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

get any better. Tagiz hasn’t said it, but it’s clear his father will make him choose between his family and me.

If I had the chance to have my mom back, I’d jump at it. So how can I expect Tagiz to give up his family for me?

I attempt to blink back my tears, but they’re already dripping down my face. I must make some kind of sound because Tagiz looks up, surprise on his face.

“Little healer…”

I wipe at my damp face, and the words pour from my mouth almost before I’m even aware of them. “I’m sorry, Tagiz. But I can’t do this anymore.”

Malis steps back from him, moving toward me, her face concerned. “You know it’s not what it looks like, Zoey.”

I nod, and more tears slip down my face. “I know. But I’m tired of feeling like the other woman. I know you guys are in a horrible situation, and I’m sorry for it, I really am. But I can’t watch this happen anymore. And the thought of you mating?” My voice cracks, and Tagiz’s face turns to stone.

“Don’t do this, little healer. Don’t leave me.”

Somehow, this both breaks my heart and makes me want to slap him across the face.

“How can I leave you, Tagiz? I was never truly with you.”

It hits me then. I love Tagiz. He’s kind, and loyal, and strong. He has a soft heart, hidden within that incredible chest of his. He was the first man to make me feel truly seen. The first to make me feel like I was special.

But I love myself more.

He opens his mouth, and I step back.

“It’s okay. I just want you to be happy. Do whatever it is that makes you feel good, Tagiz. Live the life you want, and that will be enough for me.”

“Zoey—”

I hold up my hand. “If you care about me at all, don’t follow me.”

Zoey

I’m staring out between the bars of the cage, my breath coming in shallow pants. I shudder, freezing, but the sweat on my face tells another story.

Fever.

It was to be expected, I guess. Untreated cracked or broken ribs make it difficult to breathe. Without painkillers, the inability to take a full breath leads to the collapse of the far ends of the lungs.

And that leads to pneumonia.

It’s almost ironic. If my ribs had punctured a lung, at least my death might’ve been relatively quick.

Now all I can hope for is to get to see the sky one last time before I die.

Even if it’s not the same sky I was born under.

Then Tagiz is there, his hands gentle as he picks me up. His eyes are soft, and he brushes the tangled hair off my face as he gazes down at me.

“I have you,” he says.

But then Malis is there too. And they’re holding each other. Looking so perfect together that a chunk of my heart breaks off right there, falling to my feet with a thump.

I jerk, lifting my hands to my face. Something is…licking me.

I’m crying. The little fluff ball has been licking my tears, one of his paws on my chest as he leans over.

“Were you trying to wake me up?” I murmur.

He growls at me, but it’s not a threatening growl. It’s more like he’s berating me, and I laugh.

I sit up, wiping the tears—and fluff ball spit—off my face.

“Is it my imagination, or do you look even bigger already? I know it’s a survival mechanism, but this is ridiculous.”

Karja mamas don’t tend to stick around and look after their babies for long, so they’re forced to take on the world by themselves.

I know what it’s like to suddenly be all alone in the world, without any warning.

I brush his furry little ears, and he allows it, a sound similar to a purr leaving his throat. I grin at him. I figured I shouldn’t let him run wild through the camp until he’s trained. But he hates the little pen I set up for him near the forest, and he cried until I rescued him, bringing him back to my kradi. I thought he’d prefer to be closer to the wild, but maybe he hated being able to see the world but not actually partake in what it has to offer.

I get it.

I roll out of bed, get dressed, and find some food for the little guy, sneaking him to one of the clearings near my kradi so he can do his business near a large white tree.

“You’re a sweetheart,” I murmur as I crouch beside him, and he licks my hand. He seems to be pretty content sleeping most of the day, but according to some of the warriors, the karja will be causing havoc soon though.

I glance around, careful to stay away from Tagiz. When it comes to him, I feel weak. The last thing I need is to see the hurt in his eyes again when he looks at me. If I don’t work on building a wall around my heart, I’ll be right back where I started.

I take the karja back to my kradi, and he snuggles into the little bed I made for him. Then I head to the training arena to see if any of the warriors are free to walk with me into the forest.

I grin at the camp’s grumpiest warrior. “You’re back!”

Hewex doesn’t exactly grin back at me, but his scowl lessens slightly as he nods. “Let me guess,” he says. “You need to find some bark and twigs.”

I laugh. “Have some respect.”

He snorts, and I’m careful to keep my eyes away from the training arena. I just caught sight of a familiar set of wide shoulders, and I instantly turn away. I don’t think I can handle seeing Tagiz looking relaxed and happy while I feel like my heart has been ripped from my chest.

“I can’t come with you today—I have a meeting with Rakiz. But Kroniz has just finished training.” He calls over the other warrior, and I can