Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
"This is private land," he says by way of greeting, and his voice is just as deep and unwelcoming as I expected it to be. His gaze flicks over Zhur behind me and then back to me. "You're trespassing."
I stick my hand out, beaming at him and ignoring his unfriendly words. "Hi there! My name is Maeve and I have a farm out here on Risda III. I wanted to come by and introduce myself and my husband."
He growls. "Not every praxiian knows one another—"
"Not because of that," I say quickly, and gesture at my plant. "I heard you were good with green things, and I paid a lot for this plant. It's dying and I can't figure out why. I'm desperate."
The stiffness in his posture remains, but I could swear that he's loosening up to me. His gaze moves to my plant, and I hold it out for him to examine it closer. "Is it native?" he asks. "Or alien?"
It occurs to me that I have no freaking idea, but since it came from Kazex's ship, I'm going to guess that it's not from here. "I'm pretty sure it's alien."
His hard gaze locks on me. "You don't know?"
Shit. I should know, shouldn't I? "I asked a friend to get me a flower from Earth and he brought me this instead. I don't know if it's native or an Earth plant. All I know is I don't recognize it, it won't bloom, and I'm going to cry buckets if it dies. My husband suggested we find a plant expert and I asked around town and someone mentioned you had a lot of trees."
He runs a blunt-fingered hand down his face, then heaves a sigh, as if highly annoyed at this. "I do indeed."
"Can you help me, then? We brought some pastries for you and your wife. Just to be neighborly." I leave off the fact that I live nowhere near here.
The cat alien—Nassakth—opens the door a bit wider. "You—”
He stops.
His eyes widen and he stares over my shoulder.
"You." The single word is filled with venom.
The next thing I know? The big gray cat alien has launched himself at Zhur.
CHAPTER
NINETY
ZHUR
As I am tackled to the ground and strong hands wrap around my neck, my excitement at meeting my hero does not lessen. All I can think is that the legendary Nassakth is touching me. That he has a mighty grip and he moves just as fast as I had imagined. I have seen him fling himself at opponents in the arena, of course, but you never truly appreciate just how fast someone is until you experience it yourself. I cannot stop grinning with pure joy.
Then, of course, it grows difficult to breathe, and spots swim in front of my eyes. He is going to kill me to defend his home. It is an honorable and noteworthy way to die, to be choked out by my hero. I push against his grip, but as the hands tighten around my neck and blackness creeps in at the edges of my vision, I realize that the famed Nassakth is far too good at putting down opponents. I have never...trained...to break...a choke hold...
An unholy screech sounds just before a loud crash and then the sound of something breaking. "That's my husband, you asshole! Let go of him!"
Maeve.
The hands loosen on my throat and I choke, gasping, even as dirt rains down onto my face from above. Vision floods back in and I see Nassakth still above me, one hand gripping my throat as the other holds the front of my shirt. He's frowning at Maeve, a pile of dirt atop his head topped by our wilting plant. She's broken the pot over his head. Even now, she moves into view, pushing at one of his arms.
(Strong, strong arms.)
"Don't fucking kill my husband, you jerk. Do you know how hard it is to get a good man on this planet?" She shoves at him again, like a toddler trying to dislodge a boulder.
Nassakth scowls at her but does not let up his grip on my throat. I know if I so much as breathe wrong, he'll go back to choking me. Up close, though, I can get a good look at him. He's got more silver in his muzzle than in the vids, but he's just as strong and swift as ever. "Your husband is not a good man," Nassakth informs Maeve. "He is a traitor. A spy. And he has lied to you."
My fearless human wife crosses her arms over her chest and gives him an annoyed look. "That's a hell of a thing to say to your biggest fan."
His gaze flicks to me, then back to Maeve. "This is Heir Zhurrrvas of Praxii Minor."
"I know that. And he also brought you pastries, but I guess those are no good now, seeing as the box is on the ground." She flounces over to pick it up, a short distance away from where I was felled. "Some greeting."