Kríe Captivity (The Nira Chronicles Book 1) Read Free Page A

Dropping into a crouch, he aimed his rifle up at the trees.
    “Don’t fucking shoot!” Noah hissed. “For fuck’s sake!”
    Beside him, Bailey and Jamis fumbled for their mini tablets. No doubt, to get some pictures.
    “Shut it,” Chet growled, scanning the leafy canopy. “I’m not a goddamn idiot.”
    More snapping branches, getting closer, and louder. Alec and Zaden pulled out their tranq guns, too.
    “It’s probably just monkeys,” Bailey offered. “Or big squirrels.”
    Everyone paused to stare at him drolly.
    He scowled. “Fuck every one of you. You know what I mean.”
    A loud thump sounded from somewhere nearby, as if a creature of substantial weight just dropped to the ground from a tree branch high above.
    “Shit,” Chet barked out. “I can’t tell if it’s just one or a whole fucking ton of them. It’s really fricking big, though. That much I know. Bossman and Z, you two ready to engage?”
    “Yeah,” Alec called. “Locked and loaded.”
    “But don’t fire,” Noah repeated. “Unless absolutely necessary! If they’re even half as intelligent as us, we gotta try peaceful interaction first.”
    “Intelligence,” Zaden murmured, eyeing the woods, “isn’t necessarily a good thing. More often than not, it’s the opposite.”
    “Beesha,” came a deep voice from somewhere close behind.
    The team leapt up and spun around as a tall figure emerged from the foliage.
    Alec froze. Not only was the male before them frickin’ huge—easily seven feet tall—but every single inch of his muscular body was the deepest, darkest shade of purple. Just like the trees and large bushes he stood by. Well, except for his hair, which was entirely black, made up of long, velvety dreadlocks. Not the typical, matted dreadlocks, though. In fact, Alec wasn’t even sure it was hair at all. More like something that’d hurt like a bitch if someone ever tried to cut it.
    He eyed the male’s attire next, aka his one article of clothing. Kind of looked like a black rawhide kilt, but not as long, and with a thick matching belt. It also only hung down in the front and back, leaving the sides of his dark thighs bare. Besides black sandals and shin guards, that was all that he sported, but his upper body definitely hadn’t been neglected. Biceps and wrist cuffs of the same black material, a kind of leather choker, and some piercings. Through his nipples and nasal septum, up the ridge of his ears, as well as along his… were those horns? Alec eyed the small, black protrusions where they emerged from his temples and curved toward the back of his head. Yup, definitely horns, but evidently pliant enough to withstand being pierced repeatedly.
    The male met Alec’s eyes, as if feeling his stare, and his dark, full lips slowly curved. Fangs. The dude had huge fucking fangs. Jesus, he was intimidating. Even to a guy like Alec who’d fought in countless wars, and who wasn’t exactly small himself. But humans, whether ally or adversary, just couldn’t compare to this brute. He was thick. And dense. Just all around big . Even his facial features were large. Strong nose. Square jaw. High, pronounced cheekbones. Not to mention that broad, firm mouth. Or those huge, piercing eyes that were boring into Alec’s with irises of churning gold.
    “Beesha,” he repeated, turning his gaze to the others. When all they did was stand there and gape—while Chet held him brazenly in his crosshairs—the male lifted his hand, fingers tipped with small, black claws, and made a nonviolent gesture. “Kerra… Móonday… Reesha may…”
    The team swapped looks, then all eyes turned to Alec. Right. Because with no one able to translate, this shit defaulted to the captain. Not sensing any immediate danger—probably because Chet’s rifle was still trained on the big dude’s head—Alec tucked his tranq gun back into his leg holster, cleared his throat, and lifted his hands, too. “Um… Hello… We… uh… come in peace.”
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