Riv's Sanctuary: A Sci-fi Alien Romance by A.G. Wilde (best books to read TXT) 📕

host emptied some of the hay into a pile, one of the animals closed its jaw around Riv’s boot.

“For phek’s sake, Jaik. Let go.”

Jake?

The animal’s name was Jake?

Of all the names…

Riv shook his leg and dislodged the animal but as soon as it lost its grip, it came right back and bit his boot again.

As a tug-of-war between the two ensued, Lauren fought hard to keep her composure.

It was such a strange sight that she had to fold her lips to stop from laughing.

“Every phekking day.” Riv managed to pull his boot from the animal’s mouth before glancing her way. When he found her watching, he scowled some more.

Turning away, he began spreading more of the hay when Jake grabbed his trousers by the teeth and began pulling, almost making the large male lose his balance.

“Phek!”

That’s it. She had to laugh. A chuckle escaped before she could cover her mouth.

Another of the animals joined in and then another and soon they were all piling on top of him, his curses being drowned out by the strange mewing sounds they were making.

They seemed to be biting at his clothes and licking him at the same time, almost as if they were playing, and his look of utter bewilderment only made her laugh more.

When his eyes locked with hers, Lauren pressed her lips together once more.

He was glaring at her as if daring her to laugh some more and that in itself made more laughter bubble within her.

As he cursed at them and pushed them off him gently, finally managing to free himself, Riv refused to look her way.

Lauren’s gaze softened.

Despite his constant cursing and general standoffishness, he was kind to the animals. It was obvious he loved them.

That told her more about him than he realized but it also made her wonder why he seemed to dislike her so. He had a bad attitude, that was for sure, but there was softness underneath all that—except that soft, caring side was locked away. She only got his hard side.

Riv exited the enclosure finally, securing it behind him and his gaze fell in her direction. His gaze was pointed as he looked at her and the more he stared, the more he frowned.

“You,” he finally said. “Are leaving. Right now.”

By the time he pulled up at the exchange, there was resilience and determination in the female’s gaze and he had the distinct impression she’d been preparing herself for the trip just as he was, except maybe for different reasons.

The entire way, she’d been repeating something to herself. Over and over she’d said it till her shoulders stiffened and her chin lifted a bit—a motivational talk of sorts, he assumed, for she refused to meet his gaze, only focusing on the way ahead as she repeated the line minute after minute.

To think that not long from now he wouldn’t be hearing her voice anymore and those large brown eyes would no longer turn on him.

A strange feeling settled in the pit of his belly, almost as if a part of him didn’t want her to leave.

Ludicrous.

The only being who would be missing her would probably be Grot—the traitorous tevsi. He’d never look at Grot the same again. Falling so easily for a female.

Glancing at the tevsi now, his eyes met Grot’s four. Grot had insisted on tagging along, as if he knew the female was leaving—as if he didn’t want to see her go.

Well…too bad.

Exiting the hover craft, they walked through the gates of the exchange and Riv paused to adjust to the cacophony inside.

Grot let out a low boom on the other side of the female.

He supposed the tevsi was suddenly remembering his hatred of beings.

Good.

As soon as the female left, that meant things would go right back to normal.

The marketplace was already bustling with beings and the situation immediately made an unpleasant taste develop in his mouth.

It reminded him of the exchange he’d been in as a chid.

This one was different, though.

Cleaner.

It was overseen by the Interplanetary Union so that meant most beings obeyed the laws when it came to buying and selling.

There wasn’t any smuggling…at least, not out in the open.

It was the best chance for the human in terms of finding a new home.

Walking beside her, Riv couldn’t keep his gaze from falling to her constantly.

Most of the aliens walking through the exchange were bigger than she was. She could easily get lost, separated from him in the throng, and the thought made him close a hand lightly around her arm.

He was surprised she didn’t shake him off, but it seemed she was more concerned with taking in the sights of the exchange instead.

There was a stiffness in her shoulders as her gaze moved over the many beings shopping in the exchange and the stalls upon stalls on either side of the paved street.

There were beings selling all sorts of things. Whatever was needed, it could probably be found at the exchange.

There were Treggonians selling their urine, which was known for its healing properties, Movadrians selling fashionable garments made from materials only found on their home planet, a Lothrian selling klo ears, several sellers of woogli smoke, a Huvrarian selling pulse drives, and many other stalls.

There wasn’t much space to walk except for weaving their way through the constant push-pull of the shoppers.

Grot took to walking directly behind them for easier passage.

As there were so many beings in the street, he reckoned there’d be even more at the central trading station. He shouldn’t have a problem finding the female a new place to stay. She’d have a choice of who to go with, of course; he was only there to make sure she didn’t end up in the hands of some being that would harm her. Most of all, he was also there to ensure she didn’t return to his Sanctuary.

That was the priority.

Glancing behind to check on Grot, Riv’s gaze landed on a Merkannian not far behind them. The gold-skinned male had his gaze fixed on the