Page 26 of Guardian's Heart

"So, will I be given a choice where I want to live? Astrionis doesn't sound that enticing to me." I voiced my worries.

"As far as I know, yes. Like I said, the emperor and the lord protector are each married to human females."

That sounded to good to be true. "And they what? Just influenced their husbands out of the goodness of their hearts to rescue stray humans?"

"Not quite," he admitted. Nothing was ever done from the goodness of one's heart. "The Pandraxians have discovered their mekarries among the humans—"

"Mekarries?" I echoed.

"Soulmate," he translated for me.

I choked on the sip of water I had just drunk and coughed. "Soulmate?"

That had to be some kind of joke, right? Then again, we were talking about a species that lived partly in the Middle Ages and partly in Star Trek, so… still. Soulmate?

Zaarek nodded seriously. "It's not a joking matter for many species in the universe. Many modern civilizations lose sight of it. It seems the Pandraxians have rediscovered it along with their roots."

I shouldn't have been amused, but there it was. How did an alien, highly technologically advanced civilization believe in fated mates? Then again, what did I know? Many races on Earth believed in it. Did it even matter? The fact was that humans needed help, and if the Pandraxians were willing to give it, I shouldn't second guess their reasons why.

"Alright. So humans are the Pandraxian makardies—"

"Mekarries," he corrected with a small smile that was endearing and made me want to kill him at the same time.

"Mekarries." I rolled my eyes. "And the Pandraxians are financing the Ohrurs to send you out to corral us all in?"

"Me and some others, yes."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, why not."

"So you're going to Astrionis?" He didn't look happy about that.

"I don't think I could live on a planet without… running water or electricity." I held up a hand, not sure if electricity wasthe right word, but hopefully, he would get the gist. "Pandrax sounds more like my kind of place."

"Alright, I'll take you to Pandrax then." He sounded put off and pouty.

I wondered what I had said to piss him off, almost asked, but then thought better of it. A pissed off Zaarek was easier to take than a caring one. The caring one confused my already muddled mind.

"Good," I stated, rising.

"I'm going for a walk," he stated and marched off.

I stared daggers into his back until he was out of eyesight, which didn't take very long since darkness had fallen.Good riddance, I sighed, knowing fully well that I didn't mean it. I threw another log into the fire with more force than necessary and pretended I didn't feel my tattoos as they began to painfully vibrate.

The intensity increased with every minute he was gone, raising my ire. I was tempted to cut my arm off, but it wasn't the only part of my body filled with markings. Unfortunately, I couldn't just cut a bunch of flesh from my hip and side.

The pain wasn't as intense as it had been when they first appeared, but the longer Zaarek stayed away, the stronger it became, enraging me further.

ZAAREK

I had no ideawhy the thought of Nova on Pandrax infuriated me this much. That was my mission, after all. Confused over the turn of our conversation and my emotions about it, I stomped off into the forest. Talking with her had been, for lack of a better word, nice. I had never been much of a conversationalist, but with her, it was easy. The words flowed automatically. Normally, after sex, I couldn't get away from the female fast enough, again, not with her. I think that was one of the reasons why I stomped off. I needed to put some distance between us. She stirred emotions up in me… emotions I had no words for. It was beyond protectiveness, beyond desire, beyond anything I’d ever felt before—a raw, unyielding need to keep her close, to make her mine, to shield her from the universe and yet show her every beautiful part of it.

At that thought, I stopped, what in the seven suns was wrong with me?

An animal took flight from a branch I got too close to, screeching in protest.

---