Ka'Cit's Haven (Riv’s Sanctuary #3)

Maybe her disguise had been just too good.

She tore the hood from off her head, allowing her afro to spread free, and tore the face covering from over her nose and mouth.

She knew what she was doing was a risk, but she didn’t really have a choice, did she?

“I’m not a Nih-trill. See?” She gestured to her face. “I’m not supposed to even be here. This was a mistake. Sorry to bother you and all, but if you would kindly let me off your ship, I’d be thankful. This has all just been a mix up.”

The alien female paused, her eyes locking on to Nia.

Damn, she was a frickin’ tall female. Nia had to stretch her neck back to meet the alien’s gaze.

What’s worse, she couldn’t read what was happening behind those cold, green eyes, but she didn’t break eye contact as she continued speaking.

“Your crew thought I was one of them and forced me on board. I’m not supposed to be here. I’m sorry for the intrusion but it couldn’t be helped.”

The alien female didn’t even blink.

She pushed whatever she was holding into the hands of one of her crew, and a snarl that made Nia’s skin crawl appeared on her face.

Shit.

The alien’s fangs flashed and her eyes lit up.

“Now what do we have here?”

She crouched a little so she was on Nia’s eye-level and Nia frowned.

“I’m sorry,” she glanced behind the female and tried to head toward the closing door to no avail, “but I don’t think you understand me and the door is closing.”

The alien moved to block her path. “You’re not supposed to be here,” the alien said.

Nia gave the alien a tight smile. “No shit. That’s what I’ve been trying to say, but I guess you can’t understand me.” She glanced at the crewmen. Most were working, some were looking her way. “I guess they couldn’t understand me either. I’ll take this as a huge error and we can simply get on our separate ways.”

She moved toward the door again and this time, the alien woman placed a heavy hand on her shoulder.

“You!” The alien shouted to one of her crew. “What is this?”

The crew she spoke to glanced at another.

Nia still couldn’t see their faces properly.

“I’m talking to you, fool. What is this?”

“He was with us on the streets, my queen.”

Queen?

Nia eyed the female. Queen of this ship, maybe?

Riv and Sohut never mentioned their species having a queen, and she wasn’t quite sure a queen would be wearing skin-tight leather and working in what looked like a cargo ship.

“He?” She eyed Nia again. “Doesn’t look like one of you, does it now?”

The crew member shrugged and the alien female muttered under her breath. “Qeffing idiots.”

Nia’s eyes were on the door. The closer it came to closing, the more her panic grew, and she headed toward it again.

The alien female’s hand pressed into her shoulder, halting her movement.