was exhausted by the time she exited the barn-like structure. The sun was up and it bathed the farm in a warm glow.

Nia sat on one of the huge mounds of hay.

There were some pebbles close by and she took them in hand, running her fingers over them as she looked for a target.

They were heavier than pebbles on Earth, though roughly the same size. She’d been surprised the first time she’d taken one in hand. It had a good weight and if she wanted, she was sure she could hurt somebody good if she decided to throw one at them.

She scanned the farm in front of her and soon spotted something—a bucket against one of the fences about ten meters away.

Nia narrowed her eyes, focused, and threw the first pebble.

As the object sailed through the air to land smack into the center of the bucket, she couldn’t help the grin that lit up her face.

“Still got it, Nia. Still got it.”

She missed target practice. Shooting had been just one of the things her father had taught her to do. After he’d retired from the military, that and his program had been his way of still keeping active and she’d always tagged along.

Sadness swam within her briefly as she threw another pebble and it landed in the bucket.

She missed her father.

“Wonder if he’s okay…”

“Who?”

Nia jumped at the voice and turned to see Riv not far behind her.

He had a way of sneaking up without her hearing. His brother did as well.

Either they walked really quietly, or she had bad hearing.

“Oh, Riv! Morning.”

Riv grunted, his eyes boring into hers.

The tall blue-skinned male wasn’t wearing his shades or face covering this morning, and she got a good view of his scowl.

“Up early again.”

Nia nodded. “As always.” She bit back a little chuckle as she thought about telling him exactly why she’d been up so early for the past few months.

She doubted the couples knew how loud they were.

They weren’t doing it on purpose and, well, she didn’t want to spoil their fun.

Riv grunted and walked toward the umu enclosures.

“Oh, I fed the umus already.”

Riv paused, turned his head, and gave her a look that asked “why?” before the scowl on his face looked like it transformed into stone.

He crossed his arms and glared at her. “What is wrong with you, human?”

Nia blinked at him. Despite the obvious anger on his face, she wasn’t afraid of him.

If living around him for the past few months told her anything, he was only upset because he cared.

They all cared for her—Sohut, Cleo, Lauren, Riv—in their own ways.

She’d been ripped from her family on Earth, and now she had a new one.

“Riv?” Lauren called from the doorway. The woman’s blond hair blew in the slight wind, and so did the white nightgown she was wearing.

Her face was flushed, probably from her mate’s ministrations not long before, and her gaze bounced between them. “Did she do all the work again?”

“Yes,” Riv growled, but his growl wasn’t threatening. As a matter of fact, his face softened as it fell on Lauren and her rounded belly.

She was starting to show already.

In the next few months, there was going to be yet another being living on the Sanctuary. A half-merssi, half-human.

Nia smiled.

Was she selfish to want the baby to come quickly just so she could snuggle it?

“Niaaa,” Lauren said. “You really don’t have to work so hard. I swear you’re like one of those robots in the fields.”

“Worse,” Riv muttered.

“I told you guys, I don’t mind.” Nia dropped the pebbles and dusted her hands on her trousers.

When she glanced up, they were both looking at her as if they thought she was lying.

It was Nia’s turn to chuckle. “Really, I don’t.”

Lauren caressed her belly. “Well, you should come in anyway. We’re heading to the Exchange to get a few things. Thought you’d want to tag along…”

Something buzzed inside Nia and she almost jumped for joy.

The Exchange was like a huge market—no, it was the market of markets.

It was busy; it was fun; it was exciting…

They didn’t go to the Exchange regularly because Riv hated the place and she never went with Sohut and Cleo because their idea of travel usually included heading off into some wilderness tracking wild animals.

But those weren’t the only reasons they hardly visited the Exchange.

The market could be dangerous if you were new to Hudo society. There was always someone watching from the shadows, ready to rob you…or worse.

“You’re heading to the Exchange?”

“Yea.” Lauren smiled. “I mean…we’ve been thinking about it. We need some supplies for the baby.” She rubbed her stomach.

“Oh, well, I’m in!” Nia hopped off the mound of hay and headed toward the house.

Lauren’s concerned gaze held hers as she approached.

“Are you sure? It’s kinda dangerous and…”

And she was an illegal alien.

Yea, she knew.

“I know, but I’ll have you and Riv there with me.” Nia smiled. “Plus, you’ll need help carrying the bags.”

Lauren paused, studying her for a few moments before she smiled.

“Okay. If you’re sure…”

“I’m sure.”

As sure as she was ever going to be. If not for opportunities like this, she’d be stuck on the Sanctuary forever.

They’d just have to be careful while at the Exchange. It wasn’t the first time they’d be making a trip out there, and it wouldn’t be their last.

And like the last time, everything would go smoothly.

Right?

Nia pushed back the little thread of doubt weaving in her mind.

Everything would be fine.

3

As the hover car sped across the plain, the tall yellow-orange grass swayed in the wind.

Off in the distance, she could see wild grazing oogas, their large bodies standing out against the grass.

Nia adjusted the hood of the huge brown cloak over her head.

It was big enough that it hid her face almost completely.

She was even wearing one of Riv’s face coverings over her nose and mouth.

The cloak closed in front and hung all the way down to her toes. It also covered her hands, reaching the tips of her fingers.

She was pretty sure she wouldn’t draw attention with this get up. No one would know she was human underneath this thing.

But that wasn’t the whole reason she was covered.

Her gaze fell on Lauren, who was sitting in the front of the vehicle beside Riv.

Lauren didn’t have to wear a cloak.

She had a hand resting on Riv’s thigh and her identification bracelet was clearly visible.

It had arrived just a few days after Nia had turned up at the Sanctuary and they’d taken a trip back to the Exchange so she could get her official registration mark—a tattoo in the center of her wrist.

Nia looked at her own wrist.

Her bracelet and tattoo were fake.

Somehow, Riv had acquired them for her just for trips like this.

Unlike Lauren, hers didn’t grant her any special rights or any liberties.

She wasn’t in the system—she was an illegal alien—and it was going to stay that way for a while or, at least, until she could find a way to register herself.

As the hover car continued speeding along, Nia sighed and unfocused her gaze.

She didn’t know how she was going to do it, but eventually, she’d have to find a way.

Refugees needed a sponsor before they were granted residency on Hudo III and said sponsor had to give up half of all they owned to do so.

Riv had sponsored Lauren, and Sohut had sponsored Cleo.

They were safe. It was only she alone who wasn’t registered, and for that reason, Riv had acquired the fake IDs.

If anyone asked, she could quickly flash them and get on her way, but she was hoping that the cloak would keep her hidden.

She didn’t know for how long she’d zoned out, but the plain soon turned into bits of civilization.

Little bottle-shaped dwellings popped up now and then before they were zooming through what could be a small town.

The buildings gradually got bigger, the roads as well, till they were in the city. Traffic moved in a way she would never understand.

There weren’t any stop signs, yet each driver seemed to know exactly what it was doing. It didn’t take long after that before they were suddenly pulling into a huge parking area filled with other hover vehicles.

She could already hear the hum of the Exchange beyond the huge gates.

It was the sort of hum that came about when many people were in the same location, a million conversations happening at once.

Riv pulled into a bay, hopped out, and headed around to the other side to allow Lauren to alight.

He moved to help her too, but she’d already launched herself over the side of the vehicle and was waiting on them.

“Ready?” Lauren asked.

Nia nodded.

As they headed inside, Lauren and Riv in front and Nia at the back, Nia kept her head bowed.

The cloak covered her fully, but that didn’t mean she was going to go staring aliens in their faces.

Though most of the aliens around them looked like regular shoppers, she couldn’t be too cautious.

It was not until they were on one of the streets that she looked up. She almost gasped in awe.

There were floating holographic creatures in the air and she quickly realized they were like balloon animals that children could buy. A few alien children were hopping beside their parents at the stall where the balloon animals floated from, and if she had the money and wasn’t with Riv and Lauren, she’d have probably snuck off to go get one for herself.

Around them, the crowd was thick and it moved like a wave.

Now and then, she was bumped by the aliens passing by her, and if she’d never been to the Exchange before, she’d have stopped in awe to stare at them.

There were red aliens and white aliens, black aliens and green ones. There were tall aliens with antennae and short squat ones. Some had smooth skin, some had skin that was coarse or hairy. Some were bald, some had hair that moved on its own.

It was a unique melting pot of cultures and it was…awesome.

Each time they visited the Exchange, she felt a sort of sadness when she thought about where she’d come from: Earth.

To think most humans thought they were alone in the universe… If they saw what she was seeing…lived what she’d lived…

As they continued on, her gaze switched to something else.

There were so many things to see, countless species of aliens, and so many types of wares, she wasn’t sure where to look at times.

More than once they paused at a stall because Lauren was just as awed as she was.

“Look at this!” Lauren reached forward to touch a wisp of smoke that floated into the air. The merchant at the stall was smoking something that looked like a huge needle with a ring on one end and blowing the smoke through what she assumed was his nose?

Somehow, he was making shapes with the wisps and she was partly captivated and turned off at the same time.

“What is that? How does he do that…” Her murmur caught Riv’s ear and he grunted.

“Woogli smoke.” With that, he steered Lauren forward, and they continued on their way.

He seemed to know exactly where he was taking them, judging from the way he walked with confidence, weaving them through one street to the other, and Nia was happy to follow along behind.

When they finally stopped walking, it was in front of a stall with some hovering cylinders.

She didn’t realize what they were until one of the things slid open.

“Oh, a cradle!”

Lauren beamed and reached forward to touch the nearest one.

The things looked expensive but she knew Riv wouldn’t mind. He’d gladly give an arm and a leg to make Lauren happy.

As she glanced around at the throng of aliens moving up and down the street, Nia vaguely heard Lauren’s oohs and ahhs as she looked at some of the other cradles.

She could sense Lauren’s excitement, but something else had caught her attention.

On the other side of the street, there was a group of aliens in robes similar to the one she was wearing.

Nia frowned a little as she watched them.

“Hey, guys, looks like my fashion choice isn’t so abnormal…” she said, but with the noise surrounding them, it didn’t seem like Riv or Lauren heard.

They were too busy discussing which of the cradles would be best and the merchant was arguing, and trying, it seemed, to sell them the most expensive one.

Riv was translating what Lauren said to the merchant—because only the few people they knew personally had English uploaded to their translator devices—and he scowled at the merchant while doing so.

Nia huffed a laugh through her nose. Poor merchant didn’t know who he was up against.

She was about to glance back toward the group of cloak-wearing aliens when one of them suddenly bumped into her.

“What are you doing, fool? You want to get beaten? Move it!” She could hardly see the face of the alien that spoke, but alarm rose within her as he pushed her and she stumbled into the middle of their group.

They were walking together heading down the street and Nia realized quickly that she was being pushed along, caught within their close formation.

“What? No. I’m not—I’m not with you.”

She tried to get out of their way and to safety at the side of the street, but there were so many of them, about twenty at least, and freeing herself from within their midst was proving difficult.

The frustration of being five foot five and thin hit her hard.

It was like being caught in a crowd of moving people who were headed in a singular direction while she was struggling to go the other way.

“Um, excuse me.” She struggled to find her footing and make it out of the middle of the group, but that wasn’t working. “EXCUSE ME!”

“Phek. It looks like this one drank too much. What an idiot.” The voice came from her right. It was so androgynous, she couldn’t determine if the speaker was male or female, but she guessed male. “He’s so phekked he’s speaking nonsense.”

There were a few grunting sounds that she assumed was laughter before she felt a hard blow to the back of her head. It almost made her lose consciousness and her vision swam in front of her.

You’d think they’d let her fall and leave her on the road so she could recover and crawl back toward Riv and Lauren, but no.

She stumbled a little from the blow and her feet dragged, but they collectively pulled her along.

“Stop!” Her head hurt and her shout wasn’t even a loud one. “Stop!” She dug her feet into the ground, but that didn’t hinder them. All it did was cause her to almost lose her shoes a few times.

“Keep going if you know what’s good for you, idiot.”

Arms held on to hers, forcing her along as panic arose within her like a cold icicle up her spine.

“You’ve got the wrong person. I’m not with your group!”

She tried to shake them off as she spoke, to no avail. These motherfuckers were strong.

They’d walked far enough now that she couldn’t see Riv or Lauren but she wasn’t sure if that was because of the distance they’d moved or if it was because she was so caught between the aliens that she could hardly see over their shoulders.

Her breathing started coming hard and fast, and Nia did the only thing she knew she could.

She put all her weight on the arms holding her and kicked the ones in front, trying to break free. That made the group lose formation for a little, and a few of the aliens stumbled.

“Phek!”

“Hold him down!”

Nia caught a view of dark faces before she screamed. “Stop! I’m not with you! Let me go!”

Surely, the aliens around her would realize something was wrong. Surely, someone would help her.

But she knew even as soon as the thought left her mind that this wasn’t true.

The Exchange was ruthless and one thing aliens did here was mind their own business.

“Hit him again. He needs to shut up. If the boss hears him blabbering when we get there, he’ll know all of us were drinking.”

As her feet hit the ground once more, she almost stumbled, but they were walking in such a close-knit unit that she was kept upright. One of her trainers almost slipped off her foot, and there was a moment where she was hop-hobbling, trying not to lose the shoe as they dragged her along. She’d bought the pair from one of her neighbors back on Earth.

The woman had been scammed into a Ponzi scheme, and it was the only way Nia had known how to help—even though the shoes were a size too large.

It was just bad luck they were the shoes she’d been wearing when she’d been taken. Digging down, she had to scrunch her toes in order to keep the shoe from falling off. When it settled back on her foot, her heel landed on something hard like a pebble, and Nia bit back a hiss of discomfort.

So not only was she hobbling now, but she was fighting against what felt like the current of a moving river. Struggling against the group of aliens pushing her along was like trying to swim through the rapids.

“Listen! I’m not one of you. Look at me! Please, just let me through!”

The aliens kept going, not listening to her, and Nia realized she was caught in a most unexpected of situations. She needed to do something.

“Phek, he’s really out of it,” one said.

“Phekking talking nonsense,” another said. “I told you not to give the new ones any woogli drink. It’s too strong for them.”

Shit, that’s right. They couldn’t understand her. No one spoke English on this planet.

Fuuuuuuck.

The panic on her spine spiked and shattered all across her body, sending icicles through her veins.

With a final effort, Nia tried to scramble from the group. She flailed her arms as she tried to free herself from between the aliens. With strength she never knew she had, she resisted the arms holding hers down to grab on to two of their shoulders so she could surge forward toward the edge of the street. Hope flared as she saw the street side for just a moment.

They were going up an incline now and, for just a moment, she managed to see Lauren’s blonde hair when the crowd parted just a little. She and Riv were still arguing with the merchant selling the cradles.

She saw Lauren turn to say something to her, she assumed, and the exact moment when the woman realized she was no longer standing there was clear.

Panic flooded Lauren’s face and Nia called out, but with the noise of the exchange and the distance now between them, neither Riv nor Lauren heard her.

That’s when she felt another blow to the back of her head and this time, it didn’t make her vision swim. It made her vision go dark.

Fuck.

“No!”

She’d been so close.

She fought to retain consciousness, but a scream died on her lips as she felt her body fall against the aliens around her.

4

Ka’Cit Urgmental hated the Exchange.

Not because of how busy it was.

No.

He didn’t hate the crowds. He simply hated the individuals that made up the crowds.

He could see the demons on most of their faces—the lies they hid behind.

He only needed a few seconds looking at them to know if they were thinking something nefarious.

Maybe it was because of his job, the life he’d chosen for himself, but it was an uncanny skill that made him question the motives of every single being around him.

He’d long learned that most beings were selfish. Always.

He sat at one of the food stalls on one of the upper levels of the exchange, a woogli drink oozing in front of him on the counter.

Down below, the sea of shoppers on the main street flowed and ebbed.

He was alone. Despite that food stalls were always crowded at the exchange, this one was empty, save for his presence.

In front of him, the food merchant trembled as he pretended to dry some fresh drinking utensils.

What was his problem?

Ka’Cit eyed the merchant through the slit in his mask.

“Is—is something wrong with the drink?” the merchant asked, his round eyes flicking from the drink to Ka’Cit then back. His thin grey arms trembled, as did the antennae on the top of his head. “I can make a new one, no problem. No problem at all.”

Ka’Cit growled and the merchant almost dropped the utensil he was pretending to dry. “What makes you think I want a new drink?”

The merchant trembled even more. “B—because…well, you haven’t touched that one and you’ve been sitting here for quite…some…time?” The last words came out in a trembling voice, and the merchant’s eyes darted across the street to another merchant. When Ka’Cit glanced behind him, he saw the other merchant duck behind his stall before the shutters slowly closed.

Ka’Cit glanced back at the merchant in front of him. “Do you have a problem with that?”

The merchant began shaking his head so hard his antennae wobbled.

“Good. Then we don’t have a problem.”

Ka’Cit stared at the drink.

He wasn’t going to drink it.

Even if he was thirsty, he wouldn’t have removed his mask to quench his thirst.

He never took his mask off around people he didn’t trust and especially not in public.

He’d simply bought the drink so he’d have something to do other than stare at the counter while he waited for time to pass.

He had a job to do later. Information to collect. Maybe a few arms to break. You never knew with these things.

At that thought, his gaze darted to the group of Niftrills at the food stall farther down on the street below.

They were moving now, having finished their drink.

It was go time.

They had no idea he was on their tail. Earlier, when he’d bumped into one of them, he’d put a tracker and listening device on the Niftrill’s coat.

It was simply so could hear everything they were saying—not that he expected to get what he wanted that way.

It was never that easy.

“If everything is okay, Bone Crusher,” the merchant interrupted his thoughts once again, “I would like to close the stall. I, um, have, um, business to attend to?”

Was that a question?

Ka’Cit’s eyes narrowed to slits.

Bone Crusher.

He hated that name.

He didn’t crush bones…he merely broke them.

There was a difference…really, there was.

But this wasn’t a time to get into conversation with some random merchant. He was on a job.

His gaze slid back to the moving Niftrills and his head cocked to the side a little as he watched them move.

In the sea that was the many beings at the Exchange, the Niftrills walked as a singular unit. In the listening device in his ear, he could hear they were chattering about nothing in particular.

There were about twenty of them, and only one had the information he needed.

Getting that information, though…that was going to prove difficult. He doubted the one he needed was going to randomly blurt out what he was seeking to hear.

Niftrills were a pack species. They lived in large groups, worked in large groups, and were vicious when one of them was threatened.

He would have to be careful. Nothing could really break them apart, and that was a problem because he only needed to speak to one of them—a specific one.

Getting that Niftrill alone was going to test his skills.

A smile played at the corners of his lips.

He liked a challenge.

He had to be discreet, however. He couldn’t let them know he was watching them. It would make them alert.

They weren’t the smartest of species, that’s why they depended on their collective, but his reputation may have preceded him. He could never be sure about that though, so it was best to play it safe.

For that reason, he turned back to face the merchant before him.

The merchant was still standing before him, his antennae trembling with each passing second.

For phek’s sake, he wasn’t that terrible. It wasn’t like he was going to reach across the stall and grab the merchant by the neck. Not unless the merchant gave him reason to—

“Lehtt mee goh!” The sound cut through the audio feedback he was getting from the Niftrills.

Ka’Cit froze.

“Ahm nhot whit yoo! Lisss-cen too mee!”

He was no language expert, but…he knew those sounds. He’d heard a language like that before…but where?

He twisted in the direction the Niftrills had gone, his gaze finding them without much difficulty.

In their huge brown cloaks, they walked like a rigid block. No random shoppers could get between them or break up their group.

Ka’Cit’s eyes narrowed as he watched them move. He wasn’t sure exactly what he’d expected to see.

Maybe the sound had come from a passerby.

“Puleez!”

Ka’Cit stood, ignoring the merchant who jumped in surprise.

That voice; those words.

It came to him then.

He knew that language. Well, he didn’t understand it, but he’d heard it before many times.

His friends Riv and Sohut had human females on their Sanctuary, and they spoke exactly like that.

His gaze searched the moving throng.

He didn’t see Riv or Sohut’s females.

He could still hear the voice coming from the device in his ear, but she was talking so fast now, her sounds no longer sounded like words.

Ka’Cit turned to look down the street behind him, and that’s when he caught the blonde hair of Riv’s mate. She was far down the street at a stall with sleeping units for chids. Riv was standing behind her.

Riv’s mate turned then, to talk to someone who wasn’t there, and he saw the moment her eyes widened in panic as her gaze darted around.

Something was wrong.

Ka’Cit’s gaze flew back to the moving Niftrills.

The phekkers moved quickly because of how they walked together.

Other shoppers simply moved out of the way when an impenetrable block was travelling in the other direction.

Was he going mad?

He was sure he’d heard…

But the more he stared at the Niftrills, he noticed the Niftrill in the center didn’t seem to be walking with the others. As a matter of fact, he seemed to be trying to break the formation and head in the opposite direction, to no avail because the others had formed a wall around him.

“—noht whit yoo gahys!”

Phek.

The one in the center squirmed and fought. In the scuffle, and for only a second, he caught sight of something.

A face covering. One like Riv wore.

His entire body froze and only his life organ gave a huge thump.

It was one of the humans; he just knew it.

It wasn’t Riv’s mate, and it certainly wasn’t Sohut’s—Sohut’s Clee-yo was taller than that.

It had to be that other human female.

The one he’d seen only once.

She was a little thing, he remembered, almost the size of a Niftrill.

A glance back down the street to where Riv and his mate were standing, and he saw that Riv’s mate was frantic. She was shouting, her gaze searching, and her eyes were leaking fluid down her face.

He didn’t need to be the smartest Merssi to put together what must have happened, but he didn’t have time to go to Riv to tell him he’d seen where the human was—rather, it seemed, the direction in which she’d been taken.

Without so much of a second thought, Ka’Cit gripped the rail surrounding the stall and launched himself over it, extending his claws to slow himself down as he clung to the side of the building.

Niftrill worked on cargo ships and if they thought she was one of them, they were going to force the human into the ship to fulfill their work obligation. They might not even realize she wasn’t one of them till it was too late.

They weren’t so good in the eyesight department.

He’d have to go after her himself.

5

Ka’Cit cursed underneath his breath.

The Niftrills moved quickly.

He hadn’t intended to approach them, not until he’d seen an opening, but he also hadn’t planned for a human to get caught between them.

He was hoping that once they broke formation at the dock, he could snatch the human, return her to Riv and somehow get back to the ship before it took off.

He still needed to find and speak to that Niftrill.

But there was no catching up to them now.

There’d been no delay before they entered the ship.

No stopping to load crates or boxes, and he realized why that was. This was only the second group of Niftrills working for this ship. There was another group already there who’d done all the loading and unloading before this second group arrived.

Which cargo captain would need the help of so many Niftrills?

He got his answer almost immediately.

Movement caught his attention and instinctively, he slipped behind a huge barrel resting in the cargo yard.

Ka’Cit froze as the cargo merchant who owned the ship came into view.

A feeling of uneasiness suddenly fell across him.

He knew that merchant…he’d heard about her at least.

Her name was Herza—and she was Merssi…like him.

If a female cargo dealer wasn’t strange enough, one that was Merssi was even stranger.

Merssi females didn’t work.

They were provided for. Protected.

To see one carving a life for herself was…inspiring.

The only problem was…there was nothing even slightly redeeming about the merchant in front of him.

Phekking Herza.

Most beings didn’t know what she was, but he did.

They only saw the fact that she was Merssi and expected her to be docile—a pushover.

She’d lure beings that way, make them believe they could get ahead of her and then cut them down—most times, literally.

She was cut-throat and, in the underground, she was known to smuggle slaves for credits.

A growl started in his throat.

Herza’s tight-fitting dark clothing hung to her curves. Her long dark hair was almost to her waist, and she’d braided it and adorned it with trinkets like the ones Riv wore.

Her back was to him and her tail swished lazily in the air as she signed the cargo release form and handed it to one of the Niftrills

With a light step, she hopped on to the ship’s ramp, which was already closing.

Phek.

This might not be what it first seemed at all.

He doubted the human was registered. Hudo III had strict laws about registering refugees and they had to be sponsored. If Herza somehow found that out, she was probably going to try and smuggle the human female and sell her somewhere on the black market.

It would be easy.

There would be nothing to track the human.

This was bad, and bad timing too. He was on a job—one involving life and death, based on what he’d been told—and the star was already midway across the sky.

He checked his sat watch.

He had to help the human.

Herza wasn’t just going to let her go.

He was as sure of it as he was sure of his own tail slapping in agitation against the barrel beside him.

The human was in danger.

He couldn’t leave her to fend for herself.

She was probably scared out of her mind.

As the ramp began to seal the ship, a plan hatched in front of him.

It was a crazy one, but no one had ever accused him of being sane.

Slipping from behind the barrel, he slunk behind the various crates and stacks of cargo in his way as he headed toward the ship.

6

Nia blinked her eyes open.

Her head felt funny.

Usually when she woke up in the morning, it felt like she’d rested well, but this morning, it felt like she’d been rolling around on a rock.

There was movement as well. Her bed jostled and she groaned, thinking that Riv and Lauren were going at it so hard, they were actually making her bed shake.

“Set him down before the boss comes.”

Wait, she didn’t recognize that voice.

In an instant, her memory flooded back.

The assholes in the brown cloaks. They were carrying her, holding her arms and legs, and Nia began struggling immediately.

“Put me down you fucking idiots!”

They let go of her so suddenly, she fell on her back.

Ignoring the pain, she scrambled to her feet. There was still that pebble in her shoe, and it was a big one too, but she could hardly pay attention to it now as she tried to make sense of where she was.

There was no huge crowd or amazing shops with stalls anymore.

The aliens that had brought her here weren’t paying her any mind now, going off farther into the ship…FARTHER INTO THE SHIP?

For it was a ship. She knew for a fact that it was, as the ramp that led outside was slowly closing.

Panic shot through her as she tried to rush forward, but she was either too weak or her mind was still sluggish from the blow to her head because it didn’t feel like she was moving fast enough at all.

Just as the ramp was about to close fully, her path was blocked off by dark leather.

Nia’s gaze moved upward.

A tall alien female was looking down at her.

For a moment, Nia was caught off guard.

The alien woman was Merssi. Dark hair, blue skin, and those telltale ridges on the brow, nose, and chin—though they were nearly as pronounced as Riv and Sohut’s.

The alien’s gaze was hard and cold.

“Get back to work, Niftrill. I don’t pay you to be wasting time. There are crates to stack before we are cleared for orbit.” The female’s look was dismissive, but Nia had just about had it.

Maybe her disguise had been just too good.

She tore the hood from off her head, allowing her afro to spread free, and tore the face covering from over her nose and mouth.

She knew what she was doing was a risk, but she didn’t really have a choice, did she?

“I’m not a Nih-trill. See?” She gestured to her face. “I’m not supposed to even be here. This was a mistake. Sorry to bother you and all, but if you would kindly let me off your ship, I’d be thankful. This has all just been a mix up.”

The alien female paused, her eyes locking on to Nia.

Damn, she was a frickin’ tall female. Nia had to stretch her neck back to meet the alien’s gaze.

What’s worse, she couldn’t read what was happening behind those cold, green eyes, but she didn’t break eye contact as she continued speaking.

“Your crew thought I was one of them and forced me on board. I’m not supposed to be here. I’m sorry for the intrusion but it couldn’t be helped.”

The alien female didn’t even blink.

She pushed whatever she was holding into the hands of one of her crew, and a snarl that made Nia’s skin crawl appeared on her face.

Shit.

The alien’s fangs flashed and her eyes lit up.

“Now what do we have here?”

She crouched a little so she was on Nia’s eye-level and Nia frowned.

“I’m sorry,” she glanced behind the female and tried to head toward the closing door to no avail, “but I don’t think you understand me and the door is closing.”

The alien moved to block her path. “You’re not supposed to be here,” the alien said.

Nia gave the alien a tight smile. “No shit. That’s what I’ve been trying to say, but I guess you can’t understand me.” She glanced at the crewmen. Most were working, some were looking her way. “I guess they couldn’t understand me either. I’ll take this as a huge error and we can simply get on our separate ways.”

She moved toward the door again and this time, the alien woman placed a heavy hand on her shoulder.

“You!” The alien shouted to one of her crew. “What is this?”

The crew she spoke to glanced at another.

Nia still couldn’t see their faces properly.

“I’m talking to you, fool. What is this?”

“He was with us on the streets, my queen.”

Queen?

Nia eyed the female. Queen of this ship, maybe?

Riv and Sohut never mentioned their species having a queen, and she wasn’t quite sure a queen would be wearing skin-tight leather and working in what looked like a cargo ship.

“He?” She eyed Nia again. “Doesn’t look like one of you, does it now?”

The crew member shrugged and the alien female muttered under her breath. “Qeffing idiots.”

Nia’s eyes were on the door. The closer it came to closing, the more her panic grew, and she headed toward it again.

The alien female’s hand pressed into her shoulder, halting her movement.

“Hold it!” She popped something from her waist.

It looked like a cell phone, but Nia was sure that wasn’t what it was.

As the female pressed a button, a green light was emitted from the device and it moved over Nia’s face.

“Species unknown,” the device said.

The alien’s eyes focused on her again, and Nia tried to jerk her shoulder away from the alien’s grasp.

“I have to go.”

“Stay still…thing,” the female said, running the scanner again. “You aren’t leaving this ship. This thing picks up every life-form on this planet. Knows everyone, but it doesn’t know you… Why?”

Nia let out a breath.

She could feel danger looming right in front of her.

The door was almost closed now and even if she made it there on time, she wouldn’t be able to fit through the gap.

Just remain calm, Nia. Remain calm.

Lifting her wrist, she flashed the fake bracelet Riv had given her.

“Legal. See. Now release me.”

For a moment, the alien’s hold on her slackened, but then she grabbed the wrist with the bracelet instead.

“A resident here, are you?” She placed her scanner over the bracelet and Nia’s heart skipped a beat.

Shit.

It wasn’t going to scan.

It wasn’t going to frickin’ scan!

It took only a second before the alien looked back at her, a satisfied sort of look coming over her strange features.

Her nose was adorned with rings and the center of her bottom lip too. Even the tips of her elf-like ears had piercings as well.

The piercings moved as the alien grinned again, fangs flashing.

She wasn’t challenging her in any way. There was no need to flash fangs. But Nia realized quickly that, in this case, it may just be a show of dominance.

It was the first time she’d seen another of Riv and Sohut’s kind. Well, apart from that one time his friend, Ka’Cit, had visited, but she knew they had an issue with people showing them teeth.

They took it as a challenge.

For that reason, she tried to make her face impassive and averted her gaze.

She needed to get out of this quickly and pissing off the female wasn’t something she wanted to do.

“Fake identification…how curious.” The alien’s grip on her tightened and Nia knew right then that all hope for this to go smoothly was out the window.

Something told her the alien wasn’t going to let her go.

Without much of a warning, Nia twisted toward the alien and brought her other elbow down hard on the alien’s wrist.

It was a move her father had taught her, and she’d never had to use it before.

The alien female hissed in pain and released her just enough for her to make a run toward the doors.

There was a lever there she was sure would open it and once outside she was going to run like she had a million of Riv’s demon dogs chasing her.

But she never got that far.

“What are you looking at? Get the creature!”

One second she was running toward the door and another she was being knocked to the ground.

The frickin’ crewmen were fast. They held her arms and she was sure one of them was kneeling on her knees.

She couldn’t move.

“Please, this is just a mistake. Just let me go.”

She could hear the boss approach and soon, the dark leather boots were in front of her face.

“A language that’s not in the servers and a fake ID.” It sounded like the female giggled. “This has got to be my lucky day. Lock her up in one of the cells. I think hiring more of you had not been wasteful credits after all. I’ll beam a message to my contacts and we can sell this creature for some good credits.”

“No!”

But the female wasn’t listening.

Fear made water fill Nia’s eyes.

This wasn’t happening to her.

It had to be a bad dream.

As she stared at the closed door of the ship, she wished it would open and she would see Lauren or even Riv’s scowling face, but she knew the possibilities of that were low.

They had no idea where she was.

She was alone.

She’d have to figure out a way to get out of this on her own.

7

“Bring her to the holding cell,” the boss said before turning and heading farther into the ship.

Two of the aliens wearing cloaks grasped her arms and pulled her up and followed behind.

Nia shook herself, shaking like a toddler would while in a tantrum, but it was futile. Their grips were like vices and with her struggling, they held on to her even tighter—tight enough for it to hurt.

“What are you planning to do with me?!”

But the boss ignored her as she kept on walking. She knew the alien couldn’t understand her, but she spoke anyway.

“Why are you doing this? You can just let me go.”

The boss continued walking and her crew pulled Nia along. Even if she dragged her feet, their combined strength wasn’t something she could resist.

The farther they walked into the ship, the more her panic rose.

“Please…” She resorted to begging. If the ship left Hudo III, she wasn’t sure how she’d ever return to the planet. She’d rather not have to face that circumstance. “Please…just let me go. Is it money that you want?”

Nia wracked her brain.

She didn’t have money—she didn’t own anything—but if it meant she had to work to pay this female for her freedom, she wouldn’t think twice about it. As long as she was able to return to the Sanctuary.

A pit opened up in her stomach as she thought about the Sanctuary.

Just that morning, she’d been thinking about the state of her life, wishing there was more to her existence. The universe must have interpreted her wrong, for she hadn’t been asking for this.

“Listen,” she pleaded with the back of the female alien as they continued heading farther into the ship, “just stop!”

She was ignored.

In front of them, an inner door opened into a dimly lit corridor filled with levers and other things she wasn’t sure of, but the aliens holding her continued walking.

Nia struggled against the hands that held her, resisting some more. It was difficult, and she grunted with effort as she tried one more attempt at releasing herself.

“I suppose it’s begging for its freedom,” the boss’ voice drifted to her ear, just before they stopped in front of a metal door. The boss turned to her then. “You’re in my ship.” There was that smile again. The one that looked completely insincere.

The boss leaned in close. Close enough for Nia to smell a whiff of what she assumed was perfume that smelled like paprika.

“My ship. My rules. And,” she leaned in closer, her smile turning into a leer, “everything on this ship is mine…including you.”

Nia’s eyes widened a little at that, and it only renewed her efforts to release herself from the henchmen’s arms.

The boss chuckled. “You can understand me, I see. Poor little thing. I don’t know what you are, but I have a feeling you will bring me many credits.”

Something sank within Nia. She wasn’t going to get out of this, was she?

The boss stretched a blue clawed finger toward Nia and brushed the finger down her cheek.

“Don’t touch me. Why are you doing this?! Why are you aliens so twisted?!”

The boss leaned back and eyed her crewmen. “Put her in here and stay and watch her. I don’t want any…problems.”

With that, the boss strode away, barking orders to some of her other men.

The two that held her strode closer to the door, holding on to her tight even as she tried to shrug them off once again.

There were three buttons on the side of the door: a red, orange, and a yellow button.

One of the henchmen holding her reached forward and almost pressed the red button.

“No, fool, it’s the last one at the bottom that opens it.”

The one about to press the button growled. “How are you so sure, genius?”

“That top one will shut down the room and the entire sector, idiot!”

Nia eyed the button he spoke of. It was the red one.

The alien with his hand over it paused. “You’re sure?” He turned to eye his crewmate, and Nia realized with mounting horror that she couldn’t really see anything underneath the robe.

She didn’t even want to consider what that meant.

“You’re not just trying to get me in trouble?”

The other one cursed. “Go ahead then, fool. Press it.”

The other one hesitated before pressing the third button, the yellow one, and it sounded as if he was holding his breath.

A second later, the door in front of them hissed opened.

“Phek. Herza would have had my head if I’d pressed that top one.”

Together, they pushed her inside the room.

There was a singular metal cage in the center of the room, and that was about it.

“Put him in.”

Another push at her back had her stumbling forward, and Nia turned to try and dart around the aliens. The door was still open. Maybe she could—

But the next blow was a kick to her belly that had her stumbling backward and into the cage.

It hurt enough that she doubled over onto herself, hatred boiling in her veins alongside the pain.

She was only vaguely aware of one of the aliens slamming his hand against the orange button on the inside of the room. The buttons on this side of the wall were only two. An orange and a yellow one.

The cage slammed shut and the door as well, locking them in.

Nia struggled to stand, and she held on to the bars, her eyes on the door.

There had to be a way out of this.

There just had to be.

* * *

Ka’Cit gripped on to the hull of the cargo ship and let out a sound of annoyance.

The ship was humming.

That meant the engines were on.

Phek.

Herza was leaving the dock so soon?

He gripped onto the ship, crawling on his belly as he made his way forward toward the hatch at the top.

The ship was an oval thing and getting on top of it had tested his strength, but he’d made it.

He’d been heading to a singular spot, that hatch, even as the plan he’d thought of developed in his mind.

Luckily, he knew ships like this inside and out. The hatch he headed toward would open and drop him right into the ship’s lower sector.

Crawling so high up, the wind whipped at him and he clung to the ship as he pushed himself forward.

He reached the hatch soon enough and peered down.

The interior of the ship was dim, but not dim enough for him not to see there were Niftrills in brown cloaks everywhere.

Phek.

He was hoping they’d remain solely in the cargo hold, but he was wrong.

Herza probably had them doing all sorts of jobs that required they man the whole ship.

Ka’Cit let out a breath.

This wasn’t going to be easy.

As soon as he dropped down there, they were going to attack, he was sure.

He was an intruder, and they’d be bound to protect the ship and Herza.

He had two blasters on his hip with enough firepower to get him to the human and out the ship. He hoped that would be enough.

He suspected Herza would have put her in one of the holding cells in the upper sector.

As he stared at the Niftrills down below, he tried to find the one that had the information he needed.

No such luck.

They all looked the same from overhead.

Once he went in, he just had to hope that he saw the Niftrill he needed in the process.

If not…

Well, he’d never failed to deliver on a job before. He’d find a way.

Plus, he wouldn’t think about that right now.

One thing at a time.

The ship jerked and he almost lost his balance and slid off the side of it.

As he clung on to the ship and regained his balance, a chuckle developed within his belly.

He must have a death wish.

The last time he’d hung on to the side of a ship, he’d told himself it would have been his last.

So much for keeping promises.

He could feel the vibration beneath him, a dull hum.

He didn’t have much time.

The ship was already starting to hover off the ground.

Ka’Cit pulled a smoke canister from his pocket and held it in one hand.

With the Niftrills’ poor eyesight, he could probably get away with using the dimness of the ship to his advantage, but he’d use the smoke canister anyway.

It would make his plan foolproof.

He’d open the hatch.

Drop the canister.

The smoke would fill the lower sector. He’d then have to trigger a lockdown of the lower sector and shut the Niftrills in. Ships of this make were originally built to carry prisoners. Each sector had a lockdown mechanism the guards could trigger easily. When the ships were converted to carry cargo, almost all of them kept the lockdown triggers for one simple reason—it was cheaper to do so.

The lockdown would last for a few minutes—giving him time to head to the upper sector, where he knew Herza must have put the human.

All he had to do when he found her was escape through the cargo drop in the upper sector. There was a chute there.

And the Niftrill he needed to speak to…

Phek.

He’d figure it out later.

Right now, the most important part of his plan was closing that lower sector down.

He’d do that first and think about the rest later.

8

Nia sat in the cell seething.

It must have been at least half an hour since she’d been placed in the cell—or longer. She didn’t really know.

Time moved differently in dire circumstances.

Her gaze was still on the door, but it hadn’t opened since they’d put her in and apart from the two aliens standing guard inside, no one else had entered the room.

She was still gripping on to the bars of the cell. She hadn’t moved, and neither had they.

“What do you think Herza will sell it as?” The henchman’s question seemed to echo in the small room.

“Don’t know. Felt soft when I held it. Soft and small.”

Nia watched them. They were speaking about her, she knew.

“Maybe a pleasure pet?”

The other one grunted.

“Unfair,” he finally said.

“Why?”

“We never get those things.”

“Of course not, idiot. They’re expensive.”

A moment of silence.

“Ever been close to a pleasure pet?”

The henchmen looked at each other before turning their heads back her way.

“No. You?”

“No.”

As if they had some unsaid agreement, they both stepped forward.

Facing them now, Nia realized that she could see underneath their hoods.

Their skin was dark and filled with cracks like lava underneath scorched rock and their eyes were dark too.

She shuddered a little and moved farther within the cage.

Her foot hurt—there was still that pebble inside her shoe—but she didn’t have time to take it out. Instead, she scrambled farther backward and away from the advancing aliens.

“Looks soft…” one said.

“Yes. I just said it was.”

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Yes…wait, what are you thinking?”

The other glanced toward the door. “No one would know…we could do it before we arrive at Port Six.”

“What if Herza finds out?”

The other shrugged. “She won’t care. As long as we don’t kill it, I think.” He paused. “Just a bit of pleasure.” And then, as if trying to convince himself, he continued. “We deserve it. When was the last time you had some fun?”

The other grunted. “Too long.” His head cocked to the side a little. “He will do.”

The other made a sound in his throat. “I am already engorged.”

Nia’s stomach turned immediately at the words that came from the alien’s mouth.

“Oh, no you’re not,” she murmured, backing up a few more paces till her back hit metal. And they thought she was male too. They didn’t even care.

“He’ll fight.”

“So?”

“Guess it’s not the first time we’ve had to use force…”

The other chuckled. “Won’t be the last either. We deserve it.”

“We deserve it,” the other agreed.

Fuck.

Nia glanced around.

The room was bare.

The cage was bare.

There was nothing she could use to defend herself if they entered the cage.

Her foot hurt as she leaned back against the cell wall and an idea popped into her head.

The pebble.

She could use it somehow.

Throw it at them?

She knew she could hit the alien smack in the eyes, she was sure of her aim, but that would only briefly disable one of them and she’d have the other to deal with. Plus, he would only be blind in one eye. He’d be fine otherwise.

Still, as they advanced, she bent and slipped her hand under her robe and into her shoe.

Her fingers closed around the pebble. The stone was warm from being underneath her foot for so long.

She gripped it and stared at them.

She didn’t know how she was going to get out of this, but she had to find a way.

The aliens glanced at each other before looking back her way and she realized, with a turn of her stomach, that one of them was rustling with the center of his cloak.

His cloak parted and she saw a flash of white in the cracks on his arm, almost like metal was underneath that part of his skin.

He took a few more steps forward.

“I dare you. I fucking dare you.” She stared into the dark eyes and the alien hesitated for just a moment before continuing to take open the lower section of his cloak.

“I swear on my father, Mark Wilson’s name, that if you put your hands on me, I will kill you. I fucking swear it.” Nia gripped the pebble, happy that her voice didn’t shake with the fear crawling up her spine.

One of the aliens moved to one side of the cage and the other went to the next side.

She glanced between them both, terror flooding through her veins.

What were they going to do?

She could hear her breath in her own ears and to make matters worse, the room suddenly went dark.

“Herza is starting the launch sequence,” one said.

“Seems so,” the other replied almost absentmindedly.

Fuck.

FUCK!

Nia raced to the front of the cage.

Without the pebble in her shoe, she could move much more quickly, and she gripped the bars.

The only thing she could see was the lights of the buttons by the door, but the natural hum of the ship seemed to grow even louder.

The ship’s engine.

Shit.

She stared at the illuminated buttons, forgetting the aliens around her for a moment as she rubbed the pebble between her fingers.

It was smooth, about the size of a marble, but heavy enough that she could feel the weight in her hand.

She had an idea.

A stupid, highly risky idea, but an idea nonetheless.

She just had to hope it would work.

* * *

Ka’Cit dropped down from the hatch, his feet landing on the floor of the upper deck almost silently.

His tail shot out behind him, aiding his balance as he stood to his full height.

He’d timed his entry, there shouldn’t be anyone in the corridor now that the launch checks were being done, but as soon as he took a step forward, a Niftrill turned the corner.

Phek.

Ka’Cit let out a breath as he saw when the Niftrill spotted him.

He hadn’t deployed the smoke canister yet.

The Niftrill hesitated for a second, and Ka’Cit could see the moment the Niftrill decided he needed to raise an alarm.

“Oh no you don’t.”

As the Niftrill turned to run the other way, Ka’Cit’s hand was already drawing a throwing knife from one of his pockets.

The knife went through the air, slicing through the silence to lodge itself into the Niftrill’s leg, but it wasn’t sharp enough to penetrate Niftrill skin; it merely took the Niftrill down.

“Intru—!” The Niftrill began to scream, but Ka’Cit was upon him in a second, dragging the Niftrill to his feet and clamping a hand over the Niftrill’s mouth.

He pulled him backward, kicking open a supply closet and pulling the Niftrill along with him into the darkness of the small room.

“Where’s the human?”

The Niftrill didn’t answer, he only began struggling to release himself.

“Look, friend, we can either do this the hard way, or we can do this the easy way. I, for one, prefer the hard way, but I’m not sure you would like that.”

The Niftrill struggled again.

“Hard way it is.”

The Niftrill stiffened then and stopped moving.

“Thought so. Now, where is the human?” Ka’Cit released the Niftrill’s mouth just enough to hear him speak.

“In the upper sector.”

Hmm, that’s where he’d thought Herza would put her.

“Listen, Niftrill. You are not my enemy. I am only here for the human. I’m going to let you go in the next few seconds…but if you raise an alarm…”

He left the rest unsaid, and the Niftrill jerked his head in compliance.

But no sooner had he let the Niftrill go than the henchman grabbed an object within the supply closet and jabbed it towards him.

Ka’Cit caught the object with one hand, his gaze barely darting to it.

“Really?” he asked, and the Niftrill’s red eyes widened a little. “I try to be nice and—”

A sigh made his shoulders sag as Ka’Cit drove his fist forward, connecting with the Niftrill’s hard outer skin.

He didn’t know why he’d bothered to be nice.

The suddenness of the blow was enough to make the Niftrill sag and, in the next second, his body fell to the floor.

“Phek,” Ka’Cit cursed and flashed his hand in the air.

Rule number one, never fight a Niftrill with your bare fists. It was like hitting rock.

His gaze fell to the Niftrill. The henchman would be out for a few minutes at least. Enough time for him to find the human.

But, for good measure, Ka’Cit secured the Niftrill’s hands to a pipe within the closet.

Taking the smoke canister from his pocket, he peeked through the door.

There was a little thrill he could feel at the base of his spine—a little excitement.

He wasn’t quite sure where it was coming from but it was there, and as the smoke canister slipped from his fingers and rolled down the corridor, the gray cloud beginning to fill the air, Ka’Cit allowed the feeling to simmer.

Time to go get that human.

9

The ship was humming much louder now, and Nia knew she didn’t have a lot of time to get the hell out of there.

No way could she allow them to take off before she found a way off the vessel.

Her eyes were on the door in front.

If she could open the door, the cage would open too. Well, at least that’s what she hoped.

When the aliens had pressed the orange button, the door and cage had both closed in synchrony.

She assumed they worked together, and that made things a helluva lot easier.

If she managed to open the cage, it would give her just a few seconds to rush out of the room and into the main corridor. From there she could do what the alien had been so afraid of. She’d lock down the room and the two aliens still in it.

She’d have to be perfect. There was no room for mistakes.

Movement to her right caught her eye and she could see the alien advancing her way again. There was movement under his cloak as if he was rubbing something and the thought made her want to vomit.

Right. She’d rather take her one chance than stay in here and let them do whatever was in their twisted minds.

Gripping the pebble, she focused on the yellow button.

The pebble felt heavy between her fingers, and she only hoped that it was heavy enough to depress the button when she threw it.

It was her only hope.

F = ma. Newton’s first law of motion.

Goddamnit, she should have paid more attention in physics class.

“You first or me?” one of the aliens asked.

Yea, he wasn’t speaking to her, but she wasn’t waiting to hear the other alien’s answer.

Stretching her arm through the bars of the cage, Nia aimed. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at her target and, for a second, the thought that she might miss was prominent in her mind.

She wasn’t going to miss.

With a singular movement, the muscles in her arms primed and she threw the pebble, and the moment it left her fingers, her heart thumped in her chest.

It was dim in the room. She couldn’t actually see the little rock sail through the air, but she knew she couldn’t have missed.

She couldn’t have.

The pebble hit something, the sound almost drowned out by the hum of the ship’s engine, before she heard it land on the floor and roll away.

Nia’s heart sank.

Well, at least she’d tried.

“What was that?” The alien to her right spoke.

There was a hiss then, and the cage shuddered a little before it opened. At the same time, the door opened as well.

Wait. Nia paused for only a second. She’d done it.

This was it. This was her chance.

Without a backward glance. Nia grabbed the hem of her cloak, lifting it to free her legs, and rushed forward. She barely heard the surprised cries of the aliens behind her as she reached the hallway.

She turned and caught movement in the room.

They were coming after her but they weren’t going to be fast enough.

“Bye, motherfuckers.”

A feeling of triumph shot through her as she slammed her hand on the red button outside the door.

An alarm blared immediately as the door hissed shut.

“Upper sector lockdown in progress.” It sounded like it came from the ship’s intercom.

“Upper sector lockdown in progress.”

Shit. Had she done that? She hadn’t expected an alarm.

Nia turned just in time to see the doors at the end of the hallway closing.

Shit.

There was a corridor to her right, but she had no idea where that led to.

Better go the way she came.

She didn’t think twice. She made a mad dash toward the closing door, hoping she would be fast enough.

She made it just in time, or, at least, most of her did. Her cloak caught in the door just as it closed behind her, and she had to pull it hard enough for it to rip.

She was heaving now, trying to catch her breath from the sudden exertion, and she paused, hands on her knees as her breath came hard and fast.

She’d done it.

