Stolen from the Alien Bride Lottery: A Sci Fi Alien Romance (Khanavai Warrior Bride Games Book 9) by Margo Bond Collins

Author:Margo Bond Collins [Bond Collins, Margo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-01-16T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

GALBON

Great valigian visshas. I hadn’t seen a Lorishi desert cat in ages.

And this was a huge one. I had never seen one of the beasts grow so large.

I had to wonder if it was some kind of genetic anomaly—or more likely, given the Alveron Horde’s attack on the planet, a mutant.

I knew the desert cats were distant relatives of the Lorishi people, much like the humans had simian cousins on earth. But I did not know if the genetic connection between the desert cats and the Lorishi people was close enough for the Horde’s biological weapon to have affected the less intelligent life form.

All these thoughts tumbled through my mind as I stared down the monstrous animal growling at me.

I had to wonder if it was hungry. Or if we had simply trespassed into its territory.

“Do you see the building behind us and to my left?” I asked Erica, never taking my eyes off the desert cat.

“The tall one with the door standing open?”

“That is the one.” I kept my tone soft and soothing. “We should begin moving slowly toward the building. But be prepared to run if I tell you to.”

Not that I thought we could outrun a Lorishi desert cat. But if it was simply protecting its territory, it might let us go without any problems.

If it was hungry, we were vulked.

“Start walking,” I said, slowly sliding one foot back. I could not see her behind me, but I heard her as she began to move toward the building.

The desert cat’s gaze shifted to Erica, and it growled again.

From behind me, Erica whimpered.

“Try not to show fear,” I said. “We do not want it to see us as prey.”

“I’m not sure how I can do that, because it scares the shit out of me.”

“Breathe in and out slowly, steadily,” I said, demonstrating as I slid the other foot back in yet another step toward safety.

The giant cat took another step toward me. It was matching my moves. But unless it hunkered down and wiggled its hindquarters, I was probably safe from it leaping toward me.

Still, I had seen one of these monsters take down a full-grown bascin deerelope and rip it apart in three swift swipes of its claws. And that desert cat had not been nearly as big as this one.

I eased my hand down to my hip where I carried a blaster. I did not want to use it on the creature, but I was determined to be prepared. I unbuckled the holster straps that held the blaster in place. The sound seemed to echo through the artificial canyon created by the tall buildings surrounding us.

The desert cat’s gaze flickered between me and Erica, and then the cat slid to one side.

Vulk. It was working to keep both of us in sight. That was hunting behavior, not the actions of an animal protecting its territory.

I risked a glance over my shoulder. Erica was close enough to the building that I thought she could make it.

Carefully, I drew the blaster, holding it loosely and keeping my hands down by my sides.

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