Page 25 of Guardian's Soul (Space Guardian's Mate #2)

HANNAH

My heart pounded as I watched Thrax move across the lawn of Possedion's estate. His silvery skin glinted in the dim sunlight, much brighter here than it had been under the tree canopy.

If those really were ruins of an ancient city out in the forest, there was no trace of it here. Possedion's mansion had a bungalow look to it, with shining white walls and windows reflecting the surroundings, making it impossible to look inside.

The drone feeds were coming in through the comm, some from the air and some from inside now, splitting the screen in five so I could watch all four of them simultaneously and Thrax's footage. Right then, Thrax was stalking toward a pair of Space Guardians posted near a fountain that appeared to have been made from metal and rock, resembling an alien species I hadn't seen yet.

"Two hostiles at your two o'clock, Thrax," I whispered into the comm, my voice tight with tension. He had tried to train me with an impossible-to-remember number system the GTU used but was finally forced to relent that the mission talk used in the movies we had watched was a lot easier, so we made up our own system from there.

He gave no verbal response, but he turned to the right, lifted his blaster, and shot both silver-gray aliens in the back. Both collapsed instantly.

Had I not known that he had set the blasters to stun, I would have had a hard time with this. Even now, seeing their bodies collapse like that made me sick to my stomach. Thrax had told me that he didn't want to kill anyone. "They're only following orders," he'd explained, deepening my already growing feelings for him. "As long as I can help it, I won't harm them."

"Nice work," I murmured, a mix of admiration and worry coloring my tone. "But be careful in there, okay?"

"Always am," came his terse reply.

I watched as he slipped into the shadows cast by the mansion's ornate facade. My fingers flew across the control panel, switching between drone feeds to track his progress.

"Three more inside the foyer," I reported. "Looks like they're just standing there by a door." It was actually eerie to watch the three men. With their black eyes and silver skin, they, too, could have been his clones. Except that they looked several years younger than him. I realized that I had never asked him how old he was, but judging by those three and the other two, they must have been at least ten years younger. Frowning, I recalled Thrax claimed that he had worked over twenty years for the Ohrurs. The five youngsters seemed barely out of their teens, making Thrax's age at least over forty. But he didn't look at day over thirty. It didn't make any sense to me, just like most other things, but I was too preoccupied to dwell on it. Or the other mystery. According to Thrax, Space Guardians mostly worked alone, but here, they seemed to be part of an army.

Thrax's voice came through, low and focused, bringing me back to the job I was supposed to be doing. "Any sign of Possedion? "

I scanned the feeds, searching for our target. "Nothing yet. Wait—movement on the second floor, east side. Could be him."

"Copy that."

I would have laughed at his words, even though they were the ones I had taught him. Still, hearing him say them sounded wrong. In all fairness, the entire situation seemed wrong. If anyone had told me that one day I would be on a James Bond mission with an alien, I would have thought them insane. As nuts as someone who told me aliens had abducted them…

I zoomed in on Thrax as he ghosted through the mansion's opulent interior. My pulse quickened as he approached the foyer, the three Guardians just around the corner. His focus was deadly, his expression set, and with the way he moved, he looked sexy as hell.

"Thrax," I whispered, "maybe we should?—"

But he was already moving. In a whirlwind of precise strikes, he shot and incapacitated the first two Guardians before they could even raise their weapons. The third managed to get off a wild shot that scorched the wall inches from Thrax's head, creating a wildfire of emotions inside me.

I bit back a cry of alarm, my hands clenching into fists. Thrax ducked low, returning blaster fire at the Guardian and taking him out.

"Dammit, Thrax," I hissed. "That was too close."

"Had it under control," he replied, his tone maddeningly calm.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "Sure you did. There are more heat imprints to the north and one to the east of you. Two doors down the hallway."

As I guided him through the mansion, I couldn't shake the growing knot of anxiety in my stomach. It wasn't just concern for the mission—I was worried about him. Really worried.

When had that happened? When had this infuriating, sarcastic Space Guardian started to mean so much to me ?

I pushed the thoughts aside as I spied two more Space Guardians. "Two more guards outside what looks like Possedion's office. Armed with blasters."

Thrax's voice came through, tinged with dry humor. "Now that's just excessive. You'd think they were guarding someone important."

Despite my worry, a smile tugged at my lips. "Well, you know how it is. The more credits you have, the more paranoid you get."

"Speaking from experience?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I shot back and then sobered. "Seriously, though. Be careful."

There was a pause, and when Thrax spoke again, his voice was gentler. "I will, Hannah. I promise."

