Page 12 of Guardian’s Destiny (Space Guardian’s Mate #3)

SLOANE

"So what's the plan?" I asked, yawning, when we sat at the table in the breakroom that seemed way too big for just the two of us. The mush coming out of the nutrition machines didn't help my mood; that stuff was atrocious. I figured I might have finally gotten four hours of sleep last night, although time in space was, as Einstein said, relative. I would have never imagined regretting not paying attention in physics class, but right now, I would have loved to know more about this E=mc2 thing. Again, Zapharos was coming to mind; he might have been able to explain all this to me. Then again, I suspected I would have probably pulled a Vraax, and my head would have felt as if it was exploding.

I had always considered myself an above-average intelligent person, and I did get the whole every planet rotates differently thing. In layman's terms, it was just like time zones. Like Australia had been a day ahead of us, or behind? Didn't matter; same with that, their summer was our winter, this was just on a much larger scale. Much larger. But I figured as long as when everything was said and done and I returned to Earth, it wouldn't be the year 3636, I would be okay with it. Come to think of it, I supposed I would be alright with that too because there was nothing for me on Earth.

"It shouldn't be hard to get our hands on two simple Ohrurs. I figured we'll pay a visit to Ux Ohrur, one of their moons. We should be able to get our hands on visitors or merchants there." Vraax filled me in.

I didn't like the idea of kidnapping civilians, even if they were Ohrurs, and voiced my misgivings. "I don't like involving civilians."

His hand, on its way to bring a sporkful of that horrendous mush to his mouth, stilled. "You might have a point."

"I'm all for expediting this, but what other options do we have?"

"We're not going to get our hands on one of the presiding families or their imminent relations. Tharaax said he had a hell of a time getting his hands on Possedion, so a minder is out of the question."

"Then who else would be closely involved?" I wanted to know.

"I don't know, but if I were a betting male, I'd say that's it."

"Shit," I conceded.

"We're not going to harm them," he promised.

"Kidnapping is harm enough. Do you think we can…" I shrugged. "Hire two?"

"We need to keep a low profile. The Ohrurs don't know yet that I'm involved with the others; as far as they're concerned, I'm still hunting them down…"

"Who is your minder? It wasn't Possedion, was it?"

"No, Possedion was exclusively assigned to the four Space Guardians rescuing humans for the emperor. Mine is Moddekdum."

"Can we trick him?"

He put his spork down. His dark eyes regarded me deep in thought. "It would be a lot more complicated. And take a lot longer."

Was he doubting me? He knew I was in a hurry to get to Astrionis or anywhere near the Pandraxians. Or was he testing me? Still, I couldn't leave my scruples behind. I had done a lot of shitty things, most I wasn't proud of, but I had always managed not to get civilians involved and I wouldn't do so now.

Zapharos entered my mind. But I wouldn't try to balance his life against that of two Ohrurs. I couldn't because a hundred lives weren't worth his. Not even a thousand. I closed my eyes for a moment. Before Zapharos, I hadn't believed in anything, and now, not only did I wear mating marks , but my entire view of the world had been turned upside down. Still, there was no way I would involve civilians.

"How much longer?"

He shrugged. "That depends on the plan."

He wasn't going to help me, was he?

"Alright, so you two never meet face to face?" I wagered.

"Never. Only holocomms."

That complicates things.

"Do you know where Moddekdum lives?"

"I can figure it out."

I drummed my nails on the table's surface, deep in thought. Trying to formulate a plan. "How many Space Guardians are protecting him?"

"Tharaax said he encountered at least ten inside Possedion's house, but there were more who had been sent to pick him up." He began eating again, and I forced myself to do the same, no matter how unappealing the food was. I needed to get my weight back on and be in top shape for this.

"So we lure him out of his den. Alone." I formulated a plan in my mind.

"That would only give us one," Vraax reminded me.

Dammit, he was right.

There was nothing else we could do but, "We need to stakeout his property."

"Steakout?" He asked.

"Stakeout, not steak," I corrected. "Like we hide in the bushes and watch his routine and what he does. We'll figure out the best time to grab him."

Of course the buffoon wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at me, "Hide in the bushes, eh?"

I sighed deeply. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Vraax, and focus."

"No joy with you." He grumbled and pulled out his comm. "I'm due for an update anyway. Are my marks hidden?"

He held out his arm, and I pulled his sleeve down farther, not liking the impact that touching his naked flesh had on me.

"I'll go wait in the hallway," I muttered, happy to be able to leave. Somehow, the vast breakroom seemed to have gotten a lot smaller in the last few seconds.

It was hard not to eavesdrop, so I didn't even pretend I wasn't listening. It wasn't anything world-changing anyway. Vraax filled Moddekdum with the story that he barely missed the Space Guardians they were looking out for, Raasla, Tharaax, and Zaarek—they didn't know about Noodar—at a space station where they had caused some trouble with the GTU. He was gambling that the security cameras hadn't picked him up when he helped us escape on the ship. I doubted, though, if his minder would go through the trouble of checking up on the events. He promised that he was hot on their heels and that it was only a matter of time before he would find them again.

That seemed to pacify Moddekdum, and they ended the comm.

"You can come back in now," Vraax called me.

"Interesting that he didn't mention that Possedion was taken. Do you think he knows?" I asked, walking back to our table.

"My guess would be as good as yours on that one," Vraax confessed, finishing his bowl of mush, and with a sigh, I followed his example.

