Page 79 of Guardian's Heart

"How do you know my name?"

Noodar seemed to grow tired of the exchange, but to his credit, he answered, albeit just as evasively, "The same way that brought us here."

I wasn't a fan of his evasiveness, but part of me leaned to trusting this man. He looked older than Zaarek, and I was becoming as curious about his story as Nock seemed to be.

Surreptitiously, I took in his mating marks, which looked the same as Zaarek's and mine. When I looked through the surveillance camera, he had taken off his shirt to show them to me and he still hadn't put the shirt back on. I wondered if that was to keep them on display to reassure me that we were on the same team. A small sound warned us in time that the hangar door was opening. I raised the blaster toward the entry while Nock moved back, too close to the other Space Guardian. I groaned inwardly. If Noodar decided to use Nock as a shield, I would be in one big pickle.

Steps thumping up the gangway had my heart pounding until I saw Zaarek's face. Only he looked beaten up. One of his eyes was swollen shut, and he was limping.

"Zaarek!" I cried in alarm but stopped myself from running to him as two more Space Guardians entered—one holding a blaster at the back of another, who didn't look pleased.

Zaarek gave me a crooked grin that must have hurt like hell as a wound by his lip opened and fresh blood dripped out. He stopped cold when he saw Noodar. His accusing glare turned to me, and I held up my hands. "He came knocking, and he has mating marks, and I kept my blaster on him."

Zaarek closed his good eye and looked up as if praying for patience.

"I'm Raasla, and this is…" the man with the blaster said, poking the other in the back with the barrel of his blaster.

"Vraax," Zaarek filled us in.

"Noodar," Noodar introduced himself.

"Nova," I added.

"Nock," the holostreamer said but couldn't stop himself from adding, "but you probably already know that."

Nobody gave him the attention he was seeking, and his grin faltered.

"Alright, let's go into the breakroom," Zaarek suggested. "Nova, can you grab the healing wand from our room?"

"On it." I nodded and took off in the other direction than the men.

"Use it on him first." Zaarek nodded at Vraax.

"No way, you need it more," Vraax refused stubbornly.

"Fine." I shrugged and moved to Zaarek before the two could get into one of those testosterone-fueled men’s fights about who was the toughest.

When I was finished with Zaarek, I threw the wand at Vraax. "He can do it himself," I declared hostilely.

"You requested a meeting," Raasla prompted, pointing at Zaarek's mating marks. "I assume she has them too?"

I rolled up my sleeve.

Vraax hissed.

"Our mates are safe aboard another ship," Noodar explained, jerking his chin toward Raasla. "I suggest we take off and reunite with them where we are a bit safer. I assume you deactivated the tracker?"

The last question was directed at Zaarek, who nodded.

"What about him?" I wanted to know, eyeing Vraax's markless body.

"He'll come with us. He might be an asset," Zaarek decided.

Vraax snorted derisively but didn't say anything.

Zaarek and Raasla went to the bridge to get the ship going to wherever Raasla's and Noodar's mates were waiting for them. The rest of us stayed in the breakroom. It was hard not peppering Noodar with questions, harder than before while I had waited for Zaarek to return. This time, I didn't have any worries distracting me from my curiosity. But I decided to wait until we met up with the otherfemales.

"So, tell us about Darlam." Nock didn't seem to have such reservations.

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