She’d frickin’ done it.

She shuddered to think what would have happened if she hadn’t even tried.

She’d paused to catch a breath for only a few seconds, but she soon realized something was wrong.

She could hardly see anything.

There was smoke everywhere.

She was in that long corridor with all the levers and stuff. At least, that’s where she should be, from her memory.

Just to make sure, she reached forward with one hand, to brush it against the wall.

Her fingers moved over buttons, wires, and what she assumed was a lever.

She was right.

This corridor should lead back to that lower section with the huge room and the ramp that led outside the ship.

But where was the smoke coming from?

Her heart beat fast in her chest as she struggled to see even her hand in front of her.

It couldn’t have been the lockdown that had caused it. Right?

Definitely not.

Shit.

It dawned on her then.

The ship was on fire.

And she was still stuck on it.

10

Her steps were light and cautious as she advanced down the corridor.

She’d covered her nose with one thick sleeve of her cloak and was feeling her way forward by hand.

The smoke was so thick, it was unnatural, and it wasn’t burning her eyes, only making it nearly impossible to see ahead.

Shit. If there was a fire, why was it so quiet?

The alarm that had blared when she’d locked down the sector had stopped a few seconds ago, and apart from distant clanks and muffled sounds, she couldn’t hear anything else.

Damn it.

But maybe she could use this to her advantage.

With the chaos of the fire, she would have a better chance of escaping undetected. She just had to hope the two henchmen who’d been guarding her didn’t get out and raise an alarm before she managed to get off the ship.

With that thought in mind, she glanced behind her as she hastened her steps—not as if that helped because the smoke was like a thick grey wall.

She couldn’t see if she was being followed.

She was just turning back around when she collided with a wall.

Her hand shot out and hit something firm.

No, not a wall.

Cold, hard, muscle.

Her insides withered.

She’d been found.

Oh fuck.

She hadn’t even heard the henchman approach. He’d been so silent and with the smoke she hadn’t seen him either.

A whimper escaped her as she spun to run in the other direction, knowing there was nowhere to go. Her only thought was to run. To get away.

She’d figure it out after she put distance between herself and the enemy.

But she was too late, or he was too fast.

A hand closed around her arm, the effect of which caused her to be yanked backward, and she fell back against the henchman.

Fuuuuuuck!

Nia kicked out as she tried to claw forward, causing herself to stumble, and she lost her shoes in the process. But instead of releasing her, the henchman gripped her tighter and went down with her. He landed on his side with her gripped against him.

He was frickin’ strong. She could feel it in his hands.

The henchmen hadn’t felt so strong when they’d been carrying her earlier.

Maybe this was the Hulk of the clan that she hadn’t been introduced to till now. And what a moment to meet him.

Terror made her cry out as she tried to struggle from his grasp while the thought that she had nothing, no weapons, nothing, swam in her head.

As she strained against him, struggling to release herself, the only thing her hand landed on was one of her shoes.

Nia grasped the thing and spun in the alien’s hold, twisting enough that she was facing him.

They chose the wrong girl to mess with.

They really fucking did.

If they thought they were going to take her, use her, then sell her to the highest bidder, they had a big surprise coming.

Granted, they might actually achieve their goal. But she wasn’t going to go willingly.

She was going to fight.

Even if it meant using her fingers to claw their eyes out.

Gripping one end of her shoe, her wrist flicked with an accuracy that was passed down through generations.

The sound of the shoe making contact echoed in the room.

Nia didn’t stop. She didn’t wait.

Her wrist flicked again and her shoe landed in what she hoped was the henchman’s face.

But whatever she hit made a dull thud like she hit something solid…like metal.

The henchman made a strange sound but didn’t let her go. That didn’t deter her though.

It was her only weapon.

Her only chance.

She pummeled his face with her shoe as if she was slapping the devil out of him, even as she struggled to break free.

“Let—”

Slap.

“Me—”

Slap.

“Go—”

Slap.

“—you blasted fucking fiend!”

She was kicking, struggling like her life depended on it, but it seemed she was going nowhere.

He was too strong.

Strong and fucking unbothered.

He didn’t even grunt and Nia realized that somehow, in the process, she ended up fully on her back.

The henchman gripped her arms, holding them down.

“I’m not one of them, ta’ii.”

It was a rich, deep voice.

One that made her pause.

Well, he definitely didn’t sound like one of them, that was for sure.

They sounded neither male nor female, but he…he was definitely male.

His voice was a deep vibration that tickled her ears and made her hyperaware.

“I’m here to help you.”

What?

Some of the fight within her limbs died a little, but she wasn’t completely convinced.

She knew no one here, and none of the aliens on the ship were on her side. So who the hell was he?

“We have to be quick. There’s not much time to get you out of here.”

She didn’t dare to believe. After all, she couldn’t even see his face.

But it hit her then that he wasn’t trying to restrain her. He seemed to only be holding her down so she’d stop kicking.

He was certainly strong enough to lift her upright and force her to walk, but he wasn’t doing that.

“And what the phek did you hit me with?”

One strong arm reached up and touched her shoe.

His fingers brushed hers as he moved them over the shoe, and Nia jerked once more to release herself from his grasp.

“Your foot covering.” A rumble of a laugh vibrated against her belly. “You hit me with your foot covering?”

Apparently, she hadn’t hit him with it hard enough.

Nia jerked against him one more time, trying to wring her hands from his grasp.

“Don’t fight.,” he said. “I don’t want to hold you too hard and accidentally hurt you. I’m on your side.”

Nia stiffened again.

“I—Who are you?” She jerked her hand in his grasp once more. “And why should I believe you?”

There was a pause, and he made a sound she couldn’t put a meaning to.

“I can’t understand you,” he finally said. “Your language upload…I do not have it in my translator. But you can understand me, can’t you? Riv’s mate, La-rehn, could understand me.”

Nia’s eyes widened and she froze. He knew Lauren.

“Who are you?”

He didn’t answer.

Of course, he just told her he couldn’t understand her—not that she’d expected him to be able to. No one, bar five other beings (the one who had brought her to the Sanctuary included), could understand her on this planet.

The alien made another sound, and this time she was sure it was a groan.

“Not the best of ways to introduce myself to you…between your legs. A gentleman would have at least greeted you first.”

What?

Alarm went through her as she realized her cloak had ridden up in their scuffle.

And yes, indeed, he was settled between her bare legs.

Hudo III was warm. She hadn’t worn a separate outfit underneath the cloak for that reason. If she’d done that, she might have suffered from a heatstroke.

And now, she was almost naked underneath this…man.

The arm holding her shoe was pinned above her head and her other arm was pinned down flat.

Her free leg was bent and pressed against his side, and she realized that the hardness she felt on the inside of her thigh was the hard muscle of his.

Fuck, he was huge.

It was muffled, but it sounded like he chuckled and murmured something underneath his breath.

“But…I’m no gentleman.”

The words were a whisper, and if not for the sudden silence between them, she might have missed it.

Nia jerked against him. “If you’re on my side, mind letting me up?”

He must have understood her intent because his hold on hers slackened and he paused, she assumed, to judge her reaction to being released.

When she didn’t immediately scramble away from him, he released her fully and helped her to her feet.

Damn, she wished to God that she could see.

The smoke was still like a thick wall.

The hairs at the back of her neck were still standing on end. She wasn’t just going to start trusting this man of the haze just because he said so.

She’d still remain alert.

He was silent, but she knew he was there. He stood close.

She could feel his body brushing against hers with each breath he took, and she was getting a better idea of his size.

Big.

Tall.

He wasn’t anything like the aliens wearing the cloaks.

“I’ve secured the lower sector.” His voice was low, so low she almost couldn’t hear him. “We have to go this way. There’s a cargo chute in the upper sector that empties underneath the ship. We should be able to get out from there before Herza takes this thing up into orbit.”

Fuck, he was really helping her, wasn’t he?

Hope flared inside her and Nia slipped her shoe on her foot. Bending, she felt around for the other one.

It was the only pair of shoes she had and the last thing she owned from Earth.

She couldn’t afford to lose them.

A few panicked seconds of searching passed before her fingers brushed over the missing shoe, but she didn’t get a chance to put it back on because the alien by her side was already moving.

“This way.” He was still holding her hand and she had no choice but to move with him.

But he was going the wrong way.

Nia dug her heels into the floor, causing the alien to pause.

“Can’t go that way. It’s locked. I shut it down.” She tugged on the hand holding on to hers. “The corridor is blocked and there’s not much time. I don’t know how you got in here, but we have to go back that way.”

She tugged in the other direction.

“Ta’ii, I know you think that way is the right way, but I can assure you, if we head that way, we’d be walking straight into a nest of Niftrills. I have enough firepower to get through them, but…I’d rather not get you out of here like that. We have to go this way.” He tugged her hand again with enough urgency to tell he wanted her to head in his direction.

“You don’t understand. I locked it down. That way is blocked.” Nia tugged on his arm once more.

Hell.

He couldn’t understand her, and he was too big for her to move.

She could feel the seconds passing with each breath that she took.

They didn’t have much time.

The smoke was already clearing too, and she was sure the upper sector was going to open at any moment. Then they’d be in deep shit.

“I shut it down.” She waved her free hand in the air, a bit exasperated at the thought that even with the smoke clearing, he probably couldn’t see what she was doing. Not that they had time for a game of charades, anyway. “We have to go this way.”

He didn’t budge.

Ugh!

“We can’t—” The smoke was clearing enough now that she could see better, and her words cut off in her throat.

Nia’s gaze rose higher and higher till she was looking at the stranger’s face…or, at least, where his face should be.

He was wearing a metal mask—something like what a welder would wear.

Her heart thumped in her chest.

She knew him.

At least, she’d seen him before. Once.

Long, impossibly black hair hung over the stranger’s shoulders, flowing freely and contrasting with the stranger’s blue skin.

It was Riv’s friend who lived at a farm not far from the Sanctuary—or so she’d been told.

He was a good guy.

Then what the hell was he doing here?

He wasn’t looking her way.

Instead, his gaze was directed down the corridor and his whole body stiffened as he muttered something.

“What the phek…”

He could see it now, she supposed.

The doors in the direction she’d come from were closed.

“They’re locked. That’s what I was trying to tell you.” She turned and tugged on his hand, but it was like trying to pull a ship by its anchor. “We have to go this way—”

Her words cut off in her throat as she realized that up ahead was a solid wall. Or, rather, the doors were shut up at that end too.

“What the fuck…”

Why were the doors closed?

There was a sound like a chuckle or grunt, and when she turned and looked up at the stranger, her gaze met startling green ones through the slit in his mask.

Even in the now-thin veil of smoke, his eyes were a startling diopside.

“You shut down the sector?” The awe in his voice didn’t register because all she could do was stare up into those eyes.

They were wild…free…and a bit crazy.

It was like looking into the eyes of someone who lived life completely different from the way she did.

Things were happening behind his eyes that she did not understand…and there was interest.

Intelligence.

Amusement.

And interest.

Something moved behind the male and her gaze flicked to it.

His tail.

She’d have thought it was a snake if not for the mop of dark wavy hair at the end of it.

Like a lion’s tail, it was.

It was curling toward his leg in much the same way a cat’s tail would curl to the side of its body when it felt affectionate.

Watching it made Nia swallow hard, and she switched her gaze back to those green eyes.

His gaze was so intense, it almost made her squirm.

It was strange looking at someone directly in the eyes, without seeing any other part of their face.

His gaze was powerful, and she got the distinct impression that he could break her without even laying a finger on her.

Who was this man?

Riv’s friend, the voice inside answered, always so helpful.

But who was he really?

And how did he find her here?

“You locked down the sector. I wonder how you managed to do that…” He was still studying her, and she imagined he was frowning behind his mask at the conundrum.

Nia shook her head and broke the spell.

“Trust me, it wasn’t rocket science, and if it was, I’d have gotten a job with NASA instead of spending my time patching up people at the free clinic. I just did what anyone would have done.” She tugged on his arm. “But we can’t stay here and chat. We have to go.”

Again, he didn’t budge.

Instead, his gaze fell to their hands, and she realized that somehow, they’d switched. It was no longer him holding on to her, but the other way around.

She was holding on to him.

She dropped his hand quickly, too quickly.

“Come on.” She motioned to him and hastened down the corridor.

With the smoke slowly being sucked up by the vents, she could move faster now as visibility was better, but she soon realized she was moving alone.

A glance behind her and the alien was standing in the same spot that she’d left him, seeming completely unbothered.

Now, what the hell was wrong with him?

For a moment, her heart skipped a beat, and not in the good way.

What if he wasn’t there to help her? What if he was working with the ship’s captain who’d refused to let her off the vessel in the first place?

He was Merssi like the ship’s captain. Maybe they knew each other?

Were they working together?

His nonchalance was concerning.

“It’s locked.” His voice reached her. “We couldn’t open it even if we tried. I triggered a lockdown of the lower sector.” He glanced about the walls and took a few steps in the opposite direction from her. “It seems we’ve foiled each other’s plans. Maybe…” He eyed her again. “…you didn’t need my help after all.”

“I do need help!” She gestured around them at the walls and the obvious fact that they were sitting ducks. That’s when she realized she still had one shoe waving in her hand.

Cursing underneath her breath, she put the shoe back on her foot.

Didn’t he see they were stuck?

He chuckled again, at her tone possibly, before he turned in a slow circle, his gaze moving over the walls and floor.

In one smooth movement, he got down on all fours and began tapping the floor with one four-fingered hand as he felt against the surface with the other.

What in the…

Nia watched him, her heart beating hard in her chest.

The metal clanking she’d heard earlier sounded louder now, and she kept glancing from one closed end of the hallway to the other.

She had no idea what he was doing, and she felt helpless just standing by and watching him.

What if the smoke had gotten to his head?

“Here,” he suddenly said as he tapped somewhere on the floor. At the same time, there was a creak and a large panel lifted enough for him to slide it off.

“What’s that?”

Of course, he didn’t answer.

He can’t understand you, Nia.

“Well,” he said, green gaze finding her, “we can’t go forward and we can’t go back. As we speak, Niftrills are piling up at both exits.”

There was a low inconsistent sound, almost too low to hear, and she realized it was the confused chatter of many beings coming from the doors closest to her.

“Apparently,” the stranger continued, “we had the same plan and thwarted each other by accident.” He jerked his head at the doors. “They’re armed.” He cocked his head as if listening. “Charged laser blasters. Third improvement. Twenty of them at that end, give or take two. I’m sure Herza told them to shoot to kill. She’s not one to take chances.” He studied her. “We only have one option, ta’ii.”

She had no idea what ta’ii meant, but knew he was talking to her. Who else would he be talking to?

“What?”

The stranger slid the flat piece of metal to the side, revealing a narrow dark hole beneath the floor.

“We have to hide.”

11

“Ihn deer?”

The human’s little nose wrinkled at the section between her eyes and she gave him a slightly alarmed look.

She took a few steps forward and peeped into the hole.

Her body shook as if she was cold, but the temperature was fine.

“Noh.” She took a step back and began looking around the corridor as if seeking another option.

Ka’Cit looked down into the hole.

It was a below-deck storage space, originally used for storing food rations for the ship’s occupants many moons ago.

Most new ship owners no longer used the space—it wasn’t big enough to hold the modern cargo crates—and some didn’t even know about it.

He was going to bet that Herza was one of those captains that hadn’t cared to go through the manual in detail.

His ears perked, lifting from the sides of his head and pressing against the inside of his mask. He could hear the Niftrills behind the doors on both ends.

They were trying desperately to override the lockdown.

That meant he and the human needed to get going.

He reached a hand in to shake the narrow ladder that led down below.

It wasn’t in the greatest of states, but it would have to do.

“We have to go down.” He glanced back at the human.

She could understand him, but she was still shaking her head and her breath was coming through her nostrils hard.

“Ai cahnt…”

Her gaze darted around the hall once more, but this was the only way they were going to get out of this.

They had to go down.

Either that, or they would have to allow themselves to get caught.

The latter wasn’t an option. Not with her in his care.

His gaze moved back to the hole.

The human seemed terrified of it.

He racked his mind for information. He didn’t know much about her species, only that his only two friends, Sohut and Riv, had found their gnora—their soulmates—with two humans.

Were humans afraid of the dark?

Small holes?

Ladders?

He wasn’t sure.

“I will be right here with you. I won’t…”

He was going to say he wouldn’t allow the darkness, the hole, or the ladder hurt her, but his words died on his lips.

Her head was moving from side to side so hard now that her hair was shaking like a dark curly cloud surrounding her head.

“Yoo dohnt uhnderstahnd. Ai cahnnnttt. Ai’m kloss-tro-foh-bik.”

She heaved after each word, inhaling so aggressively it was audible, and though he had no idea what she just said, she seemed distressed enough that he rose from the floor and took a step toward her.

His arm reached out before stopping in mid-air.

Just what was he doing?

He had no idea how to comfort a female, much less a distressed one. And he had no idea why she needed comforting. The only thing he knew was that the dark hole terrified her.

His sat-watch beeped, and Ka’Cit tore his gaze away from the female to glance at it.

Phek. They didn’t have much time.

They had only a few minutes left before the lockdown ended.

They had to get inside or risk getting caught.

If he was alone, he’d have done the latter. His blasters hadn’t been used for a while…his knuckles either…they’d have liked some action, but he wasn’t about to put the female in danger.

He’d snuck in here to get her out safely, not to get her killed.

She was still breathing hard, but her eyes were on his sat-watch now.

“It’s an alarm,” he said as explanation. “There isn’t much time left. We have to go.”

Her throat moved and she took a huge gulp of air. She was whispering something underneath her breath, a mantra, and he couldn’t differentiate the words.

There was the sound of metal clanking behind the closed doors and it made her glance toward them.

That seemed to wake her up from whatever she was going through because she swallowed hard and took a step toward the hole.

“Ohkay. Yoo cahn doo dis Nee-ya. Yoo cahn doo dis.”

With a deep breath, she crouched down and looked in.

Her body began heaving even harder.

“Yoo cahn doo dis.”

With trembling hands, she crouched over the hole then sat so her legs were planted firmly on a rung.

With another breath that made her body shudder, she lowered herself onto the ladder.

His sat-watch beeped again.

Phek.

There wasn’t enough time. They had to get inside and they had to get inside now.

He didn’t have time to warn her, he simply worked on instinct.

As soon as her head disappeared into the hole, Ka’Cit slid in behind her, only to realize she hadn’t gone very far.

She’d stopped.

Frozen.

He had no choice but to grip the side of the ladder and lower himself down, essentially lowering himself over her small frame.

It was a tight fit, but he tried not to brace any of his weight on her. It wasn’t his intent to crush her.

She made a sound in her throat but didn’t say anything more, and he was thankful she didn’t try to push him off because he had to slide the cover back in place and close the entryway.

As soon as his feet found a rung below her, he used one hand to steady himself and the other to reseal their hiding spot.

And it was just in time, too.

As soon as the cover slipped into place, he heard the doors of the upper and lower sector opening.

Feet thumped on the ground above their heads, and Ka’Cit gripped the ladder to steady himself. He had no choice but to lean into the human.

“Don’t make a sound,” he whispered just loud enough for her to hear. “They’re right above us.”

It was dark, but he could see that she jerked her head to let him know she understood.

She had her face pressed against the cool metal of the ladder and she was still shaking.

The sound of feet hitting the floor didn’t stop, and he tilted his head a little, his ears perking.

He could pinpoint that there were at least twenty Niftrill in the corridor.

Just how many of them did that maniac, Herza, hire?

It sounded like she had a whole horde.

“Find it!” It was Herza’s voice.

She was phekking angry.

“Don’t tell me you let it loose in my ship! Qrakking idiots!” It sounded like she hit one of the Niftrills over the head. “If you see it, kill it.”

Ka’Cit tensed.

“But…I thought you wanted to sell it for credits,” one of the Niftrills was brave enough to speak up.

It sounded like Herza scoffed. “I did some searching. It’s a species called yoo-man. Originally smuggled by the High Tasqals. If they catch me with it, I’m as good as dead. That thing is trouble, and I don’t want anything to do with it. Kill it on sight. We’ll dump the body somewhere in the void.”

A growl started in Ka’Cit’s throat and he promptly pushed it down.

He couldn’t afford to give their hiding spot away.

Hard footfalls came down the corridor. They were different from the others, heavier, more confident, and he didn’t have to wonder who they belonged to.

Herza came to a stop just above their heads, and Ka’Cit’s life-organ thumped in his chest.

Had he been wrong? Had he underestimated her?

If she knew about the storage space…

The human must have sensed the danger too because, and he realized this belatedly, even though her whole frame was heaving with each breath, she was fighting to remain quiet.

Herza’s voice was loud and commanding. “Search the lower sector! There’s no way that little thing was smart enough to escape on its own.”

Ka’Cit looked down at the human.

She still had her face pressed into the ladder, but if she’d heard what Herza said, she didn’t give any indication.

They needed to head farther down.

His only fear was that the ladder would creak and give their location away.

If Herza didn’t know about the hiding spot, chances were that it wasn’t maintained.

Still, the human was breathing so hard now that if they didn’t move, Herza might hear them anyway.

“We have to head farther down,” he whispered near the human’s ear. “I’ll go first. Do not worry. I’ll catch you if you fall.”

Between how her body was heaving and trembling, he almost didn’t see her jerk her chin to say she’d heard and understood him.

The drop below wasn’t far, just a few meters, but Ka’Cit descended slowly, giving her time to move down as well.

She was hesitant.

Each step seemed to make her breathe harder and by the time his feet hit solid ground and he looked up, she was shaking so hard it was a wonder she didn’t fall off the ladder.

She wasn’t descending either. She’d only gone down two rungs farther before she’d stopped completely.

It was the strangest thing he’d ever seen in his life.

She seemed desperate to move, but somehow couldn’t, as if her body was telling her to scream and race back up the ladder.

Ka’Cit stared at her.

He could see her well enough in the dark. He was sure she couldn’t see him though. Not because her vision was less adapted to darkness, but because she was still squeezing her eyes shut.

“Ta’ii…” His whisper didn’t seem to have much of an effect, and if not for the noise of feet pounding on the floor above them, he was sure Herza would have heard them below by now.

He needed to get her off the ladder.

Ka’Cit reached forward, a frown marring his brow as he touched the human lightly.

He didn’t know why he expected her to recoil from his touch—maybe because that’s what usually happened when he tried to touch other people—but then again, he hadn’t been trying to be gentle those times.

Still…as his hand landed on her leg, she didn’t move away.

Too caught up in whatever it was that was holding her hostage, she seemed completely focused on pulling air into her lungs and exhaling.

“Ta’ii…” he said again, and this time he climbed up the ladder once more to grasp her in his arms.

Her body was stiff and she clung on to the ladder so tightly, he had to pry her fingers off the rung.

“I’m sorry.” He had no idea why he was apologizing, only that it felt like he had to.

She gripped his shirt tight as he climbed back down the ladder and now that he had her in his arms, he could feel that her entire body was not just shaking, it was convulsing.

Was she ill?

He hadn’t considered that.

This wasn’t a usual reaction to darkness or heights, surely.

Feet now on the floor, he was tempted to set her down and investigate, but he stuck to his original plan of going farther into the darkness and away from the ladder.

There was a crawl space, and he had to crouch as he headed through it.

It was hardly big enough to hold them both, and carrying the female proved tricky. Still, he made his way with her in his arms.

The going was slow, but the way she clung to him, he didn’t dare let her go.

And he…didn’t entirely want to?

She…needed him.

It was a strange feeling, being needed without any demands.

At this moment, and if even for a few seconds…that feeling felt…good.

Shaking his head, he forced himself to focus.

There should be a small storage nook ahead, just big enough for them to sit down comfortably, and that’s where he was headed.

Away from the ladder. Away from the opening. And away from Herza.

As he moved, he had to take care so he didn’t bump the human’s head into the side of the little tunnel as he made his way through.

But that was not so much of a worry.

Her head was tucked into his chest, her hands still fisted and gripping his tunic.

Every breath she took was so hard, he could feel her chest expand, and every exhale was warmth that seeped through his tunic to brush against his skin.

She said nothing and her eyes were still closed, but her breathing was coming so hard and fast that it was more than alarming.

Something was wrong and he didn’t know what to do.

The tunnel finally opened up to the nook and he was able to stand a little taller, though not at his full height.

Down here, it was warm and the constant clank-clank of the engine room could be heard through the walls.

He glanced around the space.

It was smaller than what he’d thought it would be, but it would have to do until Herza called off her search. Only then would it be safe to go above.

Glancing around the nook, he moved to one corner, his eyes on the human.

She wasn’t improving.

Whatever was happening to her seemed to be something she could not control.

Briefly, he wondered if this was some human defense mechanism.

If so, it was highly ineffective.

She didn’t seem to have any claws or his tunic would have ripped already from how tightly she was gripping it. There was no poison seeping from her skin, no weapons poking from her body, no camouflage covering her skin…

This couldn’t be defense.

As he set himself down, she still clung to him and he had no choice but to place her so she straddled his lap.

Her entire body was heaving, and he wasn’t sure she even realized they weren’t moving anymore.

“Ta’ii?” His voice was low and measured.

He didn’t want to scare her, but she didn’t respond.

She still gripped on to him, her face buried into his chest as she hyperventilated.

His ears perked once more and stiffened.

He knew animals that did this—curled into a ball and shuddered while in danger.

If she kept this up, her life-organ was going to go into arrest.

Her body was already in shock. It was only a matter of time.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a light disk, activated it, and set it on the floor beside them.

It bathed the little nook in a warm glow and lit up the human’s face.

Her brows were still knitted, her nostrils flaring, and her mouth was slightly open as her chest heaved with every breath.

Phek.

“Ta’ii…”

No response.

For the first time in his life, Ka’Cit felt completely helpless.

He had no idea what to do…

No idea what affliction had befallen her…

No idea how to help.

She gripped him tighter and his own life-organ thumped as if trying to escape its cavity and help her somehow.

What was he supposed to do?!

There must be something humans did in times like this.

The way she held on to him, he had no choice but to put his arms around her and pull her closer.

Maybe she needed to feel his strength…to know that she was not alone and no longer in danger?

Phek.

Maybe he should have visited his friends more often. He’d have been able to observe Riv and Sohut’s human mates—see what their species was like.

The only problem was, his friend’s mates were the main reason he hadn’t visited Riv’s Sanctuary much in the past few months.

Seeing them with their mates reminded him that…

Ka’Cit pushed the thoughts away.

This wasn’t the time.

As he held the human, her hair brushed against his mask and he found himself leaning farther into it as her body heaved against him.

“Calm down, ta’ii. I am here.”

The words felt strange coming from his mouth.

When had he ever…comforted anyone?

It wasn’t something he’d thought he’d even be capable of doing.

As he held the human, she seemed to calm a little, and it took a few moments before a low sound reached his ears.

It wasn’t the clanking of the ship’s engine, or any other sound coming from the ship for that matter.

…it was coming from him.

There was a hum in his throat, and as soon as he realized he was the source of the sound, his vocal chords stopped vibrating as he stared down at the human in his arms.

Just…what…what was he doing?

He didn’t hum lullabies. Not to mention this was a song he’d thought he’d long forgotten.

Her hands fisted in his clothes some more, tightening their hold, and it dawned on him that she wanted him to…continue?

How could he deny this strange female being?

Ka’Cit swallowed hard.

The song was a soothing sound—one his momor had hummed to him when he was a chid many, many eons ago.

That was probably why she was drawn to it.

The thought made him shift uncomfortably.

Okay…he could hum…if she needed it.

If it helped.

He released a slow breath through his nose.

He could hum the…lullaby.

Phek…

He was really going to do this.

The sound started off hesitant in his throat but the more the seconds passed, the more he was able to do it and if he closed his eyes, he could probably pretend he wasn’t doing so many things so uncharacteristic of him.

But, as the song flowed from his memory into his vocal chords, he watched her. He couldn’t pull his gaze away.

Not now, especially in this strange situation they’d found themselves in.

Her body was tense and her eyebrows remained knitted, but her breathing was stabilizing.

He was sure.

Every breath she took caused her small frame to rise and fall against his, and it was definitely getting a more even rhythm.

A few moments before, it had sounded like every breath was raking against her windpipe.

Now, every breath was a deep inhale followed by an even deeper, smooth exhale.

That alone urged him to continue even though with each note, memories he’d locked away came flooding back.

Memories of when he’d been innocent.

Memories of times past.

The Before.

Before he’d had to run away.

It was hard keeping above the surface of those memories and he fought to concentrate, choosing the present lest he get locked into the past.

The human.

Focus on the human.

She needs you.

Slowly, the human’s body stopped heaving as much and he began to prepare himself, erecting those mental walls, for when she awakened from her fit and threw herself away from him.

…But…she wasn’t letting him go.

Minutes passed and she still held on.

Not that he minded it, but now that they weren’t in direct danger and she seemed to be calming down, he could see that the way he was holding her was quite…intimate.

Her thighs straddled his and he was holding her against him, his arms wrapped around her, the roundness of her ass cheeks in his hands.

Her head was still against his chest, her face buried into him, and her hands were still fisted in the front of his tunic.

Phek.

This was not the time nor the place, but, along with the general trouble they were in, he seemed to have a problem brewing in his trousers as well.

Ka’Cit squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.

It was a blessing his mask prevented him from sniffing her scent. His mask was already brushing against her strange hair, which stood up and away from her head instead of falling down her shoulders, and if it weren’t for the mask, his nose would be pressed into the curly strands.

He hadn’t intended it and he knew it was inappropriate, but this was intimate.

Looking down at her, it dawned on him that this was what his friends, Riv and Sohut, had.

Every. Single. Day.

Their mates were the same species as this female.

Did they fear the dark too?

Heights?

He imagined La-rehn shrieking and running toward Riv when she happened upon a random ladder on the Sanctuary grounds.

Did his friends’ mates seek comfort from them like this when they felt threatened or scared?

The question was easy to answer.

Of course, they did.

His friends got to hold their females and take pleasure knowing they drew strength from them.

And now—again, it was inappropriate for him to be thinking this, but…now he was this female’s strength.

It was a new feeling, one he’d never experienced before, and an ache developed within him that he knew far too well.

Not because he was envious of what his friends had…

No.

This ache was something else.

This ache was there because this was a part of life he, Ka’Cit, would never ever have.

And for good reason.

He had nothing to offer any deserving female.

He was cursed.

Bone Crusher wasn’t the only unwanted moniker he’d been given.

In other places, at another time, he’d been given another name.

He was Ka’Cit Urgmental, the Cursed, the Unwanted…the Smooth-Faced.

12

It felt like a long, long time before Nia was able to open her eyes.

As the minutes ticked by, the big, blue guy had held her close, allowing her to breathe through her panic attack.

She was still fighting with herself, telling herself that it was fine, that she wasn’t about to suffocate.

She knew it was an illogical response. She knew perfectly well that she wasn’t going to die…that there was enough air for her to breathe.

Still, she couldn’t stop herself.

She’d always suffered from claustrophobia.

It had haunted her most of her life and even now, it was still haunting her.

It was why she’d decided to become a nurse instead of doing what she’d wanted to do in the first place—join the army.

Her claustrophobia was a vulnerability, and in times like this, that was achingly obvious.

Imagine freezing up on the battlefield when the lives of others depended on her.

She couldn’t do it.

Fuck.

She blinked as a huge breath shuddered from her.

If this stranger hadn’t been there to urge her down the hole, could she have done it alone?

The answer to that question scared her.

She’d have let herself down.

She’d have folded and gone back up for air.

Her breathing was still labored, but she was able to lift her head a little.

Embarrassment made her cheeks warm as she realized what she was doing.

She had her legs spread over him, her hands fisted in his shirt…

Nia lifted her gaze and green eyes met hers.

Fuck.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She hadn’t realized his face would be that close.

If he wasn’t wearing that mask, they’d be so close they could kiss.

She should pull her gaze away.

She should…

Or maybe he would look away first?

No such luck.

It felt like time slowed down as she looked into those green eyes, and she could forget for a second that how she was sitting on him was completely inappropriate.

The hum of the ship disappeared and the earlier events occurred in some other dimension.

How he managed to do that with just one look was a question she’d have to ponder later.

“You are okay now, ta’ii.” His voice was like a comforting cloak. “You are safe.”

Her heart thumped in her chest, reacting to something other than the remnants of the panic attack she’d just suffered, and Nia managed to smile at him a little.

She was calming down and it was all because of him.

She didn’t know how she was going to thank him but the first order of business was to stop straddling him as if she was about to take him for a ride—because, and she realized this much too late in her opinion, she was in the exact position to do so.

As she eased off his chest, she tried to straighten his shirt, but she’d thoroughly crushed it; she’d held on to it that tightly.

“Sorry.” She gave him a weak smile. “I’ll get you a new one once we get out of this…” she glanced around them “…this mess.”

Nia cleared her throat and slid off his lap with as much grace and poise as she could muster, which wasn’t much. The space was small, and she had to set her body awkwardly just to rise off him.

He didn’t move, and she was glad he didn’t say anything.

If he did, she might have evaporated from embarrassment.

She already knew what she looked like.

“Sorry for…” She tried to find the words but stopped short.

What was she doing?

Even if she apologized, he couldn’t understand a word she said.

She would just have to let Riv relay a message to him when they finally returned to the Sanctuary.

Maybe she’d even volunteer to work at his farm for a bit, to repay him for all this trouble.

It was her fault he was now stuck in the underbelly of a ship.

Shit!

The thought made her anxiety rise.

“Where are we? What is this place?”

She glanced around the small room, if she could call it that.

The walls on all sides were metal, and there was hardly enough space for both of them to sit comfortably.

Recognizing that, she felt another wave of claustrophobia incoming.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes.

One, two, three…she counted over and over as she focused on her breathing.

There was a rhythmic clanking sound somewhere farther in the ship’s underbelly and she focused on that too.

The rhythm helped.

But despite her best efforts, the panic was rising once more.

Forget that she had an audience. Her sense of self-preservation apparently did not care if she died of embarrassment.

She was focusing on the clanking in the background while trying to measure her breathing when she heard the song once more.

The alien was humming again.

Nia’s eyes flew open and her head snapped in his direction.

Green eyes studied her through the metal mask and he stopped humming for a moment.

When she said nothing, he continued.

And it helped.

She didn’t know how, but his strange alien song…helped.

“Thank you.” She smiled and the alien’s gaze flicked to her lips.

Maybe he was trying to figure out what she was saying.

Another breath shuddered through her and she focused on the deep rumble of his voice.

It was a deep, low hum coming from the depths of his throat, but it was utterly enchanting.

So much so that she could only stare at him, her panic attack fading once more.

The sound reminded her of Slavic music; there was simply something hypnotizing about it.

If she didn’t think about where she was, if she focused on everything except the small space they were stuck in, she could possibly survive this ordeal without going into another panic attack.

She had to force herself to do this, because she could feel the anxiety simmering in her chest, as if ready to squeeze her throat shut and cut off her air supply if she dropped her guard.

She pulled her gaze away from the alien.

In the short time since she’d met him, he’d seen her at her most vulnerable and she didn’t like it.

She hadn’t had a panic attack like this in a long time.

The last one had been when she’d been carried in a box to Riv at the Sanctuary, but this was a stark reminder that she still had a problem.

At least the guy didn’t appear to be judging her.

He seemed confused and concerned more than anything else.

For the next few minutes, they sat in silence while Nia focused on her breathing.

The longer she worked on it, the easier it became.

13

She reckoned a quarter of an hour passed before she was able to breathe normally again.

And in all that time, the alien beside her hummed. He was watching her, too, observing her every movement.

His presence was…surprisingly calming.

Glancing around them once more, Nia repeated the question she’d asked before her panic attack had flared up.

She motioned to the space around them. “What is this place?”

He stopped humming then, and his gaze followed her movements as he looked around.

She wondered if he would understand what she was trying to ask.

Just how could they communicate when her words probably sounded like gibberish to him?

“This was food storage long ago,” he said after a few moments, and Nia felt a jolt of triumph. He had understood her, somehow. “I doubt Herza will look for you, for us, here.”

Herza. That damn female captain.

If she hadn’t been so greedy…

Nia’s gaze flicked over the gray walls.

And if her rescuer hadn’t known about this place…

She’d heard when Herza ordered that the henchmen should kill her on sight.

A bit drastic, but she’d long come to realize that this new world was an unforgiving place.

Nia breathed out a hard, steady breath.

Just how had she found herself in this mess?

As the silence surrounded them, her senses alerted her to something else.

The little room was warm, but that warmth was slowly becoming almost unbearable.

She fanned a hand in front of her face to try and get some of the air moving, but it had little effect.

“You are…uncomfortable in the warmth? The main engines are close. That’s what’s causing the heat.”

Nia glanced at the alien beside her. He was still watching her. She hadn’t realized that.

“If we move this panel,” he pointed at the wall to their left, “and crawl through the channel for a few minutes, we would end up at the engine room.”

Nia’s eyebrows rose a little.

First the panel in the floor and now this.

How did he even know about these things?

She thought he was a farmer.

He must have seen the question in her eyes because she was sure she picked up a soft chuckle underneath his mask.

She glanced around them some more.

It was getting really warm, almost as if they were in a closed room.

But they weren’t.

There was a tunnel in front and the light apparatus he’d set on the floor only thinned the darkness in the tunnel for a few meters. Farther down, it looked like she was staring at a wall of darkness.

Another shudder went through her and she pulled her gaze away from the tunnel.

Once again, she fanned her hand in front of her face to try and get the air moving.

It was so hot, beads of sweat were forming on her forehead and underneath her cloak was starting to feel clammy.

It wasn’t the best of feelings, but it was better than being dead.

She’d take sweaty over dead any day.

It was concerning, though, how hot it was becoming.

Maybe it was because she was thinking about it, but the heat was increasing with each second.

And she seemed to be the only one affected by it, too. Beside her, the alien appeared as if he was completely fine, even with his mask on.

“Why the mask?” she motioned to her face.

She couldn’t read what he was thinking behind those green eyes, but every time she looked up, they were focused on her. It wasn’t a hostile look either, but one of interest.

“The mask,” she repeated, putting her hands to the side of her head like she was framing it. “What’s it for? Do you always wear it? Why?”

She almost shook her head at herself.

That was quite a lot of questions to shoot at someone who couldn’t understand even one of the words she spoke.

“You want me to take it off? I don’t usually… Not in front of…” He paused.

“Oh, I wasn’t asking you to remove it.” She shook her head, but she couldn’t deny that she was more than curious to see the face of the man underneath.

He studied her for a few moments before he lifted his hands to the side of his mask and paused again.

Nia held her breath.

There was a soft click and then he lifted the mask from his head.

She couldn’t help it. Her brows shot up on her forehead and her eyes widened.

The first time she’d seen him, his mask had been open, but she had been standing at an angle where she hadn’t been able to see his face.

…and she’d expected a lot of things, but not this.

His green eyes seemed even greener when framed by his blue skin, and they blinked back at her from a ruggedly handsome face.

A strong jaw, a firm chin, full lips…

There was a single frown line between his brows, and the muscles in his jaw twitched as her gaze moved over them.

He watched her, unblinking, and though it wasn’t polite to stare, Nia found that she couldn’t look away.

He was Merssi like Riv and Sohut, that much she knew…but there was something different about his appearance—something she was sure should stand out, but for the life of her, she couldn’t put a finger on what it was.

“Nia.” She outstretched her hand for a handshake, but he only looked at it.

“My name’s Nia,” she repeated. This time, she brought her hand against her chest.

“Nia.”

The corners of his lips moved a little before, “Nee-ya.”

Nia blinked.

The way he said her name…

He stretched it out like Riv and Sohut did, but whenever they said her name, she didn’t feel a flutter in the pit of her stomach.

His deep tones caressed the syllables as if he was undressing her with his lips.

Clearing her throat, Nia nodded.

“That’s right. And you are?” She gestured to him and his gaze followed her hand.

“Ka’Cit.”

“Kah…Cit.” She took care to say it right. “Ka’Cit?”

The corners of his lips moved again, but he didn’t correct her so she assumed she said it correctly.

“Ka’Cit,” she said it again and this time, she smiled at him. “Thanks for coming to help me out, even though I have no idea how you knew I was in trouble. I’m grateful nonetheless.”

His gaze was on her lips as she spoke, but if he could even pick up the words, she doubted he’d understand them.

Language uploads had to be bought or the translators updated through the interplanetary system.

Otherwise, she had to rely on nonverbal cues.

Not that such cues had helped her at all so far.

Something beeped on Ka’Cit’s arm, the same thing that had given an alarm when they’d been above deck. It looked like a large dark band that curved around his wrist.

He glanced at it and pressed something.

There was no immediate change, and she was wondering what he’d just done when a voice came from the band.

“What’s your status?”

The voice was so crisp and unexpected, it startled her a little, but she tried not to show it.

Ka’Cit’s eyes were still on her when he answered. “There’s been a…situation.”

“Will you be able to intercept the package?”

Ka’Cit let out a breath and his brows furrowed. That’s when she realized what was so different about his face—what differentiated him from all the other Merssi she’d met so far.

His face was smooth, like hers.

All the other Merssi she’d seen—Riv, Sohut, and even that boss lady, Herza—had ridges running along their brows, down their noses, and even down their chins.

Ka’Cit had none.

His face was as humanlike as an alien face could get.

There were still differences, like his bone structure was a bit different, harsher, but not unattractively so, and his ears were elf-like. Now that she was staring at him hard, they perked off the sides of his head.

“That might not be possible,” he spoke to whoever was on the line and she saw bits of his teeth as he enunciated the words.

Yeaaaa…humans didn’t have teeth like those.

His fangs looked vicious, like he could tear into raw meat without trying hard. Plus that blue skin and those eyes…even his hair was thicker, richer, than human hair.

She only realized she was really staring when his head tilted a little. Startling diopside met hers and she saw something change behind them.

Nia forced herself to look somewhere else.

She saw it in his eyes.

He knew what she’d just realized—that he was different from the others.

“I cannot leave the base until our scheduled time to meet. What are the chances of us losing that package?” The voice almost sounded robotic, like a super-advanced male version of Siri, and Nia wondered if Ka’Cit was talking to a computer.

“I’ll get you that package, one way or another. It might just take some…time.”

“Time is what we don’t have, brother.”

Ka’Cit released a breath as if he knew.

“Keep me updated. I will contact you again.” With that, the call clicked off.

She couldn’t help the feeling that she was the reason he’d said he might not be able to collect this “package.”

Should he be somewhere else right now?

When she glanced at him again, he was still looking at her.

Here she was feeling self-conscious for staring while he was doing it as if it was perfectly normal.

“Work,” he said, gesturing to his wristband.

Nia granted him a soft smile.

Work, huh.

Was he some kind of soldier then?

He sure looked built for it.

“Were you on a job? A mission when you came after me?”

Confusion swam in his eyes but before he could even attempt to answer a hum so loud, it felt like it was about to deafen her, roared in the small room.

The roar seemed to grow in intensity as the entire space shook.

Wide eyes turned to the alien beside her as she flattened her hands against the walls to brace herself.

It sounded like a rocket engine had just fired and that thought made her entire nervous column wither.

The sound could only mean one thing…

“Herza is leaving.” He spoke loud enough for her to hear, and his words only confirmed her fears.

Fuck!

When he said leaving, she was sure he meant like…going into frickin’ outer space, didn’t he?

She began to stand but a hand rested against her arm.

“No use!” he shouted. “We will have to wait until the upper decks calm down. Right now, they are on the hunt and we are outnumbered. I don’t want to…”

Fuck, he didn’t need to complete that sentence. His pause spoke volumes.

He didn’t want her to get shot.

Hell, she didn’t want to get shot either.

“We will wait,” he said. “We will wait then grab a shuttle, get off the ship later.”

“But that means we’ll be in space by then!”

The idea of going into outer space would have been exciting in another circumstance, but it terrified her in a way she never thought it would.

She liked her feet on the ground. On Earth—or on Hudo III in this case.

He leaned closer to her ear so he didn’t have to shout, possibly in case his voice carried because the sound of the engines was levelling off.

“Later, Herza will dim the lights above deck once she’s on her way. To save power. She’s cheap. That will be our chance. Niftrills can’t see well; the dimness will help us.” He paused. “It is best.”

Reluctantly, Nia sat back down.

He knew more than her, she hoped he was right, and so far, he’d only helped her.

There were a lot of the brutes above deck and they had an order to kill on sight. She hadn’t forgotten that.

Her eyes fell once again to the blasters on Ka’Cit’s hips.

He had two, possibly she could use one?

She was out of practice, but she was confident she could hit more than a few of them if they had to shoot their way out. But…did she want to purposefully put herself in that situation?

No.

As she settled back against the metal wall, Ka’Cit removed his hand from her arm.

“What now?” she whispered, more to herself than to him.

There was another loud roar from what she assumed was the ship’s engine and the small room they were in shook once more.

Fucking fuck of fucks.

They were going into space, in the belly of a ship.

It didn’t seem safe in the least.

Was there even life support down here?

That thought made another spike of anxiety shoot through her and she looked at Ka’Cit again, but he was just sitting there, seemingly unbothered, his eyes on her.

How could he be so calm?

Her nerves were shaking as hard as the metal wall behind was vibrating from the stress from the engines.

Shit.

Her thoughts flew to Lauren and Riv back in the market.

She wasn’t going to get back to them anytime soon and they were probably worried sick.

She could only hope that Ka’Cit knew what he was doing, hope and pray, and she would get back to the Sanctuary soon.

Her heart ached.

The Sanctuary was home.

Forcing herself to close her eyes, she focused on her breathing.

The rumbling and the shaking grew in intensity and if the little room wasn’t pressed between the wall and Ka’Cit, she was sure she’d have been thrown around like a rag doll.

The horrible rumbling continued for a few more moments till it suddenly petered off.

There was a sense of weightlessness and when she opened her eyes, her entire body was floating a few inches off the floor.

Whoa.

Her hand found Ka’Cit, her fingers digging into his thigh as she grabbed on to him.

But the effect lasted for only a few seconds before the gravity controls kicked in and she was planted firmly back on the floor.

She didn’t need to ask Ka’Cit what just happened. She’d watched enough sci-fi movies to know at least this one thing.

They weren’t on the ground anymore.

They were in orbit.

14

Nee-ya may be terrified of the strangest things, but…she wasn’t afraid of him.

Despite that he was trying to appear as non-threatening as possible, he was still worried about that.

The first time he’d met Riv’s mate, La-rehn, she’d been a bit apprehensive of him.

He guessed it was the effect of his mask. He glanced at it now.

Maybe taking it off had made the human more comfortable?

Nee-ya. He repeated her name in his head.

He liked it.

It was short and sweet.

Like her…

Phek.

He had to put a rein around that thought and pull it back. He had no right to be allowing his mind to go down that road.

Farther into the ship, he could hear the rhythmic sound of the engines firing and he tried to focus on that instead.

Herza was probably heading to Port Six and it would take a few days to get there.

They had to get off this vessel long before then.

Port Six was where some of the worst scum of the universe harbored.

Laws didn’t exist there which made it a place where anything was possible.

Ka’Cit’s gaze moved back to the human.

It was warm enough in the nook now that he was happy he’d removed his mask but he could see the effect of the warmth on her.

Little balls of perspiration had gathered at the strangest spot, in the middle of her nose, and he felt the urge to reach forward and touch the tiny spots of moisture.

Unlike him, it seemed she was sensitive to temperature changes.

If he could understand what she said, he’d have asked her more about it.

He wasn’t great with conversation but he reckoned he wasn’t that bad at it. Surely.

That thought made him almost slap a hand against his forehead.

He was an idiot.

Reaching into one of his pockets, he pulled out a small square device.

It was an archaic language recorder and translator. He only used it when he had to go to the outer reaches where his translator implant might not pick up the language of whatever poor soul he had to…question.

The device took a few hours to work though, and he’d need her to speak.

He turned the thing on, noting from the corner of his eye that Nee-ya was watching him, then slipped the device back into his pocket.

It was recording now.

Long ago, he’d “altered” the device to serve his own purpose.

Every word she said, the device would compile into a language file.

It would parse the interstream for information, both the public and private streams, and find whatever language she spoke.

If Riv and Sohut had the language file for her, no doubt the main file was hiding somewhere on the interstream. He was sure of it.

After his device worked, then he could update his implant with the information.

She fanned herself again and that reminded him that she was burning up.

It wasn’t dry heat either.

It was humid down here.

“You’re burning up.”

She glanced at him and a soft smile spread her lips. She jerked her chin toward her chest.

“Iht iz hot downheer.”

The humidity coming from the engine room was going to be a problem and he was beginning to wonder if coming down there had been a good idea after all.

“Mai’nd iff ai trahy too kool down?” Her language was such a strange mixture of sounds…it was captivating.

Ka’Cit blinked. She was looking at him as if waiting on something. Maybe she’d asked him a question?

“I don’t understand what you just said but I agree with you.”

That garnered a small chuckle from her and Ka’Cit felt something warm inside of him.

As he watched her, she pulled her cloak down so it rested partway down her shoulders. Then, she brought the hem up and tucked it between her thighs, exposing the perfect dark skin of her legs.

The movement was so unexpected, he choked on his own breath.

Nee-ya glanced his way, her hands ready to pull down her cloak once more, and he fought to keep his face as neutral and unaffected as possible.

That was hard. But, if he wasn’t good at anything else, he was a master at blank faces.

When she didn’t pull the cloak back down, he allowed himself to relax a little.

She was overheating. She was only trying to cool herself down and a part of him wanted to tell her she could take the entire thing off, though he suspected that invitation would be misinterpreted.

He didn’t intend to creep her out, though he supposed he’d do that without even trying.

