Page 71 of Sohut's Protection

Sohut was still looking at her like she was insane then his claws retracted slowly.

She actually heard them go back in. They sounded frickin’ sharp and she was happy he hadn’t decided to use them on her.

“That’s a slizz…” he repeated, ignoring the fact there was blood dripping to the cave floor from his back.

“I don’t know what you mean. I don’t know what a slizz is,” she said, moving to her water bowl but the water was finished, all used when she’d cleaned his wounds earlier.

“That thing on your phekking shoulder!” An accusatory finger was pointed in her direction. “That slizz…likes you.” He said it, his face contorting into an expression she’d never seen on his face before. He looked utterly perplexed.

He inhaled again, his face contorting some more, before he raised a hand to cover his nose.

“It really stinks.”

Wawa looked at him with hate in his eyes and she couldn’t help but chuckle.

Wawa smelled fine to her.

“I knew I smelled slizz. Just…a slizz shouldn’t be in this jungle.” He paused, his eyes widening some more. “That explains everything.”

“What do you mean?” Cleo’s arms fell to her side as she glanced around her little cave. Despite all the things she’d gathered to survive, she didn’t have much. With Sohut in the cave, it only seemed smaller and not suitable to live in.

“I don’t have any more water to wash your wounds.”

“It explains why you haven’t been attacked by any spined beasts…”

That made her stiffen. “What?”

“This is their territory, but they are natural enemies to the slizz.” He stared at Wawa in horror. “Little phekker must have been destroying their population…while protecting you.”

“What?” she repeated, her eyes widening as she turned to look at Wawa, who blinked innocent brown eyes at her. She couldn’t imagine it.

“Slizz are untamable little maniacs.” He moved to his bag and took out that tube she’d used on his wounds earlier. “That’s why they’re banned and their population controlled. I haven’t seen a slizz since…” he stopped to think “…forever. Whoever let it go out here was smuggling.”

Cleo swallowed, her eyes still on Wawa. “Are you really what he says you are?”

“Slizz don’t speak.”

Cleo rolled her eyes at Sohut and chuckled. “I know that but he’s my pet. You talk to your pets, don’t you?”

“I don’t have any pets,” Sohut said, his eyes flicking to hers then back to his healing tube as he rubbed the solution into his back. “There are animals at the Sanctuary but none of them are my pets.”

“Really? Every good person deserves a pet.” She stroked Wawa’s back and he rubbed his head against the side of her face.

“I’m not a good person.”

17

He couldn’t believe this small little female was harboring a slizz of all beasts. The thing had almost ripped his skin apart. If he’d been too weak to fight it off, he’d probably be lying stiff on the floor.

Vile, vile beasts they were.

He eyed the two now, how she cooed and purred to it, her soft lips curving into a circle as she made soft sounds to the little maniac.

Of all the beasts to bond with…

Clee-yo stroked the slizz softly, her hand running down the thing’s back and he watched her hand move.

All he could think of was the feel of her touch as she’d tended to his wounds.

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