Page 42 of Guardian's Soul (Space Guardian's Mate #2)

HANNAH

We brought Sloane, as she had introduced herself, to an empty room that would be hers now, I supposed, and laid her on the bed.

"I'm sorry. There's nothing we can do. You'll just have to ride out the pain," Zoe advised.

"Ah fuck," Sloane cursed.

The men had stayed in the common room with Vraax, and at my last glimpse, I watched him empty a large cup of alcohol. That might be a good idea.

"Do you have some alcohol?" I asked Luph.

"Do you want a stiff drink?" Nova asked Sloane.

"What the hell is happening to me, and how long does this shit last?" Sloane gritted out, staring at the lines appearing on her arm.

We looked at each other and shrugged. "An hour?" Zoe asked.

"Felt like twelve to me," I said.

"A couple," Nova added.

Sloane stared at us with pain-filled eyes, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. So we showed her our arms .

"What the fuck?" Sloane exclaimed.

"I'm not gonna explain this." Nova waved her hands in front of her.

"Oh, for Christ's sake." I huffed. "Okay, this is gonna sound bad, weird, and nutty." I prepared Sloane, whose face was scrunching up in pain.

"Go ahead. I've had my share of nutty," Sloane encouraged me.

I doubted that, but I dove right in and laid the whole Soulweb Glyph, Soulweb Bond mess out to her.

"Fuck, you're right, that's loonier than loony," she said when I finished.

"Told you so." Nova shook her head.

"You've been hurt," Zoe said, pulling out a healing wand. "At the very least, we can heal those injuries."

"Not sure how you're gonna fix a broken ankle, but…" Sloane trailed off as another wave of pain engulfed her.

"I have something to put you to sleep," Luph offered. "When you wake up, the pain should be gone."

Sloane didn't look too happy about the suggestion.

"We're friends. We're not going to hurt you while you're out," I promised, cringing inwardly because she had no reason to believe me, and I wasn't sure I would have believed me in her situation.

When she nodded weakly, it was a testament to how much pain she was in, and Luph rushed from the room. When she returned, she held a small flask in her hand toward Sloane, who hadn't reacted whatsoever to Luph's strange appearance.

"Thank you." Sloane drank the concoction down with the expression of a woman who fully expected never to wake up again.

Seconds later, she was out.

"Now what?" Nova asked after Zoe arranged pillows and blankets to make our new guest comfortable .

"Let's go back to the guys and see what they're up to," I suggested.

We found them in the common room. Vraax was sitting in a corner, knees pulled up to his chest while he gently rocked in misery.

"If I didn't know what the bastard was going through, this would be funny," Raasla remarked as we entered.

As if by a signal all men turned to us the moment we walked in.

"You have some explaining to do," Zaarek yelled at Nova.

"Oh, keep your breeches on." Nova sat down at the table, reaching for a bar to nibble on, and I followed her example. Luph and Zoe seemed to be keeping the common room stocked with goodies, and right now, I was starving.

"Well?" Thrax joined Zaarek and glared at me.

"There's not much to say. We ran into her in the restroom, and she asked us for help," Zoe said, helping herself to a cookie. "End of story."

Raasla looked furious. "Not much to tell? Who the frygg is she?"

"She's a human female who needed our help." Nova got into his face.

"Her name is Sloane," I added.

Zaarek opened his mouth and spread his hands in front of him with an expectant expression on his face, waiting for more information. When none of us said anything, he turned from Raasla to Thrax to Noodar in a help me out here, buddies kind of way.

"Am I the only one who remembers that we're on a mission?" Zaarek finally blurted out. "We can't collect refugees on the way?—"

Nova boxed him in the arm. "Where's your compassion?"

"Compassion?" Zaarek nearly choked on the word. " Compassion she asks when she just brought this female here, putting her in danger."

"Don't talk over my head," Nova admonished him.

"Easy, kids, easy," Luph interrupted. "This might present a little of a challenge, but we're not leaving someone behind who asks for help. We'll figure out what to do with her once we talk to her."

As the men turned away, I wanted to hug Luph for talking some sense into them, but she was already on her way to Vraax, offering him the same potion she gave Sloane.

"Yeah, the youngling probably needs that," Raasla scoffed. "Only real males can take this pain."

"You did not just say that." Zoe turned on him, her face red with anger. So far, she had been nothing but sweet, and it surprised me to see this fiercer side of her. Then again, I figured any women putting up with these Space Guardians needed to have some bite to them.

"What?" Raasla looked at her, and when she only glared, he turned to Thrax. "What did I say?"