Something in his tone made my chest tighten. I swallowed hard, pushing down the surge of emotion. "Good. Now go get our guy so we can get the hell out of here."

As I watched him move into position, I realized with startling clarity that I didn't want this to end. Not the mission—that I'd be glad to see the back of. But this… whatever it was between Thrax and me, I didn't want that to end. Ever.

I was in way over my head, and for once, I didn't mind drowning.

I held my breath as Thrax approached Possedion's office, his movements fluid and predatory. The two guards outside never stood a chance. Quick like lightning, Thrax pulled around the corner, taking them both out in the blink of an eye, their unconscious forms slumping to the ground before they could even raise their blasters.

"Nice work," I murmured into the comm. "Office should be clear now."

"Don't jinx it," Thrax growled, but I could hear the smile in his voice. He must be proud of himself, throwing words back at me I had taught him while he was training me .

I watched through the holo device by his ear as he breached the office door, my heart pounding. The room beyond was opulent, all gleaming surfaces and priceless artifacts. And there, behind an enormous desk of what looked like polished metal, sat our target.

Possedion.

I could sense the aura of power and menace that radiated from him even through the comm. He looked exactly like the hologram that had appeared in Thrax's quarters a few days ago. He wore what probably was expensive clothing, making him look like the merchant he was supposed to be. Silvery hair fell loose around his head, all the way down his back. Wherever his skin was visible, it was filled with deep purple scales, except on his face, where it seemed like plates rested over his eyes and down his cheeks and chin, and his eyes… they were pools of liquid darkness. Much different from Thrax's, they were cold and filled with hate.

"Well." Possedion's voice was silk over steel. He folded his hands over his chest, leaning back in his chair. "That's a surprise, Tharaax."

Thrax's stance shifted, radiating tension. "You're my prisoner."

Possedion's laugh was like shattering glass. "You're funny."

I frowned, leaning closer to the screen. Why wasn't he scared? I might have watched too many movies, but all the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

"Thrax, don't engage him. He's playing for time," I warned.

"Get up. Let's go," Thrax commanded.

Possedion slowly rose. "Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into here? The entire Ohrur Oligarchy and the entire force of Space Guardians will be after you."

I saw Thrax hesitate, just for a fraction of a second. My stomach clenched with unease. Possedion's words hit home for both of us .

Thrax shook himself back under control. "Enough talk. Let's go."

Possedion's smile was razor-sharp. "Oh, I don't think so."

Suddenly, alarms blared throughout the compound. My screens lit up with new threats, and my heart leapt into my throat.

"Thrax!" I shouted. "We've got company! Three more Guardians incoming, fast!"

Thrax's moves were a blur of speed. He crossed the room and hauled Possedion to his feet within the span of a second. "Looks like our time is up," he growled.

Possedion didn't resist, his smile never wavering. It made my skin crawl. It looked like he was expecting an army to show up at any moment.

"Hannah." Thrax's voice was tense. "Get to the east side."

I forced myself to focus, pushing down the fear and confusion. "Right. Right. I'm going." I discarded most of our equipment, hoping we wouldn't need it again, and sprinted to the east wall, where no forest loomed on the other side of the estate. He told me that he had programmed the ship to land there, promising it would take the wall down since we were no longer in stealth mode.

I kept a screen up to the side of my head so I could watch Thrax move swiftly, half-dragging Possedion with him through the house. My heart was in my throat as they navigated the twisting hallways of the compound while I was making my way across the lawn, passing the still-unconscious guards Thrax had taken care of earlier.

"Stop," I said suddenly. "Three more Guardians just ahead. They're blocking your exit."

Thrax's curse was colorful enough to make me blush. "Options?"

I scanned the feeds frantically. "There's a service entrance to your right. It'll take you the long way around, but?— "

"It'll have to do," Thrax cut me off. "Keep an eye on our friends, will you?"

"With pleasure," I muttered, watching as he changed course.

I ran past the pool and around the large bungalow toward the east side wall, where, up in the sky, I could make out our ship slowly coming down.

"Come on, come on, come on," I muttered as I impatiently shifted my weight from one foot to the other, eyes darting between the screen and the house, waiting for Thrax, who moved with unstoppable grace, swiftly neutralizing any Guardian in his way without releasing his hold on Possedion. It was… impressive. And more than a little terrifying. It was like watching an action movie, only that the actor in this movie could die at any given moment and meant a whole lot more to me than any hero in any movie ever.

Finally, they emerged. I allowed myself a moment of relief before reality crashed back in. On the drone feed, I watched a whole squadron of Space Guardians drive toward the gate from the other side. They were riding on some kind of alien hover bikes.