Still, he wanted her to feel comfortable.

They were going to be stuck in the nook for a while.

For the next few moments, she stole glances at him and when she realized he was watching her, she’d avert her gaze.

Maybe he was being impolite with the staring, but he’d rather look at her than at the drab gray walls.

She was far more interesting.

He could admit that he was curious about her. Her brown eyes were almost the same color as her skin. It was a rich hue, different from the other two humans he’d seen, but just as beautiful.

There was that hair that was like a cloud around her head, framing her face, and there was a little black dot in the middle of her cheek that moved whenever she spoke or smiled.

Phek. She was the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen in all his revolutions.

She was ta’ii from the first moment he’d seen her. A “sweet, flower” and that’s exactly what she looked like.

Delicate, small, and sweet.

She leaned back, closed her eyes, and her head tilted back a little.

She had a small nose, just as small but full lips, and her chin had a little indentation in the middle that made his mouth twitch at the corners.

Cute.

He almost choked on that thought.

The phek?

The last thing he’d called cute was a Taraxian slave master who’d begged for its life as his blade had flirted with its throat.

And it had been “cute” only because its pleas were the last words that left its lips.

His brow furrowed a bit as he watched Nee-ya.

But she was cute.

Cute but also so small and helpless.

Vulnerable.

Just how had she gotten away from Herza and triggered the lockdown? She must have been guarded. Herza was cheap and opportunistic, but she was no fool.

Nee-ya said something that he didn’t catch and Ka’Cit blinked.

He’d spoken out loud?

One look at his expression and she giggled—a sound that tickled his ears in a most unexpected way—and then she did a motion with her hand as if she was throwing something.

“Ai yoozed ah peb-broo.”

Ka’Cit frowned. He didn’t quite understand what she was trying to tell him.

She shook her head and settled back down.

“How?” he repeated. “How did you get away?”

She laughed a little again then shook her head once more.

Then it seemed as if she decided to tell him and she got up on her knees.

She looked at him pointedly and he assumed she was telling him to pay attention.

He couldn’t help but lean forward a little. This was…fascinating.

She began moving, her arms extended and grasping the air in front of her.

She moved on the spot in a circle as if she was enclosed. Her brows were knitted and she put an exaggerated look of trepidation on her face.

“You were locked up?”

She glanced his way and nodded ecstatically.

“Wow, yoo got it fursst trahy. Oh-kay. Koool.”

She then grabbed the hood of her cloak and put it over her head. Glancing at him, she wrinkled her nose and shook her head from side to side while mumbling words underneath her breath.

Ka’Cit chuckled. He couldn’t help it.

The Niftrills.

That had to be the Niftrills.

She glanced at him, her eyes holding a question.

“Niftrills?”

She nodded again and smiled.

He liked this game.

It seemed she liked it too but then her face changed and she glanced at him again, this time with a look he couldn’t read in her brown gaze.

She made a motion as if something was growing from her pelvis, then she stopped and frowned, glanced at him again, then shook her head.

“Uhm, neh-ver-mayned dat wohn”

Ka’Cit frowned as he watched her.

“What was that you just showed me?”

She shook her head again and waved her hand at him as if he should forget about it.

Ka’Cit’s humor died on his lips.

The corner of his eye twitched a little as he stared at her.

“Did they—”

Before he could finish his question, she shook her head but she wouldn’t meet his gaze.

A sigh made her shoulders rise and fall as she pointed to herself.

“You?”

She nodded then pointed to her shoe.

She had to crouch a little as she stood and hopped on one foot.

“You hurt your foot?”

She shook her head then wrinkled her nose.

There was a bulge in his pocket and she pointed at it.

It was another of the smoke canisters and he took it out and handed it to her.

Ka’Cit blinked as he watched her put the canister underneath her foot. She pointed at it and said “ow ow.”

He studied her for a moment.

“Something under your foot?”

Her eyes lit up and she jerked her chin.

Then she took the canister out and pretended to throw it.

He was a bit lost now, but all he could think about was what she’d shown him before.

He knew what she’d been trying to tell him before she changed her mind…

What she’d almost said…

“Did they…” His throat closed up. Had he been too late?

He hadn’t considered…

Phek.

“Did they force you?” The growl that came from his throat startled her, he could see. She jerked a bit and her gaze focused on his fangs, but it was too late to hold back his reaction.

Ka’Cit closed his eyes for a bit, forcing himself to look away from her.

“Did they force you?”

There was silence in the nook.

“Answer me.”

“Noh.”

That sounded like a negative answer. His gaze met hers again and he studied her.

Her body language said she wasn’t lying.

Ka’Cit stretched his neck a little and rolled his shoulders.

There was tension there.

If those Niftrills had…

Phek.

He hadn’t been planning to leave any bodies behind, but if they had forced her…

Well, let’s just say Herza would have more than cargo to dispose of.

Wiping a hand across his face, he shook the thoughts from his mind.

Nee-ya was fine.

She hadn’t been hurt.

She was okay.

“Yohr hahnnd.” She crawled on all fours and moved closer to him, a frown on her brow.

Without hesitating, she took his hand in hers and turned it over on her palm.

“Waht hahp-end? Yohr hahnd?”

Her gaze was studying his, and it was filled with such concern he was momentarily taken aback.

But he couldn’t understand what she was asking.

“Yohr hahnnd!” She pressed, jerking his hand in hers.

He looked down then and saw the bruises on his knuckles.

Oh.

That.

He didn’t remember receiving those.

“It’s nothing.”

She made a sound like air moving between her teeth and gave him an annoyed look.

“What?” What had he done?

She shook her head then and knelt beside him as she reached for the inside of her cloak.

Without warning, she brought the garment to her mouth and ripped a piece of it.

“What are you doing?”

His eyes were wide now as he watched her.

She placed his hand on her thigh as she ripped another piece of cloth and began pressing it against the bruise.

She was…patching him up? With her own garments?

“You don’t have to do that.”

She ignored him.

“It doesn’t hurt. I—”

She gave him such a sharp look that the words died on his lips.

As he watched her rip the fabric into a thin band, he became speechless.

He tried to pull his hand away, but he could admit it was a weak attempt because she promptly grabbed it, shot him a look that told him to stay still, and placed it on her leg again.

Ka’Cit fought to breathe past the lump forming in his throat.

She was tending to him. In this situation? Even when he was sure she was terrified to bits, worried out of her mind, she was taking the time to tend to him?

“Nee-ya…” he whispered almost inaudibly.

She was kneeling between his legs and he without his mask, he could scent her now.

It was a delicious sweet scent that gave him the image of running his tongue across her skin just to test if that’s what she tasted like—sweet like the way she smelled.

He swallowed hard as he watched her, not wanting to move…not willing this moment to end…but at the same time…too afraid to feel.

15

“Your hand was bleeding this entire time. I can’t believe you didn’t notice.” Nia frowned at him, then paused.

Shit.

Her gaze met his.

He’d carried her through the dark tunnel, tried to calm her down, all while his hand was swollen and bleeding.

Blinking, she averted her gaze and refocused on his hand.

Though the blood had mostly clotted, the swelling was dark against his blue skin. He’d hit his hand against something hard.

She knew it wasn’t an old injury too. It was fairly new.

“Don’t worry, I’m a nurse,” she said in the silence. Somehow, she felt the need to speak even though she knew he couldn’t understand her. “Well, I was a nurse, you know, back where I’m from…Earth…but not a proper one, I suppose. I only worked at the free clinic in my neighborhood—not in a hospital or anything. I wasn’t doing it as a job per se. I didn’t need the money.” She let out a small laugh. “Not that I was rich, or anything, but Dad was smart with money. He’d made it so that I wouldn’t have to work or depend on any man, ever. I was lucky. So after I left nursing school, I worked at the free clinic a few days a week. I did it because…well…the people needed help. Healthcare can be expensive if you don’t have insurance where I’m from.” She huffed another short laugh through her nose. “A good old bleeding heart like my father. He is like that too.”

She glanced at Ka’Cit..

He was watching her with that intense gaze of his again and she had to look away, otherwise she’d forget that she was staring.

She focused on tending to his hand. She only had the makeshift bandage; she couldn’t do much, but she hoped it would help.

“He went to Syria, you know. My dad. Some years ago. Fought there. He was lucky to return but when he came back, he’d…changed, you know.” She glanced at the alien again. He was listening to every word she said, as if he could understand her, and that thought was comforting. She hadn’t spoken to anyone about her life back on Earth. At least, not the intricate details.

Lauren and Cleo knew she’d been a nurse and that she’d done a lot of community work. That was about it.

Ka’Cit was silent so she assumed he didn’t mind her continuing.

“I remember when he came back. It was like looking into the eyes of a stranger. It took a while for him to…return, if you know what I mean. But when he did come back, mentally I mean, he started volunteering. Building houses in the neighborhood for free. Helping single mothers with their kids, like taking them to school and such. He did a carpool. And then, eventually, he started the after-school club. The kids loved him. They looked up to him. Wanted to be a soldier like him. So he taught them what he could. Like martial arts, discipline, and what it took to be a soldier. The boys looked up to him the most. It gave them something to do after school and their mothers knew they were safe. And it gave my dad some purpose again. I think…I think after Syria he realized just how short life was. He saw his friends die. He wanted it to matter more.”

Nia cleared her throat and shook her head. God, why was she ranting? She didn’t even tell the animals on the Sanctuary about her past and they could listen to her for ages.

A blush warmed her cheeks as she looked up at him.

Those green eyes of his felt like they could strip her bare.

“I’m almost done. Not much I can really do down here without supplies. You’re just lucky it doesn’t seem to be infected.”

He made a sound in his throat.

Then he opened his mouth as if to say something then closed it.

“What? Tell me, what were you going to say? I can understand you, remember?”

He opened his mouth again then stopped.

He didn’t even wince when she began wrapping the wound. Her cloak had an inside layer and she was using that part. It was the cleanest bit she could find.

“I guess you’re wondering what did this to my hand…” His words brought her head up.

“Well…yea…but you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

He seemed to be trying to determine what she’d just said.

“Yes,” she nodded, “tell me.”

He understood the nod, she realized, because he began speaking. “Some poor Niftrill got in my way when I jumped down through the hatch.”

Nia paused and looked at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. So, that’s how he got into the ship? He’d snuck on board.

“Phekking Niftrill was going to talk. I had no choice but to quiet him.”

Nia shook her head, a smile finding its way to her lips.

“I really didn’t,” he said. His voice held not one ounce of regret.

That made her chuckle.

Something told her that a part of him had enjoyed beating up the henchman and after what they’d been planning to do to her, she couldn’t find it in her heart to feel sorry for the Niftrill.

“Tough phekker though. Was like hitting rock.”

The way he said it, the utter nonchalance in his voice, made her stifle another chuckle.

“Happy my pain gives you such pleasure.”

Her gaze darted to his. “No. I—”

But there was a twinkle in his eye and she found herself hiding her smile.

She was done now anyway. Securing the last bit of her makeshift bandage, she started moving back to her spot when the ship suddenly lurched.

If she wasn’t so low on the ground already, she’d have stumbled and fallen, but the effect of the movement caused her to fall awkwardly against him.

There was another loud sound in the engines and her body stiffened.

It was a stark reminder that she was far from safety.

For a moment there with him, she’d forgotten where she was.

The ship lurched again and the rhythmic clanking in the background slowly died.

“What…what’s happening?”

Ka’Cit cursed under his breath and checked the huge band on his wrist.

“Phek,” was all he said as she scrambled off him and he sat upright.

“What? What is it?”

“Herza just killed the engines.”

She stared at him, alarm making her heart beat hard in her chest.

What the hell did that mean? Had they arrived at wherever the ship was going?

“She’s cheaper than I thought…” His gaze met hers.

She had no idea what he meant with those words.

He must have seen the question in her eyes because he continued.

“She killed the engines,” he repeated. “We are…drifting.”

The way he said it, made it sound incredibly bad.

Drifting in space for a few moments could work in their advantage, right.

It meant they were no longer blasting away from Hudo III. The trip back should be shorter.

But the look he was giving her didn’t spark any confidence within her.

Instead, there was a fear that was steadily growing along her spine and she was sure something bad was about to happen.

A surety that only grew as Ka’Cit, for the first time since she’d been around him that evening, lost that unbothered look he usually had.

He was crouching now, his shoulders tense and his entire frame alert.

“I’m sorry, ta’ii.”

16

“Wait here.”

He studied Nee-ya as he crouched once more.

Worry shone in her eyes but she nodded.

He was hesitant to leave, lest she start hyperventilating again, but he had to check something.

When her breathing didn’t start acting up, Ka’Cit turned and crawled back through the tunnel. He’d left her the light because, well, he didn’t really need it to see where he was going and he knew it would give her some comfort while she waited alone.

As he made it back through the darkness, he couldn’t help but feel annoyed—not at Herza for cutting the engine in the middle of the void, but at himself for not seeing it coming.

Most merchants were cheap, trying to wheedle their way through jobs and bargains while saving as many credits on each transport run as possible.

Herza was no different.

The most frugal merchants often cut their engines while in the void, usually so they could save on credits by purchasing fuel from passing smuggler ships.

Such fuel was usually half the price of what they’d get it for on any surface and for good reason.

The quality was hit or miss.

As he reached the opening where the tunnel met the ladder, Ka’Cit glanced behind him.

The light he’d left in the nook didn’t spread very far and the tunnel was masked in darkness.

With the engines off, it would start to get cold, very cold, and he didn’t have the heart to tell Nee-ya.

This trip up the ladder was only to check if he could get them out of their hiding spot safely…and he hoped…he really hoped he could.

But as soon as he climbed up the ladder and reached the top, he could hear the steady footfalls above.

Light leaked through the cracks above him, telling him that the crew was still busy. Herza had them working hard. Either that, or they were still looking for Nee-ya.

Possibly, they even found the Niftrill he’d tied up and locked in the supply closet.

They’d know he was on the ship too then…

Phek.

This situation was only getting worse.

As he headed back toward the nook, he wondered how he was going to break the news to the small female waiting for him there.

How could he say that they were drifting and that was cause to be alarmed?

That with the engines off, the cold would set in soon and the underbelly of the ship was the worst place to be when that happened…

That there wasn’t a way for them to go above. That they had to wait longer…

That she was going to be so cold it would hurt…

Phek. Him.

The warm glow of the light disk greeted him first then Nee-ya lifted her head.

Her eyes were wide and expectant and it only worsened the feeling in his chest.

Ka’Cit ran a hand through his hair as he crouched before her.

She studied him and glanced back toward the darkness of the tunnel.

“We can’t go…not yet. It’s too dangerous for you.” He answered her unasked question.

“Den weel wayt.” She gave him an encouraging half-smile. “Noh prohblehm.”

Ka’Cit released a heavy breath.

She had no idea.

He was already beginning to feel the cold creeping in.

In the void, it always surprised him how quickly the cold ate through any warmth.

Reaching for her cloak, he adjusted it on her shoulders and pulled the hood over her head. She tensed a little as she watched him do it.

“It’s going to get cold.”

Nee-ya nodded. “Oh-kay.”

“Very cold.”

She nodded again. She didn’t seem as concerned as she should be.

What he was trying to tell her was that it was going to get unbearably cold.

He watched as she further adjusted her cloak and pulled up her legs underneath her.

“Ai gess wee wayt.”

Ka’Cit blinked.

Either she was ignorant of just how dire their situation was…or she was putting on a courageous front.

But…he already knew she was brave, so there had to be another explanation.

She trusted him.

As the thought crossed his mind, her gaze met his and the proof was in her eyes. He didn’t see fear.

He didn’t see panic.

She did trust him, and somehow that made him…

Terrified.

17

Fuck, Ka’Cit hadn’t been kidding when he’d said it was going to get cold.

Nia breathed hot air onto her fingers and even though they were firmly within her cloak, they still felt like sticks of ice attached to her hand.

Maybe if she still had Riv’s face covering it would have helped keep at least her face warm, but she couldn’t find it anywhere.

It seemed she’d lost it in the confusion to escape.

She glanced at the alien beside her.

He was watching her intently and she was happy he hadn’t put his mask back on.

He seemed more “human” without it—more relatable.

“C-cold. Really cold.” She tried to breathe on her hands again but her breath only evaporated into a cloud before her.

“Goddamn, even my nipples are hurting.” She glanced at him, her eyes wide at the slip of her lips but his expression didn’t change. Thank God he couldn’t understand her.

“You’re freezing.” His deep voice seemed to cut through the icy air.

“A little.” She smiled.

Just then, the light disk that had been bathing the little nook in a warm glow dimmed then cut out completely.

“Phekking qrak.” His mutter would have made her chuckle if she wasn’t so cold.

“I don’t have another one.”

“It’s oh-k-kay.” Was she reassuring him or herself? For with the light gone, the cold seemed to embrace the darkness and the chill in the nook increased.

She tried blowing on her hands again and she didn’t know why she even bothered, as if the third time would be the charm or something.

“I will keep you warm,” he suddenly said and she could hear him moving.

There were some shuffling sounds and she squinted but she couldn’t see in the darkness.

“H-how will you keep me warm? Aren’t you as cold as I am?” Granted, she had noticed that the cold didn’t seem to affect him as much as it did her.

When it was hot, he hadn’t been affected either.

It must be all that muscle he was hiding underneath his clothes or something, for her bones felt utterly unprotected against the penetrating cold.

She felt him move behind her and she had to scoot forward a little as he sat.

“Wha—”

Suddenly she was being pulled backward against his chest.

A nice warmth spread across her back immediately.

“You don’t h-have to. I…”

But she couldn’t deny that it felt good.

He was warm, like he radiated heat, and she found herself leaning backward.

His arms came around her and Nia stiffened a little before relaxing.

Back on Earth, she wouldn’t have done shit like this. She’d have pushed the guy away and assumed he was out for his own gain.

But Ka’Cit seemed genuinely concerned about her.

He wasn’t trying to land in her bed or tickle her between her legs.

“Thanks. This is really kind of you.”

His arms tightened around her some more, tucking the cloak around her so she was in a little encased ball as he pulled her closer.

He grunted but didn’t say anything and for the next few minutes, every little movement she made seemed to cause his breathing to hitch a little.

“Are you okay?” She tilted her head to look up at him and it was evident just how bright that little disk he’d set up had been. She could barely make out his face, even though her eyes had adjusted to the darkness.

She saw his eyes though. They were startling green in the dark, and they were focused on her.

“It must be uncomfortable for you. I should get off you, shouldn’t I?”

She tried to move but his arms only tightened.

“Stay,” he growled, then his voice softened a little. “Don’t move.”

“I’m not making you uncomfortable?” Why was she speaking to him as if he could understand her? Maybe because it felt that way. Even though he didn’t understand a word that she said, it didn’t feel as if she was speaking to a wall.

“It’s no trouble. You’ve warmed me up a bit. I could let you move and get comfortable and I could lean back against the wall like I was doing before.” She reached out toward him and braced on his chest as she tried to stand.

That’s when her hand hit firm muscle…directly.

Nia paused and this time, her breath hitched in her throat.

Something screamed in her head that she shouldn’t move her hand but it suddenly felt remote controlled because it moved on its own.

Her fingers brushed over his skin and her breathing picked up a little as they traced the muscles embedded in his chest.

Nia’s throat went dry and it wasn’t because the cold was sucking the moisture from the air.

He’d taken off his tunic.

Her other hand fell on his thigh and she paused.

Bare flesh met her fingertips once more.

She should stop.

Don’t move your hand.

DON’T MOVE YOUR HAND.

But her hand moved a little upward along his leg.

What’s worse, he wasn’t stopping her, and now that she’d started, curiosity wouldn’t allow her to stop either.

He wasn’t even moving and when her fingers travelled up his thigh to reach that V at the juncture of his hips, her hand finally flew away from his body.

“Ka’Cit…” Nia licked her lips. “Why are you naked?”

And why wasn’t she hopping off him now that she’d realized that fact?

He made a sound in his throat but didn’t answer.

“You’re naked,” she whispered again.

“I had to remove my garments. It was the best way to stop you from freezing.”

Well, if that wasn’t a completely innocent and good answer…

So why was there a slight sizzle in her panties?

“My heat won’t transfer to you with my garments on. Don’t worry. You don’t have to remove yours.”

Nia cleared her throat.

Once again, it felt like she’d found herself in an unexpected and strange situation. Though, she didn’t really mind this one—a fact she should ponder later.

When she didn’t move away, his arms closed around her once more as he pulled her back toward him.

“You are safe with me, ta’ii.”

Nia gulped as she settled back against him trying her best not to focus on the rippling muscles she could now feel in great detail especially since she knew they were right there.

If she thought about it, his cock was right against her ass too…

Deep breath. Deep breath.

This wasn’t a human male. Aliens had different views on nakedness.

Still, the thought that his cock was right there.

Nia tried not to squirm.

Now that she thought about it, there was something hard against her ass.

Her heart thudded against her ribcage and her eyes widened in the darkness.

Completely natural, Nia.

It was completely natural.

Men got hard even when they weren’t horny. Even alien men.

She could either accept his help or jump off his lap and go freeze in the corner and when she put it like that, the choice was obvious.

All she had to do was not think about the very thick hard thing she was feeling against her.

But telling herself not to think about something only produced the opposite reaction.

Newton’s third law.

The hard, cylindrical thing twitched and had her breathing pattern changing a little.

Fuck.

Just how big was he?

He was a large guy…if he was proportional down there…

Dear God.

Just then, it twitched again.

Fuck her.

Not literally…

Or maybe literally…

Shit.

This wasn’t going to be easy.

* * *

Ka’Cit let out a breath as he glanced at his sat-watch.

He wasn’t going to be able to do the job he’d been hired to do.

There was no way he was going to find that Niftrill, get what he needed, and escape the ship on time without putting Nee-ya in danger.

He’d have to cancel and relay the bad news to his contact.

It would be a surprise. He always completed his jobs, but this time it wasn’t something he had any power over.

Plus phek him if he wasn’t an idiot.

His ears perked as he felt Nee-ya’s body rise and fall with the rhythm of sleep.

He bit down hard on his bottom lip, his fangs sinking into his skin and he tasted blood.

She’d almost realized his situation and he didn’t know how he would have survived the embarrassment.

His cock was so hard now, it was painful.

When she’d found out he was unclothed and she’d touched him, ran her fingers up along his leg, his tail had gone bone straight and his cock too.

It pulsed between his legs now, so hot it could melt the cold around them.

Heck, it was probably the major source of warmth in the room, and for that reason alone, maybe it was useful.

If he’d known he’d be able to feel her soft body through the cloak that she wore, though, he might have considered finding another way to keep her warm.

His cock twitched and strained upward again, demanding that he take something that wasn’t his. Something that could never be his in the damaged state that he was.

This wasn’t the sort of torture he would willingly put himself in.

This was the sort of torture that was going to leave him aching for days.

As he listened to her sleep, felt her body rise and fall in his arms, he knew he was taking liberties here that he shouldn’t.

These were things a mate did and a life of love and family…a gnora…had never been in the books for him from the moment he was born.

Raising his hand, he brushed his palm over his face just to remind himself of how broken, how unsuitable he was, and it dulled the ache in his groin just a little.

With a sigh, his head fell and his nose brushed against Nee-ya’s hair.

He couldn’t resist, he leaned in a little closer.

It was soft against his skin and tickled a little.

She felt so good against him…so perfect, like she was made to fit in his arms.

What the hell had he gotten himself into?

A few hours ago, he’d been living his usual life, tracking a Niftrill for a job.

Now he was in the underbelly of a ship, naked, a human in his arms, and he was questioning his purpose in life.

Being around her in such close confinement was only highlighting one thing.

They could hardly communicate, but the few bits of understanding that passed between them made him feel…happy. It was the sort of feeling that told him that if he allowed it, they could become friends…maybe even more than friends.

Phek.

As he buried his nose a little farther into her hair, Nee-ya moaned a little and adjusted herself on him.

Ka’Cit squeezed his eyes shut, the throbbing in his cock becoming almost unbearable.

He couldn’t lie to himself.

He wasn’t doing this because he was being charitable.

This wasn’t because he was lonely.

This was because he liked the little human…and it seemed, he liked her a little too much.

His friends had human mates. He knew it was possible.

But who was he to wish for such a thing?

A mate.

Maybe even a human one?

But he wasn’t a human male. He was hardly even Merssi.

Such was his curse.

Such was his life.

He was used to it.

No hard feelings.

Yet, there was something, an ache that developed in his chest at the thought.

An ache he couldn’t ignore.

But he had to ignore it.

He had nothing to offer a female.

Nothing.

18

A deep voice tickled her ear.

“Nee-ya. It is time.”

“Hmm?” Nia blinked her eyes open.

Had she fallen asleep?

Really?

In a situation like this?

Wide eyes turned to look at the alien who was still holding her and his green gaze met hers in the darkness.

“Shit. I fell asleep?” She shot him an apologetic look she wasn’t sure he could see. “Sorry. I can’t believe…”

As she tried to ease up off him, his arms loosened from around her, and soon she was crouching in the small space, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

She could hear rustling around her and then she remembered he was naked. He was probably putting his clothes back on.

Oh.

Nia looked away even though she couldn’t see anything but memory of what she’d felt came back to her.

Her cheeks felt warm at the thought.

Had she just really slept on a naked guy? Slept on him? All unconcerned?

That you did, Nia. That you did.

There was a soft click and she knew he’d just put his mask back on.

“Ready, ta’ii?” His voice found her in the darkness.

“I think so.”

“Follow me.”

She heard him move and she reached her hand forward to help guide her way.

A firm hand grasped hers and she almost pulled back before she realized it was his.

“Let’s go. We have to be quiet. I don’t know how many of them are still walking around, but we should be able to make it to the upper deck and the loading bay undetected.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

The cold was already biting at her now that she wasn’t curled up in his arms and she realized just how much he’d helped her by keeping her warm.

He squeezed her hand lightly before he began moving through the dark tunnel.

Nia closed her eyes and put her complete trust in him as he led them forward.

She wasn’t in a little dark tunnel.

She was simply walking in a big open space.

She repeated that to herself as he led her forward. Over and over, she repeated the words, and when she felt him squeeze her hand again, the reassurance added some strength to her will.

His hand felt strong and sure and before long, he stopped moving.

Ka’Cit lifted her hand and shortly after, the cold metal of the ladder was underneath her fingertips.

“I’ll go first,” he whispered.

Nia nodded before she realized he probably couldn’t see that she’d responded…or maybe he could. She wasn’t sure.

The ladder jerked a little as he climbed up and soon she heard the slight sound of the floor covering sliding back.

“Come on up.” His whisper was urgent. “It’s clear.”

Her heart hammered in her chest as she grabbed each side of the ladder and began making her way up, eyes still closed.

The higher she climbed the harder it was for her to breathe and relief swept through her when she felt his hand close over hers again.

Ka’Cit grasped her and helped her from the hole and that’s when she finally opened her eyes.

It was dark in the corridor. Only a dim strip of light ran along the floor.

Nia’s gaze darted around and she was mildly aware that Ka’Cit was replacing the flooring as quietly as he could.

When he stood, she did too.

“This way.” He was already moving and Nia followed so close behind him that she was almost plastered against his back.

She couldn’t help but glance behind her every now and then.

It was eerily quiet.

Maybe they would get off this ship without any problems at all.

Right?

“Wait,” Ka’Cit whispered and stopped so suddenly that she did plaster against him.

It sounded like he was feeling against the wall for something and in the dim light she could barely make out what.

There was an almost inaudible sound before part of the wall before him opened.

“Well, well, well…” There was that amusement in his voice again and it made her peek around him to see what he was looking at.

Nia’s eyes widened a little.

Guns.

Even in the darkness, the sleek metal seemed to glisten.

Ka’Cit ran his hand over a few before grasping one and pulling it from its spot in the wall.

“How did you even know that was there…” She glanced up at him. “You know what? Never mind.”

Reaching forward, she pulled one of the guns from the rack, noting the sound of surprise he made in his throat.

Well, she wasn’t going to pass up a weapon when a whole rack was right in front of her.

As she gripped the weapon, she glanced behind her and then in front of them.

Her heart felt like it was in her throat and all she wanted to do was to get the hell off this ship.

Ka’Cit closed the panel and she was aware he was eyeing her and the gun she held. The weapon felt heavy in her hands and she ran her fingers over it.

It was huge. It wasn’t like any gun she’d ever held in her hands before and she’d held a lot. Her father had brought her to the shooting range almost every week. It was always a competition to see who could hit the most targets with one hundred percent accuracy.

It was their thing. At least, it had been.

It felt like ages since she’d last held a gun and she clutched it tightly as Ka’Cit began moving down the corridor once more.

She was inching along the wall following behind him in the dim light and now that her eyes had adjusted completely, she noted something. Ka’Cit looked relaxed, almost as if they weren’t in the midst of danger, but something about the way he moved told her that he was incredibly alert.

It was almost like a cat walking before her.

Calm, measured steps. He was completely silent, but every muscle in his body was ready to react at a moment’s notice.

Every sound, every movement, he was aware of.

In just the few hours that she’d stayed with him in the nook, he hadn’t been like this.

Now there was a deadly calm about him, reminding her that he was, truly, still a man she did not know.

He stopped walking suddenly and she almost bumped into him. They were near the end of the corridor now and her gaze darted in front and then behind them. What was it? Did he see something?

But she couldn’t see anyone.

“The cargo bay is up ahead.” He spoke over his shoulder so she could hear him. “But there’s a problem…”

Nia gulped.

There had to be a problem. Of course, there was. No way it was going to be this easy to escape.

“They know we’re here.”

Her eyes darted down the corridor again.

“How do you know?” Her whisper barely passed through her lips before the lights of the ship came on in full force.

For a moment, Nia was blinded and she felt her body being thrown backward as Ka’Cit shouted something she did not hear.

He gripped her to him as they landed on the floor, twisting just enough so his whole left side got the brunt of the impact before he adjusted her, gripped her by the waist, and rolled over placing her completely beneath him.

She was barely able to understand what was happening but his gun hand rose, aimed, and a blast of green light left the muzzle.

There was a cry and something fell to the floor at the other end of the corridor.

Ka’Cit was heavy and she could hardly move but she managed to lift her head to see a Niftrill writhing and screaming a few feet away.

But the Niftrill wasn’t alone. Another was on his tail, a gun pointing in their direction.

Nia tried to lift her gun to aim but it was caught underneath her body and no way would she be able to fire quickly enough.

“Ka’Ci—”

But he was already firing.

He caught the Niftrill in its arm holding the gun and the weapon went flying as the Niftrill gripped its hand.

“Herza couldn’t have picked a worse species for guards.” Ka’Cit’s voice was so calm and steady, it surprised her. It was as if he didn’t just exert energy. “If they’re injured, they forget their prey and default to their pure instinctual need to mend themselves. Pitiful.”

“Wha—” It was all happening so fast and she almost didn’t hear the sound behind them. But before she could warn Ka’Cit of the danger coming from behind, he was already spinning and taking her with him.

One, two, three Niftrills were coming from behind.

They seemed to pause for a moment, no doubt seeing their fallen comrades, and a sound she’d never heard before filled the corridor.

It was like the screech of a million bats.

“Oh, shut. Up!” Ka’Cit growled as he fired.

He shot twice, and it seemed he aimed at their weapons for two of the Niftrills howled, their guns flying as they gripped their cloaked wrists.

Nia’s head snapped into the game.

She and Ka’Cit were on the floor and vulnerable.

Though he was doing great, no doubt he could do better if he wasn’t trying to prevent them from being shot while protecting her at the same time.

She lifted her weapon and aimed, praying there wasn’t some sort of safety she had to deactivate.

But Ka’Cit was one step ahead of her. Green eyes met brown ones as he looked down at her. He released her enough for him to press something on her weapon and while he was doing that, his other arm raised and fired without him even looking at what he was firing at.

Nia’s eyes widened and when she looked down the corridor, he’d hit the third Niftrill in the arm.

The alien howled and its weapon fell from its hands as it stared down at the hole in its cloak.

“Point and shoot,” Ka’Cit said.

For the moment, the corridor was clear bar from the writhing and howling aliens and Ka’Cit jumped to his feet and brought her with him.

As he set her down, Nia’s finger settled on the trigger of the weapon.

This was what people meant when they said shit hit the fan.

Her heart thumped in her chest and her throat felt dry.

It was a life-or-death situation now—no escaping that.

Ka’Cit glanced at her for a moment. “Don’t worry if you don’t hit them. If anything you can confuse them.”

His words cut through her consciousness and made her do the strangest thing.

She glanced at him and smiled.

She couldn’t help it.

“Oh, how you underestimate me.”

19

Nee-ya was steady on her feet but the blaster she was holding was so big, he wondered if she could manage it.

There was a look of determination on her face though, and that was inspiring.

“Let’s go.”

No more creeping in the shadows. Herza knew they were there and more Niftrills would be coming.

It seemed Herza had called off the search and had just been waiting for them to appear.

She’d known they’d been hiding somewhere in the ship then. Luckily, she hadn’t found them.

Phek.

The one thing he’d been trying to avoid was about to happen.

He wasn’t worried about himself getting hit by a stray bullet but the fear he felt for Nee-ya getting hit was very, very real.

Niftrills couldn’t see well. Even if they weren’t aiming at her, they may accidentally shoot her anyway.

That would suit Herza just fine but he wasn’t about to allow it.

As they hurried past the writhing Niftrills at the end of the corridor, Ka’Cit took a left and headed straight toward the cargo bay.

He glanced behind him to see Nee-ya was jogging to keep up with his pace. He’d slow it down, but they were out of time.

They’d been out of time for a while. He just hadn’t realized.

Their best bet was the cargo bay. There would be an offloading shuttle there and that was what he was hoping to “borrow” so they could get off the ship.

They just had to get there without being shot down first.

In front, a Niftrill turned the corner and Ka’Cit fired, hitting the weapon out of the henchman’s hand and searing flesh in the process.

The Niftrill collapsed and as they passed him and the smell of burning flesh was strong.

Ka’Cit glanced down at Nee-ya but she didn’t seem bothered.

As a matter of fact, with the weapon now in her hands, she looked even more resolute than before.

Who was this female?

The more time he spent around her, the more she fascinated him.

She was by his side now, no longer running behind him and he couldn’t help but stare at her.

The corridor opened to the cargo hold and as he skidded to a halt, so did Nee-ya beside him.

“Phek.”

“Fuck.”

The cargo hold was filled with Niftrills. Armed Niftrills.

Every single last one of them, and there were many.

Nee-ya’s gaze met his and recognition passed between them.

In that split second, he didn’t need to speak.

A mountain of words unsaid passed between them as he moved, ducking behind a huge crate as she did the same on the other side of the entrance.

Phek.

From somewhere above, he heard Herza scream. “Kill them!”

When he glanced back at Nee-ya, there was a look on her face that he’d never seen before. Her brown eyes were cold, focused, and she jerked her chin in a nod.

He knew what that meant—there was no other way to decode that movement.

Was she…did she really think he was going to let her put herself in danger fighting the horde before them?

“Hide!”

It was all he managed to say as he leaned out of his hiding spot, cocked his blaster, and pressed the tri—

But the Niftrill closest to them, the one he aimed at, was already falling, shot straight in the wrist.

Its weapon fell just as it received another shot in the leg.

Who…

Ka’Cit’s mouth fell open as he turned, wide-eyed, to look at the human, just as she aimed again, her brows furrowed to match the determination on her face.

Her eyes narrowed a little as she pressed the trigger once more and another Niftrill went down, shot in the arm and leg again.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

She wasn’t randomly spraying laser blasts.

She’d meant to hit them there.

She glanced his way and a slight smile appeared on her face.

Ka’Cit stared at her even as movement caught his eye—a Niftrill approaching from behind.

He cocked his gun and fired, but instead of receiving one laser blast, the Niftrill received two—one from his blaster and one from hers.

Surprise had him glancing her way once more and Nee-ya’s gaze met his.

“Dohnt wohree abowt mee dar-leen.”

Phek.

Chaos erupted in the hold as the rest of the Niftrills charged and danger was coming straight at them. But, in that moment, all he could do was stare.

At her.

His life organ thumped in his chest as she gripped her weapon and unloaded another laser blast.

Never in his life had he ever seen anything more magnificent than the female he was looking at right at that moment.

She was phekking perfect.

As he stared at her, the screeching of the Niftrills charging at them felt like it was far in the background of his mind, and Ka’Cit realized one damning thing…

When this was over, when he had to say goodbye, he was going to have a helluva hard time walking away.

* * *

They took down the Niftrills one by one.

After the first ten or so fell, the others had gotten the memo and instead of running directly at them like a crazed horde, the Niftrills had begun seeking cover behind the various crates that were resting in the hold.

When Ka’Cit finally came out of whatever daze he’d gotten into, it had felt almost like being back on Earth shooting targets with her father.

The thrill made her smile and that smile turned to a grin.

Nia peeked over the crate she hid behind and glanced at her blaster, glad that it wasn’t something that needed reloading.

There was a bar on it though, a neon green bar, that appeared to be decreasing after every few shots she took.

She was sure that was the charge and it looked like she only had half a charge left.

Fuck.

She lifted herself up enough to peer over the crate once more, careful not to expose herself too much.

She couldn’t see any movement and the room was silent now, apart from the groans of the Niftrills on the floor.

Ka’Cit had been right about them.

They didn’t even pick up their guns after they were hit. Their sole focus became their wounds.

It wasn’t something she understood but it was something she was thankful for.

For a few moments, she held her breath as she listened.

No more laser blasts were coming their way and she was sure she’d heard the last one about two or three minutes before.

She’d promptly gotten the Niftrill who’d shot at them, too, and the anxiety she’d felt about the fight was completely gone now.

They were going to get out of this. She could feel it.

A grin lit up her face and she turned to Ka’Cit.

He’d been staring at her, his eyes wide, and they widened even more now under the slit in his mask.

“What have I done?” His gaze moved from the blaster she clutched then back to her.

Huh?

Oh yeah, she forgot.

She was showing her teeth.

“No challenge.” She shook her head, hoping he would get her meaning. “I’m just happy.”

She turned her grin into a smile so her teeth were no longer showing.

Ka’Cit blinked underneath his mask but still seemed a little confused.

“Just happy,” she repeated.

Strange she should get such pleasure from shooting bullets into live beings.

But they’d planned to rape her so…they deserved it.

Between Ka’Cit’s blasts and hers, they hadn’t killed any of the henchmen anyway. They’d simply wounded them.

Ka’Cit was still staring at her with a strange look in his eyes, though.

Like her, he had his back pressed against the crate, but the way he was looking at her…

Like a predator that had just seen its prey.

Maybe it was the effect of the mask…the fact she could only see his eyes and nothing else?

Or maybe not.

She wasn’t quite sure.

And what was mad about it? She wasn’t scared.

Instead of the instinctual fear she should feel when someone dangerous was looking at her as if she was prey, his gaze made something thrilling go down her spine.

Nia released a breath and forced herself to focus. This little “excursion” was getting to her head.

“Think it’s safe to go out there?” she whispered.

Ka’Cit blinked and she had to motion behind her, gesturing to the rest of the hold.

It took him a while to pull his gaze from her and he finally looked upward, his eyes searching the roof of the ship.

She didn’t know what he was looking for but the fact there was still that tension about him, she knew they weren’t out of danger yet.

She’d lost count at how many of the maniacs they’d shot down but there had been a lot.

There could be more of them hiding.

“Herza,” he finally said.

Nia stiffened. She’d forgotten about the boss.

Now her own gaze searched above. Seeing nothing of note, she peeked around the side of the crate.

All she saw were the writhing bodies of the aliens. Some were crawling away but, still, none reached for their guns to continue the fight.

She guessed they weren’t as loyal to Herza as she’d thought.

“See that door?” Ka’Cit jerked his head toward a large set of doors at the end of the room.

“Yea.” She nodded.

“Make a run for it. I have your back.” Then he chuckled, she was sure. She couldn’t see it, but she sure heard it. “Not that you can’t handle yourself.”

His eyes were on her again and pride swelled within her.

She hadn’t realized her ego had needed that. It meant a lot coming from him.

He had shot most of the Niftrills while his whole attention had been on her. His aim was that good.

For him to say that to her…

Nia held back her smile.

With one last glance at him, she set off across the space.

She was light on her feet as she jumped over the bodies littering the floor.

She picked a path through the fallen Niftrills, one that had the least amount of henchmen and hence fewer hands that could grab her ankles and trip her as she made her way.

But a glance behind her had her coming to a stop.

Ka’Cit wasn’t running.

Instead, he was moving from Niftrill to Niftrill, flipping them over and taking the hood of their cloaks from their heads.

Their heads were bald and looked just like the exposed hand she’d seen earlier.

Like dark rock with lava flowing underneath it.

One of the aliens he held up had its arm exposed and Nia’s eyes widened in their sockets.

Now she knew why they didn’t bother to continue fighting when they were hit.

The Niftrill’s arm was swollen with what looked like a huge pocket of lava under flesh.

What the…

Ka’Cit kept moving from one alien to the other, flipping them over, checking their faces, until he stopped when he reached one of them.

She couldn’t hear what he said to the alien or what the alien said back, but he seemed satisfied with what he’d heard and he released the alien.

As the alien fell to a heap on the floor, Ka’Cit lifted his head to follow after her and that’s when their gazes locked. Something changed within his eyes.

His look was guarded, as if he expected her to say something negative, but she simply gestured to him.

“Are you coming or what, big guy?”

His gaze softened then and it dawned on her that she was learning to read him quite well.

As she started running again, she checked behind her to see if he was following this time. His steps were so silent, she wouldn’t have known he was if she hadn’t looked.

They finally came upon the huge doors and Nia halted.

“She’s watching us, you know,” he said when he reached her and the words sent a chill down her spine.

Nia’s gaze immediately went to the entry to the corridor where they’d come from, but no one was there.

“There.” Ka’Cit jerked his head and she looked in the direction he’d indicated.

She couldn’t see at first, not till a panel lifted in the wall high across the room like a set of blinds.

The tall female alien was standing there.

Herza.

She stood alone, her hands fisted at her sides and her tail swishing through the air in much the same way a cat would do when looking at a mouse.

The suddenness of seeing the female just standing there sent a chill through Nia.

“Oh my God.”

She was aware that Ka’Cit was punching in a series of codes into the panel by the door but she couldn’t take her eyes off the alien female.

Why was she just standing there watching them?

Why was she not attacking?

Why wasn’t she trying to stop them?

“Get in, ta’ii. Quick.”

Somehow, Ka’Cit had opened the huge doors, but his eyes were on Herza too as he spoke.

“What is she doing?”

His understanding of what she was trying to say only went so far, she knew. Ka’Cit didn’t respond and his gaze remained locked on the alien across the room.

It was as if they were having a staring match and Nia gripped her gun to her chest.

A sliver of fear ran through her.

She hadn’t been this afraid just moments before.

Not when the swarm of aliens had attacked them. Not with those same enemies now writhing in pain at their feet.

But now, with Herza watching them, her cold eyes focused on them only, the fear Nia felt was very real.

As she slipped through the doors with Ka’Cit following behind, he didn’t take his eyes off the alien above them till the doors sealed shut.

He turned to her then.

“Let’s go.”

The urgency in his voice was evident but she didn’t need any encouragement.

“There,” he said and Nia followed his gaze.

They were in the room with the large ramp now and there was a shuttle, well, two shuttles, parked within it.

The shuttles were oval, with two engines on each side and they were no bigger than commercial vans.

They headed toward the shuttle closest to them and Ka’Cit retrieved something from his pocket: a flat metallic card.

He pressed it against the shuttle and the back doors began to open.

He caught her gaze then and shrugged.

It sounded like he even chuckled a little.

“It was a…gift…that I…took.”

Right.

Nia couldn’t help but chuckle a little too but her eyes darted back to the huge doors that separated them from Herza.

The female really wasn’t coming after them.

Why?

“Come on.”

Ka’Cit gestured to the inside of the shuttle and Nia hurried in.

At the same time, he turned, aimed across the room, and fired a single shot.

An alarm began blaring immediately.

“Airlock. Compromised. Airlock. Compromised.”

Nia’s eyes widened.

Shit.

Not what you wanted to hear when all that protected you from the vacuum of space was said airlock.

The doors to their shuttle closed and they were suddenly in a small space together once again.

There was a set of suits secured to the inside of the shuttle and another set of doors behind her.

Ka’Cit let out a breath.

“We don’t have a lot of time. Herza will try to override the airlock soon or she’ll let us go.” He dropped his gun, pressed a button against the wall and the second set of doors opened. “Either way, we need to hurry. I’m probably more trouble than she wants on her ship, but we just injured her entire crew.”

He moved forward to the second section of the small vessel and Nia followed him inside.

There were two seats across from each other and a huge view screen in front.

She could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she bent so she could see outside the shuttle.

“Come on.” Ka’Cit’s voice caught her ear. “I’ll strap you in.”

With his help, she was secured into one of the seats.

He slipped into the next one, secured himself, and began punching the buttons on the control panel.

Oh God. She was going to go into space again.

She was in space.

The ship powered up almost immediately and Ka’Cit glanced her way.

Green eyes twinkled.

“Here comes the fun part.”

Wha—

Did he just say fun?

She opened her mouth to ask him what he meant by “fun” when the ship suddenly jerked forward before it rose in the air and turned in a wide arc.

Ka’Cit punched a few more buttons.

“Destination: Hudo III. Estimated time of arrival: Two clicks,” the ship said.

In front of them, the ramp was already partially open, but the gap didn’t seem big enough for them to fit through.

Nia gripped the control panel just as the shuttle shot forward.

They barely fit through the narrow gap.

“Let’s get you out of here, ta’ii.”

20

It was only when they were zooming away that Nia’s shoulders finally sagged.

There were no explosions behind them.

No one was giving chase.

Was it really over?

She glanced at Ka’Cit.

If it wasn’t for him, would she have made it this far?

He’d appeared at the right time, helped her through a difficult situation, and his presence had kept her calm.

She was staring his way, wondering how she was going to thank him, when he glanced at her.

What now?

“I…uh…” she began. But he couldn’t understand her. He probably never would be able to.

Still, she should thank him anyway.

It was the least she could do.

“Thank you, Ka’Cit.” His hand was resting on the controls and she leaned forward and placed hers over his. “Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

He seemed to freeze underneath her touch.

“I…I don’t know how to let you know that I’m grateful. I’m indebted to you. For all you did. You risked your life to come after me. You kept me warm when I was cold. Shielded me when people were trying to kill me.” She almost began tearing up and her throat went dry.

The situation had been more strenuous than she’d realized.

Releasing his hand, she leaned back in her seat, staring at the nothingness before them.

Space was really a dark void.

It looked like there was nothing out there.

No worlds teeming with life. No people. No Earth.

“Sorry.” She wiped her eyes. “What a time to get emotional, huh.”

A few moments of silence passed between them and she could feel him watching her.

“I guess, it’s nice to know people have your back out here, you know. I don’t have any family apart from Riv, Lauren, Sohut, and Cleo…no other friends…” She glanced his way. “But I’d like to think I can add you to that list too. A friend, you know.”

He blinked at her and she wished he wasn’t wearing his mask so she could see his face.

Finally, she released a sigh and shrugged.

“You can’t understand me, but maybe that’s for the best. I’m only ranting.”

Ka’Cit stared at her some more before something changed in his gaze.

Without a word, he reached into his pocket and took out the small square device she’d seen him with while in the ship’s underbelly.

He fidgeted with it for a little bit and she couldn’t figure out what he was doing.

“What is that?”

But he only glanced her way at the sound of her voice and continued fidgeting with the device.

For a few moments, she just watched him, trying to figure out what he was doing before he lifted his head and pierced her with his gaze.

Something in his eyes told her he was…smiling? But she couldn’t figure out why.

“Umm…” She gave him a nervous smile. “What’s happening?”

“It worked,” he said before reaching forward and pressing a few buttons on the ship’s control panel.

“Destination input,” the ship’s AI said. “Coordinates: AX#-4--5II3. Estimated time of arrival: Twenty sleks.”

“Huh? Wh—I thought we were heading home.”

He blinked at her but said nothing.

The hairs at the back of her neck rose. “Ka’Cit, what’s going on? Why aren’t you talking?”

But he didn’t respond.

Instead his shoulders set and he rose from his seat.

Whatever he was about to do, just from the way he walked toward the set of interior doors, she knew his mind was made up. When he reached them, he turned to look at her.

“You stay here. You’ll be safe.”

Wh—?!?! Safe from what?

He was leaving her?

“Ka’Cit!” She fumbled with the seat restraints to release herself but the doors were already closing.

As she looked over her shoulder, his gaze met hers just before the doors shut and a red light lit up overhead.

Just what the hell was going on?

* * *

He was gone.

Where?

She had no idea.

He was still in the ship, of course, but no matter how many times she pressed the button to open the interior doors, the red light remained lit and the doors remained locked.

She was pacing for maybe ten or fifteen minutes, completely losing her mind, when structures began appearing in front of them as the ship slowed down on its own.

Huge metal structures that looked like pins and needles stuck together materialized, it seemed, out of thin air.

“What the…” Nia froze, her eyes widening as more of the structures came into view.

The structures were gigantic, dwarfing the shuttle in their magnificence.

She didn’t know what to think but her feet pulled her toward the view screen.

There were lights blinking on some of the structures and some of the others looked like space debris.

Why did the ship stop here?

Drawing closer, she pressed her palms against the view screen as she looked out.

Far, far below, was a planet.

A round planet with vast orange landmasses.

She knew what she was looking at without anyone having to tell her.

It was Hudo III.

Home.

