Ka'Cit's Haven (Riv’s Sanctuary #3)

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.