He sat cross-legged watching her.
She wasn’t sure if he was aware of it, but his tail was dancing lazily in the air behind him.
She’d never seen it like that before. Riv didn’t have a tail and Sohut seemed more in control of his. Ka’Cit, on the other hand, seemed unaware of what his tail was doing when he was completely relaxed.
And she assumed he was completely relaxed. She could see it in the way he sat.
His muscles didn’t hold any tension and he appeared at ease.
Her gaze flicked back to his tail and she tried not to stare at it.
It was long and thick and it looked quite powerful, like he could slap someone with it and hurt them.
From the way he’d moved earlier, jumping from the floor to the ceiling and managing to hold on up there, she could only assume his people evolved from some kind of cat-ape hybrid.
It was a question she wasn’t sure would be offensive, so she didn’t ask about it. Not if he evolved from cats and apes but what his origins were. He was from a different culture, after all. The last thing she wanted to do was piss him off by asking something stupid.
Ka’Cit reached forward and his hand hovered over her meal.
“Don’t worry, I cleaned my hands,” he started. “I can cut those for you.”
Nia’s gaze dropped to the food.
It was already in small bits. She’d noticed he’d been cutting the food while she’d showered but apparently he’d overestimated the power of her bite.
“Thanks.” She nodded and Ka’Cit pulled the dish toward him.
Again his tail waved in the air behind him like a lazy flag.
“Ka’Cit?”
He froze.
“You aren’t a farmer, are you?”
“I am.”
Nia gave him a look. “Right.”
Ka’Cit glanced her way before continuing to cut her food.
He was using his claws and she stared at them.
They were wickedly pointy and sharp-looking.
“What kind of crops do you sow then?”
He shifted on the floor.
He wasn’t wearing his mask now and she could see a bit of the emotion pass over his features.
“I don’t sow. I harvest…” he paused, “…information.”
His answer made her chuckle and she could see some of the tension leave his shoulders at the sound.
He slid her meal back to her and as she took a piece of the meat in hand and brought it to her lips, he watched her every movement.
The way he watched her made a little tingle go down her spine and Nia had to focus on actually chewing just so she wouldn’t choke and die.
“You mean, you’re a bounty hunter.”
He looked genuinely surprised at that. “No. I don’t get paid for what I do. I don’t do it for credits.”
“What do you do it for then?”
She watched as his gaze moved up the wall behind her, though he was looking at nothing in front of him.
“A purpose,” he finally said.
That wasn’t what she’d thought he’d say and she paused mid-chew. “A purpose?”
“I…” He trailed off.
For a few moments, he said nothing and she didn’t want to press him about it.
Whatever pushed him to do what he did for a living must be something life-altering. To put himself in danger so much and to do it for free…
“This job…” she finally said. “You said you’d find a way. But…it’s almost impossible, isn’t it?”
Ka’Cit’s gaze met hers but he didn’t answer.
She could see the response in his gaze though.
The answer was yes.
There was no way they were going to help those other humans.
“If I could change it…if I could go back and do something different… You’re going to miss this chance because you came after me. If—”
“And I’d do it again.” He cut her off. “You asked why I did this…”
Nia nodded.
“I told you I did it for a purpose…”
She nodded again.
“What I meant was…I do it to find some purpose. And…I may have finally found it.” His gaze met hers and a feeling she’d never felt before began growing within her.
The intensity of his gaze was scorching and it felt like her insides were going to melt underneath his stare.
A strange look came over his eyes, one of pain, one of need, and one of torment. He made as if he wanted to come closer to her and then stopped himself.
Nia’s heart skipped a beat.
She couldn’t move, knowing that she wanted him to come closer, to close the distance between them, and the realization that she wanted it too held her still for a few seconds.
And then she moved.
Ka’Cit’s eyes widened only a fraction before she pressed her lips against his.
The contact was electrifying.
His moan made her shudder as he pulled her against him, opening his lips against hers.
“You don’t have to pretend to be my mate in here,” he grated out.
“Who says I’m pretending?”
He stiffened against her as a groan ripped through him.
This kiss was different from the last one.
This time, there was no hesitation, no holding back.
Ka’Cit gripped her and lifted her into his arms, a groan rumbling through his chest as his tongue darted against hers and she was vaguely aware that they were moving.
When her back hit the bed, she opened her eyes to meet his.
Ka’Cit pulled his lips away and trailed a kiss to her ear.
“Ta’iiiii…” He barely scraped a fang against her ear and it made something throb hard within her.
Then he was moving.
He pressed his nose firmly against her skin as he inhaled, breathing her in.
“I want to taste you…” His words didn’t register for a few moments but when they did, she nodded, assuming he was about to kiss her skin.
But he didn’t.
As soon as she nodded, Ka’Cit lifted his head to look at her. He was on all fours over her and as he looked down at her, his eyes began to go wild.
“You’ll let me?”
Nia blinked up at him. “Yes…”
Her voice was a breathless gasp that left her lips but at that one word, Ka’Cit’s pupils started dilating and a growl left