"Thrax, we've got a problem," I warned him, my voice tight. "More Guardians are heading for the gate."

Thrax's response was lost in a burst of static. My screens flickered, and for a heart-stopping moment, I thought I'd lost him.

"Thrax?" I called, panic rising in my throat. "Thrax, do you copy?"

The comm crackled back to life. "—ree? Can you hear me?"

I sagged with relief. "Yes, yes, I hear you. What happened?"

"EMPulse," he grunted. "I'm coming. Are you at the wall?"

"Yes. Hurry."

It only took a few seconds, but I swear they were the longest of my life, before I saw him with Possedion in tow bursting through the mansion's back door .

My heart leapt at seeing him finally off-screen.

I noticed a large shadow passing over me, and as I glanced up, I saw Thrax's ship. It was almost on the ground.

"Move, Hannah," Thrax shouted, and I realized I was standing right in the ship's landing path. I ran toward Thrax, who had his arms full with Possedion. The merchant was now seriously struggling against Thrax's hold. He must have come to the realization that his large army wouldn't save him at the last second. Thrax took a few more steps back, and I followed, feeling heat and wind coming down. His ship was so much larger than I remembered. Without a problem, it began landing right on top of the wall, taking it down.

From the gate, I heard the sound of motors and looked at my screen. "They're through the gate," I yelled as if Thrax wasn't standing right beside me.

The first bike was coming around the corner, going incredibly fast, just as Thrax's ship was reaching the ground. The cargo bay door opened.

"Go, Hannah," Thrax ordered, and I ran.

Thrax kept his hold on Possedion as he fired at the first approaching Guardian. Hit, the man fell unconscious immediately, losing control of his bike, and his body flew through the air. I averted my face and ran into the cargo bay, hoping the Guardian wouldn't be hurt too badly.

Right after me, Possedion flew into the cargo bay as Thrax tossed him like a bag of beans, while he kept firing, his hand pressed on the control to close the hatch.

The moment the hatch closed, Thrax turned to me. "Hannah, I need you to take Possedion. Can you handle him?"

I swallowed hard, eyeing the alien prisoner warily. "Y-yes. I can do it."

"Good. I have to go to the bridge to get us out of here. Take him to the room we prepared. Use your blaster if you have to."

I knew how much hinged on getting Possedion to answer our questions. I adjusted my blaster like Thrax had shown me to stun, thinking this might be an easier solution yet. Get him to the room, shoot him, and then help Thrax.

"Move," I hissed at Possedion, pushing the blaster into his side for good measure. Thrax threw me another worried glance before he took off to the bridge.

"You're never getting out of here," Possedion wailed as I prodded him up the stairs and down the hall.

"Either that or we'll all die," I shot back at the Ohrur, and I meant it. I felt like a badass chick in a movie, enough so that none of my fear showed in my voice or face.

He stared at me as if I'd lost my mind, and maybe I had, just a little. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins. Still, I felt more alive than I ever had before.

Just then, the ship rocked violently, and I nearly lost my footing. Possedion didn't miss a beat. He was on me like a wet towel, tackling me to the ground. The blaster slipped from my grip, and we both scrambled for it, kicking and hitting each other like overstimulated toddlers.

A surge of anger increased my strength when I kicked him in the chest. I had always gone out of my way to avoid altercations, especially the physical kind, but there was something incredibly satisfying in kicking the bastard. Just a small payback for all the things he and his brethren had done or were doing to Thrax and the other Space Guardians.

The kick was hard enough to also propel me forward, enough so that my fingers slid around the blaster's handle. His fingers were digging into my flesh as he used me like a rope to climb up on. Bringing the blaster down, I pressed the trigger, fully expecting to be shocked since our bodies were entangled like a pretzel. He went instantly still on me. His dead weight pressed down, making it hard to breathe.

It took some effort to slide out from underneath him, but I did. Leaning against the wall, all I heard was my heavy panting for a few moments until the ship rocked again violently, throwing me on top of Possedion.

Were we being shot at? If we were about to be blown to pieces, I wanted to know. I wanted a front-row seat right next to Thrax. I wanted to die in his arms, not out here in the hallway. Alone. Or with Possedion.

The ship rightened itself, and I grabbed Possedion's arm to pull him down the hallway to the room we had prepared for him as our prisoner. It was slow, backbreaking work as I pulled him. I had gained some muscle weight back, but deadweights are hard to move at the best of times.

Unceremoniously, I dumped Possedion close to the other side of the door before closing it. There. That should do it. Now there was no holding me back as I ran to the bridge to find out what was happening.