Ka'Cit's Haven (Riv’s Sanctuary #3)

“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?”