“It was a costume.”
“Was it? I’m not so sure. Those arms seemed so real. Like when I first met you and I thought your horns were fake. I never considered you were anything but a human wearing a costume. What if I’m doing the same here? Am I assuming Nelson was a man in a spider costume? Maybe he’s some type of alien spider.”
I shake my head. “No, that can’t be it either. His middle arms moved, but not in sync with his upper arms. There was a moment when he reached for a drink with his right hand that the middle arm on that side moved the opposite direction.”
“Do not doubt your instincts, but until you unravel whatever is bothering you about him, we will keep your questions to ourselves.”
“You don’t trust the military?”
“Galactic Intelligence suspects an enemy agent inside Earth’s military. It’s part of the reason they sent me to hunt this grud. To catch him before the humans, so I would control the interrogation and discover why he was sent to Earth.”
“And now that he’s dead, what happens?”
“Major Collins has given me forty-eight hours to leave. I asked Galactic Intelligence to intervene, but they’ve failed to convince the humans I should stay. Earth’s military has been compromised, which is why I won’t give them your name or location.” Kobrik’s arms fold across his massive chest whilehis horns twist at the top, an action I’ve learned means he’s conflicted.
I kiss his hand before unfolding it and resting it on my hip. “Tell me the rest, please. Don’t exclude me.”
“If I stay against orders, I could be arrested, sent home in cuffs, and my ship taken from me, which will keep me from returning. Unless I steal another. I?—”
“You’re not a criminal,” I cut him off, before he entertains any other ideas that will compromise him.
He cups my cheek. “You need more time to decide, yes?”
I nod.
“Then you will have it. Somehow.” He holds my toast for me. I glance at the clock. I’m running late for my shift.
I take a bite and he stands there waiting to feed me more. His somber expression causes me to lose my appetite. “I wish I could stay with you today, but I need to go to work. I can’t leave them short-handed, not with lives on the line.”
“Then go, my little human. I will be here when you return.” He taps my mouth with his finger. “One more bite.”
“I won’t waste away if I don’t eat.”
“You need your energy. For work.” A smile teases his lips, making my mood soar high. “And for tonight. With me.”
I so want to sleep with him. Now, more than ever. I’m not even sure if that’s what he’s hinting at, but I’m all in.
“Do you want to walk me to the bus stop?”
“I will escort you to your job.”
“There’s no need to go the whole way.”
“Yes, there is. I will ensure you are safe, my sholani.”
Warmth spreads through me. And I pray I can find the courage to follow him to Zyan.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
KOBRIK
“You’re not needed here, Warrior,” Major Collins says at the site where the grud’s ship exploded. Investigators, including Dr. Parsons, pour through what remains of the ship.
“Are you trying to get rid of me, Major?”
“You’re in the way,” Parsons says before Collins can answer. The consultant bends down and sifts through debris.
I’m tempted to say he is the one who is not needed here, that his expertise in topography will not aid this investigation. I know more about space ships and grud culture than anyone here.
