Read Online aHunter4Saken (aHunter4Hire) by Cynthia Clement - Free Book Online

and for a few seconds, she had allowed herself to be
lost in the sensation. Then fear had taken over.
    He
was a stranger.
    Worse,
he was an alien.
    She
shouldn’t have let her children near him, but there was no stopping it now.
They adored and worshiped Niail. Not just because they thought he was a
superhero, but because they liked him. Watching them together, she knew the
feeling was mutual. Niail would do anything for her children.
    So
why was she hesitant to accept him into their lives? Niail swore there was a
bond between them. One he said that was permanent and lasting. He’s also said
he liked to move around. Her life was here on the reservation. That meant any
kind of relationship between them would be long distance. She had tried that
with Sam and it had been a disaster.
    Niail
wasn’t Sam though.
    Dare
she trust him?
    With
a shake of her head, she banged her spoon on the side of the pot. Thinking like
this was getting her nowhere. Niail was leaving tomorrow. The only reason he
had stayed today was because she had begged. Once he left, he would realize
that there was no bond.
    “Supper’s
ready.” Kimi left the stove and started to pull some plates from the cupboard.
“Clean the table off.”
    For
the rest of the evening Kimi couldn’t take her eyes or mind off Niail. He was
larger than life and his presence filled her small house. When it was time to
put the children to bed, Wil insisted that Niail tell him a story. Peta climbed
up on Wil’s bed as eager as Wil to hear the story.
    “What
kind of story do you want to hear?” Niail’s voice was uncertain.
    “How
did you become a superhero?” Wil snuggled deeper into his covers.
    “I
am a Hunter. I can only tell you about that.”
    “How
did you come to earth?” Peta pulled a blanket around her shoulders. “Did you
come on a spaceship?”
    Niail
glanced over at Kimi. She was standing in the doorway and nodded. She wanted to
hear how he ended up here also. As far as she knew there were no regular visits
from aliens, at least none that the government admitted to.
    Niail
cleared his throat. “We were sent to this planet to be executed.”
    Wil
inhaled sharply. “They wanted to kill you?”
    “We
were no longer needed.”
    “Why
didn’t they just let you quit being a Hunter?” Peta was frowning. “You could
have gotten a different job.”
    “We
were bred to be warriors. There is no other job for us.”
    “Why
don’t you tell us about your home planet?” Kimi thought that was a better place
to begin than death. “I don’t want you two having nightmares tonight.”
    “Your
mother is right. I come from a planet called Cygnus. There are many classes of
people there, but those who rule are the Ancients.”
    “They’ve
been there the longest?” Peta nodded. “Are they good or bad?”
    “They
rule.” Niail pulled a chair close to the bed and sat. “Long ago when the
universe was new, they existed. They traveled the stars and found many other
planets and when they saw other creatures that showed potential, they asked
them to join them. That is how Hunters began.”
    “You
came from a different planet first?” Wil leaned closer to Niail. “Do you know
where?”
    Niail
shook his head. “It was so long ago that our origins have been clouded by
time.”
    Kimi
found herself fascinated by Niail’s story. She moved into the room and sat on a
small desk chair. She put her elbows on her knees and rested her chin on her
hands. Niail looked at her and smiled. A surge of joy raced up her spine.
    “I
was raised on Beligia. It is a moon of a large planet close to Cygnus, where the
Kaladin ruled. It is very similar to earth, but we only stayed until our
training was finished.”
    “Where
did you go then?” Peta’s eyes were wide with curiosity.
    “I
was stationed on Cygnus at one of the Kaladin palaces. That was when I was
assigned to Ardal’s unit.”
    “Who
is Ardal?” Peta asked.
    “He
is clan Rioge. They are leaders, skilled in all areas of