Ka'Cit's Haven (Riv’s Sanctuary #3)

More eyes were flicking in their direction with increased confidence.

One alien sitting close by them caught her gaze and only because he was sitting in such a position that he had direct view of her face.

He had antennae and a mouth with clasps like an ant’s but that wasn’t the reason he caught her attention.

It was the way he was looking at her, and now that she was looking back, the alien’s eyes slipped from her face to slide down her body.

A sick feeling developed in Nia’s belly and her skin crawled.

She was wearing a cloak that looked like one of her great grandmother’s bedsheets and he was looking at her like that?

If the other aliens in the room were like him, no wonder females hardly ventured to the service satellites alone.

Purposefully, and in an exaggerated fashion, she reached for Ka’Cit’s hand.

He jerked a little at the suddenness of her touch and his gaze snapped to hers.

Nia smiled up at him as she took the same hand and secured it firmly around her waist, moving as close to him as she could.

She was pressed against his side now and she was sure she could feel his heart thundering in his chest.

“Nee-ya? What are you doing?” His voice was only loud enough for her to hear.

“You’re my mate, remember. I’m just reminding those with wandering eyes of that fact.”

“Ah…right. We are pretending to be…” He left the rest unsaid but…was that a note of disappointment she heard?

Ka’Cit pulled his gaze away from hers and glanced around the room before he settled directly on the alien who’d been looking at her funny.

The alien looked away so fast, she was sure he’d just made himself cross-eyed in the process.

The whole situation almost made her giggle.

Almost.

“You drive fear into everyone’s bones, Ka’Cit.”

“Everyone, except you.” Again, there was a note of something in his tone, but this time she couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

He was right, though.

She wasn’t scared of him.

Even now, by her side, there was a calm, deadly coldness about him that told everyone in the room that he wasn’t someone to be messed with.

Yet, that feeling didn’t extend to her.

So, she remained against his side with his arm around her waist and she even leaned into him a little as she focused on the galaxy qua in front of her.

A scent caught her nose and she sniffed.

“The Zeregga meal,” Ka’Cit said. “It’s almost done.”

“Smells good. What’s in it?”

Ka’Cit tilted his head to the side. “Lots of meat and sauce. Most beings love it.”

Eh…meat.