"Will someone please tell me what's happening?" Nock appeared in the doorway. "There is no way to sleep through all this yelling and screaming. Are those mating marks on Vraax's arm?" He scratched his armpit and looked so out of it and confused it was almost endearing.

"You're on your own." Zaarek grabbed Nova. "We're going to rest for a bit."

As soon as he said that, I realized that the lights were dimming.

"All right, let's continue this in the morning, get Possedion in here, and talk to the human female," Noodar declared.

"Wait." From the corner, Vraax lifted his head. He looked pale and in so much pain I felt bad for him. "What's her name?"

"What's whose name? What's happening?" Nock pulled out a chair and sat down .

"Sloane," I supplied.

"Sloane," he repeated, nodding, before he leaned his head back down on his knees.

"All right, will someone fill me in, please?" Nock stared from one to the other.

"The females picked up another human female at the space station and brought her here. As soon as Vraax saw her, the mating marks started showing." Noodar summarized from what he had gathered. "Right?" He looked questioningly at me.

"Pretty much, yes," I agreed.

An idea occurred to me. "Maybe we should help Vraax into Sloane's room. It might help with the distance thing."

Thrax looked at Vraax. "Not a bad idea. Help me, Raasla?"

Raasla grunted, and the men helped Vraax into Sloane's quarters. I looked at Nova. "Maybe one of us should…"

"She'll be okay," Nova assured me. "We were."

Even though she was right, it sounded a bit heartless and cruel. After all, none of us girls were given a choice. But we could make this easier for Sloane.

"She doesn't strike me as the kind of person who'll freak out waking up with an alien in her room." Nova winked.

I sighed and turned to Thrax, who had just returned and looked impatient to be alone with me. "Fine."

We said our good nights, and I heard Nock pepper Nova and Zaarek with questions before they had a chance to leave.

"I don't think he'll let them go to bed yet." I chuckled.

"Want to tell me now what you were thinking?" Thrax ignored my comment and asked the moment we were alone.

"Actually, I would much rather get naked and roll around on the sheets with you," I mumbled.

"Nice try." He put his hands on his hips. "Well?"

I sighed. "Look, when someone asks you for help, especially when it's another human—and, a woman at that—who pops up where you never expected it, you help. "

"Exactly, where you never expected it ." Thrax nodded. "Did it ever occur to you that this might be a trap?"

Actually, it hadn't. So I shook my head. "She was injured. Did you see her? She's half starved."

His expression didn't change. He remained doubting and judgy.

"Look," I tried, sidling up to him. I liked how his body relaxed slightly at my approach, and his intense gaze softened. I put my palm on his chest. "You saw what happened to her and Vraax. The Ohrurs couldn't have planned that. If anything… you're the one who was talking about fate and how we were being brought together for a greater purpose." I wasn't above not throwing his own words back at him.

His expression changed to thoughtful. "You really think so?"

"I honestly don't know what to think, Thrax, but yes, I'm pretty sure there are some powers at work here we don't fully understand yet. Maybe never will."

Thrax's powerful hands grabbed my hips and pulled me closer to him, igniting heat in my core when I felt his hard erection.

"Let's go back to your earlier idea," he mumbled before his lips crushed down on mine.

Without breaking our intense kiss, Thrax carried me over to the large bed, bigger than the one we had shared aboard his ship. He gently laid me down, my back hitting the soft cushions, and resumed devouring my lips. His hands roamed my body with insatiable desire, exploring every inch of skin he could find.

I moaned into his mouth as he slid his hand beneath my clothes, fingers grazing my sensitive skin until they reached their destination—the already damp fabric covering my aching core. He smirked against my lips when I shuddered at his touch and began rubbing me in small, slow circles that sent shivers down my spine .

"Fuck, Thrax," I whispered between breaths, "I love you so much."

He pulled away from me and gazed down with eyes filled with hunger.

"I love you too, more than anything in this universe." He looked up for a moment, his voice low and intense. His gaze never left mine as he slowly began to undress me. Every inch of flesh he exposed, he showered with kisses until my heart pounded so hard in my chest that it was making me dizzy.

When he was done, and I lay there, all bared to him, his dark eyes perused from head to toe with such longing and devotion that I had to fight back tears. Filled with emotions, he said, "You're the most beautiful female in the entire universe."

Fuck, how was a girl not to melt at those words and the look in his eyes? I sat up, but he gently pushed me down.

"Now allow me to worship you like the goddess you are," he rasped.