So he hadn’t changed their destination. But where the hell had he gone?

Spinning, she rushed back to the doors and, for probably the hundredth time, she slammed her hand against the button next them.

The ship’s response didn’t change.

A loud beep denied her entry.

She was acutely aware of the ship finally coming to a stop beside one of the huge metal giants.

There was a creak as it came to a stop and then silence.

“Ka’Cit? What’s going on?”

Could he even hear her behind the doors?

She got an answer, but not the one she’d expected.

The vessel’s AI spoke, so loud that she jumped.

“Airlock opening.”

Nia’s eyes flew to the doors. “What? No!”

But the doors didn’t open. They remained closed.

Maybe the ship made a mistake?

She crept closer to the view screen and looked out.

For a few minutes, there was nothing.

No movement. Nothing.

The only thing that told her she wasn’t frozen in time was the lights blinking on the large structure outside the ship.

That’s when she saw movement.

Her heart thumped in her chest, skipping a beat.

An intruder.

There was someone outside the…

But when the alien turned and she saw his face, her terror turned into confusion.

“Ka’Cit?”

Nia moved closer to the view screen.

Ka’Cit was in a dark spacesuit—one of those that she’d seen hanging on the interior of the shuttle no doubt—and he was looking back at her.

He’d had to remove his mask before putting on the spacesuit and he space walked straight to the view screen, looking in as if to check if she was all right.

“What are you doing out there?!”

No answer, of course, and she had no choice but to watch him float away to the huge metal structure the ship had stopped beside.

The sheer size of the thing was even more pronounced when he drew closer to it.

The structure didn’t seem far from the ship, but it was difficult to judge the distance.

That made her heart lodge in her throat.

Just seeing him floating in the nothingness that was space unlocked a fear she never knew she had.

That’s when she saw the tether attached to the back of his suit.

Still…

Was he fucking crazy?

What the hell was he doing?

His feet landed on one of the metal pins and he turned to glance back at her once more.

Nia’s palm flattened over her mouth as she watched him turn and walk along the pin, arms outstretched on both sides to balance.

When he reached the central part of the structure, he dug into the pocket of his suit and she could barely make out the little square device in his hand.

Then he got to work. It seemed he had other tools in his pockets too because he somehow opened a panel on the huge metal structure.

Nia craned her neck to see what he was doing but between his spacesuit and the fact she couldn’t see around him, she could only guess his intent.

He was working on something and his movements suggested he was interacting with buttons within the thing.

Her brows furrowed as she watched him.

Just what was he doing?

As her heart thudded in her chest, her anxiety rising, her gaze moved across the metallic structure.

It was a satellite wasn’t it?

Like a huge, alien cell tower floating in space.

What else could it be?

It wasn’t a spaceship and it seemed to be orbiting the planet.

It had to be a satellite.

But that still didn’t tell her what he was doing.

Time seemed to slow down as she watched him, every beat of her heart sending more anxiety through her veins.

Seconds turned into minutes, and those minutes bled into one another. The longer he was out there, the shallower her breathing became until she was a nervous wreck who’d bitten down her nails so far, she was starting to bite flesh.

Finally, Ka’Cit moved from his position.

He closed the panel he’d opened and turned, outstretching his arms again as he walked back toward her.

As soon as he was at the edge of the pin once more, he floated back toward the view screen.

He came close enough to press his hand against the glass and Nia reached forward, pressing her palm against the surface to meet his.

Her gaze flicked over his face, her wide eyes trying to gather answers he could not tell her.

“What are you doing?”

He had the audacity to give her a devilish smile, one that made her heart do a curious flip-flop in her chest.

“Get in here!”

He couldn’t hear her, but it seemed he’d finished doing whatever he was doing anyway because he let go of the screen and floated toward the back of the ship.

Nia found herself pacing again for what felt like the longest five minutes of her life.

“Airlock. Closed,” the ship announced.

Her thumb was in her mouth as she bit at her finger and when the light above the door finally turned green she marched toward it.

It opened and she bumped right into him.

Standing so close, she’d forgotten how tall he was and she craned her neck as she frowned up at him.

“You!” she shouted, mildly caught off guard by the fact that she was looking directly into his face. He hadn’t put his mask back on yet.

“You scared me! I thought you’d gone crazy! What the hell were you doing out there! That was so dangerous. Don’t you ever do that again.” She let out a breath to calm herself. Her hands were trembling and she had to fold her arms to hide that fact. “What if that tether thing had broken and you’d floated away? And you didn’t even say anything before you went out there!” Her hands fisted at her sides. “What the hell was I supposed to do if you’d gotten stuck! Or worse!”

His smile returned. “So you would have…cared if something happened to me out there?”

Nia’s mouth fell open. She hadn’t expected that question. “What? Well…of course I would have cared. I’m not—” It hit her then that it seemed he’d understood her. “Wait…did you just deduce what I’m saying or did you actually understand me?” She closed her eyes for a moment and released a breath. “I don’t know anymore.”

When she opened her eyes, she glared at him.

For some reason, she felt angry at him for endangering himself. And it wasn’t the usual type of anger.

This one was fueled by something she couldn’t quite pinpoint at that moment. “You scared me.”

“I really didn’t mean to.”

Wha—

Nia’s mouth fell open. “Y-you can understand me?”

His lips twitched a little and he nodded.

Nia stepped back a little. “You can?”

“Me and every single being on Hudo III can understand you now. I updated the database with your…” he frowned a little, “Een-glish?”

“W-what?”

“Sorry it took so long. Been a while since I did anything like that. I’m out of practice.” His frown deepened and all Nia could do was stare open-mouthed at him.

“How…”

Ka’Cit shrugged and Nia stepped back a little more till she was leaning against one of the seats.

His gaze suddenly became concerned.

“You don’t like it. Your face. It’s…not happy.”

Nia blinked.

“It’s not that…it’s just…I don’t understand.”

“I pushed an…update to the system. A code,” he said.

Nia blinked at him, her eyes nictitating. “You what?”

“A code.”

Nia’s mouth fell open. “You’re telling me you just uploaded a bug to the system? You hacked it?”

His brows furrowed again. “I didn’t put any creatures into the system and I didn’t slash at it either.”

She would laugh if she wasn’t still so shocked.

“I can understand you now…” he continued before gesturing to the planet far below them, “and everyone down there will be able to understand you too, once their translators update.”

Nia had to put her entire weight on the seat behind her. Her legs felt too weak.

“You just…uploaded English to the world?”

He was watching her intently, it seemed, in an effort to read her reaction.

His shoulders were tense and he remained unmoving as if preparing himself for something.

“That’s what you did?” she asked again.

He nodded this time.

Nia fell to her knees before she collapsed and sat back on her legs. Her gaze focused ahead at nothing.

“Nee-ya?”

“You have no idea what you’ve just done.”

There was movement and then he came to sit before her in the same position.

“I am confused if it is something bad or good.”

“Good.” She met his gaze. “Good.”

She swallowed hard and took a breath.

“You have no idea what a gift…”

Again she was feeling emotional.

“Apart from Riv and Sohut, I haven’t had much interaction with many aliens.

When I was taken, the alien slave ship I’d been on crashed and I was…” She took another breath. Reliving it was horrible, but she’d never talked to anyone about it before. Not even Lauren and Cleo.

When she looked at Ka’Cit, he was still studying her.

There was no insistence; no pressure for her to talk. This was her choice and, for some reason, he made her feel comfortable enough to speak about it.

She cleared her throat and continued. “I was trapped in a cage underneath the wreckage for over two days.”

She’d almost died and it was probably the reason why her claustrophobia had grown another head and was even more debilitating than it had been on Earth.

Ka’Cit tried to keep his face neutral, she could see, but she’d caught the shock that passed over his features.

“Two days,” she repeated. “At least, that’s how long I thought it was. I’d had no way of telling the time. For those two days, my biggest fear was that I was going to die—that no one would find me in time.” She sighed. “But after I was pulled from the wreckage, that fear soon disappeared only to be replaced by another.”

She met his gaze again. “I was face-to-face with a new set of aliens—not the slug-like ones and their alligator friends who’d captured me first. This new set looked like brutes. Big. Green. Ferocious-looking. I’d feared the worst, but I’d lucked out in the end.”

She took another breath. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this…”

“Go on. I am listening.”

And he was.

Nia swallowed hard and her gaze fell to her hands before she nodded.

“They sold me to an alien who only seemed to want to watch me like his pet bug in a huge glass box. He’d fed me. And he’d watched me. That was about it. It was that way for a long, long time until one day, I realized he wasn’t moving from the round seat he usually sat on.”

She glanced at Ka’Cit but he was still watching her, as if he was truly invested in her story, so she continued.

“After another day of no movement, I realized he was either dead or doing some kind of hibernating thing. On the third day when he started to smell, I started to panic. I was locked in a box with no way out. A big glass box, like the size of a small studio apartment, but a box nonetheless. If he was dead…then so was I, eventually.”

“How did you get out?”

“Luck. Again, it was pure luck. One of his friends, I suppose, visited. That friend saw me and brought me to a market. From there, I changed hands and was given to an alien with a huge protrusion at the back of his head like a big balloon.”

“Geblit.”

Nia smiled. “Yea, that’s his name. He’d seemed pretty upset by my presence and he’d hurried me to Riv’s Sanctuary as if he couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”

She paused for a few moments.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that, through all of this…I didn’t feel like a…person. When I spoke, no one understood me. Even if they wouldn’t have listened to what I had to say, I didn’t even have the option to speak for myself. I was truly reliant on everyone around me. Even this,” she gestured to the vessel they were in, “all this partially happened because the Niftrills thought I was talking gibberish. They didn’t care to try and understand. I am a nobody to most of the aliens here.”

“Ta’ii…you are never that.”

“Thanks to you.” Nia smiled a little then. “To live in a world where you’re invisible…to not be understood and then to be given a voice…it’s something I’d taken for granted on Earth…my freedom.” Her eyes suddenly felt wet and she fought to hold back the tears. “And now you’ve given me some of that back.”

In one movement, she was in his arms.

She didn’t know if she was the one that moved toward him or if he was the one to close the distance. All she knew was that she was wrapping her arms around his neck and his arms were closing around her.

Nia buried her face into the crook of his neck and he allowed her to.

“Thank you, Ka’Cit. How can I ever repay you for all you’ve done for me?”

His voice was hoarse when he spoke, so hoarse she almost thought he was clearing his throat.

“This…” he said. “Ta’ii, this is payment enough.”

“You keep calling me that…tah-ee. What does it mean?”

He stiffened a little and she thought he wasn’t going to reply.

“It means…friend.”

Friend.

Nia smiled.

For a moment, she allowed herself to relax against him. Her nose was buried against his skin and she could smell his unique musk.

It was surprisingly calming and…nice—like ginger with a dash of cinnamon.

Comforting.

She wasn’t sure how long he held her there, but as she sniffled and wiped her eyes, Nia eased off him slowly.

Her cheek brushed against his, as she moved back, and when her face was just before his, she paused.

His green gaze met hers as they looked at each other and Nia didn’t know what was holding her still; she only knew that she could not move.

Ka’Cit lifted a hand and brushed a finger slowly down her cheek.

He watched his finger move, as if he was memorizing every line on her face.

That corrosive green gaze of his met hers once more and the air between them changed.

When his gaze fell to her lips, Nia felt her breathing quicken.

Involuntarily, she ran her tongue over her bottom lip and that’s when she heard the rumble in his throat.

For a moment, she almost pulled away, but something held her unmoving within his arms.

And then…

As her lips fell against his, electricity snapped and crackled in the air between them.

A deep groan vibrated from his throat as they made contact and Nia felt her body responding.

Her nipples were tight, her center suddenly aching, and it felt like she’d ignited a fire that was burning bright in the center of her being.

Ka’Cit gripped her tight and pulled her against him.

He groaned again, a sound that sent electricity to her center, and that tight little bud between her legs began to throb.

His lips were soft, softer than she’d expected them to be, and when she flicked her tongue out to brush against them, he groaned so loud, his body vibrated against hers.

Ka’Cit matched her, brushing the tip of her tongue with his just before their tongues dived against each other, frolicking…stroking…mating.

She could feel the tips of his fangs and that only made her moan a little more.

He was wild, powerful, strong, but oh so gentle as he held her against him.

Kissing him was a whole experience she hadn’t been prepared for.

Ka’Cit’s hands moved down to rest against her waist as hers went up behind his head, clasping the nape of his neck as her fingers threaded through his hair.

A kiss had never left her weak, but this one was about to.

There was a sweet sort of energy building between them, forcing them together, but she couldn’t let go and she didn’t want it to stop.

Seconds ticked by while the world stood still and as Nia’s legs became weak, her body turned into jelly.

When she finally wrenched her lips from his to take a breath, Nia opened her eyes and met his.

He didn’t need to say anything and she didn’t either.

She could see it in his eyes even as she could feel it within herself.

Something had just changed between them…and she was pretty sure there was no going back.

21

Ka’Cit’s sat-watch beeped and he cursed underneath his breath.

The moment was broken and Nee-ya blinked.

Her hands loosened from his neck and she began to stand.

He let her go, releasing her even though he didn’t want to.

That moment they’d just shared…he wanted to relive it again, and again, and again.

His sat-watch beeped once more and this time, he cursed out loud.

At that moment, he wished he’d ripped it from his arm and left it to float in the void.

Nee-ya cleared her throat and stood, sliding away from him and he immediately felt a loss with her no longer pressed against him.

“That’s an alarm, I guess?”

Ka’Cit jerked his chin in a nod.

“It was.” It was time to go.

Awkwardly, he sighed and closed his legs, not that it helped to hide anything. His cock was hard and throbbing in his trousers; he wasn’t even sure he could stand without it pointing straight at her.

So, he remained kneeling on the floor.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he ran a hand back through his hair. “I shouldn’t be here right now. I was on a…job, before I came after you.”

She nodded and her fingers went to touch her lips before she caught herself. She looked away from him then. “I remember. I heard that…call you had when we were hiding.” She paused. “Is that what you were doing? When you were checking those Niftrills?”

Ah, he had been wondering what she was thinking when she’d stopped running to look back at him.

“Yes.” He studied her a little. He guessed there was no harm in telling her about it. “One of them had the information I needed.”

“What information?”

He hesitated then. This was the part he wasn’t sure he should tell her about.

It didn’t affect her directly, but after the story she’d just told him, he knew now it might affect her emotionally, maybe even mentally.

“Do you remember those guards who took you from your planet?”

She stiffened a little, her alertness increasing. “The ones that looked like walking alligators?”

At his confused look she went on. “Long tails, yellow eyes…”

Ah. “Yes. The Hedgerud fighters. They work for the High Tasqals—the beings who ordered for you to be…taken.”

He studied her for a negative reaction but she only seemed more interested so he went on.

“Niftrills sometimes work on the ships they use to transport a valuable ore…talix metal. One of those Niftrills is a smuggler. I was hoping to…intercept him.”

“Why?”

His sat-watch dinged and crackled before he could answer.

Nia was watching him.

“He’s contacting me.”

“Who…the person who hired you?”

He glanced her way. “Something like that.”

The watch crackled again and he activated the comms.

“Yes?”

“What’s your status?”

He glanced at Nee-ya once more. “I told you there’s been a…situation. There’s something else, something important that I have to do.”

There was a pause.

“I’m surprised. You never…turn down assignments,” the person said.

His eyes were still on Nee-ya as he spoke. “Well…this time, I have reason to.”

There was another pause on the line.

“This job…it’s…you are our last hope, Urgmental. Countless lives will be lost if you do not retrieve this package.”

Ka’Cit stood and turned away from Nee-ya then, trying to mask the growl that rose in his throat.

“Get someone else to do it.”

He had to take her home, back to Riv’s Sanctuary. She’d be safe there. He couldn’t go off on some job when she needed his help.

“Negative. That is not possible. You are our closest source.” A pause. “It is our last effort to help these humans.”

Ka’Cit froze. Humans?

He trusted this contact so he’d never bothered to find out why they’d wanted the rare metal. He was more than happy to screw over the High Tasqals at any chance. Heck, he was doing it for free.

“Humans?” He and Nee-ya spoke at the same time and Ka’Cit glanced in her direction again.

She was wide-eyed now, staring at him.

“Humans?” she repeated and took a step closer.

The voice coming from his sat-watch continued. “We need that package.”

Something passed across Nee-ya’s features then and she turned, headed back to her seat, and buckled herself in.

“I’ll update you later.” Ka’Cit watched her as her shoulders set. He’d seen that look before when she’d grabbed the blaster and ran beside him straight toward their enemies.

“I have to go…” he said and the crackle in the sat-watch stopped as he ended the call.

“Nee-ya?”

She glanced over her shoulder, a look of determination in her eyes.

“Let’s go.”

“Okay, I will take you home.”

She shook her head. “Not home. Let’s go do this job of yours.”

Ka’Cit almost stuttered. “What?”

“Let’s go.”

Was she losing her mind?

“I could never… It’s dangerous. Risky.”

“Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself.”

He studied her for a bit.

That was true. He’d seen her in action first-hand.

Still…

Ka’Cit ran a hand through his hair once more.

He couldn’t, in his right mind, take her with him.

“I don’t think you have enough time to take me back to the Sanctuary and get this job done, do you? Fuck.” She let out a laugh that was without mirth. “There are other humans out there somewhere. God knows, I don’t even want to believe it. But they need your help. You need to go to get whatever this package is.”

When he didn’t budge, she continued. “If you take me down there, I’d be the reason those humans die. I won’t let that happen. I’m perfectly safe right now—have been ever since you came on that ship after me. I trust you.”

Her words made a lump form in his throat.

“Now you need to trust me.” She turned back around. Her gaze pointed out the view screen. “Let’s go.”

Her shoulders were set. Her arms were crossed, and as Ka’Cit watched her, his worry soon turned into something else.

It was a similar feeling to the one he’d felt when he watched her shoot down the Niftrills.

She was unafraid, determined…fierce—the exact type of female he’d have loved to have by his side if he wasn’t…well, if he could give her the sort of life a female like her deserved.

Memory of just a few moments before came back to him.

He’d never felt anything so soft. Nothing so good.

Her lips.

Her body against his.

Bless the stars…it had felt like an out-of-body experience—as if he hadn’t been there anymore and he was watching himself from afar.

With her against him, it felt as if he was drowning, as if he couldn’t breathe—for he had stopped breathing. He’d been afraid to even exhale lest he break the magic of the moment.

She was beautiful.

Perfect.

And she’d felt so phekking good.

His life-organ thumped in his chest and Ka’Cit had to swallow hard. He inhaled deeply, his lungs filling up with air as if he had indeed been drowning and just broke the surface of the water.

Raxu…

He didn’t know what was happening, he only knew that it scared the phek out of him.

There was like a supercharged magnet that was pulling him toward her, even when he knew he should turn the other way.

He was weak.

Because no matter if he tried to ignore it, it would always be there.

His curse.

Taunting him every time he looked in the mirror.

For both their sakes, he should take her home. He should stop this now before it got further because spending more time around her would only make the inevitable harder.

But could he?

Could he really do it?

No.

Not yet.

Just a few more moments in her presence before he had to say goodbye.

“I’ll take you with me, but on one condition.”

22

“What’s your condition?”

Ka’Cit dropped into the other seat and when she looked his way, she realized he’d put on his mask again.

His face was once again shielded from the world.

“If I tell you to run, you have to run. If I tell you to hide, you must hide.” His green eyes met hers through the slit in his mask and they bored into her soul. “Don’t turn back, don’t worry about me, just go.”

There was a lump that formed in her throat.

She knew what he was saying, that if something should happen to him, she should leave him there.

She couldn’t do that. What type of person would she be if something happened and she left him for dead?

Still, she jerked her head and gave him a nod.

He eyed her for a bit and she wondered if he knew she was lying. Was he going to change his mind? But then he pulled his gaze away.

“I have something to ask of you too.”

He stiffened and his voice was almost inaudible when he replied. “What?”

“Can we send a message to Riv and Lauren from up here? Just to let them know I’m all right. Lauren’s pregnant and I don’t want her to be stressing over me. It’s not good for the baby.”

Ka’Cit jerked his head and pressed something on the band on his arm.

For a few seconds, there was no sound and then the undeniable growl of Riv sounded in the cabin.

“Ka’Cit. I am glad you have contacted me. I… We need your help.”

Ka’Cit cleared his throat. “Help? Does it concern your mate’s…condition?”

Nia kept her eyes on him. The way he said those words came off almost…sad.

“No,” Riv said. “It’s…it’s Nee-ya. She’s…”

A jolt of happiness went through her. “Tell him I’m fine.”

“Nee-ya?” Riv sounded shocked.

“Nia’s there?! Let me talk to her!” There was some shuffling before Lauren came on the line. “Nia?”

Nia drew closer to Ka’Cit so they could hear her better. “Yes, it’s me. I’m fine.”

“Oh my God! It really is you!” She could hear Lauren sobbing.

“Hey, hey, don’t cry. I don’t want you to cry. I’m fine. I truly am.”

Lauren was full on sobbing now. “I—we don’t know what happened. We were looking at the cradles and I turned around to ask you what you thought and you weren’t there. Oh God, Nia, what happened? We searched everywhere!”

Water was starting to fill her own eyes and she forced them away. “I…it’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it when I get back, but I just wanted you to know that I’m fine. I’m unharmed and I am well.”

“Where are you? We can come get you.”

Nia glanced at Ka’Cit. His eyes had gone emotionless, as if a wall was erected behind them.

“I’m…again, long story. But no worries. I’ll be back soon.”

There was some mumbling in the background and she barely made out Riv telling Lauren that Ka’Cit was a good guy, that she’d be safe with him.

“I’m safe,” she repeated. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay. We’ll be waiting for you.” Lauren’s voice was a bit reluctant.

“See you.”

As the line went dead, Nia released a breath and leaned back in her seat.

She could head back to the Sanctuary now.

Logic said she should.

Why put herself in more danger?

But she’d already made up her mind and she hoped, if she was in trouble like it sounded the other humans were, there would be someone out there to do something to help her.

Kind of like how she was in trouble and Ka’Cit had been there for her.

“Ready?” she asked.

For a few moments, he said nothing, then she heard him release a breath.

As he reactivated the shuttle, the hum of the engines vibrated the little vessel.

Nia gripped the seat beneath her.

She was really going to do this.

Anticipation and trepidation filled her as the ship hummed and moved forward for just a bit, but it didn’t get very far before it jerked and stopped.

A horrible sound, one that gave her the image of a spanner being thrown into a blender, filled the vessel.

“What the hell was that?”

Ka’Cit didn’t answer. Instead, he closed his eyes and slammed a fist on the control panel.

“Phek!”

There was another loud creak in the cabin and for a second, it sounded like the ship was breaking in two.

It wasn’t exactly the sound you wanted to hear when you were in the middle of space.

“Ka’Cit?”

“It’s Herza,” he said.

“Shit.” Nia’s eyes flew to the view screen, her heart in her throat.

She knew it had been weird how that woman had just watched them leave.

“Something’s wrong with the ship. It’s why she didn’t try to stop us when we got to the loading bay. My guess is that this vessel isn’t fit to get us any farther.” Ka’Cit punched a few buttons. “Computer. Relay diagnostics.”

For a few seconds, there was silence. Then, “Diagnostics check. Complete. Main engine one is compromised.”

“Phek.” He said it under his breath this time and when he looked her way, she could see the rage in his gaze.

Shit. Was this her fault?

“Was this because you stopped to help me? With the language thing? The ship was going fine before that.”

Ka’Cit blinked at her and then, as if realizing what she was asking, his gaze softened.

“No, ta’ii. As a matter of fact, I’m glad we stopped. If the engine had blown while we were descending to the planet, it would have been…”

He left the rest unsaid.

Right…they’d have become dust upon reentry.

“What do we do now?”

Ka’Cit turned back toward the view screen and his shoulders slumped a little.

“We have to stop at one of the service satellites. Have someone fix it. There’s no other option.”

He seemed put off by it and she couldn’t help but wonder why.

“That will be okay. Won’t it?”

Ka’Cit made a sound in his throat before he looked her way.

She couldn’t read the look in his eyes and with his mask back on, she had no idea what he was thinking.

“It will be okay, ta’ii.”

Why did it feel as if he’d just told her a lie?

* * *

Ka’Cit tried to bite back the groan in his throat.

As the shuttle chugged along with its one good engine, he tried to focus on the satellite they were approaching instead of at the female across from him.

Phek him if it wasn’t one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do in all of his existence.

His cock was throbbing in his trousers, the end of his tail was stiff, and his life organ was struggling in his chest, and all because he could feel her lips on his as if she was still pressed against him.

This had never happened to him before.

He’d never had another soul affect him in the way this little human was affecting him now.

As the ship approached the service satellite, Nee-ya glanced in his direction.

He could see her through his peripheral vision and she kept glancing from him to the satellite looming before them.

He supposed she was a bit concerned.

Maybe they didn’t have such things where she came from. Er-th, she’d called her planet, if he remembered correctly.

The satellite looked like a huge space rock with jagged edges.

There were lights blinking off the sides of it and every now and then, the airlock would open and a cargo ship would exit before zooming off into the void.

Nee-ya glanced at him once more before fidgeting in her seat and all he could think about was when she’d fidgeted against him in her sleep.

Ka’Cit cleared his throat.

What the phek was wrong with him?

“That part up there,” he pointed to the top of the asteroid, “that’s where the larger vessels enter.”

“Is that where we’ll enter?”

He shook his head. “No. We’re not nearly large enough. We go there.”

He pointed straight ahead.

It looked like solid rock and he could see her glance his way once more.

But she didn’t say anything.

She’d said she trusted him and that thought caused the tip of his tail to rise against his leg a little.

Phek, if she was close it would have probably wrapped itself around her.

There was definitely something wrong with him.

As they drew closer, the doors of the service satellite opened making it appear as if the rock split in two to let them enter.

Nee-ya leaned forward, her eyes going wide, and Ka’Cit risked turning his head a little so he could watch her.

Awe lit up her face as she looked around and the farther they went in, the more her eyes grew wide.

As the doors closed behind them and the air stabilized within the airlock from the huge jets in the walls, Nee-ya leaned forward so much she strained against her seat restraints.

Not one ounce of fear.

“—place dangerous?”

Ka’Cit blinked only to realize she was looking his way.

Big brown eyes met his own and his life organ skipped a beat.

“Is this place dangerous?” she repeated.

If she had noticed him shamelessly devouring her body with his eyes, she made no indication that she did.

“No. You’re with me. You’ll be safe.”

That was another thing.

As soon as he exited the shuttle, she was going to see a part of him not even Riv and Sohut knew.

At least, not to an intimate extent.

He’d brought Nee-ya into a part of his world that he kept separate.

Out here, he was someone else.

Just as the ship began moving again, she turned back to look out the view screen and it seemed that his answer was enough for her.

The inner doors opened, admitting them into the service station and Ka’Cit directed the ship over to one of the free bays.

It wasn’t busy, surprisingly.

Only a few ships were being worked on and he hoped that meant they wouldn’t be stuck on the station for long.

As he pulled the ship into the bay, the thing jerked one last time, emitting a loud groan, before the lights cut off.

“Phek,” he breathed.

“You didn’t cut the engine, did you?”

“No. The other engine is gone now too.”

Great.

“Damn. Well, at least it got us this far, I guess.” She began removing her restraints and he slipped out of his seat.

By the time he reached the door and looked back, she’d already grasped her blaster and was stuffing it underneath her cloak and out of sight.

Smart.

She’d lifted the hood of the cloak over her head too and when she lifted her gaze to look up at him, she smiled a little.

“Can’t be too prepared.”

True words and his motto as well.

Only, he couldn’t be more unprepared for what this day was throwing at him so far.

When it came to Nee-ya, he was feeling incredibly lost.

As they left the ship, he grabbed his own blaster and threw his arm back, resting it on his shoulder.

Once they were outside, he wasn’t sure what to expect.

Service satellites could be iffy—all sorts of beings passed through them.

“Ta’ii,” he said as the doors opened.

“Uh-huh?”

“There’s something else…” He trailed off.

Phek.

His life-organ was hammering so hard in his throat, it was difficult to speak.

She looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.

“These satellites…they’re…females aren’t usually seen here. Not unaccompanied and not usually without their…mates.”

“I’m not unaccompanied…I have you.”

“Right. But…”

Realization dawned and he saw when her eyes widened. “Oh. You mean like that.” She smiled then. “I can pretend to be your mate if it will make things go smoother. Is that what you meant?”

That’s exactly what he’d meant.

His chin jerked and her smile changed a little, becoming softer, before she ducked her head.

“Let’s do it.”

Phek.

Ka’Cit’s throat moved and he opened his mouth to answer, but as if timed to save him from saying something stupid, the doors opened to an alien standing there awaiting them.

23

An alien that looked just like the one that had brought her to the Sanctuary stood before them.

A Torian.

He blinked at them before he dropped whatever tool he was carrying, his eyes darting from her to Ka’Cit.

He was green with four eyes and four arms. At the back of his head was a large, round protrusion that pulsed like that of a jellyfish or maybe an octopus.

She would have thought it was Geblit, the alien who’d brought her to the Sanctuary, if not for the fact that this alien was absolutely filthy.

Soot covered its arms and even some parts of its head.

Geblit would never tolerate such a thing.

“Well…” Ka’Cit began. His voice sounded so different, she had to glance up at him.

It was harder. Icier. More powerful.

More…deadly.

As if it was coming from a man who did not feel, not the man who’d held her against him just moments before.

“I-I…uh…” The mechanic glanced behind him but even though she was sure she’d seen a few aliens on the floor when Ka’Cit was taking the ship in, there seemed to be no one in the station apart from them now.

She even caught someone ducking behind one of the ships in the bays.

Ka’Cit made a sound in his throat and stepped forward.

He loomed over the Torian and the alien seemed to cower.

“Your ship needs servicing, Crusher?”

Crusher?

She could swear she saw Ka’Cit stiffen.

“The engines are out. Have them fixed, at least enough to get us to the surface.”

The Torian glanced her way before his eyes darted back to Ka’Cit. “Th-that will be m-many credits…f-far more than this model is worth…”

“Just fix it.” Ka’Cit’s growl of annoyance made the alien shiver and even when she stepped forward to stand beside Ka’Cit the alien’s sole focus remained on the man by her side.

“Y-yes. Anything you want, Crusher,” he said before he began to hurry away.

“Torian.”

At Ka’Cit’s voice, the alien paused mid-motion. “Y-yes?”

“Does this station have food…drink?”

“Y-yes. In the main lounge. You and your…”

“My mate,” Ka’Cit growled and the alien’s four eyes widened.

“Your mate?” The words came out with some surprise but as if remembering himself, the alien hurried to continue. “Er, right, you and your mate are welcome.”

Ka’Cit placed a hand at her back then and began guiding her through from the bay toward a large set of double metal doors.

She couldn’t help but look behind them as they walked and more than once she spotted the head of an alien or two dodging behind some of the ships parked there.

Were they hiding?

As soon as they went through the double doors, Ka’Cit pushed a button in the wall and the floor began moving upward.

It was a lift.

“Why did the alien seem so…wary of you?”

Again, she was sure Ka’Cit stiffened.

“That, ta’ii, is a long story.”

The lift opened to chatter that suddenly died as they stepped into the room.

What in the Wild West…?

Nia kept her head low, but it didn’t stop her from stealing a few glances from underneath her cloak.

Every single alien in the room was dressed in similar outfits, a faded sort of green tunic, and all of them were dead silent—frozen in time.

Some had their drinks in hand, some were in the middle of chewing, but they all shared one thing: a pin could drop and it would be heard in the silence.

Ka’Cit didn’t seem to notice or, he didn’t mind. His hand was still at her back and he guided her forward.

Up front, there was a large counter with a stocky alien who had more arms than she could count pouring drinks.

When they reached the counter, the tension didn’t cease.

As a matter of fact, it seemed as if the bartender was also frozen, his eyes on Ka’Cit.

They stopped by the counter and Ka’Cit studied the bartender. Nia found herself glancing from one to the other, trying to figure out what the hell was happening, but she knew better than to open her mouth.

Something was going on here that was bigger than her.

“Two galaxy quas.” Ka’Cit didn’t even speak loudly but with the silence in the room, his voice carried.

As soon as the words left his mouth though, it was as if the room collectively sighed and the chatter picked up as if it hadn’t stopped.

Nia glanced up at the man by her side, one eyebrow lifting a little.

She wanted to ask him what the hell was going on but maybe she’d do that later.

“Two galaxy quas.” The bartender placed the drinks in front of them and hurried off.

Nia looked at the bottle before her.

It was fizzing like a carbonated drink on steroids.

She was very aware of Ka’Cit watching her as she grasped it and looked at it, turning it around in her hand.

“It is good,” he said.

It looked like it was ready to erode her teeth more like, but she gave him a brave smile and put the drink to her head.

The taste surprised her. It was almost too sweet and the carbonated part of it popped on her tongue.

But she was so thirsty—she hadn’t drunk anything since leaving the Sanctuary—so she took another swig.

The fizz felt like it went up her nose and she had to shake her head a bit to get rid of the sensation.

She was sure Ka’Cit snickered underneath his mask. “Like it?”

She couldn’t answer, she was too busy taking another swig, but she nodded instead.

“Here, take mine too.” He slid his bottle toward her before leaning forward against the counter.

For the next few moments, he leaned on the counter and watched her consume the drink.

He seemed completely at ease, but she could still feel the tension at her back.

Nia took a few more gulps and allowed her gaze to move over the room without making it obvious she was checking the place out.

Apart from the weird silence that had greeted them when they first entered, this bar, if she could call it that, wasn’t that bad.

The walls were the color of mahogany and drab. Apart from a small circular window on one wall, there were no other wall decorations.

There were several tables in the small lounge made of the same material and color as the walls and the stools looked like barrels that matched the same color.

Ka’Cit was right. Apart from her, there didn’t seem to be any other females within the room.

At least, no aliens were present that she could confidently identify as being female. It felt as if she was in an alien truck stop filled with a host of drivers who transported the cargo from Hudo III galaxy wide.

They were talking together, sharing jokes, but she noticed one thing: despite the chatter, they all seemed to be glancing in her and Ka’Cit’s direction every now and then.

“They seem…uncomfortable,” she whispered loud enough for Ka’Cit to hear and he grunted.

“They should be.”

Nia took another gulp of the drink and allowed herself to enjoy the feel of the fluid going down her throat.

Despite the sideways glances in their direction, she had to admit that the chatter in the background was almost comforting.

If she closed her eyes, she could imagine she was somewhere on Earth in a regular bar.

But they were on a job. They still had to get that package.

They? Funny how she’d now included herself on that.

“Um, Crusher?” The small voice barely caught her attention and she had to pull her gaze from the room to look in the direction of the sound.

It was the Torian, the mechanic who was working on their stolen ship.

“There’s a problem.” Ka’Cit turned to regard the Torian as well.

“P-problem?” The alien stuttered.

“You wouldn’t come back to me if there wasn’t.”

The Torian gulped, his four eyes darting to the side before he forced them back on Ka’Cit.

“It’s n-not a p-problem, but I-I’m afraid there is no quick fix. It will take longer than a few minutes to complete the repairs.”

When Ka’Cit didn’t say anything, the Torian hurried on. “The vessel is…very damaged. It seems to not have been serviced, ever, though,” he spoke even faster now, “I’m sure you serviced it a lot. Maybe whoever you hired didn’t do a good job and—”

“How long?” Ka’Cit cut him off.

The Torian gulped again. “It will take at least three full light cycles to repair the engines.”

Ka’Cit let the blaster fall from his shoulders to hang by his side and the whole room hushed once more.

For a moment, no one seemed to breathe and Nia found herself looking around the room.

Fear registered on every single one of the faces she could read.

“Do it.” Ka’Cit’s words were barely uttered before the Torian nodded.

“Y-yes, Crusher.” The Torian moved quickly, almost falling over his own legs to get away.

As Ka’Cit turned back to the bar, the room released a collective sigh.

Nia stared at him.

No, she had to ask.

Lowering her voice, she moved closer to him. “Just what the hell is happening?”

Ka’Cit huffed out an almost inaudible laugh.

“A curse,” he said underneath his breath.

His answer left her momentarily speechless.

A curse?

“And I don’t think we’re going to make it, ta’ii.” He tapped his finger on the counter as he stared straight ahead. “We definitely can’t intercept that package in time. The chance is lost.”

His words made something fall within her.

“But that means…”

It meant the humans that needed whatever was in this package were going to possibly die?

She couldn’t help but feel that it was completely because of her and maybe her expression showed in her face because Ka’Cit dipped his hand underneath the cloak’s hood to grasp her chin with his fingers.

His touch was light as he rubbed his finger over the small indentation in the middle of her chin and his gaze was focused on the movement.

It felt like he had to pull his eyes upward to meet hers. “It’s not your fault, ta’ii.”

“What gave you the impression I was thinking that?”

He shrugged a little. “I know all too well of blaming yourself for something you cannot control.”

Cryptic.

It felt like there was more to that sentence and she was about to ask him to explain when the bartender moved over their way.

“I know what will cheer you up,” Ka’Cit’s eyes lightened and he caught the alien’s attention with a wave of his hand.

“Two Zeregga meals. Make them hot and well cooked.”

“Two Zeregga meals,” the bartender repeated as he shuffled off.

Ka’Cit looked at her. “We’ll be here a while. We might as well get comfortable.” He checked the band on his wrist.

“What about those humans? Is there anything we can do to help them?”

His gaze travelled over her face for a few moments. “You truly feel responsible…”

Nia nodded. “Well, if you hadn’t been trying to help me then they wouldn’t be in a worse situation.”

He studied her for a bit more. “I’ll figure it out.”

Nia’s mouth opened and closed.

He said it with such surety, she felt inclined to believe him.

She had to.

24

Releasing a breath, Nia turned her attention back to the room and it was then that she realized the chatter had lessened somewhat.

More eyes were flicking in their direction with increased confidence.

One alien sitting close by them caught her gaze and only because he was sitting in such a position that he had direct view of her face.

He had antennae and a mouth with clasps like an ant’s but that wasn’t the reason he caught her attention.

It was the way he was looking at her, and now that she was looking back, the alien’s eyes slipped from her face to slide down her body.

A sick feeling developed in Nia’s belly and her skin crawled.

She was wearing a cloak that looked like one of her great grandmother’s bedsheets and he was looking at her like that?

If the other aliens in the room were like him, no wonder females hardly ventured to the service satellites alone.

Purposefully, and in an exaggerated fashion, she reached for Ka’Cit’s hand.

He jerked a little at the suddenness of her touch and his gaze snapped to hers.

Nia smiled up at him as she took the same hand and secured it firmly around her waist, moving as close to him as she could.

She was pressed against his side now and she was sure she could feel his heart thundering in his chest.

“Nee-ya? What are you doing?” His voice was only loud enough for her to hear.

“You’re my mate, remember. I’m just reminding those with wandering eyes of that fact.”

“Ah…right. We are pretending to be…” He left the rest unsaid but…was that a note of disappointment she heard?

Ka’Cit pulled his gaze away from hers and glanced around the room before he settled directly on the alien who’d been looking at her funny.

The alien looked away so fast, she was sure he’d just made himself cross-eyed in the process.

The whole situation almost made her giggle.

Almost.

“You drive fear into everyone’s bones, Ka’Cit.”

“Everyone, except you.” Again, there was a note of something in his tone, but this time she couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

He was right, though.

She wasn’t scared of him.

Even now, by her side, there was a calm, deadly coldness about him that told everyone in the room that he wasn’t someone to be messed with.

Yet, that feeling didn’t extend to her.

So, she remained against his side with his arm around her waist and she even leaned into him a little as she focused on the galaxy qua in front of her.

A scent caught her nose and she sniffed.

“The Zeregga meal,” Ka’Cit said. “It’s almost done.”

“Smells good. What’s in it?”

Ka’Cit tilted his head to the side. “Lots of meat and sauce. Most beings love it.”

Eh…meat.

Alien meat. It certainly wasn’t chicken and she wasn’t going to ask what it was.

The last time she’d been curious, she’d almost thrown up her meal and she was too hungry right now for that to happen.

Her stomach growled and she glanced up at him but if he’d heard, he was ignoring it. Or maybe he was ignoring her.

He seemed to be focused on a particular spot on the wall in front of them that wasn’t interesting in the least, and when she twisted in his arms, he seemed to close his eyes and inhale deeply in response.

“Ka’Cit?”

Just then the door opened and the loud laughter of whoever had just entered filled the room, pulling her and everyone else’s attention toward it.

It was a huge brute of an alien.

Big, strapping, and he seemed to have an entourage of smaller aliens of the same species following him.

He looked like a warthog, that’s the closest thing she could liken him to, and his entourage was made up of four smaller warthogs who surrounded him.

He had tusks that came forward from his mouth, his eyes were inset, and he had hulking shoulders.

As soon as they came through the door, the big alien’s eyes homed in on hers and Nia spun so her back was turned to him.

Something about the alien made her uneasy and she decided to pay attention to the drink before her in the hope that he’d ignore her.

The alien kept speaking to his cronies in a language that she couldn’t understand, and his voice became louder and louder, telling her he was moving in her direction.

Ka’Cit’s arm moved against her side and when she looked up at him, his eyes were so cold she could feel a chill.

These newcomers were bad news. She could tell.

She could feel it in the air itself.

They were close to the bar now, and she realized the alien switched languages for her translator implant picked up his words.

“Now, what do we have here?”

Oh God, she wished he wasn’t referring to her.

She was aware that he’d come to stand by the counter and when she risked a glance his way, she found his eyes on her.

Fuck. Her.

Did she have an alien attractor magnet somewhere on the back of her head?

“Where did you come from?” His words seemed innocent but his tone wasn’t.

Nia stiffened and she was aware the room had suddenly gone silent again but the idiots beside her didn’t seem to realize that.

Plus, she was still in Ka’Cit’s arms. Did the alien not see that?

“Don’t think it heard you, boss?” one of its cronies said.

“What’s a Niftrill doing out here on its own.”

“It’s not a Niftrill. You’re just as blind as those phekkers.”

“I said,” the brute repeated, “where did you come from?”

A large hand landed on the back of her head, grasped her hood and pulled it down her head. Nia froze.

When she looked up, the alien was frozen with his hand still grasping her cloak, but his gaze wasn’t on her anymore.

That’s when she realized he was frozen because his hand couldn’t move.

On her other side, Ka’Cit had let her go to grasp the alien by the wrist.

Now there was definitely tension in the room. If she had a knife, she could cut it like a piece of cake.

“Remove your hand, or I will remove it for you.”

Ka’Cit’s words were said so slowly, so surely, that they sent a chill through the room.

The brute appeared momentarily surprised, but it seemed to draw strength from the presence of its cronies.

One moment, she was standing still and the next, the alien was using his other arm to pull her toward him.

It happened so fast, she landed with her back against him and his hand around her throat.

The alien looked down at her, seeing her properly for the first time and his eyes widened a little before he grinned around his tusks.

Nia gritted her teeth and struggled in his arms.

She didn’t want to reveal her gun, she was still grasping it with one hand underneath her cloak, but if she had to…

Through the corner of her eye, though, she realized Ka’Cit was leaning off the counter.

His movements were slow, bored, but an underlying current of lethal seemed to swim around him.

It was enough to even scare her a little.

As he stood at his full height, Ka’Cit let out a breath and cracked the bones in his neck.

“Why do they never listen?” he said to himself.

The alien grasping her throat grunted and glanced at his cronies. “Who the qrak is this?” He chuckled and his cronies cackled beside him. “Look, I’ll give you a chance to get out of here and go back on your supply run unharmed. But you leave this little gem to me.” He squeezed her neck a little tighter and Nia slammed her elbow into his chest.

The brute’s eyes grew wild and he held her even tighter. “Fighter, are you, little one?”

“I warned you twice.” Ka’Cit’s words cut through the air, stopping the cronies’ cackling and stilling the air around them.

“Twice?” The alien brute sounded confused.

“Didn’t I?” Ka’Cit asked. “Too bad.” He still had the alien’s wrist in his hand and, in one movement, he twisted it.

The alien grunted in pain but he didn’t let her go.

One of his cronies was moving at her side and, without taking his eyes from the brute holding her, Ka’Cit spoke again.

“Take one more step and I’ll cripple you.”

The alien at the side paused.

One of the others spoke. “Who does he think he is? Show him how the Rachzers do things, boss.”

The boss grunted around the pain in his wrist.

“You don’t tell us what to do,” he taunted.

Ka’Cit let out another breath. “I really didn’t want to do this. Not in front of you, ta’ii.” He spoke but he wasn’t looking at her. He was still focused on the brute.

From the corner of her eye, the alien he’d warned began moving again and in a split second, Ka’Cit raised his blaster and fired.

He didn’t take his eyes off the brute and she didn’t know how he found his target but the alien at the side howled in pain and fell to the floor.

For a moment, nobody moved and then one of the remaining three cronies let out a deafening squeal.

She didn’t know how she heard it but Ka’Cit’s voice was so measured, so sure, it cut through the noise.

“Whatever you do, ta’ii, don’t move.”

And then he was a blur.

One moment, he was standing in front of them, the next he’d let go of the brute’s wrist and he was gone.

The three remaining cronies charged forward but Ka’Cit wasn’t where they’d aimed for.

That split second was enough of a delay on their part and the first blast sounded in the room as Ka’Cit’s blaster fired.

He was above them.

Nia’s eyes widened as she watched him.

How the fuck did he get up there so fast?

His claws were dug into whatever material was in the roof and he held on with one hand, balancing with his legs on two beams.

One of the cronies went down with the first shot but it alerted them to his location.

Chaos erupted around them.

There was scrambling and noise as the other aliens in the room tried to hide and when the second shot went off, somebody let out a loud screech that bounced off the room’s walls.

Another shot went off and the third crony fell.

Nia’s heart was in her mouth. It all happened so fast she hardly had time to blink, but she remained unmoving, as he’d instructed.

As Ka’Cit fell from the ceiling to land on the counter, his gun arm extended and the muzzle was suddenly pointed in the face of the alien who was holding her.

The arm around her neck loosened immediately.

“Now,” Ka’Cit began, “let her go.”

The alien released her so quickly, she almost stumbled forward.

“Come behind me, ta’ii.”

He didn’t have to ask twice.

As he hopped down to the floor, Nia rushed over to his side.

She still had her gun gripped under her cloak with one hand but she hadn’t even had to take it out.

“I’d have broken your bones, every single one of them, for daring to touch her,” he said and the brute gaze flicked to her for only a moment. “But, I’m afraid I don’t have time for that. She’s about to have her dinner.”

At that moment, the bartender returned from wherever he’d gone with two steaming trays. He almost dropped them when he witnessed the carnage before him but he somehow managed to keep his face straight.

“Look, just in time. You almost spoiled her meal.” Ka’Cit took a step forward and the brute winced. “Are you sure you need to be here…at this station…right now?”

The brute shook his head. “N-no. I was just leaving.”

“Hm.”

The singular syllable seemed to confuse the brute and for a few moments, it felt as if time stood still.

Nia stared at the alien before her.

Ka’Cit was terrifying.

She hadn’t seen that side of him till this moment, not that she’d been around him a lot, but it was certainly eye-opening.

Was she scared?

No.

Was she interested?

…Maybe.

Ka’Cit pressed the muzzle into the alien’s head. “You’re still here.”

The alien rushed from the room and only when he was gone did Ka’Cit lower his weapon.

He seemed to ignore everyone and everything else in the room as he turned to face her and pulled her into him.

“I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

Nia nodded. “I am.”

“Phekking Hordreks,” he murmured before glancing at the bartender. “Get someone to clean this up.” He motioned to the bodies of the cronies. “I’ll pay.”

The bartender shook his head. “No need, Crusher. They’ve been causing trouble across the stations for the past few months. I’ll clean them up for free.

Ka’Cit jerked his head in a nod and Nia was mildly aware that the aliens who’d tried to hide and protect themselves were slowly returning to their seats.

Ka’Cit reached into his pocket and retrieved a coin. He slid it across the counter to the bartender who took one look at it and his eyes lit up.

“For the drinks, food, and,” Ka’Cit glanced at her, “a room.”

A room?

Why that made her heart thump in her chest, she didn’t know.

“Gladly.” The bartender snatched the coin as if he was scared Ka’Cit would change his mind. “I will send the meal in the chute up to your room.” He slid a square card to them.

Ka’Cit nodded and placed a gentle hand at her back.

“Let’s go.”

Nia glanced at him. “To our room?”

“The Hordreks aren’t the only idiots who frequent service satellites. You’ll be safer there and at least you can have a rest while our ship is fixed.”

Nia nodded but she wasn’t sure how she was going to have a rest after all that’s happened.

“Then we’ll find a way to get that package?”

Ka’Cit stiffened a little then nodded. “Then we’ll find a way to get that package.”

25

She was quiet.

Truth was, he had no idea how he was going to retrieve that package when the chance was already gone.

But that was not the only thing troubling his mind now.

As he led her from the bar and toward the lift, she didn’t say a word.

He was aware of every being in the room watching them as they left, aware of every sniffle, every movement, yet, he couldn’t care less about any single one of them.

All he could think about was what was going on in her mind.

His hand still rested against her back as they stepped into the lift and the moment the door closed, he expected her to pull away.

He hadn’t meant to kill in front of her.

For some reason, around her, he’d felt the urge to hide that side of him but the Hordreks had rubbed him the wrong way. When he’d seen the male grasp her neck, something old, something wild, something that appealed to his basic instinct had clawed its way to the surface.

