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

grow tired of allowing you to run from me. Soon, I will make you listen to what I have to say.”

I narrow my eyes at him, still wanting to know how he snuck away from camp without me noticing and where the hell he went with Dragix.

But he turns and stalks away.

Chapter Seventeen

Tagiz

It’s early in the morning, the sun barely risen in the sky. The breeze is cool, the sun is warm, and my blood is hot.

Zoey is training with Kroniz. I don’t know how this happened, but I suspect Hewex is responsible. I have heard her begging him to teach her to fight, and my hands fist at the fact she never asked me.

Why would she ask me? She believes I thought her weak. I did think her weaker than a Braxian female, but over the past days, Zoey has shown me the error of those thoughts.

Kroniz says something to make her laugh as he hands her one of the practice swords.

She throws her head back, revealing the smooth pale skin at her throat, and my eye twitches.

He grins at her, and my teeth grind together.

He gestures for her to move closer to him, and my hand reaches for my sword.

My hand tightens around the hilt of that sword as Kroniz steps even closer to Zoey, showing her how to dodge away as he swings his own practice sword. It should be me teaching her to defend herself. Me standing between her and anyone who would think to hurt her for the rest of our lives.

I want to roar with fury as I watch them finish their training. Hewex owes me an explanation for this.

He knows how I feel about the little healer.

I have to leave before I do something I regret, and I storm toward the healers’ kradi, infuriated.

Hewex is awake, although his eyes are glassy.

“You put Kroniz in charge of Zoey’s combat training,” I growl.

He shrugs, wincing with the movement, and the sight of his pain takes the edge off my fury. Barely.

“He owed me a favor.”

I bare my teeth at him, and he gives me a mild look in return.

“You will soon be a mated male, from what I hear,” he says. “Zoey has been training with Kroniz for many mornings. You have simply been unaware.”

“We’re almost brothers. And you betray me like this?”

He rolls his eyes—something I’ve never seen him do before—and it’s clear he’s been spending time with Zoey. The thought makes my hands shake.

“You should get used to the thought of her with others. Although, you’re unlikely to have to see it.”

I don’t bother correcting Hewex. I haven’t yet told him I have made it clear to my father I won’t be mating with Malis.

“What do you mean?”

He frowns up at the ceiling of the kradi. “I overheard Moni talking to one of the other healers. Zoey is training one of the younger females to take her place here.” He gestures around him at the healers’ kradi. “She has decided when the ship is fixed, she will be leaving Agron.”

My heart pounds in my chest, and my fists clench, my hands empty when they should be filled with my little healer.

“What are you talking about?”

Moni approaches, a cup in her hand. “Enough,” she murmurs. “Hewex must rest if he is to heal.”

His eyes are already sliding closed, and I barely tamp down the urge to shake him, to demand he tell me more.

I feel as if I’m floating above my body as I stumble out of the healers’ kradi.

And almost walk into my mother.

My mouth drops open as I reach out a hand to steady her. She blinks up at me.

“I thought you might be here,” she murmurs. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Are you here to formally disown me?” My voice is gruff, and I wish I could take back the words as she flinches.

“I-I can see why you might think that, Tagiz. But no. I would like to talk to you.”

Part of me wants to refuse her. “Did Father send you to convince me to change my mind about mating with Malis?”

“No. He doesn’t know I’m here.”

I frown at that, and she gives me a tiny, hopeful smile. “Please, Tagiz.”

I glance around, noting the curious eyes on us. I don’t want to take her back to my kradi, as it’s too close to my parents’ kradi. Besides, it’s full of memories of Zoey. The kind of memories I have no desire to share with my mother.

If I can even call her my mother anymore.

Her hands are shaking, and I sigh. “I know a quiet place.”

I take her to the stream, my favorite spot, where I stood with Zoey. It feels like years have passed since that day, and I frown at the water before gesturing for my mother to sit down on a large, flat rock.

Her eyes turn dreamy as she stares into the water, and for a moment, the only sounds come from the wind whistling through the trees and the water bubbling over smooth stones.

“What is it you want, Mother?”

She turns her head, and I tense as her eyes gleam with tears.

“I should have been a better mother to you,” she murmurs.

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“I have failed as a mother. It was my job to protect you, to make you feel safe. Instead, I made you feel as if you had to earn our love.”

“Father made it clear what my tasks would be when he said he would take me as his own.”

She shakes her head, and a tear rolls down her cheek. “Your father never told you the truth. It was I who saw you that day. I peeked into the kradi where he had put you, and I saw you sitting there, so lonely. You were too small, too thin, yet your shoulders were back, your head was raised. I knew then you would be a fierce warrior. But more importantly, I knew you were mine.”

“You—”

She nods. “By then, your father was close to giving