Ka'Cit's Haven (Riv’s Sanctuary #3)

“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.