He watched her in the silence as the lift went even higher, glad that she was so much shorter that he could observe her freely.

The rooms were on the level above the lounge and the lift opened a few seconds later.

Nee-ya stepped out and paused, her gaze moving from one end of the corridor in front of them to the next.

“Down here,” he said.

He couldn’t see her face, the hood was over her head once more, and he wished he could.

It was wreaking havoc with his mind wondering what was going through hers.

He stopped in front of one of the doors and flashed the card he’d been given. The door slid open immediately and the light switched on.

Ka’Cit stepped in, his eyes scanning the small space before he gestured for her to come in.

Nee-ya stepped in and the door slid closed behind her. She walked till she stood in the center of the room, her footsteps so light they made no sound.

She was so silent, and only after she looked around the room for a few seconds did she turn, take the hood from over her head, and look back at him.

Ka’Cit found he was holding his breath.

Nothing terrified him more than this woman and in the strangest of ways. He couldn’t describe it.

He was nervous around her.

“About before…” he began.

“What about before?” Her gaze flicked away from him and she began moving around the room.

It was sparsely decorated.

A sleeping slab was in the center and a wooden table in the corner.

That was about it.

Service satellites weren’t known for being the best place to have a stay.

But the bedding was clean and the food was good.

“About those Hordreks…I’m sorry you had to see that.”

Her head snapped to him then and her eyebrows rose a little.

“You’re…apologizing? For what? Don’t apologize. Those bastards deserved it and if you didn’t do it, I would have.”

Ka’Cit blinked. That…that wasn’t the response he’d expected.

“You were a total badass.”

Huh?

Ka’Cit glanced behind him.

What was bad about his ass?

Nee-ya’s giggle made his ears perk up from the sides of his head and he turned to see her covering her mouth to prevent herself from laughing.

“Sorry, I mean, you kicked ass.”

He was even more confused now. He hadn’t kicked anyone.

Nee-ya giggled again and the sound made something tingle inside him.

“You were great,” she finished and Ka’Cit felt his body relax a little.

He jerked his chin in acceptance and set the blaster on the table before moving over to a transparent door set into the wall. With a slight push, the pane slid inward to reveal a small washing area and a waste chute.

“You can wash in here. I’ll keep your food warm for you.”

As if on cue, there was a sound of suction and the food appeared in the wall on the other side of the room.

There was an inlet there and Ka’Cit moved over to it, removed the transparent cover, and took out the meals.

The scent of perfectly cooked Zeregga meals filled his nostrils.

“Wash? You mean like my hands?”

He turned to see her peeking into the washing area.

“No, I assumed you wanted to get clean. It was hot in the underbelly of the ship. You go first. I’ll wash after you do.”

Even with her sweet colored skin, he could see that her cheeks grew darker.

“You want me to bathe…in there?” She gestured to the washing area and he followed her gaze. “It’s…the door is transparent.”

Oh yes, that it was. He hadn’t considered that.

“You’ll see me.”

Ka’Cit blinked at her. They probably had laws around seeing nakedness on her planet?

“I can look this way.” He pointed at the wall and she snickered a little.

“I am clammy. It would be nice to have a shower.”

Thoughts of water sluicing down her nakedness filled his mind immediately and his cock became engorged. He had to clear his throat and turn away from her, pretending to focus on the meals.

“Wash. I will wait.”

She didn’t answer but he soon heard when she entered the stall.

For a few moments, she fiddled around with the controls before he heard the water running and Ka’Cit settled on the floor on the other side of the bed, staring at the wall and trying to imagine the most horrible scenes to keep himself from growing harder.

“Oh God, this feels good,” he heard her moan and his cock surged in his trousers.

Maybe telling her to wash while he was in the room hadn’t been the best of ideas?

Phek.

“So…what are we going to do? If we can’t get the package what will happen to those humans?”

Ka’Cit cleared his throat again. “They will find a way to help them. The brothers of the Restitution do not give up.”

“The what?”

He could hear the water beating against the floor and it wasn’t helping the visuals in his head. He didn’t even have to turn around. He had a clear image of her in his mind.

“Ka’Cit?”

“Mm?” Had she asked him something?

“What’s the Restitution?”

“Some people think they’re a myth but they’re our only hope against the beings that took you from your planet.”

“So, they’re like soldiers or something?”

“You could call them that.”

There were a few moments of silence as more water hit the floor and Nee-ya released a sigh. All he could imagine was her throwing her head back and allowing the water to run down her face, her neck…down those mounds he’d felt when she’d pressed against him, and straight to her center.

“Thank you,” she said, snapping his mind from wherever it was going.

He turned his head slightly but didn’t look over his shoulder.

“For what?”

“For everything. I can’t imagine how I’d have gotten out of this without your help. You’re…awesome.”

Awesome he was not but he didn’t correct her.

“I will find some way to repay you,” she whispered but he caught the words anyway.

No, ta’ii.

He didn’t need repayment for anything.

These few moments were turning out to be the best in his life. That was payment enough.

26

The food was like eating chewy meat. It took quite a bit of grinding her teeth together to get it soft enough to swallow, but the taste wasn’t bad.

Ka’Cit, on the other hand, had no trouble tearing through the pieces with his fangs and while she struggled, he finished his plate.

He sat cross-legged watching her.

She wasn’t sure if he was aware of it, but his tail was dancing lazily in the air behind him.

She’d never seen it like that before. Riv didn’t have a tail and Sohut seemed more in control of his. Ka’Cit, on the other hand, seemed unaware of what his tail was doing when he was completely relaxed.

And she assumed he was completely relaxed. She could see it in the way he sat.

His muscles didn’t hold any tension and he appeared at ease.

Her gaze flicked back to his tail and she tried not to stare at it.

It was long and thick and it looked quite powerful, like he could slap someone with it and hurt them.

From the way he’d moved earlier, jumping from the floor to the ceiling and managing to hold on up there, she could only assume his people evolved from some kind of cat-ape hybrid.

It was a question she wasn’t sure would be offensive, so she didn’t ask about it. Not if he evolved from cats and apes but what his origins were. He was from a different culture, after all. The last thing she wanted to do was piss him off by asking something stupid.

Ka’Cit reached forward and his hand hovered over her meal.

“Don’t worry, I cleaned my hands,” he started. “I can cut those for you.”

Nia’s gaze dropped to the food.

It was already in small bits. She’d noticed he’d been cutting the food while she’d showered but apparently he’d overestimated the power of her bite.

“Thanks.” She nodded and Ka’Cit pulled the dish toward him.

Again his tail waved in the air behind him like a lazy flag.

“Ka’Cit?”

He froze.

“You aren’t a farmer, are you?”

“I am.”

Nia gave him a look. “Right.”

Ka’Cit glanced her way before continuing to cut her food.

He was using his claws and she stared at them.

They were wickedly pointy and sharp-looking.

“What kind of crops do you sow then?”

He shifted on the floor.

He wasn’t wearing his mask now and she could see a bit of the emotion pass over his features.

“I don’t sow. I harvest…” he paused, “…information.”

His answer made her chuckle and she could see some of the tension leave his shoulders at the sound.

He slid her meal back to her and as she took a piece of the meat in hand and brought it to her lips, he watched her every movement.

The way he watched her made a little tingle go down her spine and Nia had to focus on actually chewing just so she wouldn’t choke and die.

“You mean, you’re a bounty hunter.”

He looked genuinely surprised at that. “No. I don’t get paid for what I do. I don’t do it for credits.”

“What do you do it for then?”

She watched as his gaze moved up the wall behind her, though he was looking at nothing in front of him.

“A purpose,” he finally said.

That wasn’t what she’d thought he’d say and she paused mid-chew. “A purpose?”

“I…” He trailed off.

For a few moments, he said nothing and she didn’t want to press him about it.

Whatever pushed him to do what he did for a living must be something life-altering. To put himself in danger so much and to do it for free…

“This job…” she finally said. “You said you’d find a way. But…it’s almost impossible, isn’t it?”

Ka’Cit’s gaze met hers but he didn’t answer.

She could see the response in his gaze though.

The answer was yes.

There was no way they were going to help those other humans.

“If I could change it…if I could go back and do something different… You’re going to miss this chance because you came after me. If—”

“And I’d do it again.” He cut her off. “You asked why I did this…”

Nia nodded.

“I told you I did it for a purpose…”

She nodded again.

“What I meant was…I do it to find some purpose. And…I may have finally found it.” His gaze met hers and a feeling she’d never felt before began growing within her.

The intensity of his gaze was scorching and it felt like her insides were going to melt underneath his stare.

A strange look came over his eyes, one of pain, one of need, and one of torment. He made as if he wanted to come closer to her and then stopped himself.

Nia’s heart skipped a beat.

She couldn’t move, knowing that she wanted him to come closer, to close the distance between them, and the realization that she wanted it too held her still for a few seconds.

And then she moved.

Ka’Cit’s eyes widened only a fraction before she pressed her lips against his.

The contact was electrifying.

His moan made her shudder as he pulled her against him, opening his lips against hers.

“You don’t have to pretend to be my mate in here,” he grated out.

“Who says I’m pretending?”

He stiffened against her as a groan ripped through him.

This kiss was different from the last one.

This time, there was no hesitation, no holding back.

Ka’Cit gripped her and lifted her into his arms, a groan rumbling through his chest as his tongue darted against hers and she was vaguely aware that they were moving.

When her back hit the bed, she opened her eyes to meet his.

Ka’Cit pulled his lips away and trailed a kiss to her ear.

“Ta’iiiii…” He barely scraped a fang against her ear and it made something throb hard within her.

Then he was moving.

He pressed his nose firmly against her skin as he inhaled, breathing her in.

“I want to taste you…” His words didn’t register for a few moments but when they did, she nodded, assuming he was about to kiss her skin.

But he didn’t.

As soon as she nodded, Ka’Cit lifted his head to look at her. He was on all fours over her and as he looked down at her, his eyes began to go wild.

“You’ll let me?”

Nia blinked up at him. “Yes…”

Her voice was a breathless gasp that left her lips but at that one word, Ka’Cit’s pupils started dilating and a growl left his mouth.

Something caressed her leg and when she looked down, she realized it was his tail.

The sudden sight and feel of it made her clench between her thighs as a shot of electricity went straight to her core.

“Ka’Cit?”

But he was either too far gone or he didn’t hear her for the next thing she knew was that her cloak was being lifted.

Slowly, he pushed his palm against the skin of her leg as he lifted the cloak upward, and she heard him inhale deeply as her skin was exposed.

This was all moving suddenly so fast but nowhere in her mind was a stop sign.

Instead, her body called out to him.

The way he was looking at her…no man had ever looked at her like that before—as if she was the most precious, the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on.

She wasn’t wearing any panties. She’d taken them off when she’d showered and when Ka’Cit’s gaze landed at her center, she couldn’t help but squirm a little.

He eased up further so he could see her better and one of his hands landed in her mat of curls, his finger flicking over her clit as he did.

A whimper left her lips, one she couldn’t hold back as she stared up at him.

She felt hyper-sensitive between her legs, as if even a change in the air brushing against the skin there would make her jerk in response.

She couldn’t explain what was happening, only that she didn’t want it to end.

Ka’Cit’s gaze met hers again, that wild, wild gaze, and he ran his tongue over his fangs.

“I want to taste you,” he said again and finally, his meaning registered.

Nia’s eyes widened a little but he didn’t give her a chance to say anything because he lowered, his tongue swiping up through her curls, right up the middle of her slit.

The unexpectedness of it made her back arch even as pleasure shot straight through her.

“Fuck,” she breathed, but if she thought that was the end of it, that he’d had his “taste”, she was mistaken.

A groan rumbled through his chest as he lowered completely and gripped her hips with both hands.

His tongue swiped up through her curls once more, straight from her entrance right up through her slit, and Ka’Cit groaned again.

“Phek,” he muttered against her and his hot breath kissed her tender skin.

He did it again, swiped his thick tongue through her softness once more, and Nia’s palms fisted the bedding.

He groaned again before he used his tongue to spread her lips and his mouth closed over her.

Ka’Cit’s eyes closed, a look of pure bliss passing over his face and Nia found she couldn’t keep still.

His mouth was all sorts of stimulation.

Hot, wet, and his tongue was thick and firm. She couldn’t help but squirm against him but he held her steady, not allowing her to get away from the pleasure he was causing to go through her.

“Oh fuck!” A breath shuddered through her, and when his tongue found her clit, she bucked against him. “Oh fuck!”

That caused his head to snap up, his wild gaze on hers as he studied her features for a few seconds.

“Did I hurt you?” His gaze fell back to her center. “You’re so soft, so unbelievably soft right there…”

“It doesn’t hurt.” Her words sounded like a whimper to her ears and his wild gaze found hers once more.

“Good,” he growled against her clit. “Because I didn’t want to stop.”

Ka’Cit held her against the bed as his tongue delved into her once more. Flicking and swirling into her wetness, the sensations made her shudder and Nia had to grip onto his hands as she stopped fighting to hold back her whimpers.

It felt too good; her body felt transported from this moment into space somewhere.

His hands gripped her hips, reaching back to knead her ass and Nia’s eyes rolled back in her head.

As his tongue moved against her, she was no longer human but a vessel filled with pleasure and when he growled against her again, the vibration hit the bundle of nerves as his tongue swirled over her.

It was too much.

She couldn’t hold back, she wouldn’t be able to and Nia threw her head to the side, biting into the bedding as a scream left her lips.

The orgasm caught her unprepared and it didn’t stop coming.

Warm honey filled her spine, shooting right down to her center where it engorged her and overflowed.

Ka’Cit groaned again and when he swiped his tongue over her again, Nia jerked in his grasp.

He lifted his head then, to look at her, and his eyes were completely dark pits of pleasure.

He was enjoying this as much as she was…

That thought was a startling one.

Her chest heaved with exertion as she looked down at him and the urge to make him feel what he’d just made her experience came on strong.

“I want to taste you too,” she said.

But instead of jumping at the chance, his shoulders stiffened.

Ka’Cit eased up on his knees to look down at her.

“I…I’m fine.”

His tail was caressing her leg now, rubbing her softly and when her gaze fell, she was greeted with something else.

She could see his hardness pressing through his trousers.

“You don’t look fine.”

He eased up off the bed then and took a shuddering breath.

“I should go before I…”

What?

Confusion made her brow knit and the euphoria she’d just experienced began to fade.

“Before what?”

He glanced back at her and she could see his throat move.

“Before I do something you’ll regret.”

His words puzzled her.

“Something I’ll regret?”

She fought to understand and then the most logical meaning came to her.

Pregnancy.

“Oh, we don’t have to worry about…like…a baby or anything. I can’t get pregnant.”

His eyes widened so much, she was momentarily silenced.

“You what?”

“I mean, I have the coil.” He only looked confused now. “An IUD…it stops me from getting pregnant.”

There were so many emotions in his eyes now, it was hard to pinpoint just one.

“I got it about two years before I was taken and they’re supposed to last a while. It hasn’t fallen out so I’m fine.”

He was still looking at her strangely.

“Isn’t that why…why you don’t want to…”

For a few moments, he said nothing, and then his head bowed. “You think I’m afraid of seeding you with my kin.” He said it as if it was a realization to him and his voice was so low, she had to strain to hear.

“Well…” She didn’t really know what to say. “Isn’t that why?”

“No.” His voice was hoarse and when his gaze met hers once more, the sadness in his gaze was so palpable, it was shocking.

“You got this coil because you do not want chids?”

Nia shook her head.

This wasn’t the type of conversation she’d been expecting to have at the moment.

“No. I want kids, in the future some time. Just not right now.”

She saw something die in his eyes even as he licked his lips. It was as if he was fighting a mental battle before her.

Her taste was still in his mouth, she was sure, but he was trying to fight his own need. It was evident when his cock jerked in his pants again.

He gave her a smile that held more sorrow than anything else.

“I should go…calm down.”

He grunted and moved.

Slipping off the other side of the bed, he grabbed his mask and was heading toward the door before she could protest.

She watched him go, not able to say a word as hurt, rejection, and embarrassment filled her.

As the door opened and he stepped out, Nia readjusted her cloak to cover herself.

She pulled her knees to her chest as he turned and looked back at her.

The look in his eyes was one she couldn’t read but he held her gaze for a few moments before the door closed and he was gone, leaving her wondering, what the hell had just happened.

27

Ka’Cit leaned against the wall outside the door.

He was a phekking fool.

He’d almost gone too far, further than would have been wise.

If he’d allowed himself to, he’d have seated himself within her and Raxu knew, if he’d done that he wouldn’t be able to let her go.

As he made his way back down to the lounge, he adjusted his mask and steeled himself.

He had to put some distance between them.

He had two more days on this station with her and he’d already gone too far. What the phek was he going to do now?

The doors to the lounge opened and silence filled the room as before.

Ka’Cit ignored them as he made his way to the bar.

The bartender looked less nervous this time.

“Is something wrong with the room, Crusher?”

Phek, he hated that name.

He really did.

The bartender must have seen the look in his eyes because he paled a little.

They’d disposed of the bodies of the Hordreks already, he noticed.

“Give me one of those.” Ka’Cit pointed a finger at one of the drinks on display.

It was a yellow one, and he had no idea what it was.

He didn’t care.

He wasn’t going to drink it anyway.

Not that he wanted to.

He still had the taste of her in his mouth…could still hear her cries as he’d pleasured her…

Phek.

His cock throbbed in his trousers, straining against the material and it was almost painful to endure.

He was in a bad state.

And the look that she’d given him when he’d left…

She was hurt.

He’d hurt her.

That had been the last thing he’d intended to do.

He released a breath, aware that conversation was starting to pick up in the lounge once more.

What had he done?

It’s not that he hadn’t known what she’d wanted, it’s not that he hadn’t wanted to do it either…it’s just that he couldn’t.

Despite that she’d protected herself against having children, that hadn’t been his concern.

For he knew…if he’d taken her, if he’d given in to her sweetness, he knew for a fact that saying goodbye in the end would most definitely rip him from the inside out.

He wasn’t meant to have a mate.

He was meant to be a Lone.

It was fated.

Raxu had ordained it from the moment he had been seeded inside his mother.

So why…

Why would the gods tempt him now…?

Why make him yearn for something he could never have?

And now that he’d done the unspeakable and tasted her…

PHEK!

He slammed a fist into the counter and the chatter behind him stopped suddenly.

Ka’Cit growled underneath his breath.

He couldn’t go back up to the room. Not until he’d cooled down.

Not until he was in control.

* * *

It had been hours at least, she was sure.

After the first few minutes of staring dumbfounded at the exit, she’d finally moved back to the floor to finish her meal.

That had taken some time.

Even though Ka’Cit had cut the meat into even smaller pieces, she’d still had a hard time getting them down.

It tasted good though, so the feat wasn’t a hard one to endure.

When she was done, she’d hopped back on the bed and begun to braid her hair.

She’d left it out for too long and the shower had shrunken the strands. Some of them were knotted so she had to take her time and finger-comb them out.

It had taken forever but it had stopped her from going insane just waiting.

Now, her eyes blinked open but she didn’t move.

She’d fallen asleep after doing her hair, it seemed.

Movement caught her still-sleepy gaze and she focused on it.

She wasn’t alone anymore and her heart thumped in her chest when she realized he’d returned.

There, across from her and behind the transparent barrier of the shower room, Ka’Cit was washing himself.

His back was turned to her and the water sluiced through his hair and down his body in long rivulets.

Her gaze followed the stream of fluid before it landed on his taut ass. His tail hung low, flicking lazily and the thought that she should look away came into her head.

But she remained frozen, unable to stop looking at his perfection.

He was even more well-built than she’d realized.

As he washed himself, the muscles in his back flexed, catching her attention.

It was like he was carved by a master sculptor and she couldn’t pull her eyes away.

Her gaze fell back down his body, landing on his tail once more as his last few words to her resurfaced in her memory.

‘He’d said he had to leave before he did something she’d regret.’

Now what had he meant by that?

His tail was lying limp now and it brushed against the barrier with each movement that he took.

She watched it sway as she repeated the words in her head.

…something she’d regret.

For the life of her, she couldn’t understand why that would be the case.

Her gaze rose just as he spun around and her breath hitched in her nose.

The water played across the muscles in his chest as it ran down his body toward his very thick, very hard, cock.

It was heavy and thick, hanging between his legs like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Nia’s eyes widened as she caught sight of it and her gaze flew to his.

Thank God his eyes were closed or he would have caught her staring.

He obviously thought she was still asleep.

She should look away.

She should really give him some privacy.

But her gaze was attracted to it like a magnet.

Oh fuck, he was huge.

Maybe that’s why he said she might regret it?

Possibly. She didn’t really think he could fit even if they’d tried.

She watched as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against the transparent barrier and his brows knitted.

One hand grasped himself around the base and the other palm pressed against the barrier.

She should look away. She should definitely look away now.

Yet, she couldn’t.

Her eyes were glued on his hand where he fisted himself and her lips parted a little as she watched him.

She’d never seen anything more erotic in her life.

But he didn’t continue.

He just held himself at his base.

He didn’t pump his hand, he didn’t finish himself off, and when Nia lifted her gaze, she realized why.

Those diopside eyes were looking straight at her.

Fuck.

She’d been caught.

For the life of her, instead of maintaining some dignity and turning away from him at that moment, she found herself holding his gaze.

Ka’Cit let out a shuddering breath—the first sound she’d heard him make since she’d woken to find him showering.

The muscles in his hand flexed and her gaze moved back to his fist.

At her attention, his cock jerked in his hand and Nia’s mouth went dry.

She lifted her gaze slowly, scared at what she’d see in his eyes and needing to find out as well.

His gaze took her over, consumed her, and held her prisoner.

“You shouldn’t look at me like that, ta’ii.”

His voice was deep, low, and it sent a delicious chill through her bones.

“Why?” she whispered, surprised by her boldness.

He stood upright then and the water shut off behind him.

As the last rivulets ran down his body, they stared at each other, saying nothing but saying so much at the same time.

“Because if I step out of this room, this washing stall, I’m afraid I will…”

“Make me regret something?”

He stiffened at her words and for a moment, he stood still, saying nothing.

Then he nodded slowly. “Exactly.”

Nia lifted her head from the bedding. “What exactly will I regret, Ka’Cit?”

He inhaled deeply and his gaze darted over to the table set against the wall.

She followed his gaze and realized he was looking at his mask.

“You don’t see that, do you?” It wasn’t a question but as her brows furrowed and she looked back at him, she realized he wasn’t finished yet. “And you don’t see this.” He was still holding himself, his hardness not waning, and he used his free hand to motion to his face.

“Don’t see what?”

He didn’t respond.

“I don’t understand.” She glanced at his mask then back at him. “All I see is you.”

Something passed through his gaze that she couldn’t understand and another breath shuddered through him.

He took a step forward, then another, till he was standing by the bed.

There was static in the air, charged particles she could not see, and it felt as if her heart was thudding so hard in her chest, she risked having a mini heart attack.

“You feel it too…”

Her eyes widened at that, but she knew exactly what he was referring to.

It was this feeling. This indescribable feeling that made her weak and needy. That made her want to reach out toward him.

And with that thought, Nia realized that her hand had moved forward.

It stopped in mid-air, inches away from his skin.

“We shouldn’t do this…” he said.

Nia shook her head. “You’re probably right.”

She had no idea of the consequences of this, but life was short and she’d lived all of it on Earth not knowing that one day she was going to be ripped away from every single person that she loved.

Space wasn’t any better.

She’d come too close to losing her life on several occasions.

If this whole abduction experience had told her anything, it’d told her that she should do what felt right…and right now, this felt right.

Her fingers hovered in front of him, close enough that she could touch him without leaning forward, but still far enough away that he could pull back and break the potential contact.

But Ka’Cit didn’t move.

Instead, he gulped.

“Nee-ya,” he said.

It was a plea, the way he said her name, a plea and a warning.

She met his gaze.

There was so much torment there.

“We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to…”

He groaned then and snatched her outstretched hand so fast, she inhaled sharply.

“You don’t understand,” he said. “It hurts.”

“What hurts?”

“I want to so bad that it hurts. I want you more than I want air. But…”

“…but?”

He didn’t respond. He simply stared down at her with those tortured eyes of his.

“No more buts,” she whispered and his ears twitched. “No more buts.”

Something changed in the air between them and then he was climbing over her.

Nia leaned back, not daring to breathe, and not needing to while she stared into those eyes.

As Ka’Cit ripped open her cloak and she lay bare before him, she knew she’d been wrong that first time when they’d kissed and she’d felt something change between them.

The feeling then had been but the tip of the iceberg because, at this moment, she knew her life was going to change forever.

28

She was perfect. Small, but perfect.

Ka’Cit stared down at her, his gaze moving over the mounds on her chest and their dark little peaks, down her belly and to the valley, her center, hidden by her dark curls.

Memory of her taste swam in his mind and he groaned.

He wanted to take it slow, to savor every moment, but he was still having trouble controlling himself.

He’d spent hours in the lounge, trying to calm himself down, yet, nothing had helped. He’d finally returned in the hope that the cold water would work.

And now, here he was. The exact place where he’d told himself he shouldn’t be.

Yet, did he really think he’d have been able to resist?

His cock bobbed, slapping against his thigh insistently, but it would have to wait.

He really, really wanted to take it slow.

As he lowered his head to her neck, he could hear her breathing hitch and it made his cock surge again.

He buried his nose against her skin as his fingers threaded into her hair, cradling her head.

She smelled so good—a unique perfume that made him want to just bury his face against her skin for hours on end.

His cock jerked again, rubbing against her leg and she shuddered a little.

Alarm went through him and he lifted his head so he was looking into her eyes.

But she wasn’t scared.

It wasn’t fear in those eyes.

It was need.

Pure unadulterated need.

“Nee-ya…”

Her hands flattened against his chest, tracing over his skin as she looked up at him.

“Kiss me.” Her gaze fell to his lips.

Kiss?

Her gaze stayed there and understanding dawned.

The mouth mating. Mouth phekking.

A groan rumbled through him as he dipped his head to hers.

Her tongue was smooth, soft, and it felt too good brushing against his.

One of her arms came up to wrap around his neck as the other disappeared between them.

He was so consumed with the taste of her in his mouth that when her hand clasped his cock, he shuddered so hard she shook against him.

Without breaking the contact of their lips, Nee-ya shuffled down beneath him till their pelvises lined up. Her head was tilted back and he had to bend so they could maintain this kiss but he didn’t want it any other way.

And it seemed she didn’t either.

Briefly, he wondered what she was doing but when he felt the warmth between her thighs slide against his hardness, all other thoughts left his mind.

She was rubbing the underside of his shaft against her sweet folds and he had to pause as the absolute pleasure of it made him shudder again.

As their tongues swirled and stroked against each other, Nia moved her hips, massaging his shaft with her soft warmth.

A groan left him and he gripped her by the hips. Surging against her, he drove his shaft up through her folds and she moaned loudly against his lips.

Pulling back, he did it again, and again, until every time he surged forward, she whimpered and trembled.

And he enjoyed every second of it.

Hearing her whimper, hearing her moan was like sweet torment that was driving him over the edge and when she broke the kiss to cry out against him was the only time he took a moment to slow down.

The scent of her arousal was strong as she shuddered through her peak and Ka’Cit moved a hand down toward her core.

She was so soft and wet there and when he slid a finger gently inside her, she whimpered against him once more.

“Too much?” he whispered.

Nee-ya shook her head. “Not enough.”

Phek.

She shouldn’t say those things. Not when he was fighting so hard to keep in control.

She wrapped her thighs around him and he couldn’t resist any longer. Rising up on his knees, he took her with him.

Her chest was heaving, her body still shuddering from her release, and she looked mildly surprised but she wrapped her hands around his shoulders.

Ka’Cit lowered his head to her neck and ran his tongue over her skin there.

With one hand, he directed his cock to her entrance and a groan shuddered through him as he felt her slickness.

She was so small, he wasn’t sure if he could do this without hurting her.

“You won’t hurt me,” she whispered and he realized he’d spoken out loud.

He was still hesitant though and he reached a finger between them and slipped into her soft warmth.

“Are you sure?”

Another groan shuddered through him when he felt her channel grip his finger.

Phek.

She was too small. She wouldn’t be able to take it.

“I’m sure.”

She squirmed against him then, causing his tip to brush against her warmth and the contact made both of them moan.

Ka’Cit eased upward slowly, moving so he could look into her face as he moved.

Her brows furrowed a little and she bit her bottom lip as he eased forward a little more.

Phek. He didn’t know how long he would last before he spilled. He was teetering at the edge already by just making contact with her entrance.

As he pulled back then pushed forward once more, Nee-ya inhaled deeply and her eyes rolled back.

“More?” he whispered.

With a whimper of pleasure, she nodded.

Back then forward, in then out, he took his time allowing her wetness to coat his shaft as her body grew accustomed to his length.

With each stroke, his body shuddered against hers.

It was sweet torture, working his way into her softness.

Each stroke made her whimper. Each stroke made him see the stars.

Time didn’t exist and when he was finally seated deep within her, he held her still against him.

Nee-ya opened her eyes to look at him. Her lashes were low and her bottom lip was still held between her teeth.

Ka’Cit paused for a moment.

He needed to know that she was okay..

“Tell me if it hurts, ta’ii.” She was not nearly the size of any Merssi female, and he realized this was not something he thought he’d be worrying about, but he was.

“Not enough.”

“What?”

“I don’t want you to stop.”

His eyes widened a fraction as his fangs flashed.

Her words were enough to send him over the edge and he had to exercise tight control and he pulled out of her completely before surging forward.

Nee-ya’s body shook as she took him.

Her body went limp against his as her head fell back and she moaned.

Ka’Cit growled, holding her hips fast as he buried himself within her folds over and over again, taking her to the hilt before pulling back and doing it all over again.

“Neeeeee-yaaaaa,” he groaned and she gripped his arms, her drunken gaze meeting his.

She lifted herself once more to wrap her arms around his neck and with each thrust, she ground that little bud between her legs against his pelvis with each stroke he made.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her and only when she dipped her head to his neck did his eyes leave her face.

A sharp pain shot through his shoulder as blunt teeth met his skin and combined with the feel of her around him, Ka’Cit let out a groan that felt like it shook the walls around them.

His seed was hot as it shot from his cock deep within her—the result of a concoction of pain mixed with pleasure. His climax was chased by her own orgasm and she clenched around him, sending more surges through his cock and straight through his body.

Ka’Cit he fell forward against the bedding, cradling her against him so he did not crush her with his weight.

Phek.

He couldn’t speak.

He could hardly breathe.

They lay like that for a few minutes, their bodies heaving in the aftermath, and a stark realization dawned on him as he held her in his arms.

She was it.

He’d found his gnora.

After all this time thinking he had none, here she was.

But fate had to be so cruel…

Nee-ya was perfect. The more time he spent around her, the more addicting she became.

She deserved the best and rightfully deserved her pick of anyone.

But the best was not him.

Yet, he was phekking selfish and in his selfishness, he didn’t want to let her go.

Just a few more moments, he told himself. Just a few more moments before he had to say goodbye.

29

Ka’Cit held her close as he rolled onto his side.

He was still inside her, she could feel his hardness, and that as well as a myriad of other emotions had her stunned.

She’d expected him to rise from the bed as soon as he finished, that’s what she was used to, but, instead, he was snuggling into her as if he was settling down for the night.

Neither of them said a word as she settled against him, allowing her body to relax into his, not daring to move and not wanting the moment to end.

As the lights in the room slowly dimmed till the room was shrouded in darkness, Nia kept her eyes open and stared straight ahead.

She couldn’t believe what had just happened between them.

When she’d left the Sanctuary to go to the Exchange, sharing a bed with a hot, blue alien had been the farthest thing on her mind.

Now, that blue alien was curved around her and she couldn’t think of a better place to be.

A smile graced her lips as she finally closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax some more.

She was very aware of each breath he took, of each time his chest rose and fell against her back, and of his breath brushing against her hair.

He was asleep.

She had to admit, it had been a long day. She’d slept twice since meeting him and he’d been awake the whole time.

Nia shifted a little and felt as he began to slide from within her. Strong arms grasped her as he groaned and his tail wrapped around her leg, keeping her still.

“Nee-ya,” he whispered.

Oh, so he wasn’t asleep.

His tail moved up her leg to brush against her belly. It tickled in a good way.

“I thought you were asleep.” She brushed her fingers against the tip of his tail and Ka’Cit groaned a little once more.

“Can’t sleep. Don’t want to. Sleep isn’t what’s on my mind.”

He dipped his head to her neck and inhaled before licking her with his tongue.

The sensation sent tingles through her body.

As her hand closed around his tail and travelled up along it toward his body, Ka’Cit froze as if not daring to move.

The farther her hand went, the thicker his tail got, till she was reaching back to close her hand around the base of his tail completely.

A sound rumbled in his throat, something between a groan and a whimper, and Nia spun enough so that she could look at him.

The lights came back on with her movement and she was greeted with his completely dilated eyes.

“You’re sensitive here,” she whispered.

Ka’Cit groaned and his hand closed over her center. One finger moved forward to brush against her clit.

“And you’re sensitive here,” he growled.

A moan caught in her throat as he dipped the finger in his mouth, wetting it before he returned it to the little bundle of nerves.

As she moaned again, she was sure he grew harder within her.

“How can you be ready again so soon?”

Ka’Cit let out a sound she could only describe as a rumble of need as he nipped her on the shoulder. “Just the thought of you makes me hard, ta’ii.”

He took the soft skin at her neck between his lips, running his tongue over her skin as his finger played delicately with her bud and when he started grinding his hips once more, Nia found herself clinging on to him.

His strokes drove her to madness. All she could think about was the thickness sliding deep within her, slick from her juices and she could already feel her pleasure building.

Her back arched and Ka’Cit lifted his head to stare down at her nipples.

His fangs flashed and God knows, some old instinct within her told her she should be afraid, but pleasure was a good distraction.

As he ran a fang over her nipple, a moan rumbled from within her just as he took her nipple into his mouth.

It was too much…too many points of stimulation…and an orgasm crashed through her shaking her body as she writhed against him.

“Phek,” she heard him groan and then she was being spun onto her belly as Ka’Cit settled behind her.

Strong arms gripped her ass, opening her pussy to him as he growled and seated himself deeper within her.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered as he leaned down to take the lobe of her ear into his mouth.

He surged forward, pummeling into her with an intensity that heightened and lengthened her own orgasm and soon she was screaming his name.

With one final thrust that buried her into the bedding, Ka’Cit let out a huge roar, and Nia felt his cock jerk within her, releasing his spend.

For the second time, he collapsed on top of her and rolled to the side, pulling her limp body with him.

This time, however, his cock slipped from within her with a satisfying squelch and another groan left his lips as it did.

Nia spun so she could rest her head on his chest, a silly smile she couldn’t wipe away was plastered on her face.

“You’re perfect,” she whispered.

Ka’Cit stiffened a little and he huffed a laugh through his nose.

“I wish,” was all he said.

His arms closed around her as he held her close.

“Ka’Cit?”

“Mm?”

But she didn’t even know what she’d meant to ask him. She guessed she only wanted to hear his voice, and at the sound of it, she snuggled against him some more.

“Sleep, ta’ii.”

Nia nodded as she settled against him. “We have two more days at this station, right?”

“Yes.” His hand was moving lazily across her back.

“What will we do for two days?”

There was a pause then his tail moved up against her leg to tickle her on her bum.

“I can think of a few things.”

Nia couldn’t help but bite her bottom lip to stifle the giggle and surge of anticipation that went through her.

She could think of a few things too.

30

She wasn’t sure what time of day it was down at the surface, but when she woke up, she still felt a bit tired.

Nia yawned and stretched lazily as she squinted. The room was lit in a dim glow and there was a hard wall of warmth behind her.

Ka’Cit.

The thought of him made her smile and she turned to face him.

He was awake, staring at her the moment she lifted her gaze, and she found herself just looking back, unable to speak but feeling the most comfortable that she’d felt in a while.

“You didn’t sleep for long.” He ran a finger down her cheek in a slow movement as he spoke.

“Did you sleep at all?”

“No.” The corners of his lips twitched a little.

Did he ever sleep? She hadn’t seen him sleep since she’d met him.

“You must be tired.”

“I am. But…”

“But what?”

“I didn’t want to lose time.”

Nia smiled a little. “Well, we have two more days here just waiting on that ship to be fixed. We have all the time in the world.”

The corners of his lips moved slightly and the look he was giving her gave her the impression that she’d misinterpreted what he’d meant.

But he didn’t move to explain and she left it at that, opting to just look up at him as his finger moved across her cheek.

He was thinking about something, caught up in his thoughts far in the back of his mind, and as she looked at him, it was hard to merge the person he was now with the same man she’d seen shoot three aliens in the lounge.

Right now, all wrapped up in bed with her, he looked like the farmer she’d thought he was.

Calm, innocent, laid back.

He was like a puzzle she wanted desperately to solve.

His gaze suddenly focused as if he was rising from under water and he blinked.

“Are you hungry?”

Not for food.

“No. I’m still full of the Zeregga meal. I don’t think I’ll be hungry again for a while. It was quite a lot.”

Ka’Cit nodded, his gaze moving to her hair.

One of her braids moved as he took it between his fingers.

“Your hair has changed.”

“I had to braid it.”

He seemed entranced as he played with the braid for a few moments.

“I’ve never done anything to my hair before.” He said it almost absentmindedly as he played with the braid and Nia’s smile grew.

“I could braid yours, if you like…”

Ka’Cit’s eyes widened a little and between them, something twitched against her thigh.

Now it was her turn to show surprise.

He’d been hard the entire time?

“I’d like that.” His voice was so thick with need that she considered skipping the hairdo to play with something else other than his hair. But there was also anticipation in his eyes.

So that’s how she ended up sitting on the edge of the sleeping slab with Ka’Cit sitting between her legs on the floor.

He didn’t bother putting clothes on and before she even started on his hair, she was already having trouble concentrating because she had full view of his Pisa.

He had one leg outstretched and the other bent at the knee, his foot planted on the floor. He was leaning back against her, his arms draped over her thighs, and his fingers found that soft area underneath her knees and were slowly massaging the spot.

Nia ran her hands through his hair.

It was mostly straight with a slight wave, and thick. There were no kinks or knots and she could run her hand straight through it without her fingers snagging.

It was going to take some skill doing anything to his hair without a comb, but he didn’t seem in a rush and neither was she.

So she took her time, taking a few strands between her fingers as she made the first part.

His cock twitched as she ran a finger across his scalp and Nia had to force her gaze away.

Looking at it now, she had no idea how he’d managed to fit it inside her. Not that she was complaining.

She’d do it again.

She wanted to do it again.

“Tell me more…”

Nia paused, a slight shock going down her spine. Had she spoken out loud?

“More? More about what exactly?”

“Your life, on your planet.”

Her cheeks warmed a little as she chuckled. “Um, I kinda told you the main details already. My life was pretty standard otherwise. I wouldn’t want to bore you.”

“That’s never going to happen. Tell me. I want to know everything about you.”

Her fingers paused in his hair and after a few moments, Ka’Cit tilted his head back so he was looking at her upside down.

His green gaze bore into hers and she couldn’t pull her eyes from his face.

He was unbelievably handsome.

“Nee-ya? Did I say something wrong?”

Nia shook her head. “No.”

So far, he’d been doing everything right, and at that moment, it dawned on her that she really, really liked this big blue alien.

Like…a lot.

“Your face has changed.” He was easing up off her and she had to hold him still. “You do not have to tell me about your past. I, more than anyone you know, understand that the past may hold pains you’d rather not relive.”

“I…it’s not that. I can talk to you about it.”

As she told him about what life was like on Earth, Nia found herself skipping the more painful memories, especially the ones involving those she’d held dear.

It wasn’t sadness she felt, but regret. Regret that she hadn’t had the chance to tell them goodbye.

“My mother died of cancer when I was twelve. That’s one of the reasons why I became a nurse.”

“You wanted to heal others like the people who were trying to heal your momor?”

Nia shook her head, her fingers pausing on the braid she was working on. “No.”

“I do not understand.”

A sigh made her body shudder as she steeled herself against the memory. “My mother…we didn’t have the money. Insurance didn’t cover some of her treatments and there was nowhere to go. I became a nurse because I wanted to help those who didn’t always have the money to get the treatment they needed. I don’t know if I was any good at it,” she breathed a laugh through her nose, “but I tried.”

“I’m sure you were perfect.”

A soft smile spread across her face at his words.

“Tell me about you. Your family or…life on Hudo III back in the day.”

His shoulders stiffened and the small circles he’d been drawing underneath her knee with his fingers stopped.

“I…” he began. “I don’t have a family.”

Nia stopped moving and a part of her wished she hadn’t asked the question. “I’m sorry. Did they…are they no longer alive?”

“They are alive and well.”

Nia blinked at him. “So…you don’t talk to them anymore. You had a falling out?”

“I didn’t fall out. I was kicked out.”

Her eyes widened at that and her mouth opened to give him a reply then closed.

She didn’t know what to say.

“I…I’m sorry.”

Ka’Cit turned to look at her and his gaze was unreadable once more, that wall that she was noticing he erected behind his eyes was in place.

“Don’t worry about me, ta’ii. They had good reason to. My momor spared me.”

Nia’s brows furrowed a little as she fought to understand. How could sparing him involve kicking him out?

“After I left, I got a ride on a cargo ship here, to Hudo III. I’d heard of a lot of Merssi living here so I thought it would be an easy place to start over.”

She didn’t know what to say.

“How old were you?”

He tilted his head a little and it seemed as if he was calculating it in his head. “Around eight revolutions?”

Nia’s jaw slackened.

They’d kicked him out when he was eight years old?

What kind of family would do that to a child?

He stood then and moved toward where he’d discarded his clothes.

“I should get you something to eat.”

Nia watched him move, her mind swirling with questions she didn’t feel comfortable asking.

It was clear that whatever happened between him and his family had created a scar that was still raw.

The past may hold pains you’d rather not relive…

He’d said that just a few moments before and it was evident now that he was speaking from experience.

Maybe he’d open up to her about it.

Maybe he wouldn’t.

She’d give him time.

For at least they had that.

Time.

31

Ka’Cit was gone for a few minutes and Nia found herself sitting cross-legged on the bed, not sure what to do with herself.

There wasn’t much to do in the room and she wasn’t about to venture out of it—at least, not on her own. Not after what had happened in the lounge.

So she found herself…idle.

It was an odd feeling.

She’d never had much time to be idle, not even on Earth. She’d never allowed herself to.

There was always something to do.

Her gaze moved over the room.

Apart from the little square in the wall where the food had appeared, there was nothing else that was interesting enough for her to investigate.

She was about to go take a closer look at the food chute when a sound at the door startled her.

It was a low thump that had her stiffening.

She didn’t remember Ka’Cit making any sounds when he’d entered, or even left the room before.

He was usually so silent.

The low thump sounded again, directly on the door this time and the hairs on the back of her arms stood on end.

She was moving by the time the door opened inward, rolling to grab the blaster she’d left by the side of the bed and pointing it directly at the entrance.

Her shoulders sagged immediately when she saw who it was.

Ka’Cit blinked at her over a large tray filled with food, his gaze landing on the weapon before the corners of his mouth twitched a little.

“Are you going to shoot me?”

“Depends on whether you come bearing gifts.”

His eyes twinkled a little. “I didn’t.” He glanced down at the food in his arms. “This is all for me. You said you weren’t hungry.”

When Nia’s mouth fell open.

She wasn’t sure if he was serious or not till she heard him stifle a chuckle. Narrowing her eyes at him, she set the blaster back on the floor and settled on the bed once more.

He was walking into the room now, his foot kicking the door shut, and he headed straight to the bed to set the tray down.

Nia gulped.

There was so much food.

Not meat this time but a vast selection of fruits, it seemed, and even though she hadn’t felt hungry before, her belly was already beginning to growl again.

She was staring at the tray for so long that she didn’t realize he’d stripped off all his clothes and removed his mask till he was climbing on the bed.

Perfect blue skin greeted her and then she had something else to stare at.

Nia cleared her throat and tried not to ogle him, but it was hard when he was now sitting directly across from her, cross-legged and naked.

“Eat,” he said. “I wasn’t serious about not sharing with you. I could never do that.”

Nia smiled at him. “I don’t know where to start.”

Ka’Cit reached forward and took what looked like a grape between his fingers before stretching it toward her lips.

As it slipped into her mouth, so did the tip of his finger and her tongue flicked over his skin.

She watched in awe as his pupil dilated a little and his tail rose up behind him.

The fruit popped in her mouth on its own, making her pull back in surprise, her gaze falling to the fruit tray as she chewed.

“It tastes like…like…peppery papaya.”

She had to squeeze her eyes shut a little to swallow it down. It had a harsh taste but she could see herself getting used to it, maybe even like to it. A bit like those super-sour candies they used to sell at her school that tasted so sour, she had to squeeze her eyes shut while eating them, yet she’d go ahead and buy more the next day.

“Try this one.”

When she opened her eyes, there was already something being placed at her mouth.

This time, it was a green stalk that looked like celery, only a bit darker in color.

“Celery?” She took a bite and coughed. “Definitely not celery. That one tastes like peanut butter.”

“Is it bad?” He was staring at the stalk as if it personally offended him and Nia fought back a giggle, albeit unsuccessfully.

“No. The taste was just surprising…I like peanut butter. I miss it.”

“So good?”

A smile reached her lips as she nodded. “Good.”

His tail began waving in the air slowly.

“Try this.”

This next fruit was the size and color of a cranberry seed and his finger slipped all the way into her mouth to place it on her tongue.

She had no choice but to close her lips around his finger and what should have been an innocent move turned into a languorous suck on his digit.

The little seed burst in her mouth, spreading sweetness over her tongue, and another burst of sweetness spread through her body, culminating in her groin.

Ka’Cit held her gaze, his eyes dilating by the second, as his tail began moving a little faster behind him.

His finger was still in her mouth and the way he was looking at her was downright predatory.

“Ka’Cit?”

He didn’t answer, but as his finger slipped from her mouth, his cock jerked against his leg.

His nose twitched and apart from his tail, that was the only movement. He was suddenly so still that even the air around him seemed afraid to move.

She didn’t know why, but she felt like a mouse in front of something incredibly dangerous and she had one sudden urge: run.

He must have seen the look in her eyes because his shoulder muscles moved underneath his skin like they were tickled.

“Don’t,” he said. One word.

Behind him, his tail stopped the sort of wagging it was doing and was now waving in the air slowly.

Like a cat looking at a mouse.

Hunting.

And she was the mouse.

“Don’t.” This time, it sounded more like a warning and, despite that his words were something she should probably heed, her instincts were telling her to do the opposite.

Nia darted off the bed, sliding off the edge so fast, she barely saw his head snap in her direction.

She was on her feet by the time she heard the growl behind her and a squeal left her lips as she felt the tips of his fingers brush against her cloak, just missing her by mere centimeters.

She was too fast. He wasn’t going to catch her, and adrenaline pumped in her veins, fueled by pure delight, as she darted across the room.

When she turned around, he was on all fours on the bed in a weird sort of way.

He was on the balls of his feet and his fingers were pressing into the bedding—almost like how a sprinter positions themselves at the starting line.

Fuck.

The way he was looking at her should terrify her, but instead, all she could feel was excitement flooding through her veins.

As she inched along the wall, keeping her back to it and her eyes on him, Ka’Cit tracked her with unblinking dark eyes.

They’d bled completely black and his tail was stretched out straight behind him.

He looked like some kind of large cat, like a black leopard or something, and the playful danger surrounding him only made a thrill go through her.

Something was slamming hard against her chest and it took her a few moments to realize it was her heart. Her eyes were wide as she watched him, ready to leg it if she even saw the slight movement of a muscle.

Her back was still plastered against the wall for some kind of grounding as she took her eyes off him for a second, just to glance around the room.

It wasn’t the best place for a game of hide and seek.

There wasn’t anywhere to run but inside the shower.

Her gaze focused there before finding him again and she could see that he knew exactly what her plan was.

If she could only get there before he moved…

But if she ran…

She knew he was going to catch her.

She could feel it in her bones.

“Don’t” she said as a laugh bubbled in her throat. She was frickin’ terrified and excited at the same time. “Ka’Cit…don’t.”

Ka’Cit tilted his head almost imperceptibly. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t chase me.”

His tongue flicked out as he licked his lips and his fangs showed momentarily.

Why wasn’t she scared?

Why did she want this?

Why was there a tingle between her thighs?

Fuck if she knew.

“Why?”

Right, Nia. Why?

“Because it makes me want to run. I can’t stop it. I’ll run.”

Ka’Cit’s eyes narrowed for a split second and his tail waved from side to side. “Are you scared?”

Nia huffed out a laugh. “No…”

She was a little. Scared of the thrill.

“Then run.”

Her breath hitched in her throat and for a split second, time stood still between them before Nia darted off, pushing from off the wall and toward the bathroom.

Her bare feet slapped against the floor as she tried to move quickly and her heart thumped in her ears as she heard movement on the bed.

She was just at the transparent barrier to the room when another squeal left her lips just as she was lifted off her feet.

The momentum had them tumbling into the bathroom and Ka’Cit gripped her against him so they wouldn’t collide into the wall.

The wind was knocked out of her for a few moments and her chuckles came with a bit of heaving for air.

Ka’Cit growled as he pushed her up against the wall. Even with her cloak between them, she could feel the pressure of his cock pressing against her ass.

He dipped his head to her neck and inhaled deeply.

“Ta’iiiii.”

His cock jerked again as he pinned her there and she realized belatedly that her hands were pinned up above her head.

Ka’Cit growled against her neck. “You shouldn’t have ran.”

