Page 4 of Warrior (The Outlander Book Club… in Space! #2)

“Cat?” An image flickered in my mind, remnants of my earth studies. “You mean Earth felines? Yes, I suppose the Trogvyk does have feline attributes. They are notorious human slavers.”

Daisy winced at my words and curled into herself. "Do you know where the others are? Willa? Clara? Agnes and Pearl?"

“We tracked the general course of the ships once they left the wormhole,” I told her. “Members of my crew are in pursuit.”

“Wormhole?” Daisy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she processed my explanation.

The Kerzak moved closer, his stern gaze letting me know he was ready to intervene if necessary.

The top of his head would barely skim my thigh and still he glared at me with the fury of a warrior. Impressive, I had to admit.

"The wormhole behind your dwarf planet that connects the Praxian system to your Milky Way,” I clarified. Daisy and other earthlings knew little of the known universe. “It's what allows slavers such easy access to Earth.”

“My apologies to exotheology,” Daisy murmured, her gaze dropping from mine.

Her small, blunt teeth rested on her lower lip for a moment.

I wondered how it would feel to catch her lip between my teeth.

To practice the Earth's custom of kissing with her.

Vaktarians did not kiss; most found the practice unsanitary.

However, after watching so many Earth videos and seeing Daisy's plump lips, my curiosity about kissing became overwhelming.

Her hazel eyes gleamed under the light before focusing on me and posing her question. "Where am I? What planet is this?"

I felt the corner of my lips twitch, amused by her innocence.

She was inquisitive and eager to learn. At that moment, I understood why my Chieftain was so enamored of Emmy.

“We are on Giezo, one of the six moons orbiting the Gilese suns. It's an isolated mining moon, thirty moons’ journey from Tau Ceti.”

“Tau Ceti?” The foreign words glided off her tongue as she repeated them deliberately, as if trying to commit them to memory.

"It is the human settlement where your kind resides.

" A frown creased her forehead as we exchanged glances, and I continued.

"Once a human goes through the Garoot Healer, it is forbidden to return them to earth.

" At her side, the youngling's wide eyes glinted with fear, and his body tensed at the news.

“Garoot Healer,” Daisy repeated, drawing out the syllables.

A long, heavy sign accompanied a shrug of her delicate shoulders.

“I understand that. It would be difficult to explain to people back home why I look forty years younger. Do you know… were my friends… or will they be youth-i-nized like me?”

Her question brought forth a flash of anger. I would protect her with my life. “Certainly not. Vaktaire do not euthanize humans. It is unheard of for my kind to harm a weaker being.”

Emmy’s eyes sprang wide, stunned by my anger. She drew in a sharp breath… and giggled. The sound stroked over my skin like a caress.

“I don’t mean euthanized . I meant…." She pressed her lips together momentarily. “Did my friends go through the healer… the machine that makes you young again?”

“I don’t know about the others, but Emmy is very young and beautiful.” But not as beautiful as you, I added silently.

Daisy stared at my mouth, her gaze unblinking and full of intense curiosity. “Wait, a minute. Say something else.” Her lips parted slightly in anticipation as she waited.

I tilted my head to the side, confusion etching its way onto my brow. “What would you like for me to say?”

Daisy gasped sharply, her hand covering her mouth. The youngling standing nearby startled and stepped closer, his furred hand resting protectively on Daisy's shoulder.

"Oh my gosh," Daisy said the shock evident in her voice. "You're actually speaking English."

A laugh bubbled up from my chest, reverberating in the quiet room. With a sheepish shrug, I replied, “Yeah, I speak all 6492 Earth languages—and the Alliance's universal tongue.”

Her pale oval face held a mixture of surprise and delight. “H—how? Why?”

“As I told you, I am an Earth protector. It is my duty to learn as much as I can about the people I protect. Everyone on the Bardaga is schooled in your language, culture, and customs.”

I watched Daisy as her brain struggled to make sense of what I said.

She nervously bit her lip and shifted her weight in the chair.

The Kerzak’s hand tightened on her shoulder, and she flashed him a smile before turning back to me.

"How did you learn about us? I don't think there's an Earth university in the cosmos.

I guess there could be... I mean, I don't know. ..."

"There is not," I corrected before her mind could wander too far. "We learned from the radio and television waves sent into the cosmos from your Earth. Plus, we've been able to tap into your Earth network. Your int-ter-net."

Daisy snorted softly, her eyes flickering across my face before she looked away, a hint of a blush on her cheeks. "I don't know if that's a good thing," she muttered.

“Why would it not good to learn as much as you can about a people?” I couldn’t steal my gaze from her face. Her emotions lay there, with no artifice or attempt at deception and it made her shine like the two suns over my home planet.

It is a good thing,” she replied, lips parting into a smile that sent my blood racing. “I always studied about a place before going on a mission trip.”

"Mission trip?" I asked with raised eyebrows, glancing between her and the youngling. “Are you a warrior?”

Her lips curled into a wider grin as she explained, "No. A mission trip is when you go to a place to help those in need." The memory illuminated her face like the sun.

