Ka'Cit's Haven: A Sci-fi Alien Romance (Riv's Sanctuary Book 3) by A.G. Wilde (online e book reader .txt) 📗

“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