Nia giggled. “You’re the one chasing me.”

He growled again. “I couldn’t help it. And now…”

Nia’s breath hitched in her throat as he spun her to face him.

The front of the cloak had no buttons. It simply had folds of fabric that came together to keep her hidden.

He found the center without trouble and pulled the robe open, lifting it over her head so she shimmied her arms out of it.

Ka’Cit cupped a breast, kneading it as his finger flicked over her nipple and Nia inhaled sharply.

He dipped then, his nose moving over the other nipple before he took it into his mouth.

“Ka’Cit,” she whispered and he moaned against her nipple before releasing it from his lips.

Down he went, his lips forming a trail of wet sucks and kisses as he headed down toward her belly button but he didn’t stop there.

Nia’s eyes widened, her mouth falling open in a loud moan as his lips closed over her center.

And her moan was matched by his own.

Ka’Cit fell to his knees before her, both hands settling on her ass as his tongue curved into her before slurping up her center.

“Fuck.” Nia’s eyes rolled over in her head.

She didn’t have the energy to stand anymore and was happy there was a wall behind her that she could lean against.

Her response seemed to spur him on and as her fingers threaded into his hair, caressing his head, Ka’Cit growled against her clit.

He gripped her ass tighter, pulling her forward toward his lips as he spread her pussy apart with his tongue, and when the thick wet organ slipped into her, thrusting as he sucked, she couldn’t contain herself anymore.

A scream ripped through her as she clung onto him, her orgasm pulling all the energy from her head straight to her fucking toes.

And it kept on going, he kept on going, till she was trembling against him, spasms of pleasure forcing their way through her body.

Ka’Cit finally released her and when she looked down at him under her heavy eyelids, she could see her wetness glistening on his lips.

There was a low rumble in his throat as he rose, lifting her with him as he put her over his shoulder.

Hell, she couldn’t protest. There was no way she could walk after what he’d just done and when he set her down on the bed anticipation began building within her again despite her weakness.

She was facedown, her legs hanging off the side of the bed, and she gripped the bedding with both hands as she felt him settle behind her.

“Hard,” she whispered.

Ka’Cit growled. “Ta’ii don’t say those things. I do not want to become undone before I even seat myself within you. And…I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Please,” she whispered. “Hard. You won’t hurt me. I can take it.”

She wanted to feel him. Every inch.

She wanted to walk and hobble when they were done.

She wanted it all.

Her legs moved as he grasped them, positioning himself at her entrance, and a jerk of his cock rubbed his head against her center.

Nia whimpered at the contact.

She’d never wanted anyone more than she wanted him.

In this moment, he was everything.

As Ka’Cit eased inside her, they both moaned.

There was tension in the arms that were holding her thighs and she knew he was trying his best to hold back. All because he didn’t want to hurt her.

Well, if she was going to feel pain because of good dick then so-fucking-be it.

“Ka’Cit,” she clenched her vaginal muscles and he let out an open-mouthed roar before he surged forward.

Her scream of pleasure was dampened by the bedding and Nia buried her face into it as he pulled back and surged forward again.

He was giving her everything. She was taking it all. And as he pistoned into her, driving her into the bedding beneath them, Nia let out another cry as she reached her peak once more.

Ka’Cit growled and surged into her a few more times before stiffening, another roar leaving his lips as his own orgasm overtook him.

As he collapsed on top of her, he pulled her with him up on the resting slab, cradling her close as he kissed her on top of her head.

“Nee-ya…” he groaned, “did I… Are you hurting?”

A warm feeling filled her and she snuggled back into him some more.

“No, Ka’Cit. You didn’t hurt me. I told you that you won’t hurt me.”

He stiffened a little, enough for her to notice, but he didn’t reply.

She was suddenly tired enough to fall asleep again and as they lay there in silence, simply enjoying the aftermath of their lovemaking, Nia’s eyes slowly began to close.

She was almost off to sleep when his words floated to her ear.

“That’s what I’m afraid of most, ta’ii. I don’t want to hurt you. It terrifies me that I will.”

She would have reassured him again, but sleep was already claiming her consciousness.

So, instead, she took his hand in hers and pulled his arm around her.

Sleep.

When they woke, he’d realize he’d been worried about nothing.

32

Nia’s eyes opened to movement within the room.

She’d slept much more soundly than she’d expected, being that she was in a strange place and all, but Ka’Cit’s hard, warm body tucked against hers had been comforting.

He was getting dressed now, his mask was already on and his trousers too. He caught her gaze as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Dropping what he was doing, he moved toward her, his tail waving lazily behind him.

Everything about the day before came rushing back and Nia felt a deep warmth spread through her at the sight of him.

With one hand, he brushed a finger against the side of her cheek and memory of everything they’d shared came flooding back.

“You’re awake,” he whispered.

Nia nodded. “What time is it? You should have woken me up.”

His eyes studied her through the slit in his mask and she got the impression he was smiling underneath it.

“I think you needed the rest.”

Nia smiled, her cheeks warming a little. “You’re getting dressed.”

“Our ship is fixed.”

That woke her up.

“What? So soon?” A pang of disappointment she hadn’t expected to feel followed those words.

“The Torian did not sleep till he was done. It almost feels like he wanted to get rid of me.”

Nia chuckled and pulled the bedding up around her. Then a thought hit her. “What about the job? The package? Those humans that need our help? Could we still make it now that the ship is fixed much sooner than we thought it would be?”

“You are very concerned about the rest of your kind, aren’t you?”

“I am.” She was hopping off the bed now and heading toward the shower stall. “Even though I don’t know them, they’re all I have in this new universe. We’re together in this.”

Ka’Cit’s gaze tracked her as she reached the shower stall and when she turned to glance back at him she couldn’t read the look in his eyes.

“It’s nice,” he said.

“Nice? What is?”

“To belong.”

His words felt deeper than their surface value and she paused, not sure of what to think of those words.

“We’re too late.” He broke her train of thought. “I got word the deal is already done. The package has already been smuggled. It would be impossible to find it now.”

Something fell and died within her and she leaned against the door to the shower.

For a few moments, she just stared at the sleeping slab as a sick feeling developed in her stomach. She’d still been hoping there was something they could do to help the humans.

“Do you really believe that group, the Restitution, will find a way to help them?”

Ka’Cit took a deep breath as he slipped his tunic over his shoulders.

“They always do.”

Nia nodded.

If one thing was clear, she trusted him.

She’d have to take his word for it.

“I should shower,” she murmured.

As she stepped behind the transparent barrier and got the water going, Ka’Cit sat on the edge of the sleeping slab, watching her.

It felt intimate, the way his gaze followed the movements of her hands across her skin and she was surprised there was no self-consciousness in her movements.

His attention made the nerve endings across her skin become alert and it was almost as if his hands were the ones moving across her skin.

He looked at her like he was memorizing every detail of her body.

The only sound being the water falling against the floor, even the silence between them felt intimate.

As she brushed the drops of water off herself, shaking as much as she could to get dry, Ka’Cit stood with her cloak in hand, his gaze not leaving hers as she stepped out of the bathing area.

The way he was looking at her, as if he was ravenous, only brought back memory of what they’d done together and the thought made her body react.

No one had ever looked at her like that before. Ever.

When Ka’Cit looked at her, it made her feel like the sexiest, most beautiful woman alive.

He made a sound in his throat as he outstretched her cloak toward her, but he didn’t let it go.

Instead, he moved even closer and began to help her get dressed.

“Come. We eat in the lounge then leave.” He paused and let out a breath. “Time for me to take you home.”

Home.

It felt like an eon had passed since she’d left the Sanctuary.

As the cloak settled over her shoulders and she put her underwear back on, Nia slipped into her shoes and took hold of what was now her blaster.

She hid the weapon underneath her cloak once more and with the hood over her head, she stepped with Ka’Cit into the lift.

“So this is it, huh?” she said. “Life goes back to normal after this.”

They’d spent time together, shared a lot, and it even felt like…like she didn’t want it to end. But she knew that regardless of what they’d shared, it didn’t mean that life changed for either of them now.

She wasn’t about to demand anything from him—just as he wasn’t demanding anything from her.

She could admit though…there was a sense of loss when she thought of hardly ever seeing him again and that was something she had to think about.

He never visited the Sanctuary.

As the lift opened to the lounge, Nia expected the room to go silent this time and she wasn’t disappointed.

She kept her head low under the hood as they walked forward toward the bar.

The bartender greeted them and Ka’Cit ordered some food, but she hardly heard any of the exchange.

All she could think about was…him.

She liked him.

A lot.

The short time she spent with him felt like much longer and, inside her, something had changed.

It was hard imagining returning to the Sanctuary and continuing life as usual.

Waking every day, feeling alone even with other people around her.

Fuck.

It dawned on her.

She was falling for him…or she’d fallen already.

When had that happened? She wasn’t sure.

Nia gulped as she risked a glance up at him.

His gaze was focused on the steaming meals the bartender had placed before them and he seemed to be caught up in his own thoughts.

“Zeregga meals?” She kept her voice low but loud enough for him to hear.

His gaze focused and he nodded. “More well done this time. You should be able to chew it.”

Nia nodded and smiled.

Why did she feel so sad inside?

What was wrong with her?

She was just about to put a mouthful of the food in her mouth when new patrons entered the lounge. She wouldn’t have noticed them if they were not so loud and when the color drained from the bartender in front of her, a bad feeling sprung up in the pit of her stomach.

More of those terrible aliens that had grabbed her the other day?

Ka’Cit glanced back and stiffened immediately before turning back to face the bar.

If she wasn’t looking at him, she wouldn’t have seen the reaction.

It was that fast.

One hand reached for the blaster he’d placed on the counter and the other rested against her back.

He lowered his head so he could speak directly into her ear and apart from the noisy new entrants to the lounge, Nia realized that the entire room had gone silent once more.

“Don’t move,” Ka’Cit whispered. “Don’t turn around. Don’t do anything to draw any attention your way and maybe we can make it out of this alive.”

Terror shot through her at his words and the food she’d grasped slipped from her fingers to fall back on the tray.

“What is it?” She kept her voice so low, she could hardly hear her own words but Ka’Cit’s hearing was perfect.

“Hedgeruds.”

Hedgeruds?

She’d heard that name before, but she didn’t keep the species’ names in her head. There were far too many to remember by name.

Still…where had she heard that name before.

What did it refer to?

All of her instincts told her to take a look so she could know what she was dealing with, but more than that, she trusted the man beside her.

He’d told her not to move or turn around and so far, she was still alive because of him.

Logic said she should heed his advice.

Ka’Cit’s hand grew firmer against her back as if he was holding her still and as soon as that feeling caught her senses, so did another. The air behind her moved as a large figure walked past and to her side.

Nia turned her head just a fraction and from her peripheral vision, she caught the sight of a long alligator-like tail.

Her spine turned to ice that shattered into her veins.

Suddenly, the name made sense.

Hedgeruds.

She knew this species.

She knew them because they were responsible for her being taken from Earth.

They were the guards that worked for the High Tasqals. The same guards who’d come to the Sanctuary and tried to take Lauren away from Riv. The same guards who’d hunted Sohut and Cleo in the jungle.

What the hell were they doing here?

For a few moments, she worried they might be there for her and she pulled her wrist up enough to look at the tattoo that was there.

Another spike of fear went through her.

She’d taken a bath.

The fake tattoo wasn’t on her skin anymore.

She had no way of even bluffing her legal status.

Fuck.

FUCK!

One more glance at Ka’Cit and he was as still as stone.

No one in the lounge made a sound except the Hedgerud—no, Hedgeruds, plural.

Judging from the voices, there were at least four of them.

“—deliver the shipment.” One of them was talking and she only realized this fact now that she’d calmed down enough to listen.

“Don’t know why the qrak we have to go to the excrement center that is Port Six.”

“You know they give our team the bad runs. Maybe if you’d pledged allegiance sooner we’d get better assignments.”

“You should talk to the boss about it.”

One of them scoffed. “And get my head chopped off. Qeffing qrak. I have a life to live…jekins to phek.”

They chortled at that and it caused a painful memory. Images of being in that alien slave ship and their laughter came right back to her like it was yesterday.

They had yellow eyes and elongated snouts with wicked teeth. They hadn’t cared how frightening they were. They would laugh right in her face, if only to scare the shit out of her.

And it had worked. It had worked so well that they’d kept doing it.

They were scum.

“It’s talix metal though. Why Port Six? We’ve never sent talix through Port Six before.”

There was a sound like someone got hit over the head. “Shut your mouth. These degenerates don’t need to know what we’re carrying.”

But the Hedgerud had already said enough.

Talix metal.

Wasn’t that what Ka’Cit said had been in that package? The one they needed to retrieve from the smuggler?

She glanced up at him and realized that he’d been as still as stone because he’d been listening far earlier than she’d thought.

His gaze met hers and they turned from cold ice to warm green. Then alarm passed through his eyes.

He shook his head a little to tell her no.

“We have to try,” she mouthed, her whisper almost inaudible.

“Not on my life. I’ve already put you in enough danger. If they so much as see you…”

She knew what he meant.

If she was caught, they were going to bring her right back to the slavers.

But there were humans that needed her help.

On this side of the universe, they were outnumbered and the odds were always against them.

She couldn’t simply not do anything.

“We can do it.”

Ka’Cit studied her. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”

Nia frowned a little. “Then what are you worried about?”

He paused. “If you get hurt…”

Something warmed within her but she shook her head. “I won’t. I trust you.”

Again, something passed through his gaze that she could not read and he closed his eyes for a moment.

She leaned her head against him and for all looking at them, she supposed they looked like a couple being intimate.

“I trust you, Ka’Cit. Now, you have to trust me.”

Ka’Cit let out a breath.

“We really shouldn’t do this…” he murmured.

“The risk isn’t greater than the reward.”

He studied her for a moment and she knew he was weighing the options in his head.

“They need our help.” And she was right. As far as they knew, the Restitution didn’t have another plan. They’d needed that package.

They needed this talix metal.

Unsaid words passed through their gazes and she and Ka’Cit stared at each other.

But, they didn’t get the chance to make a move.

Fate already had things planned.

“You!” The voice of one of the Hedgerud’s echoed in the silence of the lounge and at his exclamation, his cronies stopped their chatter.

The place was so silent now, she could hear her own breathing.

She didn’t know why, but she knew they were calling out to her.

It was the gator-guard to her side, the one whose tail she’d seen, and he stood from his seat, a weapon that looked like a wizard’s staff pointed in her direction.

Ka’Cit stiffened and so did she.

“You,” the guard repeated. “Remove that cloak.”

Fuck.

If they saw her…

“Nee-ya?” Ka’Cit’s voice reached her ear.

“Yes, hon.”

“Shoot to kill the phekkers.”

33

They moved together.

Ka’Cit spun, taking his blaster in hand just as Nia whipped out her own.

Five sets of yellow eyes displayed shock but they were too late.

Even the other patrons had seen it coming. They were already running for cover.

The Hedgeruds weren’t nearly as fast, too complacent because they were the big guns in the room.

Funny, because she had a big gun too.

In one movement that almost seemed rehearsed, she and Ka’Cit aimed.

Twin shots found their target in the gator-guard who’d pointed the strange weapon in her direction.

Straight through the head, she saw the light die in the guard’s eyes before his body crumpled to the floor.

Two more shots, one from each of their blasters, and two of the other Hedgerud fighters slunk off their seats to fall dead to the floor.

“Nice!” Ka’Cit looked down at her and she couldn’t help but smile.

There were two other fighters still alive and the surprise wore off.

They launched themselves to their feet and time stilled for just a moment as she locked eyes with Ka’Cit.

“Do your worst, ta’ii.”

There was screaming, screeching, yowling, and clamoring from the hiding patrons as the two remaining guards sought to find cover.

One of them flipped a table and it came right at her before it split into a million pieces, shot down by a blast from Ka’Cit’s gun.

The force of the blast threw the hood of the cloak off her head, even as he shielded her body with his own. Still, it was enough time for the remaining guards to see her and she heard one of the Hedgerud’s exclaim, “It’s one of those jekins. A yoo-man!”

Well, so much for keeping hidden.

Ka’Cit fired another blast, splitting another table as she darted to the side, releasing a blast of her own.

She caught one of them on the tail, dismembering it, and his cry filled the room.

She felt no remorse.

These beings were the same ones that she knew had tortured humans on the slave ship. Raped them. Murdered them.

This was vengeance.

Between the chaos, her gaze locked with yellow ones and realization dawned in the alien’s eyes.

He was about to die.

Nia held his gaze as the blast left her gun and as soon as the bullet reached her target, she heard the unmistakable sound of Ka’Cit letting out a curse before a blast left his own gun.

Five guards down.

This was almost too easy.

Across the room, Ka’Cit’s gaze met hers and she knew she was right.

“There are more of them, isn’t there.”

He nodded slightly. “This one,” he stepped over the body of one of the guards and ignored the whimper of an alien hiding underneath the table, “just sent a distress signal to the ship in the hold.”

They walked toward each other as they spoke and around the room, heads popped up only slightly to watch them move.

“How many do you think?”

Ka’Cit shrugged. “Can’t be sure.” He studied her. “But we have to get out of here. This space is too small. If they charge in here…”

She understood.

It would be asking for death to happen.

She began heading toward the lift when Ka’Cit’s hand grasped her arm.

His concerned gaze moved over her.

“I underestimated you. When we first met. I know you’re good with that.” He glanced at the blaster. “But, are you sure you want to do this?”

Nia smiled.

She’d never felt more alive.

“I think I was made for this, baby.”

“Baby?” Confusion swam in his eyes and, despite the situation, Nia giggled.

Reaching up on tiptoe, she placed a kiss on his mask. “Let’s go.”

* * *

The lift opened with Ka’Cit on one side and she on the other.

Blasters already pointed, it wasn’t hard to hit the first target, a Hedgerud rushing toward them.

One down, Nia slipped from the lift and rushed for cover behind one of the huge ships.

She heard a blast go off somewhere behind her and she knew Ka’Cit had taken down one more of the alligator-guards.

Movement caught her eyes, and she saw one creeping up on her from the left.

He had a blaster but didn’t shoot, probably thinking he could catch her without the need to use his weapon.

Well, he made a mistake. A fatal one.

Nia raised her gun and realization dawned on the gator-guard’s face a little too late.

He was down in the next second and she was dashing around the ship before he hit the ground.

One more blast from her gun and she took another down from behind.

Fuck.

The ship bay was crawling with them. Just what sort of vessel did they travel in…

And then she saw it.

Or, at least, she glimpsed it.

A section of the roof opened and a huge dark ship caught her eyes before another set of Hedgeruds began descending on what looked like a transparent disk that hovered in the air.

“Incoming!” she shouted for Ka’Cit’s benefit as she unloaded her weapon in the enemies’ direction.

She hit three of them and they fell off the disk, leaving about four more, but when she tried to fire again, her gun didn’t work.

A look at the weapon and she realized the energy bar was empty.

Fuck.

Ka’Cit was across the room and she saw when his own weapon stopped working and he threw it to the side.

His gaze searched and locked on her just as he pulled his two blasters from his hip.

“The ship!” he shouted. “Head for the ship.”

Her heart thudded against her chest.

The ship was across the bay and she was on the other side.

She’d have to dash out in the open to get to it, but she wasn’t worried about that.

She wasn’t going to just leave him to fight a war that was hers.

Nia had to think fast.

She needed a gun.

Backtracking, she ran toward the Hedgerud she’d killed and grabbed his weapon and just in time too.

Heat burned next to her ear and Nia’s eyes widened at the spot in the ship next to her that suddenly had a hole the size of a golf ball in it.

That was close.

Her gaze rose just as she lifted the blaster.

It was different from the one she had just been using but it worked the same.

The Hedgerud firing at her aimed again and she didn’t think.

Her muscles worked on their own.

The trigger pressed and a bright orange blast shot from the gun, scorching the floor beneath her.

Fuck.

This one was even more powerful than the last blaster.

But she’d marvel over it later.

The guard who’d almost killed her dropped to the ground, his body burnt to a crisp and Nia almost lost her stomach’s contents.

Turning her gaze away, she heaved as she tried to settle her stomach.

That’s when movement to her side caught her gaze.

She raised her blaster, aimed, and froze.

Ka’Cit put his hands up, his eyes wide.

“I got them. Phek,” he muttered before his shoulders shook with a chuckle. “Second time you raise a blaster against me.”

Nia’s shoulders sagged and she lowered her weapon with a small laugh. “Sorry.”

“We don’t have much time. We have to go.”

Nia nodded and followed behind him as he spun and headed across the hold. He moved fast though she was able to keep up, but they were heading to their ship, she realized.

“What about the metal?”

In the next few seconds as they made their way toward the vessel, Nia noticed one thing.

There were no other aliens in the hold.

Either they were hiding like before, or they’d sensed the danger and gone somewhere safe to escape the fallout.

They reached the ship in the next few moments and Ka’Cit opened the doors, stooped, grasped her in his arms, and carried her into the vessel.

His breath was coming hard as he removed his mask and she was finally able to look up into his face.

He bent then, and his lips closed over hers in a bruising kiss.

“No way I’m letting you get near that ship. You stay here. I’ll go.”

“But—”

He pressed her into the wall and his forehead met hers as his breaths heaved from him.

“I’m not budging on this one, Nee-ya.”

She could hear the resolution in his voice but she nodded.

His gaze fell to her lips once more before he put his mask back on, and then the door was closing and he was gone.

Nia paced a little before she slammed a hand against the button that closed off the airlock.

The cabin opened and she stepped in, her heart thumping in her chest as she began to pace.

Time wasn’t on their side.

She was sure that more of those guys would be on their tail soon. The others would have surely sent another distress signal—if not about her presence, at least about the fact they were being attacked.

There must be something she could do while she waited or else she was going to go mad from the anxiety.

Was there a computer or something…?

“AI? Ship?” Her gaze travelled over the roof of the ship but there was no response.

“Computer?”

It took a second, but the control panel of the ship lit up. A surge of excitement went through her.

“Computer, can you understand me?”

“Language, Een-glish, has been updated on the servers. All controls can be accessed using this language.”

Nia smiled and warmth filled her again.

He hadn’t been kidding when he’d said he’d sent a worldwide update. She guessed it also reached the ships in the network.

“Computer, prep for takeoff.”

She had no idea if that would work but when she heard the ship’s engine begin to hum, her confidence grew.

“Priming main engines.”

Fuck, yes.

Now to wait.

But she couldn’t help being nervous.

He’d gone up there all alone in a fight that wasn’t even his and her heart bled and clenched at that thought.

34

She was waiting for maybe ten minutes when movement outside the ship caught her attention.

With the help of the computer, she’d managed to turn the ship toward the service station’s airlock and now she could see straight toward that strange disk-like elevator thing.

Her heart thumped in her chest as she saw Ka’Cit hop on it.

He was still shooting upward and her gaze rose.

Fuck.

There were Hedgeruds on the landing above the lift. Their blasters were pointed directly at him and he was in the open.

Reckless motherfucker.

Her reckless motherfucker.

The thought made her pause for only a second and a strange feeling developed in her chest as she watched Ka’Cit jerk, a laser bullet missing him by mere inches.

She wasn’t about to just watch while they shot him down.

Grabbing her blaster, she punched the button on the ship’s airlock and rushed toward the back of the vessel.

Her heart lodged in her throat as she saw Ka’Cit abandon his position. In one smooth jump, he launched himself from the lift.

But it was still far too high. Surely he would break his leg.

A laser blast came from above as the Hedgeruds shot at him and Nia felt a surge of anger that hadn’t been there before.

With her own roar, she gripped her blaster, aimed and fired.

The Hedgeruds didn’t expect it, maybe they hadn’t seen her or they didn’t prepare for her accuracy, for she got one of them by the time they realized where the bullet was coming from.

Once, twice, three times she fired before her gaze landed on Ka’Cit.

Miraculously, he’d landed on his feet and was running toward her with something clutched to his chest.

She focused on him for only a second before she ducked under one of the ship’s huge engines and unloaded her gun at the elevator.

The Hedgeruds ducked too but there wasn’t anywhere to run on the elevator.

Nia kept firing and only stopped when an arm grasped hers and pulled her back into the ship.

“We have to go!”

Ka’Cit lifted her, securing a strong arm around her waist as he lifted her backward toward him, not breaking his gait as he headed into the ship.

The doors closed behind them and the secondary doors opened.

He was setting her down and strapping her in within seconds.

Nia’s breath heaved in her chest, her eyes wide as she watched more of the Hedgeruds appear at the top of the lift.

Just how many of them were there?

They were battering the ship with bullets now and she glanced at Ka’Cit.

“Think we will make it?”

He was settled in his seat now and punching the controls.

“They’re too far away to penetrate the hull but in the next few seconds…”

“They’ll fill us up with holes.”

Ka’Cit nodded.

“Let’s go.”

He didn’t need to hear twice.

The ship surged forward and up, slipping through into the airlock even as she felt it begin to shudder.

She glanced at Ka’Cit.

Would they make it?

But his eyes were sure.

“I’m taking you home. Safe. I wouldn’t settle for less, ta’ii.”

* * *

Nia slipped out of the seat restraints and leaned forward, staring out of the view screen.

Her heart was still thumping in her throat even though it had been a few minutes since they’d shot out from the service satellite.

“We’re not being followed.” She couldn’t believe it.

Ka’Cit grunted. “They might have trouble following us or anyone else for at least a full cycle.”

Shock made her turn to look at him. “What did you do?”

Ka’Cit shrugged. “Just thought their engine needed a…downgrade.”

He held up something in his hand and she realized it was the same thing he’d been clutching when he’d been running toward her.

“What is that?”

“A propulsion converter.” He glanced at it. “And look at that. It’s encased in talix metal. Might come in handy to a few humans we know.”

Ka’Cit’s eyes twinkled a little and she knew he probably smiled underneath that mask of his.

Nia grinned and threw her arms around his neck.

“Oh my God. I can’t believe we did it…thank you.”

He stiffened a little before relaxing into her embrace.

“You’ve been putting yourself in danger a lot for me.”

“I haven’t.” His whisper was low and she eased off him enough to look into his eyes.

Nia huffed out a soft laugh. “You’re telling me you do this sort of thing on the regular. Do you have a death wish?”

“Maybe.”

Nia sobered a little.

He was fighting demons and she could feel her heart reaching out to him.

Releasing his restraints, he lifted the thing in his hand. “Just this thing alone holds enough metal to buy half of the Exchange. Did you know that?”

Nia’s brows shot up at that and her gaze fell back on the device.

It was no bigger than a bottle of Coke.

“Really?”

Ka’Cit nodded.

“Funny how money is, even on this side of the universe. Even here the wealth isn’t distributed evenly. If I had some of that I’d have paid for my own legal status a long time ago and then none of this would have happened.”

Ka’Cit’s gaze darted to hers suddenly and he grabbed her wrist, spun it over, and froze.

“Of course…” he said after a while. “I’m such a fool.”

Nia squirmed a little on her feet.

Again, she was vulnerable before him.

She wasn’t legal and that meant she had no right.

It was hard to determine what he thought about that, but when his gaze met hers again, he said nothing more.

Silence would have enveloped them if not for the band on his wrist beeping.

Ka’Cit activated the device and without greeting the person on the other end of the line, he got straight to the point.

“I got it,” he said.

There was a pause. “Good. I’m sending you the coordinates. Meet me there.”

The comm clicked off and Ka’Cit’s gaze returned to her.

“I should take you home…”

Nia shook her head. “No, we should finish this.”

Ka’Cit studied her for a moment before jerking his head in a nod.

He punched something into the controls and the ship began changing directions just as Nia took a seat once more.

When she glanced back at him, his eyes were on her again.

She was used to his stares by now, but this time, it wasn’t his usual look of interest.

There were things that passed through his eyes while he was looking at her, things that were quickly masked.

Happiness…hope… resolution…fear.

The last one puzzled her.

What did he have to be afraid about?

As the ship slowed down, Nia turned her gaze back to the view screen.

Space was dark—at least, this section of it was.

It was like staring into…nothing.

To think that Earth was out there somewhere…it was hard to imagine even though she knew it was true.

As she stared through the view screen, something appeared out of the dark void.

One minute, she was looking at nothing, and the next, a ship was in front of her.

Nia jumped back and bumped into Ka’Cit.

She hadn’t realized he’d been standing behind her.

“Don’t worry. It’s him.”

Him.

She had no idea who “him” was but if he was helping other humans somewhere in this nothingness, she guessed he was a good person.

The other ship moved around theirs to position itself at the back and soon, the AI spoke. “Vessel docking. Airlock integrated.”

“He’s boarding,” Ka’Cit said and moved forward.

In the next few moments, Nia held her breath and reached for her blaster.

Ka’Cit glanced at her, his gaze moving to the gun in her hands. “Won’t do much damage against him with that.”

Huh?

She’d seen it burn a hole through metal and burn a living being to a crisp.

“He won’t hurt you either…I don’t think.”

Nia’s eyes widened and she gripped the gun tighter. Just what the hell did that mean?

“Not that I’d let him.” Those last words came under his breath as if he was talking to himself but now there was tension in her veins as she gripped the blaster.

In the next few seconds, the red light above the door changed to green and the doors opened to a…

Nia blinked, surprise catching her off guard.

A robot?

“V’Alen.” Ka’Cit took a step forward.

The robot blinked and he ignored Ka’Cit for his gaze found her immediately.

Nia didn’t know what to do. She could only stare.

She’d seen a lot of shit since leaving Earth, she’d even seen robots at the Exchange. Shit, even Riv had robots on his farm tending the hay fields, but none of the robots she’d seen looked like this one.

His body was completely metal, except for his face, which looked…human.

It was…unnerving and interesting at the same time.

“You never said you were taking care of a human.”

Ka’Cit sighed. “I’m hardly taking care of her. I try, but she’s more bad at ass than I am.”

Nia frowned at his back before his meaning caught up to her and she stifled a chuckle.

“Badass, Ka’Cit. Badass.”

He chuckled too then shrugged. “Close enough.”

Ka’Cit stretched out the device he’d taken from the enemy ship toward the robot and the robot took a step forward.

She didn’t know why she expected his steps to be heavy, like iRobot or something, but they weren’t.

His steps were even more silent than Ka’Cit’s.

V’Alen took the thing in hand.

“This will work,” he said. “This will get them out.”

Nia took a step forward then. “You mean the other humans?”

The robot’s gaze met hers once more and she could swear his pupil moved in his eye like a camera lens.

“Affirmative,” he said.

“How…” She was almost too afraid to ask. For one whole year, she’d thought she was alone. Then she’d met Lauren and then Cleo. Now she was being told there were others. “How many other humans are there?”

The robot’s face was impassive as he spoke. “Over two stleks. My scans cannot penetrate the hold completely.”

Nia frowned, confused, and glanced up at Ka’Cit.

“More than twenty-four,” he said.

Nia’s heart thumped in her chest and she had to grab on to Ka’Cit to keep steady.

“And,” she pointed at the device the robot was now holding, “this will help? This will help them?”

V’Alen’s head moved almost imperceptibly. “It will save their lives.”

She didn’t know why but tears filled her eyes at that thought.

The danger they’d put themselves in had been more than worth it. If they were able to help even one other human, it would have been worth it.

“You are…overwhelmed.” It was the robot’s voice and she looked up to see both males staring down at her. “My presence unnerves you. I will go now.”

He turned to leave and Nia reached out to him, the tips of her fingers brushing against his metallic body. “Wait!”

He paused and his gaze fell to her fingertips.

She pulled them away when she realized what she’d done but pushed forward with her question.

“Will they be all right…after you get them out of this…hold?”

The robot studied her for a bit then something almost like a smile made his lips twitch a little, she wasn’t sure.

“They will be. They are with us. We will keep them safe. Just as he,” his gaze moved to Ka’Cit, “will keep you safe.”

Nia nodded.

She could feel Ka’Cit’s presence beside her as she watched the robot go.

His hand came up and a finger brushed against her cheek, wiping away a tear she didn’t know had fallen.

“You are leaking.”

Nia choked on a sob and a laugh as the same time. “I guess I am. You don’t ‘leak?’”

“No.” He paused. “Does it help? When you leak. Does it make you feel better?”

“Sometimes.” She forced a smile.

“Nee-ya?” When she looked up, the concern was clear in his eyes. “I do not understand. We did the job. We were successful. You were successful. They will be saved because of you. But you are leaking because of it.”

Nia smiled a little and rested her head against his chest.

A hand came up and cradled her head, so she stayed there for a bit.

She couldn’t explain to him how she felt and he seemed content to just let her stay there.

As the other ship disengaged and disappeared once more into the void, Ka’Cit released a sigh.

“I should…take you home.”

The way he said it, the utter sadness in his voice, made her glance up at him.

She couldn’t see his face, but his eyes looked pained.

Nia smiled. “I know, it’s been kind of fun, hasn’t it?”

Ka’Cit pulled his gaze from hers to look through the view screen.

“I guess I can’t keep you. That would be against your will and wrong. You can’t just keep things you want for yourself, just because you want them.” It sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than making a joke.

Nia looked away.

Was it wrong that she wanted him to “keep” her?

Whatever had happened between them had changed her life forever.

She didn’t know what was normal after this.

35

The trip back to the surface of Hudo III was mostly filled with silence.

It seemed they were both in their heads and Nia didn’t notice most of the journey till they landed back at the Exchange.

When her feet finally hit ground again, it felt as if ages had passed since she’d last been on the planet.

It was as if she’d spent a whole lifetime in the cosmos and she glanced at Ka’Cit as he came up beside her.

He adjusted the hood of her cloak over her head.

“We should go. They’ll come and check this ship soon. We don’t exactly have authorization to land here.”

Nia nodded as he glanced around and they headed in a direction she did not know.

He walked with surety in where he was headed and soon the busy main street of the Exchange came into view.

Walking with him was nothing like walking with Riv and Lauren.

Instead of beings constantly bumping into her as she walked, the way was being cleared before them.

People were automatically walking out of their way. It was hard to believe she was walking in a crowded thoroughfare.

Nia glanced up at Ka’Cit but his eyes were straight forward.

If he did realize the effect he was having on the beings around them, he gave no indication that he did. Or…maybe he didn’t care.

Ka’Cit wove his way through the crowd, his hand a constant presence at her back, and she took some comfort in that.

Her fake tattoo was gone. She still had the bracelet though but, it hadn’t really helped her much last time.

They were soon passing that stall she’d seen with Lauren, the one with the strange floating holographic creatures.

It caught her eye again as they passed and she let out a sound of surprise.

There was one with a tilgran that looked just like Morpheus.

“Morpheus!” She grinned at the image.

“Who?”

Nia shook her head. “Just…reminds me of one of the tilgrans at the Sanctuary.”

She sobered.

Thought of the Sanctuary didn’t bring the feelings it should.

There was no warm fuzziness.

No anticipation to return.

Just…sadness.

As if she was losing something, though, she couldn’t tell what that thing was.

“You named the animals at the Sanctuary?” There was some humor in his voice.

“What?” Nia openly smiled. “You don’t name yours?”

“The animals I deal with don’t deserve to be named.”

Ah.

True.

He wasn’t a farmer, was he.

They were out of the Exchange in the next few minutes and Ka’Cit led them to the hover car bays.

Nia glanced around as they walked. She hadn’t even thought about how they were going to make it back to the Sanctuary.

Her whole focus had been making it back to Earth…or rather, Hudo III.

“You left your car here all that time? Weren’t you scared of someone…I don’t know…stealing it or something?”

Ka’Cit scoffed a little. “Would be funny if they tried.”

He headed toward a specific hover car, one that stood out from the others.

It was made of dark metal that was so matte, it reflected no sheen.

It wasn’t shaped like the other hover cars either. This one had what looked like mini rocket engines at its sides.

Of course this one had to be his. Who else?

Ka’Cit activated something in his pocket and the top of the car slid open. Before she could protest, she was being lifted inside and the lid was closing again.

“Wait…what are you doing?”

His green gaze found hers and she couldn’t read the look in his eyes.

He’d been that way from the time they’d been heading back and she couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

“I forgot something,” he jerked his head back at the exchange, “in there.”

Nia glanced around them.

There were aliens hopping in and out of hover cars as the vehicles arrived and left.

Judging from her past experiences and the fact she was vulnerable without the proper identification, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to wait out there alone.

She couldn’t afford for another accident to happen.

Ka’Cit must have seen the worry in her gaze because he pressed something else and the hover car began to hum.

“You’ll be safe. If anybody comes near you, they die.”

Nia’s eyes widened. “Wha—”

“Okay, maybe not die. But it will hurt like phek.”

As if as demonstration, a huge bug that was about the size of a cockroach flew and landed on the windscreen of the vehicle.

In less than a second, it was burnt to a crisp.

“What the—”

“Energy wave,” he said. “High energy wave. Overloads neurons—”

Nia’s hand flew off the door, her eyes wide.

“You’re safe inside of it. Just don’t get out of it and try to go back in.”

With wide eyes she nodded.

“I’ll be back. I left that…thing.”

He hurried off back toward the exchange and Nia watched him go.

Again, the feeling that this was all coming to an end too soon crossed her mind and she immediately pushed it away.

* * *

Ka’Cit gripped the holo-creature and headed back toward the hover car bays.

There was something heavy in his soul, holding him down.

One part of him wanted to rush back to Nee-ya and another part made him wanted to stay as long as he could away from his vehicle.

If he didn’t return quickly, he could delay the inevitable.

The longer he stayed away, the longer she stayed with him.

But he knew what he had to do.

He’d seen the look in her eyes.

Those brown pools of hers were expressive and they’d reflected exactly what he was feeling inside.

She was like a magnet to him.

He didn’t want to pull away, but he had to.

There was no other choice.

As they’d descended from the void, heading back toward the surface, he’d thought about it, and he’d thought about it hard.

He had to say goodbye.

He was right.

He couldn’t keep her. He couldn’t force her to stay with him.

He’d convinced himself that they could remain as friends, but the closer it got to dropping her off at the Sanctuary, the harder that decision was.

He knew now.

He could admit it to himself.

He didn’t want to be just friends…not after what they’d been through…not after what they’d shared—not after what she’d made him feel.

And it was clear she wanted more.

That was the part that killed him the most.

If he was any other male…a proper male, maybe he could consider it.

Phek.

As he reached the hover car bay, he was hardly aware of the other beings entering and exiting the cars around him. His sole focus was on the human in his vehicle.

As if sensing his presence, she turned and he saw the moment she realized what he was bringing back.

The holographic tilgran bobbed in the air above him and he knew he was getting some looks from the other shoppers.

The Bone Crusher, walking through the Exchange with a chid’s toy…

His reputation was probably being questioned—but the pure glee on Nee-ya’s face…Phek. It was worth it.

As he approached the hover car, though, his steps faltered a little and his life organ thudded in his chest. For the millionth time since they’d given V’Alen the package and headed back to the surface, he asked himself one question.

Could he really do what he was about to do?

The words of his momor came back to him.

In those last moments, before she’d smuggled him onto the ship, she’d said a few words that had stuck with him ever since.

“I’m letting you go because it is best for you.”

“But…Momor. I don’t want to go.”

“Sometimes, my dear Ka’Cit, you have to let go of the ones you love because it is better for them.”

And it was better for Nee-ya if he let her go.

Regardless if he loved her or not.

His heart shattered at the thought and he stopped walking.

He hadn’t known her for long but in the time he’d spent in her presence, he’d felt…happy.

Like…true happiness. Not the fleeting kind.

She matched his energy, she didn’t judge him, she was fierce and beautiful and AWESOME.

He could be himself around her.

His life-organ swelled and thumped as his body, unaware it seemed of the turmoil in his mind, got overly excited at the prospects—at the chance.

She was everything he wanted in a female.

Only, he wasn’t anything she deserved in a male.

A female like Nee-ya deserved a male that was as perfect as she was. And he was…broken.

Broken in many ways but this was one way he could not fix.

Forcing himself forward, he continued walking.

He almost couldn’t breathe by the time he reached the hover vehicle, choking on his emotions.

Wordlessly, he deactivated the energy protection and hopped into the vehicle.

Nee-ya’s eyes were still alight with excitement, her gaze on the holo-creature, completely unaware of the dark shadow over his thoughts.

“I saw you look at it when we passed. Thought…”

She was against him so fast, her arms around his neck and her body pressing against his.

He would never get used to this—this human tradition of body pressing.

And somewhere in the back of his mind the thought that he would never get the chance to do so flashed like a beacon.

In a few hours, he would have to say goodbye.

“You’re so sweet!”

He wasn’t sweet. His skin was quite bland-tasting.

“Thank you so much!”

She pressed her body against his tighter and he placed an arm around her, not having the will to push her away. And…not wanting to.

This entire time with her, he’d been thinking that she was going to break him apart from the inside out. And still, he couldn’t find the will to save either of them from it.

He hadn’t wanted to resist her.

He couldn’t have.

‘Did I choose the right one?” Ka’Cit dipped his head into her hair and inhaled deeply, wishing he wasn’t wearing his mask.

He wanted to experience every last second with her.

He wanted to absorb everything.

She eased back to look him in the eyes and Ka’Cit gulped as he watched her.

Beautiful.

She was perfect.

How the phek was he going to walk away?

Up to this point in his life, this was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever had to do, and he’d regularly put himself into some shitty situations.

“Yes.” She smiled and his gaze fell to the movement of her lips. He wanted to do that mouth tasting one last time, but…his mask.

Phek.

“It’s perfect.”

You’re perfect.

Nee-ya settled back on her side of the seat and Ka’Cit took a moment to watch as she interacted with the holo-creature, waving her hand through it and marveling at how the animal reacted as if it was being brushed.

There was a sound in the heavens that made her look up and her eyes grew wide.

“Is that…is that thunder?”

Ka’Cit lifted his gaze and spotted the dark cloud overhead.

“There will be life fluid soon. Falling.”

“Rain?” She sounded amazed. “Wow, I don’t think it’s rained since I’ve been on the Sanctuary.”

She was probably right.

The occurrence was rare but whenever it happened, the torrent was heavy.

“I have to take you home.” It felt like he’d said those words in that sequence too many times now. Almost as if he was trying to convince himself rather than notify her about something.

“I don’t know. That thing looks pretty angry. Think we’ll get there in time?”

Ka’Cit started the engine. “I’d wager you on that, but it would be unfair. You don’t know what this machine can do.”

A frown materialized on her brow almost immediately. “What more can it do?”

Ka’Cit chuckled.

“Hold tight, ta’ii.”

36

The hover car was moving so fast it felt as if everything around them was a blur.

She had no idea how he was even seeing where they were going, but he was focused and sure.

They were outrunning the rain!

It felt dangerous, wild, and free.

As soon as they made it on the plain leading back to the Sanctuary, she let out a whoop of delight as the hover car swooshed over the tall yellow-orange grass.

Ka’Cit glanced her way, concern in his eyes, but his gaze softened immediately when he saw that she wasn’t terrified but that she was…happy.

And she was happy.

For the first time in a long while, she was truly happy.

Holding on to the dashboard, Nia stood and threw her head back. The wind played in her hair and her cloak, and she closed her eyes for a moment.

For that moment, she opened herself and truly allowed herself to feel. But that only caused one thing.

The glee she’d just been feeling slowly died even as the hover car began to slow down.

Her eyes opened and she saw the familiar structures of Riv’s Sanctuary approaching.

Home.

Her gaze moved to Ka’Cit and he locked eyes with her.

“Home.” He echoed her thoughts.

“Yea,” she replied.

Fuck. There was that feeling again.

There was a look in his eyes, one that had been there ever since they’d spent the night together.

Had he regretted it?

…She hadn’t.

As the hover car slowed down even more the closer it came to Riv’s energy fence that surrounded the property, Nia pulled her gaze away from him.

She could see figures within the yard.

Riv and Lauren suddenly looked up, their heads angled in the hover car’s direction.

They were staring at the approaching vehicle and she could see when Lauren realized it was them.

The woman didn’t even hesitate. She was hastening down the path heading toward the barrier.

A string of guilt passed through her.

She’d made them worry so much. While she’d been out there being cuddled, protected, and having sex with the man beside her.

Her gaze fell back on him. He wasn’t looking at her now. He was focused on Lauren as she hastened down the path, a strange look in his eyes.

As Lauren drew closer though, Nee-ya realized she’d been mistaken.

He wasn’t looking at Lauren. Well, not directly. He was focused on Lauren’s rounded belly.

The wind was pressing Lauren’s dress against her frame, highlighting the bump in great detail.

She was even bigger than Nia had first realized.

“Nia!” Lauren almost stumbled and Riv caught her.

Back up at the house, two more people appeared, Sohut and Cleo, and they too started heading toward the barrier.

As the hover car stopped, Nia hopped out and rushed toward them, just as the energy barrier stopped zinging.

“Lauren!” Nia hopped out of the vehicle and gripped the other woman, throwing her arms around her neck while trying not to squish Lauren’s belly.

“Oh my God, Nia!” Lauren sobbed. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

Lauren eased back enough so they were looking at each other. “We didn’t see…we didn’t hear.” Tears were flowing freely down the woman’s face and they prompted her own tears, which Nia tried to hold back.

“It wasn’t your fault. Just a really freaky accident. But I’m safe now.”

Sohut and Cleo arrived and Cleo immediately joined the embrace, turning it into a group hug.

“Can’t believe we almost lost our little sister,” she said.

Nia smiled. “Can’t get rid of me so easily.”

Riv made a sound behind Lauren, one that sounded like a shocked gasp, and when Nia’s gaze met his, he looked horrified.

“We weren’t trying to get rid of you. That morning, when I complained about you being a pain in my—” He cleared his throat and his scowl deepened before he ran a hand through his hair. “This is your home. We weren’t trying to get rid of you.”

Nia couldn’t help it. She grinned.

Riv’s scowl deepened but it was clear he was getting used to his humans’ display of teeth every now and then, for he didn’t flash fangs back.

“I was only joking, Riv.”

“Are you all right though? Did they hurt you?” Lauren was looking her over and Nia smiled.

Lauren was going to be a great mom.

“No, I’m fine. I got lucky.”

“Lucky Ka’Cit was there. I agree,” Sohut finally spoke and that’s when she realized that Ka’Cit hadn’t said a word yet.

When she turned, she realized why.

He’d exited his hover car and he was leaning against it, looking their way and listening to the conversation, but he hadn’t crossed the barrier to enter the compound.

“Was he…weird with you?” Lauren whispered. “I know he’s Riv’s friend but he’s a strange guy. If he was bad to you in any way…”

Nia was shaking her head before Lauren could finish. “No. No. He was…perfect.”

She glanced back at him once more and stepped out of the embrace of the two other humans.

As she headed back his way, that horrible feeling that had been weighing her down from before came back and when his gaze met hers, the feeling only intensified.

“Are you going to come inside?”

He barely shook his head, as if he was holding himself rigid, and when her gaze fell to his arm still holding on to the hover car, she realized she was right in that assumption.

His arm was flexed so hard she could see the veins pop out against his skin.

“Ka’Cit?”

“I have to go.” He looked away from her. “Now.”

Hurt filled her and it filled her deep, hitting right against the base of her heart.

“Yea,” she tried to smile but it was hard, resulting in a smile that was hardly even there. “I guess you have…other jobs. I don’t want to cause you to be late for those too.”

She saw, rather than heard, the sigh that left his body.

He still wasn’t looking at her as he got back into the hover car.

Fuck.

What was happening right now and why was it so hard?

Tears were filling her eyes for some reason and she was having a real hard time holding them back.

“This was…fun.”

Ka’Cit grunted. “It was but…you’re better off here. This is your world.” He sighed. “You are better off here.”

The fact he’d said she was better off there, twice, was something she noted and she opened her mouth to say something, but no words came.

“This is…”

“Where it ends. Where everything goes back to the way it was.”

There was such heartache in his voice, she wondered if she was hearing her own words being spoken.

A big fat raindrop fell from the sky and landed smack in her face, masking the first tear that slid down her cheek.

Nia wiped it away and looked up.

The dark cloud had spread and the wind had picked up, whipping the fabric of her coat.

Another fat drop hit her squarely on the forehead.

“Go in,” Ka’Cit said.

His gaze was still averted and it made something wring in her heart.

“Ka’Cit?” she whispered.

“You will get wet,” he continued.

Maybe she was an idiot.

She’d thought there’d been something there, something more than…she didn’t even know…

But…this was it.

This was it. The end.

Turning, she swallowed hard and steeled herself as she began walking back toward the group of aliens and humans waiting for her.

That’s when she heard him call her name.

“Nee-ya…”

Nia’s heart thumped in her chest, hope rising within her like an ocean wave. Glancing behind her, her gaze fell on him and the ocean wave crashed.

Her heart fell.

In his hand was the holographic tilgran he’d bought for her.

Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Nia moved forward to take it and her fingers brushed against his.

Electricity shot through her at the touch of their skin and she had to force herself to breathe normally.

She wasn’t just imagining this, was she?

She couldn’t be the only one affected by this.

He must feel it too.

He must!

But… “Bye, Nee-ya.”

Her tear-filled eyes met his one last time as he moved his hand, breaking their contact.

“Bye, Ka’Cit.”

As the hover car moved backward, turned, and began shooting across the plain, Nia watched it go.

Bye, Nia.

His words echoed in her ear.

It didn’t sound like a temporary farewell.

That…that sounded like goodbye.

Terse.

Frigid.

Final.

37

It turns out that Sohut and Cleo hadn’t gone on their assignment because they’d been too worried about her.

If not for the call she’d been able to make from Ka’Cit’s watch when she’d been in orbit, they’d have spent the entire time clueless and worrying.

