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

Rakiz smiles at me, taking the baby from my arms. He holds his daughter as if he has been doing it his whole life, and she’s tiny in his huge hand. He wraps his other arm around me, and it’s clear he’s giddy with happiness.

“Thank you,” he murmurs, and I grin up at him.

“You’re welcome.”

I walk out into the dark night, the air cool on my skin. Surprisingly, Tagiz is still waiting, leaning against the tashiv as he gazes up at the stars.

“You were incredible today, little healer,” he says as his eyes meet mine.

“It was a team effort.”

“I saw what you did to the Dokhalls,” he says. “How?”

“I poisoned them,” I murmur. That’s something I’ll need to deal with. I don’t regret it, but I’m a nurse. I’m used to saving lives, not taking them.

Tagiz’s eyes widen slightly before pride flashes through them.

“You kept yourself and the tribe queen safe,” he says. He places one hand at my lower back as he walks me to my kradi.

“Thank you for coming for us.”

He frowns at me. “I may not be able to give you what you need, but I will always come for you, little healer.”

Stop calling me that, I want to beg. Stop giving me nicknames and making me wish for things I can’t have.

My eyes burn. I’m just tired. Once I have a good night’s sleep, I’ll be able to function again.

I turn to him as we reach my kradi, gazing up at his face. His jaw is hard, and his eyes…they look…sad.

Well, I’m fucking sad too.

Tagiz’s hand comes up, and for a moment, I think he might kiss me. Instead, he strokes one finger along my jaw, gazing down into my eyes.

“Good night, Zoey,” he says, turning and walking away.

I whirl, stalking into my kradi, and freeze as I find my bath full of clean water, steam still rising into the air.

He had someone fill my bath for me.

I strip off my clothes, slide into the bath, and dunk my entire head beneath the water.

If some of the drops of water rolling down my face taste like salt, that’s no one’s business but mine.

Chapter Thirteen

Zoey

I feel drained when I wake to the fur ball licking at my face. Although, I don’t know if I can call him a fur ball anymore now that he’s growing so fast.

“You know, this wake-up method is gross and unnecessary.”

He opens his mouth, displaying a row of sharp teeth, and I roll my eyes. “You can’t intimidate me. I’m friends with a dragon.”

The karja is beginning to roam further from my kradi. I was concerned until I spoke to Tagiz about it, and he said once a karja is tamed, it does not hunt close to home. Apparently, the people in this camp are safer for having the karja around, since he’ll now protect what he considers his territory with his life.

I let the karja loose in the forest. Now that he’s no longer limping and his ribs are no longer sticking out, I don’t worry about him being prey for a larger animal. He’ll go hunt his own breakfast and return to my kradi to sleep when he’s done.

I didn’t wake up in time for my training with Kroniz, but something tells me he’ll give me a pass after everything that happened yesterday. Still, I want to make sure he knows I’m on for our next session, so I head to the training arena to see if he’s there.

“Ah.” He grins when he sees me. “Your name is on everyone’s lips this morning. I’m free to train you tomorrow, although from what I heard about your actions in that cave, I’m not sure you need it.” He winks, and I blush.

“I just did my job,” I murmur, and his face turns serious.

“From where I’m standing, it sounds like you used your particular skills and strengths to save the day. Not all battles are won on the battlefield. There’s a reason strategy is so important.”

I open my mouth, unsure what to say. A wind kicks up, and we both turn our attention to the sky as a shadow blocks out the sun.

Dragix’s huge form is all I can see in the sky, and Charlie waves at me from his back. Warriors scatter, but I stay where I am. I’ve seen Dragix land a hundred times by now, and he has an incredible ability to aim for the tiniest space. He won’t crush anyone. Unless he chooses to.

Charlie is off his back as soon as he lands, and she runs at me, giving me a hug.

“I heard what happened,” she says. Behind her, Dragix shifts into his human form, although he’d likely snarl at me if he heard me refer to it that way. Dragix is many things, but he’ll never be human.

I avert my gaze as the dragon is suddenly naked, stalking across the training arena toward us as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.

Charlie pulls back, eyeing me.

“Yeah, it was crazy,” I admit. “No one saw it coming. We’ve been expecting the Dokhalls to attack en masse like they did last time. But it seems they’ve broken into smaller groups, which means they’re likely even more dangerous.”

Charlie sighs. “Dragix has been hunting them. They’re smart, but he must’ve taken out a hundred of them yesterday.”

Dragix reaches us, wrapping his arm around Charlie. Pure devotion shines in those gold eyes as he looks at her, and then he nods at me.

“I will go speak with Rakiz,” he says.

“I packed you some pants.” Charlie holds up the bag she’s clutching in her fist, and he scowls but takes it, walking away.

“He’s not the biggest fan of clothes,” Charlie murmurs.

“With a body like that, I don’t blame him.” I slap a hand over my mouth. “Sorry.”

She throws her head back, cracking up. “Girl, it is what it is.”

I grin at her. “What are you guys doing here anyway? I thought you were hanging out