Page 54 of Alien Haven

She glanced at the Dramok and went cold at his expression of utter bloodcurdling terror. He gazed at Mitag.

No, not at him. Ilid stared at a point over the Imdiko’s shoulder.

Chapter Thirteen

Ilid had spotted movement at the corner of his eye and stared at the window beyond where Mitag sat.

A shadow outside betrayed its presence as it shifted position.

A Dark.

He jerked, a precursor to lunging for Charity, who stared at him. Detodev grabbed his leg under the table and gripped it tight. “Have you tasted chocolate cheesecake, Ilid?”

The Nobek’s gaze was intent. His head offered the slightest of shakes. He’d seen it too.

Detodev said he can’t see Darks.Something else occurred to Ilid. He’d looked directly at the shadow beyond the window and had seen its shape…the form of humanoid head and shoulders. Darks were only detectable in his peripheral vision. Their silhouettes were blobs with tentacles.

It’s a human or Kalquorian.He almost shouted in relief despite realizing they were being spied on…perhaps by the very person who’d attacked Charity.

“No, I haven’t had it. Have you?” He was shocked he could speak coherently.

“Never. Before I go on this journey of culinary discovery, I need to visit the restroom. Please excuse me.” Detodev stood and left the room.

Charity and Mitag stared at Ilid in confusion. They’d no doubt caught the stilted nature of the exchange and were startled by Detodev’s sudden exit. Fearing they would comment on it and spook the lurker, Ilid smiled brightly.

“As the prospective manager of a bakery, I’m eager to sample this dessert Charity’s drooling over. If it’s on par with our dinner, it’ll be wonderful. You chose amazing food tonight, Mitag. Do you use that particular restaurant for your events?”

“Uh, yeah. I do. It makes sense to do so, since they offer both Earther and Kalquorian fare.” Mitag glanced at the door Detodev had gone through. His brow creased as he tried to figure out the situation.

Ilid stretched his leg and tapped his toe against Mitag’s shin. “I assume you have your favorite go-to caterers?”

The Imdiko’s eyes widened as realization lit them. Ilid was thankful he’d caught the conversation was a ruse to cover Detodev’s absence. “Yeah. Yeah! Hey, you know what we should do? A tasting of your bakery’s offerings. Maybe I can swing some business your way.”

Charity’s eyes narrowed as she looked from one man to the other.

“I appreciate the kind offer,” Ilid enthused. “As soon as we have everything up and running properly, I’ll—”

Shouts came from the open window. The shadows beyond moved. Detodev’s face appeared, a snarl twisting his features. In that instant, he appeared as animalistic as he’d claimed his breed was. Someone else screamed as the Nobek ducked out of sight.

Ilid ignored Charity’s and Mitag’s shocked cries. He raced to help Detodev subdue whomever had been spying on them.

He shot from the door they’d entered through and rounded the home’s corner to find Detodev had taken an Earther male to the ground. The stringy man wearing a flannel shirt and jeans struggled vainly to escape the Nobek crouched over him and pinning him down.

“Get off me, Kalq!” The thin face was in a rictus of fear. He stared at Detodev, who showed his fangs.

His voice lost in a growl, Detodev kept his eyes on the prowler. “Ilid, he dropped a blaster when I knocked him down. Can you pick it up? Don’t get your fingerprints on it.”

Ilid caught sight of the pistol-shaped firearm, the design and size clearly made for typically smaller Earther hands. He yanked a leaf from a nearby plant big enough for him to fetch the weapon without touching it.

As he secured it, he shot a glance at Mitag, who stood in front of Charity in a defensive posture. The pair had raced to the scene behind him. The Imdiko was poised to fight though it wasclear the spy wasn’t getting loose from Detodev. “Mitag, she’s safe. Detodev has this asshole secured. Com Nobek Groteg to come here as fast as possible.”

As the Imdiko obeyed, Charity approached Ilid. Her regard locked on the subdued man. “Are you here because of me? Are you stalking me on someone else’s behalf or your own?”

Ilid doubted the man would hear her, thanks to the terrifying sight of the Nobek who hung over him. However, rage filled the human’s expression. He glared at Charity. “Caught you being a filthy whore, didn’t I?”

Detodev’s furious bellow split the air. The spy promptly forgot Charity to gibber a desperate plea. The Nobek’s head started to dart down, as if he’d tear the Earther’s throat out. He checked himself and froze. He quaked, his gaze darting toward Ilid.

“Listen to me, asshole,” Ilid snarled at the human as he stood over the pair. “Keep your nasty mouth shut about her. Otherwise, I’ll tell this Nobek to shove his fist down your throat…then I’ll have a turn. You won’t have a tooth left in your ignorant head when we’re done. Understood?”

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