“You know Standard,” she said.
“Yes,” his voice was deep, gravelly, winding into her being. “I know the common language of your people. Now, hand over the captive or I will take him from you.”
Captive? Did he mean C’hase?
“This is my mogha,” Dani said, leveling her blaster with both hands. “You will not take him without a fight.”
The Korthan took a step forward and she sucked in a sharp intake of air, raising the blaster higher—
How dare this human claim ownership of a sentient being. Rescuing the mogha and returning C’hase to his home world was K’vyn’s only thought as he rushed forward, bending down to grab the pup.
I will protect him at all costs. The words flashed through his mind as pain exploded across his back, something heavy striking between his shoulder blades.
Rearing back, the human’s arms were raised high in the air, the butt of her blaster coming down for a second blow. Grabbing her hands in one hand, he ignored the tingling sensation that traveled through his forearms with the contact, holding her in place.
Her eyes were wide as she stared at the hand immobilizing her.
A menacing growl was the only warning before sharp cutting pain replaced the tingling sensation, pointy teeth puncturing his forearm as strong jaws latched on.
Flinching yelp escaping him, K’vyn released the woman as he focused on the new threat, attempting to free his arm. Was the mogha defending her?
Don’t hurt him, the voice in his mind said, frantic.
“C’hase, release him,” the same voice said out loud.
So, it was true. This was the source of the what he thought was his mogha.
As C’hase’s teeth pulled from his arm, blood trickled to the ground. Hugging the arm to his chest, K’vyn noticed a tuft of orange peeking out from the mogha’s gray fur.
His brow furrowed. The pup’s coloration wouldn’t be coming out if he was still a captive.
“Do you understand him?” he said directly to the woman, eyes locking with hers.
And suddenly he was lost in a depth of brown fire, engulfed in a blanket of warmth. He quickly looked away.
“Yes. I am his Alpha,” the human said. “Now back off.”
K’vyn’s eyes grew wide as his jaw fell. There was no way a human would know that term in relation to a mogha.
Unless she was C’hase’s master companion. And the ability to understand what the mogha was saying was a surefire sign.
Stars.
“Back up,” the woman said again, blaster swaying. Though she did have the business end pointed at him this time, he was under the impression she’d never actually killed anyone before. She was not a combatant.
Holding out his hands, palms facing her, he did as she asked. An almost imperceptible breath of relief escaped her, and his heart swelled.
Having a mogha bond was a right of passage. How was this human bestowed with such an honor?
A screech over the ocean had her head whipping around and he lowered his hands, blood dripping from his forearm. That would attract predators—
“Build a fire and the hellbats won’t come,” he said as much for himself as for her.
She turned a piercing brown gaze on him, and his heart skipped. Stars, get it under control.
But there was emotion warring behind that gaze and, concentrating, he found he could sense her feelings. Disbelief, helplessness, confusion—
Only one of those emotions made sense to him. “You don’t know how to build a fire, do you?”
Humans were helpless. They were all so useless and clueless. He would never understand how his people allowed themselves to come into conflict with these beings.
The reddish-brown feathered bird the mogha had been holding walked between them, scratching at the dark soil.
“We can roast that plump avian,” he said, stomach growling at the thought of a tasty meal.
The human’s emotions focused into one, alarm. She swooped down and plucked the yard bird off the ground. It sounded an alarming squawk, but fell silent once tucked under her arm.
“This is Molly,” she said. “If you touch her or any of the chickens, I will shoot you right between the eyes.”
Now, that was not helplessness. A thrill zapped him.
“You said you were leaving, so leave,” she said next, stomping off towards the junk heap she called a ship, molk still sitting on her shoulder, staring at him with its beady eyes.
The mogha also watched him from the corner of his eye, following his apparent alpha, then fully turned his attention elsewhere, trotting alongside her, tail held high.
The bird emitted a clucking noise and he blinked. She named a yard bird, Molly?
There wasn’t anywhere he needed to be in the immediate future. Perhaps he’d hang around on Paradise for a little while.
5
First, he was trying to kill her and now he wanted to help her? She ran her left hand through her hair, stopping to scratch at the back of her head, Molly still tucked under her right arm.
Build a fire? She’d never even seen a fire in real life, not one on the surface of a planet anyway.
Climbing the ramp, she set the chicken down on the deck and it disappeared into the cargo bay, Hedge scurrying down her arm, following its path.
She never thought she’d be thanking the stars she did not leave the fierce little creature in the lab. Watching as he wound his way towards the chickens, she paused. So far, he had left the chickens alone. Hopefully, it stayed that way.
C’hase trotted after him and she felt a little better. The mogha kept good watch over their feathered friends.
Peeking over the edge of the bulkhead, she expected to be watching the Korthan fly away, a sense of abandonment surprising her. At first, she thought the sentiment was coming from C’hase, but then she realized it was her own feeling.
Belly fluttering when she saw the ship was still there, she rested her head against the bulkhead. Thank the stars.
A cackling sound beneath the freighter made her blink. Climbing halfway down the ramp in a crouch, she peered under the ship, an orange glow on the other side lighting up the approaching evening sky.
Breath catching, the bright blaze was mesmerizing, dancing yellow flames dazzling her eyes. The field of flowers seemed ablaze as well, their orange coloration against the orange light of the fire making them pop. Shadows danced and shimmied among them, and they were alive with movement.
And, there, leaning on a tall pole, stood the Korthan. Black hair hanging free against his shoulders, he had removed his shirt, a black bandage now gracing his arm, shine of the blaze lighting up his gray skin, muscled physique tantalizing in its perfection. Her body tingled all over—
The Korthan’s head turned in her direction and she ducked. Rolling with the ramp against her back, she breathed heavily towards the sky.
Waiting two minutes, she peeped under the ship again. His arm was reaching behind his back, rubbing between his shoulder blades where she hit him.
Scooting back up the ramp into the safety of the freighter, Dani heard the screech of a hellbat far in the distance. But no attack came. Perhaps the Korthan was right about the fire.
Heading to the bridge, Dani checked the comm. Nothing. Did anyone even hear her distress call?
With no whisper of wind outside, Dani made her way to her cabin, settling into her bunk for the first peaceful sleep she’d had since rescuing the hellhound from the lab. Did she even want the Korthan to leave?