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

reached a hand toward her. “There’s no escaping this. We are sacrifices, given by our people for the safety of our people. It is an honored tradition. Surely, your people told you this before they sent you off.”

Cleo couldn’t breathe.

Sacrifices?

Her people?

When Lee-yunna smiled again, she realized she’d spoken out loud.

“Our people have given us to the Tasqals in exchange for peace.” Lee-yunna’s smile waned a little. “It is an honor.”

No.

“Do you really believe that?” Cleo asked the female.

Lee-yunna blinked and forced her smile wider. “Yes.”

Something made Cleo believe what she really wanted to say was “no.”

Cleo sat because she was sure her legs were going to give out.

“What is it?” One of the other females frowned. “You seem perturbed by this.”

Cleo swallowed down the lump in her throat.

“My people didn’t send me here. I was taken.” The females around her glanced at each other and when she met their gazes, she was sure they could see the resolve in hers. “I was taken, and I’d rather die than be a sacrifice to one of those things out there.”

29

It’d taken him far too long to reach his destination.

Trekking through the jungle back to the road that ran through it had taken days. More days than he had the heart to count.

And the longer he was away from her, the more terrified he became.

What if he was too late?

Sohut let out a breath as he stood in front of the exchange.

Before him, hover vehicles zoomed in and out carrying shoppers, all unaware of the fact that before them was a Merssi with his world crumbling around him.

As he moved forward, there was only one thing on his mind.

It kept him focused.

Focused enough that he could walk into the exchange hardly clothed and injured.

He was drawing the attention of the beings around him.

The exchange was packed. There was hardly even space to walk.

Yet, the crowd of shoppers parted to let him through and he could feel their gazes.

Or maybe it was the fact he had an adorable slizz on his shoulder.

Either way, the beings around him were not his concern.

After buying a fresh healing serum and administering it, he’d moved through the sketchier sections of the exchange searching for a distorter to purchase.

Distorters were rare illegal tech but he was sure he could find one.

Word from some of the sellers suggested the stall he was in front of might have exactly what he needed.

Rapping on the metal window of the stall, Sohut waited.

After a few moments, a slot opened in the window and the seller spoke.

“What.”

Great customer service.

“I’m looking for a distorter,” Sohut spoke in a low tone.

There was a pause before, “What do you want it for?”

Sohut’s jaw clenched and he resisted the urge to reach his hand through the slot and close it around the seller’s throat.

“None of your business.”

“Fifty teruva coins,” the seller said after a few moments.

Sohut’s jaw clenched again.

Nobody had fifty teruva coins just hanging about and he didn’t have time to phek around.

The seller was mostly hidden and the slot that he looked through from his stall was only on the level of Sohut’s chest.

“Three thousand credits.” Sohut’s voice was like ice. “Three thousand or I can introduce you to my little friend.”

As soon as he said so, Wawa climbed down his shoulder to look straight through the slot in the stall.

There was an exclamation on the other side and the sound of things falling.

“Deal. I don’t want trouble here.”

Good.

As soon as the transaction was over, he stepped away from the stall, gripping the distorter in his hand.

He’d use the device to distort his image when he needed to.

That was the second part of his plan.

But right now, he was searching for one particular group of aliens.

The healing serum he’d administered must be giving him a buzz or maybe it was the pure rage at the fact that he’d lost Clee-yo. Whatever it was, he welcomed it.

All he knew for sure was that he wanted to break some necks.

Donning a white robe he bought, he slipped into a side alley and tilted his nose to the air.

His enhanced nostril sensors would do most of the work now.

He knew their scent, his prey.

They couldn’t hide even if they wanted to and, as he wove through the exchange, it didn’t take him long to find the Gori he was looking for.

There were two of them, the two that had hired him.

Standing with their backs turned to him, they didn’t even hear him approach.

Wawa snarled at the sight of them, his teeth protracting immediately as if he knew the two males.

At the sound, one of the Gori turned, his eyes bugging out.

“A—A slizz!” The large male staggered backward, his midsection jiggling.

His companion turned with the same expression.

Sohut dropped the hood of the robe. “I think you have more than the slizz to worry about.”

At the sight of them, the other shoppers in the vicinity screamed and there was a flurry of feet as they tried to get away.

“Y-you!” one of the Gori exclaimed.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” said the other.

With one step forward, Sohut was in front of one of the males, his fist landing a punch that sent the male crashing into a wall.

Sohut cocked his head, a sneer on his face.

If only he wasn’t still healing; he’d have punched the Gori into tomorrow.

The other Gori put his hands in the air.

“H-hey. We don’t want no trouble, Merssi.”

“Where did they take her?” Sohut turned, raising his fist. On his shoulder, Wawa puffed up his fur, his teeth protracting even more.

“Phek,” the Gori muttered, raising his hands higher as he glanced in his friend’s direction.

“Tell me,” Sohut growled, moving too fast for the male as he closed his unclenched hand around the Gori’s neck. “Speak the right words or they might be your last.”

The Gori tried to swallow, his eyes darting to his companion, who was still crumpled on the ground.

“You don’t want to mess with the Tasqals, Merssi. It’s not worth it.”

“Wrong answer,” Sohut growled,