Page 8 of Guardian’s Heart (Space Guardian’s Mate #1)

NOVA

I didn't sleep much that night. Too many thoughts ran through my head. None of which had anything to do with Earth. Part of me did miss my old life, the one after Daddy and Missy. The one where I had been so damn close to living the life of luxury I had only dreamed of. It had been snatched away by the Cryons like so many other things.

One would suppose that with my swamp survival skills, I would have been excellently prepared not to be taken by the aliens. Yeah, that might have been so had I not been in New-fucking-Orleans when shit hit the fan. And boy, did it hit.

The Cryons came without warning, attacked with impunity, and killed the military worldwide within a few days. I spent the first three days holed up in my hotel room, living off the snacks in the fridge—I doubted I would be charged for them—and when those were gone, I broke into the snack machine by the no longer working elevators. By then, nothing was working in New Orleans any longer. No electricity, no running water.

Thank God I didn't have family or friends to worry over; all the friends I had were online, and that contact broke… quickly. Not that Fadi in Saudi Arabia would have been able to help me, same for Serjei in Minsk or User312 in Edinburgh.

After day three, it became painfully clear that I couldn't stay in the city. Screams from other rooms and the sound of gunfire announced that the aliens were not the only ones I needed to worry about. Donning a pair of black leggings, my favorite shirt, and boots, I checked my S it was only unsafe in my mind—in reality, it was easy to protect.

Ever since the gator took me into a similar spot underwater, tight spaces weren't my friend. It hadn't helped that Daddy and Uncle Boon decided that it was a good idea to lock me into the crawlspace of our house to help me get over my nightmares.

"Nothing like combatting fear with fear, Angel," Daddy had called before he put the trapdoor up. That's when I learned to control my fear.

After that, Daddy and Uncle Boon went up into the woods to make moonshine and forgot about me. Three nights later, Tucker let me out when he returned home from a camping trip with his friend's family. Had he not come home when he did, I would have died of dehydration.

Even now, sometimes nightmares come to me, but I’ve learned not to cry out because it was useless and nobody would hear me anyway.

Buckle up, buttercup , I told myself as I filled the small cave with moss to make a semi-comfy bed for myself; all the while, I was boiling more water.

I decided that over the next few days, I would begin to explore my surroundings, but first, I needed to set up traps. The nuts—which I had brought with me—sorry, Mr. Mouse—seemed to be okay, but I couldn't live off that forever.

I studied the stream, but I didn't see any fish. "Would it have been too much to ask for crawdads?" I complained out loud.

The trees with their tangled roots were actually easy to climb, and I wanted to get a better view, but I realized my life of leisure this last year or so had cost me quite a bit of muscle mass. Where I would have easily climbed a tree like this before, my biceps and thighs were burning like hell, and I was huffing quite a bit when I reached the last branch I trusted to hold my weight. At least it was high enough.

Far in the distance, I made out the spaceport, still too close for comfort. Everything else was just trees and large mountains further ahead. I took a deep breath of air, marveling at how clear it was. The scent of woods was different from what I was used to, but still, I felt a trickling of excitement inside me to explore this place.

I had always liked being by myself; it had never bothered me. My Rhett had complained that I was one of those, it is as it is , people. He predicted that those would be my last words to him if we ever got a divorce. Just to prove him wrong, I told him, C'est la vie right before I took off in the boat. I don't think I'll ever forget his baffled expression when he watched helplessly as I drove off.

It is as it is had reminded me too much of Missy, who interestingly had taught me to live by this mantra: Never let anybody hurt you. Always be prepared to be alone. You don't need anybody . It turned out she was right. It hurt my pride more than anything when Rhett beat me unconscious. I should have left him the first time he got drunk and hit me, but stupid me needed another year, before I realized that I was better off by myself

I had forgotten how amazing it was to be alone with Mother Nature—was it Mother Nature on an alien planet?

Missy also taught me the easy life, and I had liked it, forgetting about the swamp and everyday survival—until now. Something silver caught my eye, interrupting my musings. No, that couldn't be, could it? I squinted to get a better look, wishing I had binoculars. If wishes were candy and nuts , Missy popped up in my head again. That man, er, alien, just didn't know when to give up, did he?

There was no way he could track me without the tablet, right? Not unless he's a tracker . It had been a long time since I heard Daddy's voice, but he was right.

I had walked partially through the stream, just on the off chance silver hulk would keep stalking me, which apparently he did. And he was coming from the right direction. Damn him.

I could have probably vanished further into the woods, away from him, but for some reason, I doubted he would give up. Well, damn, challenge accepted, silver giant!