"The food was a lot better on Luph's ship," Vraax admitted.

"Definitely," I agreed, swallowing a lump down. It wasn't that bad, really. It tasted a bit like meat, albeit in the form of mashed sweet potatoes.

"I found his home." Vraax didn't elaborate; I had no doubt that he was talking about Moddekdum. I scooted my chair closer as he pulled up one of the cubed screens that still filled me with wonder as to how they just suddenly appeared out of thin air.

Vraax pulled up a map that was a lot more detailed than any map I had ever seen. It was three-dimensional, with trees and rocks.

"First things first, can we just fly in without them detecting us?" I figured that would be too easy and prepared myself for Vraax's answer.

To my utter surprise, he said, "Yes."

I blinked a few times, and I think my mouth stood agape in a large O .

"All we have to do is latch on to one of their transporters and disengage in time to make a clean getaway." He added.

"Okay, that sounds a bit more challenging, more like I had expected," I was nearly relieved. "Then what?"

"Well fly as close as we dare to Moddekdum's house and start your… steakout."

I didn't bother correcting him. If my impression of him was right, he was only goading me anyway, pretending to use the incorrect word again.

"How long will it take to get to Ohrur?"

"Four days," he explained.

Right , there we went with the time thing again. But at least it gave me something to go by.

"In the meantime, why don't we work on some training?" I suggested. God knew I needed it after my days at the space station.

"Are you trying to uncover the Space Guardians' secret combat techniques?" He challenged with a grin.

"Sure," I stroked his ego. "Any information I can glean to take back to my evil overlord."

His grin deepened and damn if it didn't weaken my traitorous knees. He truly was, by far, the best-looking man I had ever seen. His silvery skin only enhanced his features and made him more attractive in his exoticness.

And you just suggested sparring with him, Storm ? I chastised myself. Nice going. Really nice.

Ah, shut up, it won't be that bad, I tried.

I was wrong.

It was that bad.

Worse even.

Shit!

Vraax in his uniform was formidable, but without his shirt, with those tattoos all over him? Fuck, he was hot as hell and I was about to drool all over him.

"Let's see what you've got," he teased when we entered the sparring area, which was another thing that nearly took my breath away. The Pandraxians utilized some cool high-tech gadgets, but this ship raised it to another level. Many different exercise machines took over half of the room, and the rest was empty space. And… was that a robot sitting in the corner? It looked like it. The prospect of sparring with that enticed me.

"Ready to show me what you've got, human?" Vraax's deep voice rumbled, a hint of amusement in his tone.

Warily, I circled Vraax, my bare feet silent on the metallic ground. No padding here, I noticed, which was just fine with me. His silver skin gleamed under the harsh lights, and his muscles rippled as he mirrored my movements. My heart raced, but not just from exertion. I smirked, clenching my jaw. "Don't underestimate me, big guy."

Without warning, I lunged forward, aiming a quick jab at his midsection. Vraax blocked it easily, but I followed up with a sweeping kick that caught him off guard. Enough to make him slightly stumble, surprise flashed in his black eyes.

"Impressive," he murmured, regaining his balance. "But not enough."

In a blur of motion, Vraax closed the distance between us. His hand grazed my arm, right on top of my mating mark, and a jolt of electricity shot through me. I gasped, momentarily distracted by the surge of arousal.

Focus, Storm , I chided myself. You're a marine, dammit.

I ducked under Vraax's next swing, using my smaller size to my advantage. As I spun away, my fingers brushed against his hip, where I knew his mark lay hidden. A low growl escaped him, and I couldn't help but feel a thrill of satisfaction.

"Two can play at that game," I taunted, falling back into a defensive stance.

Vraax's eyes narrowed. "So I see. But remember, I'm still stronger."

He proved his point by suddenly charging forward, lifting me off my feet with ease. I found myself pinned against the wall, my body flush against his. The contact sent waves of heat coursing through me, and I could feel Vraax's rapid heartbeat echoing my own. And something hard pressed between us. That better be a blaster.

"Yield?" he demanded, his face inches from mine.

I swallowed hard, torn between my competitive nature and the overwhelming desire to close that final gap between us. "Never," I whispered, even as my body betrayed me by arching into his touch.

Vraax's lips curled into a smile. "Your stubbornness is... admirable."

As we stood there, locked in our embrace, I couldn't help but wonder about the cosmic joke that had bound us together. An ex-marine and an alien guardian, linked by marks we barely understood.

"Is this standard training protocol?" I managed to say, my voice husky.

Vraax chuckled, and the sound reverberated through his chest. "Hardly. But I find myself enjoying it."

I grinned, a plan forming in my mind. "Good. Because I'm not done yet."

With a swift movement, I hooked my leg around his and pushed off the wall, using his momentary surprise to flip our positions. Now, it was Vraax pinned, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and admiration.

"Well played, Sloane," he conceded, though I could feel the strength in his body, ready to counter at any moment.

I leaned in close, and my lips nearly brushed his ear. "Lesson one: Never let your guard down."

As I pulled back, our eyes locked, and for a moment, the intensity of our connection overwhelmed me. This was more than just sparring, more than just the marks on our skin. It was a dance, a negotiation of power and desire.

"Shall we continue?" Vraax asked, his voice low and challenging.

I stepped back, falling into a fighting stance once more. "Bring it on, Space Guardian. I'm just getting started."