Page 15 of Oh No, I Stole An Alien Furball And Kissed A Beastmaster

A sob tears itself from my throat at her name.

“She was my mate,” I say. “I was responsible for her and her actions.”

“She wasn’t a true mate,” Rist replies. “A true mate stands at your side and defends you. She doesn’t stab you in the middle of battle.”

I consciously place my hand over the scar that permanently mars my stomach. It’s a reminder of how much a female can hurt; after all, you can’t see the damage Aelita left behind when she ripped out my heart.

“I’m the one who owes you an apology,” Rist says, running a hand through his long hair. “I should have spoken to you about her, before…”

He doesn’t need to say it. Before we lost everything. Because of her. Before she revealed our location, before the King’s soldiers stormed our hideout and killed so many of our allies, and before we lost any hope of our rebellion and restoring peace to our planet. It was before my friends paid personally for my mistake, with Voltaire losing his home, Sutek his horns, and my Prince his rightful claim to the throne.

“You were happy,” Rist says. “We all knew how much you wanted a mate, and Aelita took advantage of that desire. We should have warned you of our fears before they became reality. It was our fault, Taruk, not yours.”

I hang my head as tears flow freely from my eyes. I don’t want Rist to see them. A good warrior shouldn’t cry. A good warrior shouldn’t show their weakness, else it be used against them.

It’s just another reason why I can’t want another female. I longed so much for a mate—I always have. If I allow that weakness again…

“Zoe’s a good female,” Rist states, as if reading my mind. He doesn’t have that ability. I’m sure of it… I’m pretty sure of it. A good warrior always keeps his secrets close, never revealing them—and against all possibilities, Rist managed to not only escape but bring his friends to this safe haven as well. An impossible feat.

“Let me tell you a secret,” Rist says. “When I first met the humans, I thought they were weak. Since then, they’ve truly gained my respect. They are tenacious, never giving up. They’re ingenious, always coming up with new and unique ideas to try. And they are loving to a fault. I’m sure you remember that stunt Elana pulled, all to save Sutek from himself.”

Despite my mood, my lips curl into a smile. That was simultaneously a glorious and terrifying sight to witness. Such a small female rushing into battle. A true warrior. Poor Sutek. I have no idea how he can possibly deal with the very idea of his mate placing herself in harm's way. Yet there’s no denying the male is absolutely smitten.

We kind of all thought that our assassin would be the last to fall in love. He’s rash, unpredictable, and quick to blow things up; all the kinds of things a female in her right mind would run away from.

“As much as you want to deny it, you and Zoe are good together,” Rist instructs. “Somehow she’s made you go from refusing to even be in the same building as anyone to bedding her. A female like her is a small miracle worth holding close.”

I stare at the door Zoe walked through not so long ago. I’ve wanted a female for so long. Someone to share the long nights with, to support and provide for. Someone to love me in return.

“I messed up,” I admit. “I acted like I didn’t want her.”

It couldn’t be further from the truth. The situation with Aelita still plagues me, and I’ll always be changed because of her… but the thought of Zoe leaving the hotel just to get away from me… it hurts more. It’s not a matter of wanting a female. No. This is a matter of wanting her specifically.

Rist nods. I’m really pretty sure he can’t read minds… How does this guy seem to know everything though? He even knew I needed his support tonight.

“Then you better find a way to make it up to her.”

I’ll do whatever it takes. Zoe will be mine.

Chapter

Eleven

ZOE

“So the situation is not ideal,” Rist states, brushing a hand through his black hair. “I’m sure you’ve all seen them by now. We have pests.”

I slip discreetly through the doors before they close. All the staff have gathered together. Even the girls who aren’t comfortable around aliens are here. My eyes pan around the room searching for one male in particular. I don’t want anything to do with him, including being in the same room. Not after how he treated me last night.

“That’s an understatement,” Sutek states, standing beside Rist. “We’ve got guests complaining, and several parties have refused to check in and have already left.”

As I watch, Sutek wraps his ruby-colored arm around a small brunette girl. Elana beams up at him, nuzzling into his side. A jolt of jealousy goes through me, my blood pumping hard in my chest as I watch them together. She has someone to rely on, someone to lean on when things get tough… and I feel more alone than ever.

I’m even standing alone. All the girls have gathered into their little clusters and friendship groups. As I glance around the room, with my heart in my throat, I notice a couple of eyes pointed in my direction.

I stare at the floor as I press myself further against the wall, just wishing I could disappear. So far, no one’s outright blamed me—again—but I’ve seen the looks everyone’s giving me. They are all thinking it. Everyone ends up saying the same thing: I’m just a burden. I just mess up and cost them. I lost my job recently for what I thought was a little mistake. Heck, even my boyfriend ditched me not long after, claiming I was just letting him down.

“So, what’s the plan?” a girl asks. I glance up at the speaker. I think her name is Maisy, though I haven’t had much of a chance to talk to her. She’s always got her head buried in a book. Somehow, despite the abduction and everything else that’s happened, she’s managed to keep that book in her possession. How many times has she read that thing by now, or is she just the universe’s slowest reader? “Are they dangerous? Do we need to arm ourselves?”

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