“So tell us what happened? How did Ka’Cit find you? Where did he find you? I swear, we didn’t stop looking for you. We looked everywhere.” Lauren’s eyes were starting to water again and Nia reached across the table to squeeze the woman’s hand.

They were all sitting in the main room, which they’d designated as the living and dining room, and everyone’s attention was on her.

Luckily, they hadn’t asked why she seemed so sad. At least, not yet. If anything, she’d just say it’s because she was a bit tired.

Hopefully, they’d buy it,

Cleo had made some sort of sweet tea from some herbs she and Sohut had brought back after one of their excursions, and there was a steaming cup of it in front of her.

It smelled good but she couldn’t even focus on the drink.

All she could think about was those last few moments by the edge of the property.

All she could see was Ka’Cit’s hover car zooming away, again, and again, and again.

“Was it the Hedgeruds? The Tasqals? Did they somehow pull you away from us?” Lauren continued. “We didn’t see any guards. It’s like you disappeared. I swear I almost went into labor from the shock.”

Riv growled something, clearly displeased about that part.

Nia forced a smile. “It’s stupid how it happened. I got caught in the crowd and couldn’t push my way back. The Niftrills did it. Thought I was one of them.”

Riv cursed underneath his breath.

“Niftrills?” Lauren asked.

“Yea. My cloak resembled theirs. I’m a similar size to them and they couldn’t understand me. Thought I was with their group and they sort of just pulled me along. I tried calling out to you guys but the noise of the Exchange…” Nia shrugged. “You couldn’t hear me. But it’s fine now. I’m here.”

“Niftrills work for merchants. Why didn’t the merchant let you go when they took you to the ship?” Riv growled.

A huge sigh left her body and Nia closed her eyes for a second. “The merchant was a crooked one. She scanned my bracelet. Figured out it was fake. She wouldn’t let me go after that. She locked me up.”

“Locked you up?” Lauren frowned. “To take you to the authorities or something?”

It was hard to meet Lauren’s gaze and she really didn’t want the woman to feel worse about the whole situation than she already did. It hadn’t been Lauren’s fault.

“She wanted to traffic me.”

Lauren’s hand flew over her mouth. “Oh my God.”

Nia hurried to add, “It isn’t as bad as it sounds.”

She knew she was simplifying it all but Lauren didn’t need more stress, especially in her condition.

And, well, talking about it made her relive it, and all she could think about was him.

“But Ka’Cit found you. How?” It was Sohut that spoke. Cleo was parked in his lap and he had to lean around her so he could make eye contact.

Nia shrugged, her gaze falling to the tea in front of her. “I don’t know how he found me. But I was lucky that he did.”

Lauren’s fingers brushed over her hand. “Nia, you’re acting…different. Is there something you want to tell us? Did something happen to you out there?” She paused, her gaze darting to her mate’s and then to Cleo’s. “You’re safe with us. You know that right? I know we messed up and I don’t know how we’re going to make up for that but…you can tell us anything. We’ll try to fix it.”

Nia shook her head once more.

“You didn’t mess up.” She looked around the group. They were all looking at her with regret in their eyes. “You really didn’t. Think of it as a…free trip I got up into space.”

Lauren’s eyes widened then and she realized they hadn’t known she’d actually left the planet.

“Long story.” Nia smiled and that smile was interrupted by a yawn.

“You must be tired,” Cleo murmured. “It sounds like a lot. You should go rest. We’ll continue this conversation later.”

Nia nodded.

“You’re sure you’re all right?” Lauren was still studying her with concerned eyes.

Nia nodded again. “It’s nothing. Cleo’s right. I am really tired. But to answer your question, nothing happened out there. Ka’Cit helped me off the ship. I saw those aliens who took us from Earth.” That got a collective gasp. “Ka’Cit fought them. I helped where I could. Turns out there are more humans out there somewhere.”

“What?” That was also collective.

Nia huffed a laugh through her nose. “Yea. Long story but they’re safe now, I think. Tell you about it later.”

She didn’t have the energy to speak about it now.

At the moment, she only wanted to go into her room and lay down on her bed in the darkness.

“But, yea, nothing happened apart from that.”

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

* * *

She could still hear the others moving about the house, but Nia stayed in bed, listening to the rain pummel the roof.

In another time, it would have been a soothing sound that would have lulled her to sleep. But right now, it only heightened her sorrow—a bit like listening to sad love songs when heartbroken and ugly crying into the pillow.

Only, she wasn’t crying.

She just felt…numb.

Was she just being stupid?

Possibly.

This could simply be an effect of being alone for so long. That, as well as seeing Cleo and Lauren so happy with their mates.

That’s what this was.

Ka’Cit didn’t owe her anything.

Things like that happened all the time on Earth.

It was stupid of her to expect more.

He was a man, a handsome one at that, who could be with any woman he wanted.

And if he didn’t want her then…

The thought made her shudder as a sob lodged in her throat.

Tomorrow, she’d get back to her routine of getting up early and tending to the animals and the rest of the Sanctuary.

Life would go back to normal and she could get rid of this sense of want and loss that she was feeling.

Easy.

Right?

* * *

Ka’Cit stopped his hover car in the middle of the plain and killed the engine.

He was half-way between his home and Riv’s Sanctuary and out here there was nothing.

Nothing except him and his thoughts.

His pain.

The water was falling from the sky so hard, he could hardly see before him and the darkness of the sky permeated the world around him.

He let out a roar as he slammed his fist against the hover-car’s controls.

Reaching up, he released his mask and threw it off as he buried his face into his hands.

Everything within him told him to turn the vehicle around, head back to the Sanctuary and claim his human.

Everything within him.

But he couldn’t.

He phekking couldn’t.

For her sake, he had to leave her alone.

He could see it in her eyes.

He’d hurt her.

It was the opposite of what he’d wanted to do, but he’d done it any way.

She was hurting.

Phek.

She’d probably hate him after this and he deserved it.

He could take her hate.

Hating him was good.

Not for him, but for her.

Even if she hated him, there was still a chance she could find happiness.

And with that thought, he forced down his own sorrow and stared ahead into the torrent of water falling before him.

He’d known this was going to happen.

He’d known the end would come.

So why was it so phekking hard to go on?

38

For the next few days, Nia did just what she’d put her mind to do.

She’d wake up early and almost stumble over Grot in the hallway, before heading out to do her chores.

The routine came back easily and she could almost pretend that her little adventure hadn’t happened.

Ka’Cit hadn’t returned to the Sanctuary since that rainy day but that wasn’t out of the ordinary.

He hadn’t visited regularly before; why would he do so now?

As she dumped manure at the root of one of the fluffy fruit trees, Nia felt a pain in her chest.

Ever since she’d returned that day, that ache had developed and hadn’t gone away. Every time she so much as thought about him, she felt it.

She could forget. At least, she was trying to forget, but even the little holographic animal he’d gotten her reminded her of him.

And she saw the thing every day.

She could only ignore it.

What else could she do?

She really didn’t have anything to feel sad about.

Lauren and the others were trying their best to make her happy, even though she’d told them constantly that they didn’t have to.

She didn’t blame them for any of what happened, but they still held some guilt.

Cleo kept making her that sweet tea, Sohut went foraging to find nuts that tasted like almonds, Lauren spent her time in the kitchen trying to create human foods like cinnamon rolls and oatmeal cookies, and even Riv was trying not to scowl at her so much.

She appreciated it all, but contrary to what they believed, she wasn’t sad about what had happened.

She was sad because of what it felt like she’d lost.

Nia dropped the shovel and leaned against one of the trees, her eyes moving up to the sky.

The rain had fallen for three whole days and the soil was still soggy from it. Over those three days she’d focused on forgetting, albeit unsuccessfully.

“What did I do wrong?” Her words were a whisper carried away by the slight wind.

But what had she done wrong?

He hadn’t even called…

It was like…she didn’t exist.

Get it together, Nia. Are you really that lonely?

You have a family. You have the animals. You have more than most.

And this was true.

Her shoulders stiffened as she leaned off the tree and picked up the bucket and shovel.

As she headed back toward the main buildings, she repeated this to herself over and over again.

She had more than most.

She should be grateful.

There was a loud boom as she reached the main building and she saw Grot run from the main house a little animal that looked like a chihuahua mixed with a monkey running before him.

The little one was Cleo’s pet and he and Grot had an ongoing feud, though they didn’t actually ever hurt each other.

Cleo’s pet looked cute, but it was a vicious little thing. She’d seen it attack one of the robots in the fields once.

The robot did not survive.

As she heard Lauren shout from the house, Nia huffed a laugh through her nose.

“Grot! Leave Wawa alone!” Lauren appeared at the door, gripping her belly as she shouted. “So stubborn!”

Lauren was frowning and when her eyes fell on Nia, she blushed a little.

“Sorry, this must be crazy to you.”

Nia shook her head. “Not at all.”

She watched the animals run off into the fields before her gaze moved back to Lauren.

“I came from a big family.” At least, she considered all those kids her father helped to be a part of her extended family.

She was an only child but home life like this comforted her. Especially when she was feeling like shit, like today.

Her gaze fell to Lauren’s belly as the woman rubbed it and she smiled again.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Lauren groaned. “It’s not as great as it looks. This child is growing faster than my body can keep up and I swear he thinks my bladder is a punching bag.”

Nia’s smile increased, she couldn’t help it, and Lauren huffed out a breath before smiling herself.

“Watch, you’ll see.”

Nia set down the bucket and shovel just as Morpheus dipped his head to chew on her hair.

“Morph—” The tilgran stopped and she focused back on Lauren. “What do you mean, I’ll see.”

Lauren shrugged. “When it’s your turn, you’ll see.”

Nia shook her head. “I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen.”

“What makes you so sure?”

Well, maybe because the only man she could think of having a relationship with had forgotten about her?

She didn’t say that though.

She only shook her head. “Would take a miracle.”

Lauren grinned and waggled her eyebrows. “Miracles do happen.”

Nia nodded and acquiesced.

Yes, they did.

But if every human had been given a certain number of miracles. She was sure she’d already used up all of hers.

39

Ka’Cit’s fingers brushed over the braids in his hair.

Well, the remnants of them.

It had been weeks now since her fingers had crafted them into his locks and he’d tried his best to preserve them.

But every day that passed, they unwound more and more. A bit like everything within him.

He was hardly keeping it together.

A glance at the reflective control panel of his hover car and he let out a breath.

His green eyes met him and so did the rest of his face.

He wasn’t wearing his mask today…neither was he wearing his standard dark clothing.

Today he wasn’t the bounty hunter who did jobs for free.

Today he wasn’t the Bone Crusher.

Today he was himself.

Ka’Cit Urgmental.

The male Nee-ya saw him to be.

His life organ clenched within his chest at mention of her name and it solidified why he had to do this.

He’d have done it sooner too if he’d been able to sort things out in time, but what should have taken days had ended up taking weeks.

It turned out that not keeping records of his assets all this time, not really caring about all that he’d built since being on his own, hadn’t been the wisest of ideas.

But, he couldn’t be angry with himself about it.

He hadn’t cared about his worldly possessions. And he hadn’t cared because he’d always lived the last day as if it was just that…his last.

Only now…

Phek.

He ran a hand over his face as he stared at his reflection.

Now, he had reason to think about those assets.

They finally had some purpose.

Slipping out of the vehicle, he locked the doors and turned on the protective shield.

No one glanced at him as he made his way through the Exchange and more people dared to bump into him.

He could almost pretend as if he fit in.

He had one destination—a huge government building at one end of the Exchange.

He had someone he needed to see there. Someone he trusted to handle this properly.

Caught up in his thoughts, it didn’t take long for him to reach the building and he blinked as he stepped within the doors, his life organ thumping against his chest.

The decision he was about to make was big. But it was the right one.

A clerk behind the desk looked up at him, her singular eye blinking with boredom as she gestured him over.

“I need to speak to Geblit.”

The clerk blinked at him once more.

“Ambassador Geblit Cakhura,” he repeated.

“Ambassador Cakhura does not take personal calls. We handle all inquiries here at on this floor.”

Ka’Cit held back a growl.

This was where his mask helped.

Beings always underestimated those they thought had no power.

Releasing a breath, he reached into the papers he was holding and flipped through them. The clerk watched him with disinterest until he found the one he was looking for and slid it in her direction.

Her bored eye flicked to the paper and she blinked slowly as she read what was there.

He saw the moment she realized her error, when her gaze suddenly became alert and her head snapped in his direction.

“Oh.”

Ka’Cit’s gaze narrowed. “Right. Now where is he?”

* * *

For the next few minutes, clerks came out of the woodwork all around the building, most ignoring their duties to pander to him.

Word had apparently spread.

He was offered refreshments. An invite to the private waiting room. Entertainment while he waited.

Ka’Cit ignored them.

He only wanted to speak to Geblit.

He was just about to rise and go look for the Torian himself when he heard Geblit’s voice echo down the hallway.

“All right, all right. Give me space. I swear, it would seem like the first time you beings were ever in the presence of a dignita—”

Geblit’s eyes widened as they settled on him and the Torian’s lips formed a thin line.

He shook his head and began turning to go in the other direction. “No,” he said and Ka’Cit was sure he heard the clerks gasp.

Ka’Cit stood. “It’s business, Geblit.”

Geblit glanced over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing. “If I recall, your sort of business…”

Ka’Cit smiled a little. “Clean business.”

Geblit’s gaze narrowed some more before it darted to the interested clerks watching them.

“Well, what are you looking at? Get back to work.” He shooed them off. “And you, follow me…though I’m sure I’m asking for trouble by inviting you to my office,” he murmured as he headed back down the corridor. “You and your friends have always brought me trouble.”

Geblit continued muttering to himself even as the door to his private office closed behind them and he sat behind his desk.

“What do you want Urgmental? And please do not tell me,” he closed his eyes for a second, “do not tell me it has something to do with smuggling anything.”

At his blank expression, Geblit let out an exasperated breath.

“Fine. I guess I have no choice but to listen. I rue the day I got involved with you three.”

Ka’Cit huffed out a laugh. Geblit had always said that about him, Riv, and Sohut. “You’re here already. It’s logged in the records. If anything I will just say you came to discuss your assets.”

“That is what I am here to discuss.”

“Oh,” Geblit brightened. “Then by all means, take a seat.”

He gestured to the seat in front of him before activating his computer.

The holo-screen materialized in the air before the Torian and Geblit tapped a few inputs on the screen before glancing back his way.

“Now, what about your assets.”

“I want them transferred.”

Two of Geblit’s eyes grew wider while the other two remained the same size. “What?”

“I want them transferred.” Ka’Cit slid the papers in his hand toward Geblit and the Torian took them, flicking through quickly as his eyes darted across the pages.

“This…this is a lot to transfer to one being…”

Ka’Cit shrugged. “I don’t see your point.”

Geblit blinked at him as if he was looking at an idiot. “It’s not usual for a dignitary—”

“I am no dignitary. There’s nothing dignified about me.”

Geblit scoffed. “Your assets…your status…they say otherwise.”

“Just because you and those other excrement pipes who run this planet think I’m rich doesn’t make me dignified. I’m just…lucky.”

Geblit scoffed again. “Well, I’ve seen where you live. I agree.”

In another circumstance, he might have laughed.

“Just tell me what you need to get it done and I will provide it.” He watched as Geblit looked through the papers once more.

“It’s all here. Must have been a pain in the sphincter trying to gather all these deeds… Are you sure about this?”

“As sure as my life organ beating in my chest.”

“You have a habit of being…reckless. If this turns out to be a mistake…it can’t be undone.”

Ka’Cit leaned forward and looked the Torian in the eyes. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. This isn’t one.”

Geblit studied him for a few more moments. “Okay. I’ll process it, but it will take some time.” He glanced back at the papers. “You’ve done a horrible job at keeping these records.”

Ka’Cit let out a soft laugh through his nose.

He’d done a horrible job at life in general so far.

This might be the first good decision he’d ever made.

40

She’d stopped counting the days…the weeks…but each day that passed, things got easier.

She could smile now and put enough effort into it that it was convincing to the others.

She could even convince herself when she looked in the mirror, despite the ache in her soul that she couldn’t get rid of.

More than once, she’d caught herself just staring off into the distance at nothing, the image of Ka’Cit’s hover car retreating over the tall grass replaying in her head.

She’d been right.

That day, it had been goodbye.

A final one.

He wasn’t coming back and she shouldn’t have expected him to.

What had happened between them hadn’t affected him the way it had affected her.

She really was a fool.

And that realization had turned her want, her hope, into anger.

She was sitting on one of the huge hay bales now, looking out over the tall grass.

Since those three rainy days that followed his departure, it had been pretty dry conditions.

The sun was shining as usual and the wind was a soft caress.

Nia rubbed the pebbles she had in her hand and absentmindedly threw one toward a bucket far away.

It hit the bucket so hard, the thing toppled over.

Taking another, she threw again, hitting the bucket one more time.

That one was hard enough to dent the side of the container.

Her accuracy had improved in the past few weeks; she was pretty sure she could hit things now with her eyes closed.

Anger was a fuel she never knew she’d find useful.

She flexed her wrist to throw another pebble when her gaze caught something approaching in the distance.

Nia froze and her heart thudded in her chest.

As she rose to her feet on top of the hay bale, she squinted and focused.

A hover car.

But even from the distance, she could tell it wasn’t his, and she felt her heart sink—a feeling that was promptly followed by anger at herself for even hoping.

The hover car that was approaching looked new. It had smooth curves and a paint job that made it glisten in the light.

Hopping off the hay bale, Nia moved farther down the path and put up a hand to shield her eyes from the sun.

As soon as she recognized who it was, she turned and shouted toward the house, “Riv! Geblit is here to see you.”

A few moments passed before Riv stuck his head through the door with Lauren following close behind him.

The two were inseparable, especially now that Lauren looked close to popping.

Riv scowled and Nia turned to see the hover car pulling up at the barrier.

Geblit Cakhura’s four eyes found her before darting to Riv. “Well, aren’t you going to let me in?”

“Geblit, on Raxu’s name, if you’ve brought me another human…”

Geblit looked affronted and his four arms crossed, his green skin turning slightly gray. “I want nothing to do with any more of those troublesome humans. I can assure you, I am here on official business.”

Riv growled and disappeared inside the house.

A few moments later, the electric barrier stopped zinging and Geblit’s hover car slowly advanced into the property.

“Hiya Geblit.” Lauren smiled at the alien and, as she stepped down the path to stand beside her, Nia saw the exact moment when Geblit’s gaze fell on the woman’s belly.

His four eyes moved from being narrowed to slits to becoming large round pools in his head.

“You…you…you’re multiplying.” He almost fell backward in shock.

Lauren chuckled and rubbed her belly.

“Yep, you’re going to be an uncle.”

“Absolutely not!” The big protrusion at the back of Geblit’s head pulsed. “If adult humans bring so much trouble, I cannot imagine what immature spawns of your species will do to my life.” He made a face then the color drained from his skin. His gaze fell on Riv, who was now coming down the path toward them. “Phekking qrak, it will be a hybrid.”

He began shaking his head. “I’m telling you from this moment, I want nothing to do with this…this spawn.”

Lauren chuckled again. “I think the baby likes you.”

Without warning, she grasped one of Geblit’s arms and put his hand on her tummy.

Geblit was so shocked, he could not move. “What are you—”

Then he froze, his gaze falling to Lauren’s belly. “The little menace is trying to assault me already.”

Nia had to stifle a laugh at that while Lauren openly chuckled.

Riv’s eyes narrowed and he growled underneath his breath.

Geblit’s body relaxed a little. “Your spawn will make a great fighter,” he said.

They all went silent then.

To admit that he might actually like the child was a moment no one wanted to ruin.

Riv made a sound in his throat. “What business do you have? You don’t run errands.”

Geblit snatched his hand away from Lauren, his skin growing a little darker in color.

“Right,” he said. “That’s because this is out of the ordinary. I had to do it myself.”

Nia glanced between them.

Time for her to leave and give them some privacy.

“I’ll be inside if you need me.” She nodded to Riv and Lauren. “Nice seeing you again, Geblit.” And she meant that. She hadn’t seen him since that day he’d bought her and taken her to the Sanctuary.

If not for him, she wouldn’t be safe right now.

She began walking away when his voice caught her ear.

“Actually, Nee-ya. This business concerns you.”

Nia turned. “Huh? Me?”

Geblit moved over to his hover car and took out a small package and a piece of transparent paper rolled up like a scroll. There was writing etched into it that she could not read.

“These are yours.”

He handed her the package, ignoring her confused stare.

“What’s this?”

“Your identification bracelet and the authorization deeds.” Geblit spoke as he reached over in his car for something else.

Nia blinked and her gaze flew to Lauren and Riv. Lauren shrugged.

“What?” she asked again. “I…I don’t have an ID bracelet.”

“Now you do.” Geblit finally found what he was reaching for and took it out. It was a small device that looked like a stapler.

He moved toward her. “Your wrist please.”

Nia shook her head. “I don’t understand. What’s this about?”

Geblit sighed, his eyes narrowing with boredom.

“Your identification bracelet. The one you get when you’re legally registered? No longer a refugee? A full resident of Hudo III with equal rights.” His bored look didn’t change. “Surely you know what that is. That other troublesome human has one.” He jerked his head at Lauren.

Nia’s eyelids fluttered as she blinked at him. “I know what it is, but I don’t have…” Her gaze moved to Riv.

“Did you have something to do with this? This doesn’t have something to do with what happened a few weeks ago, right? I told you guys it was okay… You didn’t have to…”

But the confusion on Riv’s face made her words stop in her throat.

Riv’s eyebrows moved a little, his frilli scrunching up as he frowned. “I’m just as confused as you are.”

“Sohut?” she asked.

Riv shook his head. “He would have said something.”

“Then who…”

“Don’t tell me he did not tell you he was giving half of his assets to you.” Now, Geblit looked annoyed.

“Who?” They echoed each other as they all focused on Geblit.

“Ka’Cit Urgmental.”

Nia’s heart beat so hard in her chest she was sure it imprinted into her skin.

Did she hear right? “What?”

Geblit squeezed his eyes shut. “He came in some time ago and filed the documentation. I am surprised he didn’t tell you about it, considering the…extent of the filing that had to be done.”

Nia blinked. “He paid for me?” Her voice was but a whisper and the package and paper that she held in her hands trembled a little as her fingers shook.

“He paid for your freedom,” Geblit corrected. “Now—”

The green alien reached forward and grabbed her wrist so fast, she had no time to respond.

Next, all she felt was a dull pain on her wrist.

Nia stared at her wrist as he let her go, her eyes widening with every second.

Before her eyes, the tattoo was etching across her skin. A tattoo just like the one Lauren had.

Geblit whipped a thin transparent disk from somewhere and placed it underneath her mouth.

“Please deposit your DNA sample.”

“I don’t understand…” Nia blinked at the tattoo.

Lauren and Riv still looked just as confused as they glanced at each other.

Geblit huffed out a breath.

“You open your maw, deposit your fluid on the disk.” His eyes narrowed at her as if she was being an idiot. “And don’t get any of your fluids on me, I beg.”

“No, I mean, I don’t understand all this.” She gestured at the tattoo and the papers I her hand. “Why would Ka’Cit do this?”

“And why did you have to come out here to complete the registration?” Riv growled.

Geblit huffed out another breath and his hand fell with the disk still held between his fingers. “Because of the sheer amount of assets being transferred.”

“What?” they all asked.

“Ka’Cit Urgmental’s estate is…considerable. You receive half of that.”

“What do you mean considerable?” Nia could hardly breathe.

“Considerable enough that an official had to travel out to the middle of nowhere to hand over the papers to you,” Geblit quipped.

Nia began shaking her head. “I can’t…I can’t accept this.” Her gaze met Geblit’s and now he looked confused. “You have to take it back. I can’t…take this.”

“And why the phek not?” Geblit’s eyes narrowed once more.

A soft hand tugged on her arm and she realized Lauren was pulling her to the side.

She was so weak, she went without protest as Riv and Geblit began to converse.

“Did you know he was going to do this?” Lauren whispered.

Nia shook her head. “No idea. I…I don’t understand why. Has he contacted Riv since he brought me back?”

Lauren shook her head. “No.”

“I can’t accept this.”

Lauren gripped her arm tight. “Yes, you absolutely can.”

Nia blinked. She hadn’t expected that response.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Lauren’s gaze became pointed, “blessings are sometimes disguised. And this is a blessing. You will be free. Truly free. You can’t give that up.”

Nia shook her head again. “You don’t understand. How can I accept such a huge gift from…”

“From a stranger?”

No.

But she couldn’t find the right words.

Or, rather, she didn’t want to say the words that came to her mind.

How could she accept such a gift from a man who hadn’t spoken to her in weeks? Who hadn’t called to say even hello?

Who seemed to have forgotten about her, but probably hadn’t because he’d fucking paid for her “visa”, so to say?

But most of all, how could she accept such a huge gift from the man she loved but who had made it clear he didn’t want anything serious.

The man she loved…

Her heart ached.

She’d fallen for him and till that moment, she hadn’t admitted that to herself.

All these few weeks of aching, of hurting, of wanting, of yearning…it was all because she’d fucking fallen in love with him.

A myriad of emotions swelled within her.

Geblit raised his voice. “Will you be giving me that sample or not? I need it for the registration.”

Nia shook her head. “No.”

Geblit looked surprised. “No?”

“No,” Nia repeated and began walking away. Her chest was heaving and her breath was beginning to come hard as if she was stuck in a small dark space.

“Well, I guess you can come in and deposit the sample yourself at some other time,” she heard Geblit murmur as she hurried away.

She just needed a place to think by herself and maybe things would make sense.

41

Things didn’t make sense the next day…or the day after that.

Actually, instead of things becoming clear, they only became more confusing.

Each hour that went by drew another unanswered question till her nights were filled with her staring into the darkness, unable to sleep as her thoughts plagued her.

At least, in the daytime, she could push her thoughts aside and focus on work.

Still, that didn’t get rid of the seething underneath her skin.

Nia grabbed the shovel as she entered the tilgran enclosure. Morpheus dipped his head, trying to nuzzle her, but Nia shrugged him off.

“Not today, Morpheus. I’m not in the mood.”

The tilgran raised its head and looked down at her.

Nia ignored the animal and began shoveling the waste, dumping it in the bucket near her feet.

Every shovel-full received a glare and every scrape of the shovel was fueled by the anger burning like a fire within her.

How dare him.

How dare him!

She wasn’t some charity case, if that’s what he saw her as.

She might not have much, but she was willing to find some way to pay for herself in this new world.

She hadn’t needed his charity.

Grabbing the bucket, Nia exited the enclosure and slammed the gate shut.

The bang echoed across the Sanctuary and when she turned, she almost bumped into Riv.

Gripping the bucket in her hand, Nia didn’t pause. She simply walked around the male and headed toward the fruit field.

It wasn’t the others’ fault, her current mood, but she couldn’t help it.

She didn’t want to speak to anyone and she didn’t want them trying to talk her into accepting this overly generous gift.

For it was very generous.

Generous enough for Riv to almost fall out of his seat when he’d opened the paper and read it.

Apparently, Geblit hadn’t been joking when he’d said Mr. Ka’Cit Urgmental had considerable assets.

He was wealthy…and now half of that wealth was hers.

Suddenly, she’d gone from having nothing to owning more than Sohut and Riv combined.

It didn’t feel right.

What had she done to deserve it? Nothing.

And therein lay the basis of the anger riding through her veins.

She didn’t deserve any of this.

She hated him.

Nia stopped walking at that thought. Her shoulders tensed and she gripped the bucket tighter.

No.

She didn’t hate him.

She hated herself.

This anger was because of her.

She hated the fact that she’d let the short time she’d spent with him get into her head so much.

She hated that she couldn’t accept the fact that he had already moved on.

But moved on from what?

They hadn’t actually said they liked each other or anything remotely close to that.

It was all emotions, nothing concrete, and when had she ever let emotions rule her life?

Her heart wrung and the anger swelled within her.

She’d wanted to join the army. Her emotions would have been useless then, ripped to pieces, shredded and buried before she’d gone on the battlefield.

Even as a nurse, her emotions also had to be shredded and buried before she treated a patient.

Emotions were useless.

So fuck him!

She spent the next few minutes dumping the waste at the roots of the trees and trying to calm her mind before she headed back toward the main buildings.

A sigh left her body as she took a moment to set the bucket down and lean against one of the hay bales.

The sun was going down and the sky was slowly turning purple.

Far above, she could see a few stars already twinkling.

It was going to be a calm night.

If only she could sleep.

“Nia?” Nia jumped at Lauren’s voice. She hadn’t heard the woman approach.

“Hey, Lauren.” Nia forced a smile and Lauren’s eyes softened.

“You okay? Riv said you still seemed upset.”

“I’m fine.” She forced another smile. “I really am.”

Inside, something within her withered.

She knew she was throwing an adult tantrum but the whole Ka’Cit situation just made her mad.

He made her mad.

Lauren came to stand close by her and leaned against the hay as they turned to look at the setting sun.

“I was angry at Riv at one point, before we…got together. I wanted to pull his hair out. Hell, I wanted to kick him in the balls a few times.”

Nia’s eyes darted to her friend. “Wha—”

That was hard to believe. They were so in-love and good together.

“They can be stubborn sometimes. Set in their ways. Even when they know deep down that you’ll be perfect together.”

Nia began shaking her head before Lauren could continue. “This isn’t about me and Ka’Cit getting together.”

Lauren smiled then. “Who said anything about Ka’Cit?”

Realizing she’d just been cornered, Nia could feel her cheeks warm.

“You shared something, didn’t you?” Lauren’s gaze travelled over the sky and Nia was happy for the lack of eye contact for she was sure every raw emotion was playing out over her face. “Out there. You shared something.”

For a few moments, Nia didn’t reply.

“It was nothing.”

Lauren scoffed. “I think you know that isn’t true, or else his absence wouldn’t be affecting you like this.”

Nia opened her mouth, but Lauren continued. “And no, don’t deny it. I know what someone in love looks like. I see it every day when I look into Riv’s eyes. I see it in the way Cleo and Sohut look at each other…and I see it in you.”

“Wha…” The denial was already on her tongue but one glance at Lauren, at the soft, knowing smile on her face, and all Nia could do was sigh.

“Is it that obvious?”

Lauren shook her head. “No. At first, we thought it was the strain of what had happened to you out there. But then…when Geblit came with the registration document it became clear.”

“I hate him.”

Lauren laughed a little. “Who? Geblit? He’s a character all right.”

Nia shook her head. “No. Ka’Cit.”

“No, you don’t.”

No, she didn’t. She already knew it was herself that annoyed her the most.

She’d just admitted that fact a few moments before.

Nia hung her head. “I just don’t understand why he would do that for someone he doesn’t want anything to do with.”

Lauren’s hand rested against her back. “Did he say that?”

“No, but he didn’t have to. I thought I understood it, why he left like nothing happened between us, but then he goes and gives me half of everything he owns. I don’t get it. What does he want?”

“Maybe he wants you…”

Nia shook her head. “I don’t think he wants a relationship.”

“You’re wrong.” Riv’s deep voice made Nia jump and she realized at the same time that Lauren wasn’t surprised by it. Apparently, she’d gotten used to how he and his brother walked silently, even outdoors.

“What do you mean I’m wrong?”

“What you just said. You’re wrong. A relationship is the one thing Ka’Cit has always wanted.”

Something clenched inside Nia and she had to swallow hard as a ball of emotions rose into her throat.

“So…just not with me then…” She fought to push her emotions down.

It was fine.

She was a big girl.

But Riv only shook his head. “I saw the way he looked at you.”

Nia shrugged and choked on a mirthless laugh. “This is all just confusing. I mean, when someone ghosts you, it usually means they’re trying to turn you down easy without having to actually say it.” She shook her head again and turned to walk toward the house. “Don’t worry, guys, it’s ok. I’m okay. And thanks…thanks for trying to cheer me up.”

She took a few steps toward the main residence before Riv’s voice caught her ear.

“He doesn’t think he’s worthy of a mate.”

That made her pause.

“What?”

Riv growled and let out an exasperated breath. His gaze fell on Lauren and he studied her for a bit before letting out another breath. “He’s…even worse than me…my…deficiency.”

Nia’s brows furrowed. “I don’t understand. What deficiency?”

Riv’s gaze darted away and for the first time since she’d been on the Sanctuary, Nia saw the vulnerability in his eyes.

“Riv’s tail,” Lauren whispered as she wrapped her arms around her mate.

Nia’s gaze fell to Riv’s torso. That’s right. He had no tail. It had been removed long ago by some evil slave owner.

She remembered Lauren had mentioned Riv’s reluctance to be with her because of his lack of a tail, among other things.

In Merssi culture, they seemed to place high value on the males. Females were cherished and the males had to be perfect specimens.

But this didn’t explain anything. Nia’s brows only furrowed more. “Ka’Cit has a deficiency?”

For the life of her, she couldn’t think of what that was.

She’d seen him naked and he was perfect.

Confusion swam in her eyes as Riv raised a hand and pointed to his forehead.

For a moment, she didn’t understand what he was pointing at, but then realization dawned.

“He is smooth-faced,” Riv said.

Nia blinked.

Yes. Yes he was. She’d noticed that but she hadn’t thought it was a big deal.

“What does that mean?”

Riv shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

“It is not my place to say but if you ask any other Merssi, they will tell you. The smooth-faced are never to form a mate bond.”

“Why?”

Riv’s gaze fell on Lauren and then to her baby bump. He reached forward, resting his palm on his mate’s growing belly.

“Because they cannot create this. It is impossible for him to bear young.”

Nia blinked at him. “Ka’Cit…he can’t have children?”

Riv’s face was solemn as he shook his head. “His seed lacks a chemical females need. The frilli,” he touched the series of bumps along his brow, “indicate how potent that chemical is. Ka’Cit…he has no frilli. He would be thought of as unworthy by any female.”

Nia blinked again. “But I don’t think he was a virgin…”

In the past, she’d have blushed at talking so openly about her sex life but at the moment, she didn’t care.

Her curiosity was too strong.

Riv shrugged. “Females may use him for fun, but none would form a mate bond with him. He is…broken. Unfit.” He paused. “Unsuitable.”

“Like hell he is.” Her response seemed to startle Riv but her heart was beating so hard in her chest now that adrenaline was coursing through her veins.

The way he said those words gave her the impression those were not his thoughts but the way his people saw his friend.

Ka’Cit couldn’t produce children…

If that was the reason.

Nia closed her eyes. “Why didn’t he tell me…”

Her eyes were still closed when she heard Riv respond. “Telling the one you want the most that you can never give them the life they deserve…it isn’t easy.”

She opened her eyes to see Lauren look up at him with the utmost adoration in her gaze.

Riv stared down at Lauren as he continued. “He wouldn’t want you to be burdened by him. He wants you to be happy.”

Nia’s heart thumped.

She was happy with Ka’Cit.

When she was around him, she felt alive.

“Is that why he hasn’t visited since he found out about the baby?” Lauren whispered and Riv nodded.

“Fuck,” Nia whispered.

It didn’t seem like a big deal to her, but in his culture…

He’d have felt like an unworthy male, one undeserving of a family if he could not provide his mate with a family.

But she wasn’t Merssi.

Yes, she’d wanted kids in the future, but that wish wasn’t set in stone.

It wasn’t a life goal, merely something to share with the man she loved and if that man couldn’t bear young, she was sure they could find other things to share.

A breath shuddered through her.

She had to go see him.

Now.

He thought he couldn’t give her what she wanted…but what she wanted was him.

“Riv,” she said. “I need a favor.”

42

Riv’s hover car wasn’t nearly as fast as Ka’Cit’s had been, but as the darkness came over the landscape she made good time whooshing across the savannah.

Behind her, Riv’s Sanctuary was but a dark dot in the distance and ahead was the nothingness of the plain.

She had no idea where she was going, but the hover car had a self-driving function and Riv had punched in the coordinates to Ka’Cit’s farm.

She only hoped he was home.

As she stared ahead, her heart beat so hard in her chest, she could hear the blood pumping in her ears.

What if Riv was wrong?

What if that wasn’t the reason why he’d stayed away?

What if she was heading all the way out there to confront him only to find out that Riv had been wrong.

It didn’t matter.

She still had to know.

She needed the closure, at least, so she could continue on with her life instead of pining for what never was or what could have been.

As she focused ahead, she was sure she saw something in the distance—something that wasn’t a natural formation on the plain.

Niya bit the inside of her lip and squinted.

Slowly, the structure in the distance was beginning to take shape and the closer the hover car got to it, the more Niya frowned and squinted.

Maybe heading out at dusk hadn’t been the best thing to do. She could hardly see properly.

Still, her heart thumped in her chest.

The closer she came to the structure, though, the more uneasiness grew in her stomach.

Maybe this wasn’t the place she was heading to and the hover car would zoom past it, because the structure ahead didn’t look anything like Riv’s Sanctuary.

Niya frowned, her mouth falling open as she looked at the thing coming up ahead.

There was an electric fence zinging around the property and the main building looked a little like Riv’s house…but those were the only similarities between the two.

All around the property were piles upon piles of…metal.

Metal everywhere…almost like a scrap yard.

Niya stared at it, confused, and when the hover car continued on and didn’t change direction, her confusion only grew.

Where were the animals and the robot’s tilling the hay? Where were the fruit trees? Where were the fields of rai?

“Destination ahead. Manual controls engaging in 5…4…3—”

Niya jerked to attention and grabbed the hover car’s steering.

She reduced the speed as the vehicle neared the energy barrier, her gaze searching the compound for any movement.

She couldn’t just go through the barrier, it would fry her alive, but as she neared it, the barrier stopped zinging and disengaged.

Oh…right.

She’d heard Riv and Sohut talking about that.

Ka’Cit had apparently coded his and their hover cars to be able to pass the barriers on both farms without external input.

Memory of that time he’d stopped by the satellite to upload English to the servers came back to her.

He was like that. Handy in that way.

As she piloted the craft into the compound a lamp post turned on, surprising her, but it seemed it was motion activated.

“Hello?”

It was quiet…and maybe it was just her, but it was eerily quiet.

“Hello?”

No answer, and for a few seconds after she stopped the hover car, she cocked her ears to listen, her eyes still peeled for any movement.

Maybe he wasn’t home.

“Hello?” she called again for good measure.

Nothing.

The piles of metal in the yard made the place a bit spooky and with the quietness, she had the urge to leave.

“Get a grip, Nia. You’re just creeping yourself out,” she whispered as she glanced around at the piles of metal.

As she stopped the hover car and stepped out of it, the uneasiness didn’t ease up. It grew.

Why was it so quiet?

The air was so still, it made the hairs at the back of her neck stand on end.

Not far from where she’d parked was a smaller pile of metal scraps, about a foot tall. Just to make her feel better, she moved over to the pile and took up a piece that looked like a sawn-off pipe.

She gripped the weapon, just in case, as she walked toward the dwelling.

Another light came on overhead, lighting up the house.

The door was closed and so were all the windows, except one.

Raising her free hand, she knocked on the door and waited.

“Hello? Anyone home?”

No answer.

Releasing a breath, she turned and glanced around the premises. She was about to walk back toward the hover car when she side-eyed the open window.

Curiosity got the best of her and she went on tip-toe to glance inside.

Blatant invasion of privacy, but did she want to be the girl who didn’t look and regretted it later.

As she eased up enough on her toes to see inside the house, her eyebrows rose.

She’d expected it to look like the grounds did, for some reason, but inside the house was…spotless and full of modern decorations.

The furniture was arranged neatly, the floor was clean, everything was in order.

Dropping back on her feet, Nia moved away from the window.

She guessed she’d chosen a bad time to visit. He wasn’t home.

She was just about to turn away when something caught the corner of her eye.

Something that made her breath catch in her throat and a chill run down her spine.

A tail.

On the ground behind one of the huge piles of metal, a tail was visible.

And not just any tail—a reptilian tail.

A tail like…

Oh God no.

With shaky steps, Nia moved toward the tail and the closer she went, the more the body was revealed.

It was one of those gator-guards and Nia stopped walking as soon as she saw what it was.

Fuck.

She glanced behind her, gripping the pipe she held in her hand.

The gator-guard’s tail twitched and her soul almost left her body.

Not far from him was a fallen blaster and Nia swallowed, calculating what she should do in a matter of seconds.

It was clear.

Darting forward, she jumped over the creature’s tail and grabbed the blaster.

It was still fully charged and she pointed it at the guard.

For a few moments, there was no more movement and she was about to allow her shoulders to sag when yellow eyes suddenly opened and stared directly at her.

It took everything within her not to shriek and jump backward, but Nia stood her ground.

The guard opened his mouth and hissed.

“Jekinnn,” it said.

Nia gripped the blaster and pointed it at the guard’s head.

Something had obviously happened here.

Now that she was on this side of the pile, she could see there was another guard laying farther down the path motionless.

“Where is he?” She jerked the blaster at the guard and he opened his mouth and hissed once more.

He didn’t seem to be able to move, however, and a dark fluid was staining the ground beneath him.

He was hurt, maybe fatally, and the other one looked dead.

Her body was shuddering with each breath she took and the gun shook in her hands even as she tried to calm herself.

There was only one reason why there would be injured guards on Ka’Cit’s property.

He’d been attacked.

And he was nowhere to be seen.

The reason for that made her tremble some more.

But he could handle himself.

She was sure he was alive.

He had to be alive.

“Where. Is. He?” She spoke through gritted teeth and the guard eyed her, his gaze moving to the blaster in her hand.

Maybe he thought she was bluffing because she was trembling so hard—misinterpreting her panic for fear.

But she wasn’t afraid of him. One thing was sure, the guards didn’t scare her anymore.

What she was afraid of was the fact that Ka’Cit was missing.

As the seconds passed, her mind went through several horrible scenarios, each worse than the last.

When the guard still didn’t answer, something snapped inside her, breaking through her already-thin patience.

She didn’t have time for this.

Gripping the weapon, she disengaged the safety and the guard’s gaze registered some shock.

It was the same as the blaster she’d used at the satellite station. She knew what she was doing.

“Don’t play with me. I am not in the mood. I swear, I will plant a bullet in your head if you don’t tell me where he is. Now, where…is…he?”

The guard hissed again, hatred flooding his gaze, and for a moment, another wave of panic filled her that he wouldn’t tell her the information she needed.

He didn’t have to say a word. He didn’t owe her anything and he was her enemy.

But something changed in the guard’s gaze, something she couldn’t read.

“We came for you,” he said.

“What?”

The guard tried to laugh and ended up coughing up what looked like blood.

“I knew I was right.” He struggled to speak now and pulled in a huge breath through his snout. “I saw you at the service satellite. The Crusher said he didn’t know anything about you. But,” he coughed again, “the general should know I was right. They will kill him and come back to find you.”

Nia’s heart slammed against her chest, the guard’s words slowly making sense.

They’d come for her?

They’d tracked Ka’Cit down because of her and in trying to protect her…

Nia jerked the gun at the guard, pointing it straight at the fiend’s head.

“Where did they take him?”

The guard pulled in another rugged breath. “You cannot save him. They have probably already killed him by now.” He tried to laugh and ended up wheezing and coughing up more dark fluid but his words sent a chill down her spine.

No.

She refused to believe it.

She couldn’t be too late.

“Your kind is weak. Easily disposed of. You should be happy the masters want to collect you.” The guard hissed again. “That phekker was an idiot for not telling us who he sold you to.”

His words made some sense.

Ka’Cit smuggled things. No doubt they thought he’d sold her somewhere on the black market.

But instead of telling them the truth, he’d protected her to the end.

“Weak being…” The guard eyes her.

Weak?

Nia planted the muzzle against the alien’s snout, a snarl on her lips.

“The next words that come from your mouth better be the information I want to hear or I will use this weapon and carve you to bits until you speak.”

The guard stared at her, his gaze locked on hers, but Nia did not waver.

“Tell me where they took him. Now.”

43

Ka’Cit didn’t bother straining against the bonds holding his wrists above his head. They thought this polymer was nearly impossible to break…and it probably was, to a normal person.

But he wasn’t normal, and he didn’t want them to realize he could get his hands free.

Even if he did though, he had no weapons and he was outnumbered.

Being stupid had always worked out for him. It might not this time.

It wasn’t his life alone that was on the line.

Hers was as well.

The room they’d placed him in was dark and a little bit too warm.

Beads of perspiration were developing in the middle of his back, tickling him each time one rolled down his skin.

He could hear them in the other room, playing some sort of deck game, and he was glad they were occupied.

He needed space to think and he’d never needed such a thing before.

But that was because he’d had no reason to live before.

Recklessness had always been his fuel.

This situation, though…it wasn’t just about him.

It was about her.

His ta’ii.

They’d been hunting her, the Hedgerud’s, ever since seeing her at that service satellite and him stealing the talix metal from them hadn’t helped either.

They were out for vengeance.

Ka’Cit growled underneath his breath.

Phek.

He could only hope Geblit had filed the documents.

If he didn’t get out of this alive, at least she’d be protected.

To think he was putting so much faith in the annoying little Torian…

Ka’Cit threw his head back and let out a groan.

Above him, his restraints rubbed against the beam they’d tied him to.

“Trying to escape?” The sultry voice had him stiffening and he slowly lowered his gaze to the female before him.

“What do you want, Herza?” His voice was thick with scorn and he was sure she heard it dripping from his tongue. “Apart from the credits they said they’ll pay you for doing this deal, that is.”

She pressed something and the light in the room came on.

Her tail was twitching behind her as she crossed her arms and walked over to stand before him.

She studied him. “I had to use a lot of resources to find information on you. I think I deserve those credits after you wounded my entire crew and took off with that thing. Don’t you think?”

She took a step closer.

Her movements were suggestive.

Feminine.

But whatever she was trying to do, it was having the opposite effect on him.

“Why would a man like you, the Crusher of all people, risk so much for a frail little animal.”

Ka’Cit’s jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed but he didn’t respond.

If he showed emotion, they’d use it against him.

They’d use it against her.

Herza uncrossed her hands slowly and ran a finger down his cheek, pressing her body against his in the process.

“I’ve always wondered what it was like, being with a smooth-faced.” She brought her lips up to his ear, brushing the tender skin there with one of her fangs. “They say people like you phek like you’re possessed.”

Her tail wrapped around his leg. “Maybe I should test you out myself, before they send you to the Tasqals and they torture you to death.”

Ka’Cit grunted. He knew what she was doing.

“Herza,” he said, leaning his head against hers so he could whisper in her ear. “I would gladly die than go anywhere near you.”

She jerked off him then, her eyes flashing fire.

“How dare you. You have the nerve to deny me!” She took a step back, glaring at him before something clicked. “Raxu…” she murmured. “I can’t believe it. Don’t tell me you’ve…you’ve bonded with the hoo-man?”

Ka’Cit stiffened but he didn’t respond.

He watched as Herza’s gaze became enraged and her smile became wicked.

“No wonder they caught you so easily. No wonder you deny ever being in the hoo-man’s presence.” She scoffed. “You dare choose that thing over this.” She motioned to herself.

Ka’Cit’s gaze moved with disinterest down her body before he met her eyes once more.

“Yes.”

That only seemed to enrage her some more and she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

With a deep breath, Ka’Cit allowed his shoulders to sag.

Pissing her off probably hadn’t been the best idea but he couldn’t help it.

Even now, her touch was making his skin crawl.

It wasn’t her hands or her body he wanted against his.

He wanted Nee-ya.

But that wasn’t ever going to happen so he settled for the memories instead.

And it was those memories that were going to help him to get through this.

He just had to find a way to get them off her tail…and his.

* * *

Nia walked through the Exchange, her gaze hard, her steps sure.

The blaster she carried hung in plain sight in one hand and she didn’t know if that was the reason nobody seemed to get in her way or if it was the deadly look in her eyes…

Probably.

Or maybe it was a combination of those things and the mask.

She’d found the mask in one of the metal piles as she’d hurried back to the hover car.

It wasn’t the one Ka’Cit had been wearing when they’d been together, this one was a little rusted, but it served her purpose anyway.

Dressed in her trainers, trousers, and brown tunic, she didn’t think she looked particularly threatening, but add the mask and blaster, and suddenly beings were double taking and moving out of her way.

Or maybe it was the focus in her gaze as she headed toward her destination.

She saw no one but the path and purpose before her.

She just had to hope she wasn’t too late.

The gator-guard had told her where to go—a place called the Scintex—and she was very aware that it might be a trap.

She had no way to verify if what he said was true but there was one thing she was sure of.

The guard wanted her captured…and he thought she was weak.

He didn’t think she’d be able to put up a fight even if she ended up reaching Ka’Cit.

Nia gripped the weapon in her hand.

Well, he was wrong.

She’d never felt more deadly than how she felt now and if one thing was clear, time wasn’t on her side.

She had to take the chance.

She’d only been able to send a message to Riv through the sat phone in the hover car before she’d sped away from Ka’Cit’s homestead.

She’d told them everything was all right. She didn’t need them worrying about her.

She wasn’t even worried about herself.

If this went south… Fuck.

But this was what you did for the people you loved.

Suddenly, you didn’t matter anymore.

She was fine with going into the enemy’s nest on her own. Just like he had done for her on more than one occasion.

Her heart ached.

Ka’Cit.

All she could feel inside was…anguish and rage.

It was dark now and the lights of the stalls on either side of the street played on her mask.

As she walked, she could feel her own power.

An alien bumped into her, took one look at her face—or, rather, the mask—and his six eyes widened.

His tried to scramble away when Nia pointed the gun at him.

He almost withered before her.

“You,” she said. “Where is the Scintex?”

The alien was trembling so hard, she didn’t know if he even understood what she was saying.

