Page 50 of Guardian's Heart

But as soon as I had it, I felt restless again. The mating marks were quiet, but I felt a pull to go see Nova. Just to be beside her.

Frygg!

I had no clue what was happening to me. Not once in my life had I felt restless over being alone. I had been out in space, sometimes for months at a time, without encountering another person, and it hadn't bothered me once.

The longer I sat there, brooding, the more the urge to go seehergrew until I finally gave in. She was still in the breakroom, discussing something with Nock. An ugly flare shot through my gut; I didn't like the way she was smiling at the Kred. How close he sat to her, guiding her hand over the comm. And yet there I stood, frozen and mesmerized. She looked so serene, so in her element, as she listened to him. The rational side of me told me that there was no reason for me to be jealous. I doubted the Kred was her type, but another part of me roared with possessiveness. I also didn't understand where this was coming from. In order to be jealous, I had to have feelings for someone, right? Did that mean I had feelings… forher?

And why did that surprise me?

My mating marks tingled under my skin, and I instinctively rubbed them, wishing it was her stroking them.

I cleared my throat. I was starting to feel like a lurker, plus I didn't like where my thoughts were going, and asked, "Did you guys find anything?"

"Hey." Nova's smile knocked the wind out of me and nearly made my knees buckle. What the frygg? But by the seven suns, that female was beauty incarnate.

"Hey," I repeated like a love besotted fool.

"I'm just showing Nova all the different databases. She's a pro. I've never seen anybody pick this up this quickly. She already managed to break through one firewall."

I shook my head. "I would rather you not teach the human how to hack."

"The human?" Nova arched an eyebrow at me.

"You know what I mean."

"I'm afraid I don't." By the supernovas, this female wasn't going to ever let anything go.

"I see you two need some make-out time again." Nock rose and rushed by me before I could decide if I wanted to punch him or throw him overboard.

"I'm sorry," I told her after the Kred was gone.

"It's okay," she conceded, surprising me anew.

"Okay, as inI'm going to slit your throat in your sleep, or okay, as in okay?" I demanded warily.

She giggled and I liked the sound of it. Very much so.

I pulled up a chair next to her. Her body heat enveloped me like a blanket, just being here, next to her, already relaxed me. All the antsiness I had felt earlier was gone. I felt… at peace. Briefly, I wondered if and when I had ever felt this way and honestly couldn't come up with an answer. Usually, I was either on the hunt—driven by the urge to find my prey or slay it—reveling in the accomplishment of a mission or celebrating it.These were my three go-to emotions. This here was something entirely new to me and surprise, I had no idea how to feel about it.

"Did you recharge?" Nova was still smiling at me.

"Recharge?"

"Yeah, you know, like after you spent a lot of time with others, and you just want to be alone for a while to… recharge?"

I nodded. "You feel like that too?"

"I've always preferred my company to anybody else's," she confessed.

By the seven suns, this female understood me like no one else ever had—not that you've ever given anyone a chance to…

I ignored that snide little voice. "Me too, but for some reason, when I found myself alone, I didn't want to be alone anymore."

I looked at her, hoping she understood what I was trying to tell her.

"You missed me," she said with a mischievous expression. One that made me want to kiss her until she begged me for more.

"Yeah," I confessed, "like a boil that won't heal."

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