Rescued by the Alien Warrior Hope Hart (literature books to read TXT) 📖

here, amongst the Dokhalls, the ship, and the new human women. If Tagiz doesn’t consider what we have to be worth pissing off his dad, then there’s nothing I can do or say to make him think differently.

Chapter Eight

Zoey

I survey the karja as he finishes eating the last of his breakfast.

I’m getting a little worried he’s going to end up too domesticated. According to Rakiz, karja are occasionally tamed by Braxian warriors. Once they choose to take food from their hands, they’re loyal to them for the rest of their days.

“I’m sorry I took you from your home,” I murmur to the fur ball as he sniffs at my shoes.

“Today you’re going back to the wild. Where you belong.”

The little karja ignores me, obviously unimpressed. He seems to know something is up though. Usually, he prances in place when I show him the makeshift leash Tagiz made for him. Today, he turns and buries his head beneath the soft furs of his bed.

Like everyone on this planet, the karja healed remarkably fast. He’s also growing at an incredible rate. No longer is he the size of a Jack Russell. Instead, he reminds me of my neighbor’s border collie.

“If you don’t get back to your real home soon, you’re going to forget all about it.”

I pull the furs off him and attach the leash to his collar. I hated to put it on him, but even I could see the necessity of it, considering how many kids live in this camp.

“Okay, buddy.” I try to keep my voice perky and excited, but my heart aches. I’ll miss my slobbery alarm.

I walk the karja out of my kradi and toward the forest where I found him. Tagiz offered to meet me to help me say goodbye, and even though we’re in a weird place right now, I took him up on that offer.

It’s been eight days since I fell asleep in his arms. Tagiz has been away hunting for six of them, and we haven’t had a chance to talk.

As far as I’m aware, nothing has changed. Tagiz still feels it’s his duty to mate with who his father has chosen for him. And whenever I think about it, fury burns in my belly. Fury at both Tagiz’s father for making his son feel so indebted to him and at Tagiz for not being willing to tell his father to fuck off.

I’m trying to give him space and time, but truthfully, I’m sick of the long nights staring at the roof of my kradi. I’m tired of wondering if Tagiz will ever choose me. And I’m scared the things I feel for him will soon be replaced with resentment.

My mother would expect more from me. She raised me to know my worth, to not end up living a life similar to hers. I believe, deep in my heart, Tagiz could be the one for me. But that doesn’t mean I’ll wait forever.

He angles his head when we approach, as if surprised to see us. It’s not long after sunrise, and the camp is beginning to wake. I wanted to do this early, though, so I could say goodbye to the little fur ball in private.

Tagiz leans against the camp wall, looking relaxed. But I can see the tension in his shoulders and in the lines around his eyes.

“Zoey?”

I jolt, realizing I’m staring at Tagiz with a frown on my face. The karja makes a show of baring his teeth at Tagiz with a growl, then gives a full-body shake and pulls me forward until he can sniff at Tagiz’s boots.

Tagiz leans down and runs his hand over the fur ball’s fluffy ears.

No, Zoey. Stop thinking about how those hands felt on your body.

“Okay,” I mutter. “Let’s get this over with.”

Tagiz nods, his eyes sympathetic. He falls into step with me, and we’re both silent as we head toward the spot where I found the karja.

“Have you spent much time in the Seinex Forest?” I ask, and Tagiz glances at me.

“Yes. I was posted there with Hewex. We hunted Voildi and dismantled their traps.”

“What’s it like?”

Moni speaks of the Seinex Forest with something like reverence. There are things that grow there that are unable to be found anywhere else.

“It is…interesting. You won’t remember, but we rode through the forest when we brought you back to camp.” His mouth twists at the memory. “The trees look different from these ones.” He nods to the forest that stretches out in front of us. “They’re bone white, with few leaves. Things happen in that forest that cannot be explained. It’s a dangerous place.” He glances at my face and smiles. “And you want to go.”

I nod vigorously. “Moni mentioned a few things we need to restock, and…I just want to check it out. For my own experiments.”

“I’ll take you.”

I chew on my lip at that. If anything, I should be trying to spend less time with Tagiz, since my traitorous heart can’t be trusted not to start fluttering in my chest every time he looks at me.

He seems to be waiting for an answer, so I nod, and he frowns at my response, opening his mouth.

The karja growls.

I glance down at him and realize he’s growling at the forest, pulling on the leash. I kneel down and untie the leash from his collar.

“Whoa—”

Tagiz steps forward, catching me as the karja shoves past me, and I almost fall. The fur ball bolts into the forest, and I pout after him.

“You’re welcome.”

The corners of Tagiz’s eyes are crinkled as he helps me back up to my feet. But we both turn toward the forest at the sounds of more growling.

Oh my God. What if the karja is trying to fight with a bigger, tougher animal?

I sprint after him, ignoring the branches that claw at my face and hair as I run toward the growling. Tagiz curses roughly behind me, following me, and I stop dead as I find the karja growling at a…tree.

“You ever hear about the