Ka'Cit's Haven (Riv’s Sanctuary #3)

“Humans?” He and Nee-ya spoke at the same time and Ka’Cit glanced in her direction again.

She was wide-eyed now, staring at him.

“Humans?” she repeated and took a step closer.

The voice coming from his sat-watch continued. “We need that package.”

Something passed across Nee-ya’s features then and she turned, headed back to her seat, and buckled herself in.

“I’ll update you later.” Ka’Cit watched her as her shoulders set. He’d seen that look before when she’d grabbed the blaster and ran beside him straight toward their enemies.

“I have to go…” he said and the crackle in the sat-watch stopped as he ended the call.

“Nee-ya?”

She glanced over her shoulder, a look of determination in her eyes.

“Let’s go.”

“Okay, I will take you home.”

She shook her head. “Not home. Let’s go do this job of yours.”

Ka’Cit almost stuttered. “What?”

“Let’s go.”

Was she losing her mind?

“I could never… It’s dangerous. Risky.”

“Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself.”

He studied her for a bit.

That was true. He’d seen her in action first-hand.

Still…

Ka’Cit ran a hand through his hair once more.

He couldn’t, in his right mind, take her with him.

“I don’t think you have enough time to take me back to the Sanctuary and get this job done, do you? Fuck.” She let out a laugh that was without mirth. “There are other humans out there somewhere. God knows, I don’t even want to believe it. But they need your help. You need to go to get whatever this package is.”

When he didn’t budge, she continued. “If you take me down there, I’d be the reason those humans die. I won’t let that happen. I’m perfectly safe right now—have been ever since you came on that ship after me. I trust you.”

Her words made a lump form in his throat.

“Now you need to trust me.” She turned back around. Her gaze pointed out the view screen. “Let’s go.”

Her shoulders were set. Her arms were crossed, and as Ka’Cit watched her, his worry soon turned into something else.

It was a similar feeling to the one he’d felt when he watched her shoot down the Niftrills.

She was unafraid, determined…fierce—the exact type of female he’d have loved to have by his side if he wasn’t…well, if he could give her the sort of life a female like her deserved.

Memory of just a few moments before came back to him.