Six eyes blinked before a two-fingered hand pointed down a side street. “Straight th-that way.”

Nia lowered the gun and headed down in the direction she was pointed to.

It was different down this street.

She noticed immediately.

It was seedier and the air felt heavier.

The aliens were different too.

They seemed more brutish, more on the wrong side of the law, and that alone made her grip the handle of the blaster tighter.

They watched her, leaning on the side of the buildings, and Nia got the very real feeling that she’d just stepped into the ‘wrong side of town.’

There was a series of what looked like clubs on this side of the street and as she continued walking, it dawned on her that she had a very big problem.

She had no idea which one of them was the Scintex.

She could understand spoken language but written language was a whole other affair.

For a moment, her whole plan crumbled before her.

She was looking at the glowing signs, trying to figure out which one of the buildings was the right one when she heard a sound, almost like a whisper.

Nia’s head turned.

Off to the side, between two of the buildings, a little bald-headed alien that looked like Dobby was motioning in her direction.

Nia looked behind her.

Was he talking to her?

But there was no one else close enough that he could be trying to speak to.

Nia hesitated.

She didn’t have time to waste.

For all she knew, every second wasted was a second against her.

Every second that passed was one where Ka’Cit could lose his life.

Still, the alien motioned to her again, his round eyes darting down the street.

Nia gripped the blaster and walked toward him.

“Are you talking to me?” she asked.

The alien blinked at her and nodded.

He was shaking. She hadn’t realized before till now that she was closer to him.

“Yes,” he glanced down the street again. “You’re wearing the mask. You’re with the Bone Crusher, aren’t you?”

Nia blinked. She almost denied it before she remembered that’s what she’d heard them call Ka’Cit before.

“I am.”

The alien’s gaze darted down the street again. “I know where he is. He is in trouble. I can take you there, but you have to hurry.”

Nia’s eyes narrowed.

If she hadn’t learned anything so far, she’d learned that trusting random aliens was a bad, bad idea.

Deception was high in this land.

She raised her gun and pointed it at the alien. He paled.

“Why should I trust you?”

His body shook. “I speak the truth.” Reaching behind him, he took his tail in hand. It was thin, like a mouse’s tail and she realized belatedly that he was handing his tail to her.

“You want me to hold…your tail?”

The alien’s nods were sharp jerks because of how hard he was still trembling. “Yes, so you know I am telling the truth.”

When she just blinked at him, he continued. “The Bone Crusher saved me once. I do not wish him any harm.”

Nia studied the alien for a few moments then lowered her weapon.

“Take me to him.”

The alien blinked at her and dropped his tail. With a thin arm, he motioned for her to follow him and she had to squeeze through the gap between the buildings.

He was only about a meter tall and he moved fast, stopping to turn and look her way a few times to ensure she was keeping up.

That was a challenge. With the only light coming from the street, the darkness worked against her and it was difficult to make her way.

To add, behind the buildings had a lot of debris—what looked like old tables and other things—and she had to do quite a bit of climbing and crouching as she made her way.

The little alien kept going.

Every now and then he’d stop on top of something high so she could see his location.

He was incredibly nimble, but he never went too far ahead that she couldn’t see him.

They traveled like that for a few minutes, him leading the way, she behind, before she caught up to him because he’d stopped.

He was standing before a singular door and his long ears quailed at the sides of his head.

“Here,” he whispered before rapping on the door.

Moments passed before it opened and an alien of his same species stood there trembling.

“Hurry,” he said, before going behind her and pushing against her legs for her to enter the room.

It was dark in there and she didn’t know what to expect.

“Aren’t you coming in?” she asked.

His eyes widened a little and he shook his head. “I am not allowed.”

Nia took a deep breath and hesitated.

Could she trust him?

Hell, she’d come this far behind him…

Just then, she heard an undeniable sound. Laughter she’d heard a thousand times.

Gator-guards.

The sound made a unique mix of anger and anxiety churn within her.

“Hurry,” the alien at her feet hissed and Nia nodded, taking a step forward and into the building.

The door closed behind her with a soft click and the other alien stared up at her.

“This way,” he whispered before he began moving forward.

Nia followed behind, her ears perked and her heart thumping in her chest.

The little alien just turned a corner and she was about to follow him when he yelped and took a few steps back in her direction.

Nia froze.

The alien’s eyes went wide at whatever was before him, whatever she could not see, and he began shaking his head.

“What the qrak is wrong with you, fool?”

It was the voice of a gator-guard and she had no idea how many more were around the corner.

Fuck.

The gator-guard couldn’t see her yet. She could probably backtrack…

But the guard took a step forward.

For a second, he didn’t see her. So focused on the little alien at their feet, that split moment made Nia want to slink back into the shadows.

But the guard sensed her presence and his gaze snapped in her direction.

Yellow eyes met hers and widened, his arm immediately moving to the weapon at his side.

Nia didn’t hesitate.

Her body already knew what to do even before her mind could tell her muscles to move.

Her arm raised.

The gun cocked.

Her finger found and pulled the trigger.

The blast left the weapon and found its target so quickly, the gator-guard didn’t know how to react. He clutched his chest, his mouth opening to release a scream that did not come.

His eyes were wide, still staring at her in shock as he fell with a thump to the floor.

Nia’s heart hammered in her chest.

There hadn’t been any sound from the blast.

This gun had a silencer.

No doubt that would come in handy in the next few minutes.

“What was that?” The voice of a guard, but it was coming from another room.

“Sounds like the phekker had too much woogli drink.”

Nia froze, listening as her heart thumped hard in her chest, and hoping no more of the guards entered the corridor.

If she could do this without causing chaos, she’d opt for that.

When she looked down, the little alien that was leading her was trembling so hard, the grey tunic it wore was shaking like a leaf.

As he looked from the fallen guard then back to her, she could see the fear in his eyes.

“Don’t worry, little guy, I’m on your side.”

Wide eyed, he barely nodded, but he grabbed the foot of her trousers and tugged lightly.

“Come quickly. Don’t have much time.” As he tugged on her leg and she began following him once more, he scowled and gave the body of the guard a kick as they stepped over it.

Well, if that didn’t show his allegiance, she didn’t know what would.

She guessed she wasn’t the only one who had something against the dastardly guards.

Around the corner was a set of double doors and even though she didn’t know what was behind it, she had a pretty good idea. She could hear the laughter.

It sounded like several beings were on the other side.

The little alien creeped up to the set of doors, his hand still fisted in her trousers, and it was not until he tugged again that she looked down at him. His eyes were still wide and he was still trembling.

“They’re in there,” he said, and pushed the door ever so lightly that there was a crack in the middle they could see through without being seen themselves.

Nia gulped.

In the other room, there were at least four other gator-guards sitting around the table. They were playing a game of holographic cards, it looked like, and they were caught up in their fun. They had no idea that just in the other room, one of their comrades had fallen.

“Quick, you have to kill them before they see us.” The alien by her side was insistent.

He was right, though.

She had the element of surprise on her side, and she needed to use it.

Searching the room behind the doors was difficult when she could hardly see, but there was no sign of the one alien she was looking for.

“Where is he?” she whispered. “The Bone Crusher. I don’t see him.”

The alien tugged on her trousers again and pointed.

Barely visible at the back of the room in the shadows, there was the outline of another door.

“He’s in there,” the alien whispered.

“How many more of them are in there with him?”

“Just one more.”

Nia took a deep breath. Okay, she could do this.

She could do this.

She knew she wasn’t going to miss but that didn’t mean she could dodge bullets. So she had to be quick. She had to be sure. And she had to be fast.

Gripping the weapon in her hands, she glanced down at the alien.

“You might want to hide for this.” His nod was a trembling mess as he let go of her and hurried away.

Time to let her instincts take over.

This was just like being in the shooting range.

Just like the shooting range.

She repeated this to herself as she kicked the doors open.

They slammed against the wall, creating a loud bang. That made the aliens in the room look up.

“Surprise, motherfuckers.”

She’d always wanted to say that line.

It took a moment for them to realize she was holding a gun, only a moment, and then they were moving.

Nia pulled the trigger, pumping it with her fingers as she unloaded blast after blast.

This wasn’t Call of Duty.

There wasn’t any ducking or rolling. No advanced tactics.

This was simple.

Point and shoot. And, if she didn’t hit them now, then she knew she would be in deep shit if one of them got away.

She could face them with a gun in her hand. She wasn’t sure how she would fare in one-and-one combat.

This was the one chance she had at this or risk being caught. So she held down on that trigger, unloading the bullets and she didn’t stop until the gun heated up in her hands and hissed.

As the steam cleared from the muzzle, Nia found the option to breathe and only then did she duck to the side behind one of the tables in the room.

Her chest heaved as her heart thudded in her throat as she checked the room for movement.

For some of the longest seconds in her life, she listened and looked, trying to pick up any movement, and when one of the bodies of the guards slid off a chair and fell to the floor, she jerked so hard she hit her head on the table.

There was no other movement.

No other sound.

Crawling from her hiding spot, Nia rose to her feet.

They were dead.

Every single last one of them. Even the table was shot up.

It looked like she’d gotten her hand on a gatling gun and unloaded the full clip in one spot.

A breath shuddered from within her. She’d done it.

She’d really done it.

But there was still the fact that they weren’t in the clear yet.

With steps she hoped were quiet, Nia crept toward the door Ka’Cit was supposedly behind, stepping over the bodies of the guard’s sprawled over the floor as she made her way.

There were sounds coming from behind the door, almost too low for her to hear if she hadn’t pressed her ear against it.

Talking.

Someone was talking.

For a moment, she strained her ears to pick up some of the words, worried that the sound of wood splitting and the guards falling had permeated through the door.

But she didn’t hear anyone scrambling to exit the room and attack/defend themselves.

The little guy had said there was only one person in the room with him and she believed him. He and his friend had helped her this far.

Glancing down, she checked her gun.

It had heated up so much, she hoped she hadn’t wrecked it.

There was just a little bit of charge left in it. She hoped that would be enough.

Following what the little alien had done. She did the same. She cracked the door open a little just, enough that she could see inside the room.

What her eyes fell on made her heart thump and sink in her chest.

She recognized the alien. Even with their back turned towards her, she knew who it was.

The dark leather.

The long blue tail.

The way the alien walked with confidence and poise.

Herza.

She was standing with her leg wrapped around him, her tail stroking his leg.

Nia almost growled at the sight.

He was tied with his arms above him and Herza was stroking her body against his.

But despite Herza’s presence, Nia found she could only look at him.

Ka’Cit.

Her heart leaped and joy filled her at the fact that he was there.

She’d found him and he was alive.

“You’d really give this up for that little animal?” Herza’s words swam through the air and brought her back to reality. “That little thing? You’d prefer that…over me?”

She gestured to herself before running a finger down Ka’Cit’s cheek.

“This is the last time I’m offering. You should take it while you can get it,” Herza continued. “You won’t get a second chance, Smooth-Faced. Not where you’re going.”

Ka’Cit didn’t respond and Herza’s anger visibly grew.

Nia heard when the female’s claws extended as she stroked her finger down the side of his mask.

“And this mask…” Herza growled. “The Bone Crusher.” Her tail flicked and Nia knew what that meant.

Herza was turned on.

The realization made Nia see red.

“Do you really think somebody is coming for you? Is that why you’re holding out?” Herza asked. “Wake up Smooth-Faced. No one cares about your kind. You’re lucky I’m even here touching you. No one is coming for you. You may be the Bone Crusher, but people like you don’t have friends.” She flashed her fangs. “You’re alone and you’ll always be alone.”

The words made Nia grit her teeth. She’d heard enough.

Pushing the door open, Nia pointed the gun in Herza’s direction.

“Get off him, bitch. He’s mine.”

Shock registered in Herza’s eyes as she turned and almost stumbled off Ka’Cit.

“Who—” Herza backed away.

Ah.

The mask.

She forgot she was wearing it.

“Nee-ya?” The utter hope in Ka’Cit’s voice, the disbelief, the shock—it knocked Nia out of her element for a second. “How are you here? You shouldn’t be here.”

His eyes darted to the door behind her, the fear growing in that green pool of his. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I came for you.”

Her words brought another level of shock to his system, it was clear.

She hadn’t seen those diopside eyes in weeks, but she was still just as good at reading them. And he wasn’t hiding his emotions behind a wall at the moment.

Right now, they were raw and at the surface.

Movement to her side caught her attention and she realized Herza was trying to pull a blade from her hip.

Nia trained the gun on the female.

“I’ve already dealt with the guards in the next room. One wrong move and I’ll have to take care of you too. I don’t want to do that.”

“You what?” Ka’Cit asked, his voice growing incredulous.

Herza dropped her hands to her sides but the look in her eyes spat venom.

Nia turned her attention back to Ka’Cit and began heading his way to release him, but there was movement in her peripheral vision once more.

Herza moved quickly, but not quickly enough.

It was pure instinct at this point. Reflex.

The gun swung in her hands as she fired, hitting the female Merssi in the side.

Herza let out a scream and clutched the spot where the bullet had seared her flesh.

The blade she was carrying fell from her hands to clank on the floor as her body fell beside it, writhing.

Nia let out a sigh. “I told you not to move.”

“Phek,” she heard Ka’Cit say. “This isn’t a hallucination. Nee-ya is really here.”

That made Nia turn in his direction and she marched right up to him.

“You.” She pointed the gun at his head but the look in his eyes was so filled with awe that it didn’t seem to register.

Awe and longing.

Suddenly, all the pent-up emotions from the past few weeks came crashing down and she only managed to stifle a sob as she plastered herself against him, wrapping her arms around his torso.

“Nee-ya,” he said.

“You asshole.” She gripped him tighter.

“I—What?”

She simply sniffed against him and held on to him.

For a few moments, he stiffened against her before she felt him struggling against his restraints.

She was just about to help him out of them when his arms closed around her.

Nia stifled a chuckle this time. “You could have gotten out all along?”

“From those restraints? Yes. From out of the rest of this mess…I’m not so sure.”

Nia nodded and still gripped him and he pulled her close.

“Nee-ya,” he breathed. “What the phek are you doing here?”

“I came for you…”

He held her away from him as he studied her, his gaze searching hers.

“How did you… Why?”

Nia sniffed again. Why did she feel so freakin’ emotional? “Isn’t it obvious?”

He gulped so hard she heard it.

“You’re wearing my mask…”

“Yes.”

“It suits you.”

“Good. Because I’m planning on keeping it.”

“But…it was at my home…you…don’t tell me you went there.”

Each word he spoke sounded as if he was still in a dream. As if he couldn’t believe he was really speaking to her.

“I saw the dead guards. I knew you were in trouble.”

He held her away from him enough that his pointed gaze bore into hers.

In that moment, it didn’t feel like they’d spent weeks apart.

His touch still sent tingles through her skin, being so close to him made her heart beat in a different way, and she could feel something pushing her toward him.

“Don’t ever do that again,” he growled.

“Don’t go to your house?”

His gaze was incredulous. “Don’t come after me! What if…what if…”

His gaze became pained as he pulled her against him once more.

A groan filled the room and brought them back to reality.

Herza was still writhing on the floor.

“We have to go.” Nia clutched Ka’Cit’s hand and began heading toward the door.

“Wait,” he said, pulling her back toward him. “I can’t. I can’t go with you.”

Nia blinked at him.

Did she just hear correctly?

“What do you mean you can’t go?”

Ka’Cit let out a breath, his gaze moving to the door. “If I leave, they’ll go after someone I care about a lot. I need her to be safe. I need to know that she’ll be safe.”

Nia squeezed her eyes for a moment. “Lucky girl, isn’t she? I bet you care about her a lot.”

Ka’Cit’s gaze met hers and for a few moments, he said nothing. Then, “More than she’ll ever know.”

Nia took a step back till she was right in front of him. With one hand, she caressed the side of his mask.

“I do know, Ka’Cit. I know everything.”

His gaze grew alarmed.

“I got your present, Ka’Cit. I’m safe.” Rolling up her sleeve, she flashed him the tattoo on her wrist. “Geblit did his job. Now it’s time for me to do mine.”

For a few moments, he simply stared at her.

“What’s that?” His voice was barely above a whisper.

“Take care of you. It’s about time you know how that feels.”

She couldn’t read the look that passed through his gaze, but his body moved, following her, when she tugged on his hand once more.

44

As he followed behind her, Ka’Cit could only stare.

This felt surreal.

Maybe it was the woogli smoke wafting through the room that was affecting his sense of reality.

Was she really here? His ta’ii? Nee-ya?

But her small palm squeezed against his as they made their way through the room toward the back, and that contact felt very real.

A little Poxmo appeared, his eyes widening as he took in the carnage within the room. Carnage his Nee-ya created.

For him.

She’d come for him.

He didn’t know how she’d managed to do it, but for her to put her life in danger just for him…even after he’d ceased contact…

He couldn’t begin to conceive it.

The Poxmo led them to the back and opened the final door for them and as they walked through, Nee-ya turned to the little being.

“Thanks for your help,” she said. “You and your friend.”

The Poxmo nodded energetically before shooing them away. “Hurry,” he said. “Before more come. Hurry. Hurry.”

Nia smiled and gripped his palm. Ka’Cit had to look down at the contact.

He still couldn’t believe it and as she led him through the debris behind the entertainment houses, he could only follow in silence.

She’d come for him.

Phek.

“Nee-ya,” he finally managed to say as they came to a stop at the intersection of two of the buildings.

“Hmm?” She barely glanced his way. “Do you think you can fit through there?”

She gestured to the gap between the buildings and he nodded without even looking.

He couldn’t pull his gaze away from her.

And that didn’t change as they made their way through the gap and into the street.

It didn’t change as she gripped his hand and led him through the exchange.

He didn’t see the aliens parting to give them space as they ran down the busy street.

Didn’t notice their gasps.

Didn’t notice their fear and confusion.

All he could see was his Nee-ya.

She’d come for him.

It was only when she arrived at the hover car bays and that she stopped walking to glance around.

She pinpointed which vehicle was hers and headed in that direction.

Riv’s hover car. He recognized it.

As she got in, she motioned for him to do the same.

Her eyes kept darting in the direction that they’d come from, but apart from that, she was as calm and sure as all the other times he’s seen her before.

As she spoke to the car, telling it to take her home, he remained silent, afraid that if he opened his mouth, he’d break the spell and this dream would end.

He’d dreamt about seeing her again many times, and all those dreams had felt so real, he’d woken up having spilled over himself.

He wasn’t sure he could trust his own mind.

The vehicle hummed and rose into the air and soon they were zooming away from the Exchange.

Ka’Cit looked back.

Was this really happening?

He wasn’t dreaming?

This was not how he’d seen this ending at all.

He turned to stare at her as the vehicle began to cruise through the streets on its way to the plain.

“Nee-ya?”

She turned to him then and he couldn’t read whatever was happening behind her eyes.

Reaching to her ears, she released the mask and took it from over her head.

His life organ swelled and thumped in his chest.

She was even more beautiful than he’d remembered.

She reached toward him then paused.

“Can I?” she asked.

Ka’Cit gulped then jerked his head in a slight nod.

As she placed her hands on either side of his head to release his mask, he closed his eyes.

He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until he felt the wind brushing against his skin and when he opened his eyes and his gaze met hers, something popped and overflowed within him.

“Nee-ya,” he whispered.

She was in his embrace then, her arms wrapping around his neck as she settled against him.

“She was wrong,” she said.

“Huh?”

“Herza…she was wrong.”

He didn’t understand. Actually, the entire situation was unbelievable to him. “What was she wrong about?”

She eased off him a little so she was looking into his eyes. “I want you.”

His life organ stopped beating. “What?”

“I…Riv told me what this means.” She brushed a finger over his face and he fought not to let the sudden surge of emotions within him take over.

“He told me why you’ve probably pushed me away.” Then she froze. “Unless this is a huge misunderstanding and I’ve been a fool. Unless you really don’t want me and this has nothing to do with you thinking I wouldn’t want you.”

She started to pull away from him, but he held her fast.

His life organ was hammering so hard, it felt as if he was starving for oxygen.

“You risked your life to come after me because you…want me?” He almost choked on the words.

It wasn’t something he’d ever thought he’d be asking a female.

Nia nodded.

Behind her, the lights of the city were a blur and it created a painting that was being etched into his memory forever.

This was a moment in his life that he didn’t want to ever forget.

But that didn’t mean it was going to change his mind.

His voice was hoarse when he finally managed to speak. “I don’t think Riv explained it all to you… I’m not… A female like you deserves…”

“You?”

Ka’Cit hung his head, resting his forehead against hers.

She didn’t understand.

His heart broke, shattering within him.

This was what he’d been running from all those weeks before.

This was why he hadn’t told her everything.

He could take rejection from any other female…but not from her.

He didn’t want to see the scorn in her eyes.

He didn’t want to hear her say it—to say he wasn’t worth it…to hear those words would kill him.

“Not me,” he finally managed to say.

He could never give her everything she deserved.

He would never be enough.

“You deserve better. I’m not… I’m not human. I’m hardly even Merssi.”

There was a reason he didn’t talk about this and if his eyes could leak water like hers did when she was feeling deep sorrow, he was sure they’d be leaking now.

“Ka’Cit…I don’t care…”

He held her away from him then, his gaze forceful. “You don’t understand. I am defective. I will never be able to give you children. Did Riv tell you that?” Everything was ripping apart within him. “You can never have a family with me. My seed does not produce young.”

Her gaze studied him as he continued. “In our past, momors and sarans used to sacrifice males like me to the gods…They thought the gods were angry at them for giving them chids like me. Those who weren’t cast out like I was met that end, but my momor was too weak. She spared me and sent me away. I’ve been alone since then. I’m destined to be alone. It is a curse I do not wish for the one I love most to bear. I—”

Nee-ya’s lips against his cut off the rest of his speech and despite that he knew he should push her away, his body melted against her lips.

This was why he’d stayed so far away. This was why he hadn’t even called.

He couldn’t resist her.

He’d never be able to.

“Nee-ya…”

“Shh…don’t speak.”

As her tongue dipped into his mouth, brushing over his fangs before stroking against his, Ka’Cit let out a groan.

The hover car was just on the edge of the plain now and he knew that soon, he’d have to say goodbye one more time.

The thought made his insides clench and twist.

He didn’t know how he was going to do it again.

So he held her.

He pulled her to him, his mouth crashing against hers.

She somehow found her way into his lap and he gripped her hips. He could feel her sweet soft body underneath her clothes and all he could think about was that time on the service satellite, her body beneath his, the taste of her in his mouth.

Oh how he wanted to take her right here, right now—to drink on her sweet nectar till he was sated.

“Ka’Cit,” she breathed his name on his lips.

“Nee-ya,” he whispered.

“I love you too.”

His entire body stiffened.

The only thing that still swelled and jerked was within his trousers, straining to reach her.

Had he heard correctly?

“S-say that again?”

“I love you. I don’t care what your society thinks is right or wrong. To be honest, it seems pretty fucked up to me.” She rested a palm against his cheek. “You are perfect. Everything about you. I know you want me. I can tell that now. I was a fool to think otherwise, too caught up in my own ego and too scared to go for what I wanted at the same time. And I want you too. I don’t need babies or a big family. I need a man who isn’t scared to give up everything to come after me. A man who allows himself to get captured just to protect me. A man who loves me with his all. You, Ka’Cit. I want you.”

He could only gulp again.

What she was saying…

Phek.

He was dreaming.

“Nee-ya, I—” What could he even say?

That she might think she wanted him now, but he’d seen what pain can do to a mating.

That he’d seen it in his own mother’s eyes, the slow dying as his saran and momor had fought constantly because of him.

That he didn’t want to be the cause of the sadness in her eyes when her life became incomplete?

That seeing such a thing would hurt more than her rejection ever could?

“It’s not just a family I can’t give you. I…” A breath shuddered through him.

Phek.

Now, this was harder than anything he’d had to face so far.

“…The life I lead…it’s dangerous. I have enemies…”

Nia smiled and it broke his concentration. “I have enemies too. As a matter of fact, it looks like we have some of the same enemies. Does it look like I’m scared of them?”

Ka’Cit blinked.

Some people called him crazy, but he was beginning to wonder if she was just as crazy as he was.

“You watch my back. I’ll watch yours.”

Ka’Cit’s mouth opened to respond yet no words came.

As the autopilot adjusted the speed of the hover car and the wind around them picked up, all he could do was stare at her.

All the arguments he’d used to convince himself as to why he should stay far, far away from her crumbled to dust.

Suddenly, nothing made sense and he dared to hope.

But…

Still…he had to make it clear.

A part of him still didn’t believe she understood.

“La-rehn is bearing young. I saw her rounded belly. I am happy for Riv, but…” his gaze fell, “I could never give you that. I will never be able to…”

Her hand found his chin and lifted it so he was looking into her eyes once more. Then she smiled.

“You’re such a badass out there, in the cosmos, yet, right now, you’re opening yourself to me. It’s the first I’ve seen you so vulnerable. And I appreciate it.” She planted a kiss on his lips once more. “Is it that you want babies. Is that why you’re being so hard on yourself?”

Ka’Cit felt his throat move.

Yes.

The answer was yes.

More than anything in the world.

He wanted to see little versions of himself and his gnora running around. It was one of his life’s greatest wishes.

Nee-ya rubbed his cheek, her touch gentle. “What about adoption?”

“A—what?”

“You know, becoming the parents of a child who has none.”

His life organ thumped hard.

“You would rear someone else’s seed with me?”

Nee-ya nodded. “I would.”

Ka’Cit had to inhale deeply.

“That’s not something Merssi females do…I…I’d never considered it before.”

“I’m not Merssi. Back home, my father basically adopted a shit ton of kids that became my extended family. It’s normal where I come from.”

Hope was beginning to flare within him and he wasn’t sure if he should let himself trust that everything would be okay.

“And…you would do this with me? You would give up your happiness to be with me.”

Nia shook her head. “No.”

“I don’t understand.”

“These past few weeks have been the hardest in my life.” She brushed her thumb over his cheek. “I missed you. A lot. I wouldn’t be giving up my happiness. You are my happiness.”

“Nee-ya.” It was the only thing he could say before he pulled her into him, his mouth crashing against hers.

She melted against him, her body molding into his as he turned and laid her on the seat, their mouths locked, their tongues stroking over each other.

Suddenly, the pressure of the past few weeks came crashing down and all he could do was feel her, his gnora.

She was his.

And he was hers.

45

Ka’Cit’s lips crushed hers as if she was the oxygen he needed to breathe and Nia opened herself to him.

His hands were at the sides of her face in a gentle caress as his lips played with hers, and when she sighed into their kiss, he groaned and held her tighter.

Somehow, when he’d put her down, he’d settled between her legs and she could feel him throbbing there.

Luckily, the seat was long and wide enough to hold them both because she wasn’t sure she could wait till they arrived before things escalated.

She was mildly aware of him reaching toward the car’s controls and hitting something, but when the car began to slow down, she understood what he’d done.

They were stopping in the middle of the plains, in the dark, yet she didn’t feel a sliver of fear.

Because of him, she didn’t feel like a victim of her circumstances anymore. He’d given her a voice and with that voice, she’d found herself again.

This man.

Right at this moment, she’d never felt safer than here in his arms.

“Nee-ya,” he broke their kiss, “this isn’t the place…it’s not how I imagined claiming you.”

She smiled at that. She couldn’t help it.

“How did you imagine claiming me?”

He growled at her question and the sound was a sexy rumble she felt vibrate between them and go straight to her center.

“On my sleeping slab…in my home.”

“We can go there and do it again.”

“Again?”

“Yes, because I don’t think either of us can wait to do it now.”

Another growl left his lips as he dipped his head to her neck and inhaled deeply.

“My gnora,” he growled, and it was like a flower bloomed within her.

She knew that word.

She’d heard it said so many times at the Sanctuary.

It meant he was finally accepting this, accepting her, and until then, she hadn’t realized she’d been waiting to hear it.

“I can’t resist you. If you don’t stop me, I’m going to take you right here right now.”

“Then don’t resist…”

Even in the now-dim light coming from the hover car’s control panel, she could see his fangs flash as he growled.

Ka’Cit dipped his head and his lips captured hers in a bruising kiss. His tongue flicked against hers with feverish strokes before he pulled his lips away to plant kisses in a path down her neck.

His hands fumbled with her tunic even as she slipped her hands underneath his.

Ka’Cit growled at the contact before easing away from her without breaking the contact of his lips against her skin. The movement was enough to allow Nia to lift her arms, allowing him to take the tunic over her head.

Now topless, the cool breeze kissed her skin as Ka’Cit stared down at her.

“You’re gorgeous, ta’ii.”

The way he said it, it was like a man speaking while under a spell.

He seemed entranced and when he dipped his head to trace his tongue around her breast, Nia’s eyes rolled back in her head.

The feel of his warm tongue and the contrast of the cool breeze flowing over her nipples made her body tingle and she arched against him, her center pressing against his.

Something throbbed and pressed back against her, causing her to take her bottom lip into her mouth.

“I want to touch you too,” she managed to murmur but Ka’Cit shook his head as her hands fumbled with the clasp of his trousers.

“Not yet.” In one movement, he grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head. “Just the thought of touching you has me ready to spill. And I don’t want this moment to end.”

He ground his hips against her as if to make a point and his hardness pressed into her center.

He was right.

She could feel it throbbing and twitching even underneath the layer of clothing and the feel of it only heightened her own need.

Ka’Cit’s lips returned to her skin, trailing down from her breast straight to her hips.

He buried his face there, his nose in the V between her thighs, and inhaled her through her clothes.

“Nee-ya…” he groaned.

His hands gripped her thighs, his fingers slipping underneath the waist of her trousers before he pulled them down her legs, pulling her panties along with them.

She was finally bare before him and he growled again.

He dipped his head once more, his nose pressing into her clit and Nia fought not to tremble as shivers of pleasure shot through her.

“You’re mine,” he whispered against her clit before his tongue darted forward, dipping into her wetness before swiping up the valley between her lips and over the tight bundle of nerves.

“Mine,” he growled again as his tongue stroked her once more.

As Ka’Cit gripped her hips and pulled her farther into his mouth, Nia’s fingers threaded into his hair.

His tongue was wet, thick, and warm, and it was sending shock waves through her system.

He didn’t pause, he didn’t stop. He ate her like a man famished and Nia panted and writhed against him.

“Ka’Cit,” she breathed and his response was a moan against her, one that vibrated right through her.

He stroked against her, his tongue swirling and curling, and when he released her hips to reach up to her breasts, she knew she couldn’t take it anymore.

The twin peaks found themselves between his fingers as he played with them, pinching them gently as he lapped at her.

“Ka’Cittttt,” she moaned his name.

Her body felt like her bones were filled with sweet, sweet honey that was pooling within her bones to the point she was going to shatter.

She didn’t know how long she was going to be able to hold on before—

Her orgasm ripped through her so hard, she let out a scream. Hands still fisted in his hair, Nia jerked against him as she tried to pull away.

It was too much. Too much pleasure. She couldn’t handle…

But Ka’Cit held her fast, his tongue sliding against her clit as he lapped at her juices and only when the tremors began to lessen in her body did his tongue slide from her cunt.

She was panting and limp as he rose up and stripped off his tunic. A second later, his trousers fell to the floor of the vehicle and then he was over her once more, skin to skin, Merssi to human.

Her chest was still heaving as he settled between her thighs and she wrapped her arms around him.

“Nee-ya,” he murmured again and his chest rumbled with her name as his cock jerked between them.

“Please,” she murmured.

She needed him. Needed to feel him. Needed him to make her complete.

His lips found hers as he settled his shaft between her inner lips. One hand found her nipple while the other caressed her cheek as his tongue stroked against hers.

And with each stroke of his tongue, the underside of his shaft drove through her lips, rubbing against the bundle of nerves and causing her to moan into his mouth.

Ka’Cit didn’t stop.

He held her close and when his lips finally broke from hers to settle over her nipple, she found herself crying out his name.

“Now, please…” she begged.

“Not yet, ta’ii,” he whispered against her nipple before taking it into his mouth once more.

This time, the climax made her arch against him, her eyes going blind from the pleasure.

It felt like an extension of the last one and her body shuddered in his arms. All she could do was cling to him for her body was suddenly boneless.

“Ka’Cit…” she begged and a growl rumbled from his chest as he reached down to take hold of the base of his cock.

“Nee-ya,” he whispered as his tip found her entrance.

“Nee-ya.” He cradled her head with one hand as he drove forward and Nia whimpered against him.

As he pulled back and drove forward again, her body shook, still in a state of climax and she realized, through some part of her mind that was still conscious, that he was staring down at her as he fucked her.

But this wasn’t any normal stare.

Even in the darkness she could see that he was looking at her like no man had ever looked at her before.

His strokes were long, deep, and hard and his gaze travelled over her face with each surge forward.

He was memorizing this moment. Committing it deep into his mind.

He was…worshipping her.

As he bent so his forehead rested against hers, Ka’Cit surged forward one last time before he stiffened, the base of his cock pulsing as his seed shot deep, deep inside her.

“Mine,” he whispered before his lips closed over hers once more.

46

They lay cuddling in the hover car for the rest of the night, and when morning broke, when the skies began to turn pink again and the sun hit their skin, Nia finally stirred.

There was a luxurious feeling in her body as she opened her eyes and she immediately knew why.

Ka’Cit’s body was draped alongside hers.

His blue skin seemed to glitter in the sunlight and she traced a finger down his pecs before her gaze rose to his face.

She should have known she wasn’t the only one conscious. He was watching her intently with a mixture of happiness and anxiety in his eyes.

“Good morning,” she whispered.

It felt good but she couldn’t believe they’d spent the night outside.

“It is a good morning.” His voice was guarded and Nia’s brows knitted a little.

“Is everything all right?” Her palm flattened against his chest and she felt his muscles jump underneath her hand.

“I…” His gaze searched hers and the moment he locked away his emotions was like a door closing in his eyes. “Would you like me to take you home now?”

What was it? What had happened between last night and now that she didn’t remember?

“Home?” Then she eased up enough to see over the hover car.

She almost jumped in fright.

Several wild cow-hippo animals they called oogas were standing by the hover car, watching them.

“Oh my God…how long have they been there?”

“Since early in the light cycle.”

“They aren’t dangerous, are they? I mean, the ones at the Sanctuary are pretty tame but these are wild ones.”

Ka’Cit shook his head but the look in his eyes hadn’t changed.

“Ka’Cit…is something wrong?”

He seemed to stiffen a little before, “Would you like me to take you home?”

Same question and it took a few moments before realization dawned.

“Do you want to take me home?” she leaned in to him and when he didn’t answer she rested her head against his chest.

“I haven’t changed my mind, Ka’Cit. I haven’t suddenly woken up to think I’ve made some mistake.”

A breath shuddered through him and he wrapped his arms around her.

“You can change your mind. I will understand.”

Nia snuggled closer to him and allowed a few seconds to pass where she just held him.

“It’s going to take some time, isn’t it?”

“Time? For what?”

“For you to believe that I want you.”

He didn’t answer but the slight tightening of his arms around her and when he buried his nose into her hair told her she was right.

“We should head to your place first. Get your hover car and return Riv’s.” Fuck. She hadn’t contacted them since last night.

“My house? You…you will come live with me?”

Her gaze met his then. “You don’t want me to?”

His gaze softened and she saw him let some of his guard down. “More than anything. But it’s…it’s not as nice as the Sanctuary. I don’t have animals or fields. I spend most of my time away from home shooting and breaking things. If you want to stay at the Sanct—”

She put a finger over his lips. “I saw your place, remember. It’s not what you have that I want. It’s you.”

His throat moved and he smiled a little.

“We should get going. And,” she looked around them, “we should clean their car too.”

Ka’Cit spun with her in his arms, pinning her beneath him.

“You’re really serious about this…about me.”

Nia chuckled. “Yes. I am.”

His gaze warmed a little and he glanced around the vehicle.

“Yes, we should clean it. But…”

“But what?”

“Not before I show you how much you mean to me one more time.”

* * *

Nia leaned against him as the autopilot took the hover car across the plain.

He was absentmindedly twisting a finger in her locks as he looked down at her.

There was a silly smile on her face, which he was sure his own face mirrored.

This was what bliss felt like.

It was a feeling he didn’t want to end.

Dipping his head, he inhaled her scent as he looked out over the plain.

The main structure of his farm was coming up ahead and as they approached, he stiffened underneath her.

There was a dark shuttle hovering over his land, one that was a specific make only a certain subsection of beings used.

The Tasqals.

They’d sent more Hedgeruds to his residence.

His arms closed around Nee-ya as he sat upright.

“They’re here,” he said.

That’s when she lifted her head in confusion and then alarm filled her gaze.

“Maybe they found the bodies in that club…” She glanced at him before reaching for the blaster she’d carried.

Up to this point, it had been lying on the floor of the hover car untouched.

“But they can’t do anything, right? I’m registered now.”

“That doesn’t stop them from trying.” Disengaging the autopilot, he took control of the vehicle and brought it to a stop outside the barrier to his home.

Nee-ya made to exit the vehicle when his hand rested on her shoulder, causing her to pause.

“Let me.”

She opened her mouth as if to protest but didn’t.

Maybe it was the look in his eyes. He didn’t know, but he was phekking tired of dealing with the Hedgeruds.

Time for them to go and leave him the phek alone.

The blaster slipped from her fingers as he took it from her and hopped from the vehicle.

By now, the Hedgeruds had noticed his arrival and the ones on the ground drew their weapons.

Three of them. Probably more in the vessel.

“He has the hoo-man!”

“Get her and kill him. We don’t need him anymore.”

Ka’Cit sighed and raised his hands, letting the blaster dangle from his fingertips.

That seemed to confuse them and they paused.

Good, he’d gotten their attention.

As the energy barrier around his property stopped zinging and he walked through, he glanced back at Nee-ya.

She was watching with wide eyes, but she didn’t seem afraid.

“I have a deal for you,” he said when he was close enough to the Hedgeruds for them to hear.

They glanced at each other before the one in front snorted and began to laugh.

“A deal? You think you can make a deal with us?”

Ka’Cit waited for them to finish and after a few moments, the laughter died as they glanced at each other, their gazes flicking nervously to him.

“You see that?” Ka’Cit jerked his head in the direction of the bodies of their dead comrades.

He’d taken down three before he’d realized that if he killed them all they would send a whole horde out to find Nee-ya.

So he’d let them capture him…but now…now she was here…she was his…and she was going to be safe.

The Hedgeruds’ eyes darted to the bodies.

“What about them?”

He’d always been surprised at the lack of remorse these beings had.

That’s why they were the perfect soldiers.

Ka’Cit gestured toward the dead Hedgeruds.

“I can guarantee you, if you even so much as look in my female’s direction, you’ll end up like that.”

They glanced at each other, their yellow gazes becoming filled with mirth, before they looked back at him.

“You’ve mated the hoo-man? You fool.” The Hedgerud in front looked down the path and at Nee-ya in the hover car. “She is property of the High Tas—.”

The blast was silent but it hit its mark.

Straight in the head.

The Hedgerud fell to his knees before he toppled over.

The other two glanced at each other as they pointed their weapons at him.

“Two against one, idiot,” one of them said.

Ka’Cit couldn’t help it. He chuckled.

“Do I look like I care?”

They glanced at the weapons then at each other again.

“I dare you to fire. You’ll be dead before you pull the trigger.”

They were clearly contemplating it, and it was apparent when they made their decision.

One guard’s finger flexed on the trigger and Ka’Cit fired, launching himself in the air as he did.

Shock showed on the face of the remaining guard as he raised his gaze and his weapon, ready to fire too.

But Ka’Cit was already falling through the air and he landed in a perfect spot—right in the guard’s chest.

The guard hadn’t expected it and the shot from his blaster went into the air as he fell backward.

Ka’Cit dug his claws into the male’s neck as he positioned the muzzle of his weapon into the guard’s snout.

“Don’t be stupid like your friends,” he said. “Now, about that deal.”

The guard nodded.

“You see that human you want so much? She’s registered. She has the tattoo to prove it. You can’t touch her.” He stood and pulled the guard to his feet. “So you’re going to take your comrades and you’re going to go back to your master. She’s protected under Directive Exhashimor. She is free. And she is mine.”

He released the guard from his grasp and the Hedgerud snarled a little.

“What’s the deal you were talking about then?” he asked.

Ka’Cit shrugged. “You take your friends off my property, tell your master you failed him…and you get to live. Win win.”

The guard snarled some more but said nothing else.

For the next few minutes, he loaded the bodies of his comrades into the hovering vessel, and only when the ship rose higher then took off did Ka’Cit turn to look back at Nee-ya.

She was watching the ship go and when she finally looked at him, he saw her shoulders sag.

She’d been nervous.

As he dropped the blaster and disengaged the electric fence that had started zinging once more, she hopped out of the hover car and ran to him.

He caught her in his arms.

“How’d you get them to go?” she asked.

Ka’Cit grunted. “I asked them nicely.”

Her eyes met his for a moment before she chuckled. “And…they’re not coming back?”

He shook his head.

He doubted it.

Directive Exhashimor was even more powerful than the Tasqals themselves.

A registered being from a Class Four planet, the Directive protected her like a precious metal—for the sake of peace across the universe.

His Nee-ya was like a piece of treasure.

She was treasure.

His treasure.

“I never did say thank you,” she whispered. “For registering me. For giving me so much. I don’t think I can accept it, actually.”

Ka’Cit stiffened.

“It’s a lot,” she whispered.

“I’d give it all if it meant I get to spend even one day with you.”

She smiled and leaned her head against him as she looked toward the main building.

Ka’Cit followed her gaze.

“This is where I live. It’s not much but—”

“It’s perfect.”

Ka’Cit’s life organ swelled.

She wasn’t looking at the house.

She was looking at him.

Epilogue

Six months later

Nia looked out the window of the house down onto the grounds.

Morpheus hung his head over his enclosure and pointed his gaze straight at her as if he knew the exact moment she was looking his way.

Riv had sent him to live with them after he’d heard Ka’Cit was revamping his “farm.”

Now, instead of heaps of metal, they had a few animal enclosures and even a field for vegetables.

The metal wasn’t all gone though.

It turned out Ka’Cit used the scraps for custom upgrades on almost any device you could think of. He really was good with his hands and that wasn’t restricted to simply forging metal.

They’d spent a month building a barn to store most of the metal chunks and the house was looking more and more like a homestead as the days went by.

As she stared out the window, she spotted him pulling a hay bale toward Morpheus’ enclosure and had to stifle a giggle as Morpheus dipped his head over the enclosure to chew on Ka’Cit’s hair.

She could hear his grunt of annoyance even from the distance.

He glanced her way then, and stopped what he was doing.

Nia felt the breath pause in her throat.

Even after all this time, when he looked at her, she found she could not breathe.

And he did it a lot—as if he still couldn’t get used to seeing her in his space…as if he was scared she was a mirage that would disappear if he got too close.

It turned out that his homestead was larger than Riv’s property and she’d gotten the idea of setting up a few houses for some of the humans they’d helped the robot dude, V’Alen, rescue—that was, if any of them wanted to move out on a farm in the middle of nowhere.

Word was that V’Alen and his friends had gotten the humans out, all because of the metal part she and Ka’Cit had stolen, and she thought some of them coming to live on Hudo III was a great idea.

Though…there was the issue of obtaining legal status on the planet. After what she’d gone through, she wasn’t sure how that would work yet.

But where there was a will…

Glancing at her wrist, her eyes moved over her tattoo.

She still couldn’t believe it.

He’d given her so much, and all with the thought that she would never want him… that they would never be together.

He’d been prepared to get himself abducted just because of her.

Since that day when the gator-guards had left, she’d been watching the skies for their return. But they hadn’t.

Just in case though, she’d finalized her registration with Geblit.

When she looked up again, Ka’Cit was dumping the hay into Morpheus’ enclosure while ducking out of the way so the animal didn’t chew his hair again.

Then he looked her way once more.

Nia set down the dish she’d been drying. She’d totally forgotten she’d been in the middle of doing the dishes anyway, and she headed out the door toward him.

Ka’Cit walked toward her before racing up to her and swooping her up into his arms.

A giggle burst from her lips as he cradled her into his arms.

“Honestly, you make me feel so small!”

“You are small, ta’ii.” He caught her lips in his for a sweet kiss.

As Nia sobered and he put her on her feet, she glanced up to meet his eyes.

“Ta’ii doesn’t mean ‘friend,’ does it?”

She swore his color changed to a darker shade.

Ka’Cit’s eyes twinkled a little before he shook his head.

“What does it mean?”

He pulled her toward him again. “That’s for me to know.”

Nia giggled and settled into his embrace.

She already knew.

She’d asked Riv a long time ago.

Ta’ii didn’t mean “friend.”

It meant “sweet, flower” in Old Merssi and the thought that he’d been calling her his sweet flower from the first time they met was a thought that warmed her heart.

* * *

12 months later

Nia smoothed the new tunic Ka’Cit had bought her and patted her afro to make sure it was in place.

Ka’Cit gripped her other hand in his and squeezed it almost too tightly.

He was nervous.

So was she.

In front of them was a room full of little children all running around and playing together. There were squeals of laughter and joy filling the space and it was hard not feeling lightheaded and happy.

“Do you think one of them will like us?” Ka’Cit’s voice was a low whisper by her ear and when she looked up at him, she couldn’t help but smile.

He was dressed in his best tunic, his hair was flowing down his shoulders, and he wasn’t wearing his mask.

He cleaned up well and every time she looked at him, she couldn’t believe he was hers.

“What if none of them like us?” He glanced at her now and she chuckled a little.

“I’m sure we’ll find a child that likes us as much as we like them. Today,” she gripped his hand, “we become parents.”

They’d talked about it for a while. Made the plans.

There was already a room waiting at home, they’d bought toys, and they’d filed all the paperwork.

She couldn’t believe it but, after months of planning, today was the day.

Lauren had given birth to a bubbly baby boy, now toddler, and she had to admit that seeing their family had influenced her and Ka’Cit to get the ball rolling.

“It will be fine,” she whispered, not sure if she was reassuring him or herself.

As soon as she said those words though, a child looked up from what she was doing.

She was a light blue with two little antennae rising from her head and pointed ears like Ka’Cit’s.

She looked at them for a few moments and Nia’s heart thumped against her chest.

When she turned her gaze to Ka’Cit, he was staring at the little girl too.

The child stood then, and took up the picture she was drawing.

She took a few hesitant steps before she paused and Nia stooped so she was on the child’s level.

That seemed to help and the child walked forward.

“Did you draw a picture?”

The child nodded and turned the picture to show them.

Ka’Cit stooped as well and as they both looked at the drawing, Nia fought to keep the surprise from her face.

It was clear who the figures on the paper were and her heart swelled.

“That’s you.” The child pointed to one of the figures. “And that’s you.” She looked at Ka’Cit and pointed to another figure.

“And is this you?” Nia asked, pointing to the blue figure on the paper.

The child nodded.

But there were more figures on the paper.

“And who are these?” Ka’Cit asked.

“Those are the bad guys.” The child pointed to a set of dark figures. “We’re fighting them because they’re not nice.”

Nia glanced at Ka’Cit and their eyes met.

Maybe finding a child that fit them perfectly wasn’t going to be so hard after all.

“Come!” The child grabbed Ka’Cit’s hand and he had a moment of surprise where he looked at Nia for help.

Nia chuckled and shrugged as the child led him away and back towards her seat.

As Nia watched them go, her smile grew wider and a warm feeling enveloped her.

Her hand moved over her stomach.

It was still flat.

Nothing gave away the secret growing underneath.

She wasn’t showing yet, and she assumed that would be the case for the next few weeks at least.

That was good because she hadn’t told him yet.

They were still going to adopt a child either way and she wanted the moment he found out about the pregnancy to be perfect.

The coil fell out some months ago and well…it appeared that miracles did happen…if you were lucky.

And according to him, he was the luckiest man alive.

Maybe he was right.

But as she watched him play with the child, Nia came to another conclusion.

Maybe she was the lucky one.

A note from A.G

I hope you loved Ka’Cit and Nia’s story!

Oh my goodness…I don’t know, but these two…

If you follow me on social media you probably saw my post about finishing the book and then going back to write some more.

Well, here’s how that happened.

I originally finished Ka’Cit’s Haven and was ready to send it to the editor when I paused.

It didn’t feel like it was done.

Ka’Cit and Nia’s story felt so real to me that even when I typed the last word, I still wanted to go on.

So I did.

I legit almost cried when I wrote the epilogue.

He’s such a good soul, I just wanted him to get his HEA so bad.

And I mean a real HEA—one where he felt loved, appreciated, and WORTHY.

I’m not crying. You’re crying!

*takes a moment and a deep breath*

I do hope you enjoyed his story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Next up is a book for the Restitution series. If you haven’t started that series yet, the first book is already out. It follows the guys fighting against the Tasqals.

Book one is Ajos’ story and book two will be V’Alen’s.

If there’s someone’s story that you want to read about, let me know on Facebook or send me a message through my website at agwilde.com.

I promise I’ll try my best to see if it’s possible.

Catch you on FB or at the back of my next novel! Till then, happy reading!

♥

A.G.

Other books by A.G.

Captured by Aliens

Xul

Crex

Yce

Kyris

Kyro

Riv’s Sanctuary

Riv’s Sanctuary

Sohut’s Protection

The Restitution

Ajos

Acknowledgments

This goes out to all the readers of my books and to everyone who has loved them.

Thank you!

I would not be able to do this without you and I am truly grateful.

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About the Author

A. G. Wilde is an avid reader, a gamer, a lover of all things space, alien, and sci-fi.

She is addicted to intense romance, irresistible heroes, and deliciously naughty things.