Ka'Cit's Haven (Riv’s Sanctuary #3)

She nodded again and smiled.

He liked this game.

It seemed she liked it too but then her face changed and she glanced at him again, this time with a look he couldn’t read in her brown gaze.

She made a motion as if something was growing from her pelvis, then she stopped and frowned, glanced at him again, then shook her head.

“Uhm, neh-ver-mayned dat wohn”

Ka’Cit frowned as he watched her.

“What was that you just showed me?”

She shook her head again and waved her hand at him as if he should forget about it.

Ka’Cit’s humor died on his lips.

The corner of his eye twitched a little as he stared at her.

“Did they—”

Before he could finish his question, she shook her head but she wouldn’t meet his gaze.

A sigh made her shoulders rise and fall as she pointed to herself.

“You?”

She nodded then pointed to her shoe.

She had to crouch a little as she stood and hopped on one foot.

“You hurt your foot?”

She shook her head then wrinkled her nose.

There was a bulge in his pocket and she pointed at it.

It was another of the smoke canisters and he took it out and handed it to her.

Ka’Cit blinked as he watched her put the canister underneath her foot. She pointed at it and said “ow ow.”

He studied her for a moment.

“Something under your foot?”

Her eyes lit up and she jerked her chin.

Then she took the canister out and pretended to throw it.

He was a bit lost now, but all he could think about was what she’d shown him before.

He knew what she’d been trying to tell him before she changed her mind…

What she’d almost said…

“Did they…” His throat closed up. Had he been too late?

He hadn’t considered…