Did she not realize her explanation of a mission trip was exactly the call of the Vaktaire? “You care for others weaker than yourself. Like a Vaktaire warrior.” Instinctively, I stood to give the salute of respect. The chains rattled loudly, and I growled at the hindrance of movement.

“I guess we should get those chains off you,” Daisy said, rising to her feet. She placed a hand on the Kerzak’s shoulder. “Ewok, could you go get the key?”

The youngling grumbled under its breath and shot an icy stare in my direction before trudging out the door. His protectiveness over Daisy was not normal for his species.

"You should never turn your back on a Kerzak," I murmured, keeping my voice low to not alert the creature of my warning.

“What?” Daisy choked, glaring at me. “Ewok? He’s a sweetheart.”

I resumed my seat on the cot. “He is a Kerzak, the scourge of the universe. The only Kerzak is a dead Kerzak.”

A sound of choking disbelief broke from her lungs. “You have got to be joking.”

When the Kerzak stepped back into the room, Daisy's face immediately shuttered, and her lips clamped together. Her gaze darted from me, clearly conveying that she did not want the youngling to know my opinion. She smiled warmly at him and held out a hand for the key.

"Thank you, sweetie." Daisy ruffled his hair affectionately. "It's getting late, and you must be tired. You’ve got to go to the mines tomorrow, so why don't you head off to bed?"

The Kerzak leaned around Daisy to stare at me. If looks could kill….

“I fear you will not be safe with him, kida. ”

"I'll be fine." She rubbed her hands over his shoulders like one would stroke a pet. I watched her close one eye tightly in something humans called a wink before she leaning closer to the Kerzak’s ear. “I’ll be fine. I already knocked him out once, remember?”

Well, that’s surprising.

Ewok hesitated, his gaze dancing between us before wrapping chubby arms around Daisy’s middle in a gentle hug. She gave him one last head rub before shooing the youngling out the doorway.

“You knocked me out?” I couldn't decide whether I was surprised or amused.

“Yes, and I’ll do it again if I have to." Daisy cut her eyes to the shovel lying near the doorway. "I’m not letting you out of those chains until you promise you won't hurt Ewok or any of the other children.”

“Children,” I gawked in disbelief. “There are other children here?”

The sadness that crept onto her face cut my heart to shreds. “Yes. All the miners working here are children.”

A primal growl emerged from my throat; a war cry ready to sound. “A mine is no place for a child.”

“Tell me about it,” Daisy nodded sadly, coming closer but still not within reach. She was faithful to her word and required a pledge from me.

“I will hurt none of the children. You have my vow as a Vaktaire warrior.”

“Do you promise?”

“Promise?” I growled, anger flashing through me. “Female, I have given the vow of a Vaktaire warrior. It is sacred.”

“Okay, don’t get your panties in a twist,” Daisy rolled her eyes as she knelt to address the chains at my ankles.

“Panties?" The word referenced a human garment, which didn't explain why she thought I wore them or how I could twist them.

“Never mind,” she giggled, moving to release the chains on my wrists.

Briefly, her fingertips trailed over my forearms, sending a jolt through my veins as if touched by lightning.

I watched intently as she flicked her small pink tongue over her lips and met my gaze.

The aroma of flowers and sunshine filled the air as she knelt beside me, the clinking of chains accompanying her movements as she set me free.

“So…” her voice held a tinge of nervousness. “How do we get off this rock?”

I pushed myself upright, stretching my stiff muscles, joints giving audible pops.

Daisy followed suit, her pale skin standing in stark contrast to my tanned flesh as she rose.

The top of her head barely grazed me mid-chest. She was so tiny and fragile—a gust of wind could have swept her from the ground.

I felt unease brewing like a storm when I looked at her.

Every instinct told me that this female posed more of a threat than any enemy I'd ever faced, yet it wasn't the type of danger I knew.

Her nearness rattled me, made my blood race, and heated my skin.

My mind spun with thoughts I had no desire to entertain.

With a firm shake of my head, I reminded myself why I came to this moon.

To rescue Daisy.

That was all.

“How did you get underground?”

“I’m not sure. When they took me off the ship, it was already underground.” Daisy said as she gathered the chains from the floor, plopping them in the middle of the small, rickety table. “There was a big dock with a lot of other ships.”

“A subterranean dock. No wonder the tracker malfunctioned,” I murmured. For the last leg of my journey, there was no sign of her presence, until I moved underground.

Daisy moved to the doorway, pushing on the rusted metal, and it closed with a groan. A wave of heat and claustrophobia hit me. The room was small, and it had been ages since I'd lingered underground.

She turned to me expectantly, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Can we get out through there? I saw a lot of guards.”

“No,” I said curtly, regretting my clipped tone when Daisy's eyes narrowed slightly. "My ship is on the surface. I brought an extra enviro-suit for you to travel safely in the moon's acidic atmosphere."

“What about the children?”

The question rattled my brain. “What about them?”

I could tell by how Daisy snatched the shovel from the ground that she did not appreciate my response. She glared at me; determination etched on every inch of her lovely pale skin.

“I’m not leaving without the children.”