Ka'Cit's Haven (Riv’s Sanctuary #3)

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.