The tips of his fingers gently traced the outline of my breasts, driving me nearly mad with desire. A deep moan escaped when his fingers brushed over my nipples, sending shivers of pleasure through me.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured against my skin, his breath warm on my neck as he began to kiss down my chest. I arched my back, wanting to feel closer to him, and gasped as his lips reached my nipple. He gently took it into his mouth and sucked softly, making me shiver with desire.

His hands had already moved farther down, and his fingers pushed into the sensitive skin of my inner thighs with just the right amount of pressure to make me mewl and spread my legs for him. He cupped my pussy, and my hips rose unabashed to meet his hand, to rub my core against him.

While his mouth still played with my nipple, he used my juices to lubricate my clit and began to swirl his finger around the sensitive bud, causing me to nearly howl in pleasure .

My hands clawed at the sheets beneath me, and my nails dug into the fabric as my hips bucked against his touch.

"Thrax," I begged, unsure of what I was asking. Don't stop? More?

He continued to skillfully torment me with his fingers and lips. True to his earlier words, I very much felt as if he was worshipping me. He made me feel like the only being in existence who mattered to him.

His hand moved faster now, his finger sliding inside me, hitting that sweet spot that made me moan his name again and again. His lips were still playing with my nipple, making it hard and sensitive to the touch.

"Tharaax," I whimpered. "I can't take much more."

"I want you to come on my fingers, and then I want you to come again on my cock," he said, letting momentarily go of my nipple, and good God, his words were so fucking hot. I was nothing but a trembling mess as his fingers continued to push in and out of me, curling to hit that spot while his thumb applied subtle pressure to my clit.

A deep, almost strangled sound escaped me as I came with such abandon my entire body shook.

"That's it, Hannah, you're so frygging beautiful," he praised, eliciting more shivers from me.

I was barely conscious of him moving up on me, but when his thick, ridged cock entered me, I was very aware, howling his name and clinging to him with all my might.

His first thrust was deep and hard, bordering on pain, but oh so delicious. His next was a little bit slower. I scissored my legs around his hips. My feet kicked his ass to spur him on, and my hips rose to meet his.

His cock slid in and out of me, filling me, stretching me so deliciously I nearly cried. His hands cupped my face, his thumbs rubbing against my cheeks, a tender touch that contrasted with the rough dominance of the way he possessed me .

"Do you want me to make you come again?" he growled in my ear, his breath hot against my skin. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to answer him, but all that came out was a helpless moan.

He grinned wickedly and began to move faster, the rhythm of his thrusts quickening until I was a mindless creature driven only by the need for pleasure. My hands clutched at his back, nails digging into his skin as I cried out his name again and again.

Just when I thought I couldn't take any more, he slowed down, pulling almost all the way out before slamming back into me. The sudden change in pace sent shivers down my spine, and I felt myself teetering on the edge once more.

"Yes, make me come," I begged.

He grinned as he watched me squirm beneath him, his eyes dark with desire. I clung tighter as he resumed his earlier rhythm and sped up even more. His thrusts became relentless, his hips slamming into me in a way that made me feel wanton and utterly desired.

His hands left my face and moved to my hips, holding me steady as he pounded into me with unrelenting force. I cried out in pleasure. Each one of his thrusts sent waves of bliss through my body. My heart raced as the orgasm built inside me, getting closer and closer until it was a mere breath away.

"Fuck, Thrax!" I screamed, my body arching off the bed, desperate for release. The tension inside me was reaching nearly unbearable limits.

"Tharaax," I cried his full name, knowing it would send him over the edge as well.

Just when I thought I couldn't take it any longer, my climax crashed over me like a tidal wave. My body convulsed beneath him, my pussy clenched around his cock as wave after wave of pure ecstasy washed over me.

His eyes glittered with hunger as he watched me come. His grip on my hips never faltered. If anything, his thrusts became even more urgent, each one prolonging my orgasm to never-before-experienced lengths.

Thrax's groans grew louder, and his thrusts became more erratic. He, too, was nearing his own climax. He leaned down, his lips claiming mine in a passionate kiss that left me breathless. His breath came in ragged gasps as he reached his high. His cock pulsed inside me as his seed filled me.

We collapsed onto the bed together, our bodies slick with sweat. My poor little heart was pumping so hard I worried it would jump out of my chest.

"Fuck, Thrax, that was fucking unbelievable."

From my peripheral vision, I saw him grin deeply and proudly. He should be. I still couldn't catch my breath, and my toes were still curling.

"Frygging goddess," he panted, his hand reaching for mine, entwining our fingers.