Ka'Cit's Haven (Riv’s Sanctuary #3)

“Hold it!” She popped something from her waist.

It looked like a cell phone, but Nia was sure that wasn’t what it was.

As the female pressed a button, a green light was emitted from the device and it moved over Nia’s face.

“Species unknown,” the device said.

The alien’s eyes focused on her again, and Nia tried to jerk her shoulder away from the alien’s grasp.

“I have to go.”

“Stay still…thing,” the female said, running the scanner again. “You aren’t leaving this ship. This thing picks up every life-form on this planet. Knows everyone, but it doesn’t know you… Why?”

Nia let out a breath.

She could feel danger looming right in front of her.

The door was almost closed now and even if she made it there on time, she wouldn’t be able to fit through the gap.

Just remain calm, Nia. Remain calm.

Lifting her wrist, she flashed the fake bracelet Riv had given her.

“Legal. See. Now release me.”

For a moment, the alien’s hold on her slackened, but then she grabbed the wrist with the bracelet instead.

“A resident here, are you?” She placed her scanner over the bracelet and Nia’s heart skipped a beat.

Shit.

It wasn’t going to scan.

It wasn’t going to frickin’ scan!

It took only a second before the alien looked back at her, a satisfied sort of look coming over her strange features.

Her nose was adorned with rings and the center of her bottom lip too. Even the tips of her elf-like ears had piercings as well.

The piercings moved as the alien grinned again, fangs flashing.

She wasn’t challenging her in any way. There was no need to flash fangs. But Nia realized quickly that, in this case, it may just be a show of dominance.

It was the first time she’d seen another of Riv and Sohut’s kind. Well, apart from that one time his friend, Ka’Cit, had visited, but she knew they had an issue with people showing them teeth.

They took it as a challenge.

For that reason, she tried to make her face impassive and averted her gaze.

She needed to get out of this quickly and pissing off the female wasn’t something she wanted to do.

“Fake identification…how curious.” The alien’s grip on her tightened and Nia knew right then that all hope for this to go smoothly was out the window.

Something told her the alien wasn’t going to let her go.

Without much of a warning, Nia twisted toward the alien and brought her other elbow down hard on the alien’s wrist.

It was a move her father had taught her, and she’d never had to use it before.