Sohut's Protection: A Sci-fi Alien Romance (Riv's Sanctuary Book 2) A.G. Wilde (best way to read an ebook TXT) 📖

on the same side.” She shook her wrists, which were restrained. “I also tie up people I mean no harm.”

Sohut fought to keep his face straight.

Reaching for her legs, he saw her eyes widen as she pulled them back toward herself.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” He tried to keep his voice calm but deep down, her fear of him was rubbing against him. He hated the way she was looking at him.

It reminded him of too much.

When he’d been a chid, he’d had that look too many times as he’d gazed on the degenerates in the mines that he’d feared.

It was a look that should break the life-organ of any sane being…but most beings in the mines had evolved into the mindless animals the Tasqals had seen them as.

“I’m going to release your legs…” he said and waited.

The female’s eyes lit up a little as she stared at him, hope flaring inside their pale depths.

Reaching for her legs again, this time she let him take them.

His eyes met hers as he released the restraints around her ankles.

“I know you can understand me. Whoever took you to this world put a translator in your head.” He paused and touched the back of his ear then pointed to hers. “If you run, I will chase you…and I will catch you.”

Her eyes darted to the bushes and he could almost see the calculations in her head.

He didn’t want her running for more than one reason.

First, there was a spined creature somewhere on the mountain, and second, if he lost her, the Gori would no doubt send another tracker after her.

He needed to keep her with him in order to get them both out of this predicament.

Releasing her legs, he watched her with a wary gaze.

Her throat moved and she pulled her legs toward her again, but she didn’t try to run off.

Satisfied, Sohut settled back on his haunches, his gaze still on the female.

“I was sent here to retrieve you but…” his gaze moved over her face, “they didn’t tell me you were an intelligent being.” He paused, still studying her. “I have to decide what I’m going to do with you.”

Something akin to panic passed over her face so quickly, he almost missed it.

She was trying to hide her true emotions, probably so he didn’t know what she was thinking.

Smart.

She obviously didn’t trust him yet.

Her voice was soft and low when she spoke, almost stroking against his ear and it caused them to perk from the sides of his head.

“I wish you’d leave me alone and pretend you never saw me here. I wish you’d go back to those green orcs and tell them I’m dead,” she said. “But even if you could understand me, I doubt you’d do me that favor. You don’t owe me anything.”

Her words tugged at something inside him and he fought to seem unaffected.

Pretending he didn’t comprehend a word she said, he tapped his hand against his chest, catching her attention.

“Sohut. My name is Sohut.” He stretched one of his hands toward her and she leaned away.

“South?” Humor sprung into her eyes and that one emotion transformed her face for the few seconds that it was there. “South? Don’t tell me. You’re a spawn of the Kardashians.”

What?

The Ka’rdshin were a species that lived on Mexcla VII. He didn’t look anything like a Ka’rdshin. How did she even know about them?

And she’d butchered his name in the process too.

“Sohut.” He stressed his name.

“South. Your name is South.”

Frowning, he hit his chest with his palm. “So…hut.”

“Sowut? Kinda like shout?” She paused. “Grout?” A slight chuckle left her lips and despite that it was at his expense, he could feel himself relax a little.

When he nodded, she scrunched up her nostrils. “Nice to meet you, Grout.”

The female had the audacity to snicker at her own silly, silly joke.

“Not like it matters anyway. I don’t know why you’re introducing yourself to me when you’re my enemy.”

He opened his mouth to correct her, but didn’t.

For a few moments, she refused to meet his gaze, then she finally looked at him and rolled her eyes.

“Fine. My name is Cleo.” She paused then brought her wrists to her chest. “Cleo.”

Clee-yo.

It was a beautiful name. A sort of sound that made a smile spring behind his eyes when he repeated it in his mind.

It sounded like the name of a beautiful blossom.

“Cluu.” He repeated, purposely mispronouncing the syllables.

Cluu was old Merssian for “wild thing.”

Funny, it fit the female perfectly.

“Clee-yo.” It was her turn to frown at him. “Clee,” she paused, “oh. Cleo.”

“Cluu.” He nodded and turned away from her before she saw the smile twisting his lips.

As he stood, her sound of exasperation almost made his shoulders shake in a silent laugh.

Regardless that she’d tried to murder him earlier, he might like this Clee-yo.

It was good he’d been the one to take this job. If the Goris had gotten other hunters, there’s a chance she’d have been in a cage heading to Kezna Zoo by now.

At that, his gaze fell to the signaling device the Gori’s had given him.

The same device that held her DNA, activated with just the press of a button to lock on to her until they removed it.

She had no idea it was resting in his satchel.

She’d been lucky the Gori hadn’t caught her before.

He guessed she hadn’t approached them as closely as she had approached him.

Grabbing his satchel, he settled beside Clee-yo and pulled out one of his food packets.

He could feel her gaze on him as he took a bite and chewed purposely slowly, watching her reaction.

Her mouth curled in disgust as she watched him and he almost choked.

“You can have some.” He outstretched the packet to her, close enough for her to reach it. All she had to do was lean in and take a bite.

He knew she wanted it.

There’s no way she wasn’t hungry.

If she’d gone hunting since he’d entered the jungle, he was sure he’d have found out.

Her eyes narrowed on him.

“I don’t want your