Page 11 of Guardian's Destiny

Their mating marks had made the others into a brotherhood, one I was fairly confident I was about to join. At least I hadn't been as unprepared for the mating marks as the others had been. They all had to try and figure out what was happening to their bodies on their own. I knew the pain was coming from the mating marks carving themselves into my flesh.

Raasla sounded furious, "Not much to tell? Who the frygg is she?"

"She's a human female who needs our help." I blinked my eyes open at the sound of Nova's voice and watched her get intoRaasla's face. Not many people dared to do that. I had seen Zoe, his mate, do it, but nobody else. Making Nova's absolute fearlessness clear.

"Her name is…" No matter how hard I focused, I couldn't hear her last words because Zaarek yelled, "Am I the only one who remembers that we're on a mission? We can't collect refugees on the way?—"

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

"Compassion?" Had I not been in so much pain, it would have been amusing to watch Zaarek nearly choke on this one little word. "Compassion she asks when she just brought this female here, puttingherin danger."

"Don't talk over my head," Nova hissed.

"Easy, kids, easy," Luph interrupted. "This might present a little bit 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."

Luph walked over to me, offering a vial. "This is a sleeping potion; it will ease your pain."

The offering was tempting, I might have, until Raasla scoffed, "Yeah, the youngling probably needs that, only real males can take this pain."

"You did not just say that," Zoe turned on him, her face red with anger. Whatever followed got lost as I as gently as possible refused Luph's concoction. I didn't need it. Since Ijoinedthis group, I had felt like the odd male out. First, I had been their prisoner, but then some of their words resonated with me, and I began to consider their points. Now I was fully invested in their quest of finding out who us Space Guardians as a species were, something our employers, the Ohrurs, had withheld from us.

Even though I had become invested in their quest, I had never fully felt as if I fit in with them. It might have been a Space Guardian thing, since we always liked to work alone, or it mighthave just been the fact that I was the only male not mated in this group.

Well, the only Space Guardian. There was still Nock.

Zaarek announcing that he and Zoe were going back to their quarters brought me back from my revelry. Before they could leave, I needed to know, "Wait, what's her name?"

"What's whose name? What's happening?" Nock entered, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

"Sloane," Hannah said.

"Sloane," I repeated; it was a nice name. Strong. Fitting for a female like her. I leaned against the wall, pulled my knees up, and rested my head on them, closing my eyes. While I was slowly nodding off, or passing out, I listened, half aware of the other's conversation.

"Alright, will someone fill me in, please?" Nock demanded.

"The females picked up another human female at the space station and brought her here. As soon as Vraax saw her, the mating marks broke out." Noodar summarized. I missed the response but came fully to again when Hannah suggested, "Maybe we should help Vraax into Sloane's room. It might help with the distance thing."

Tharaax agreed, "Not a bad idea. Help me, Raasla?"

Raasla grunted his agreement the way he always did when words weren't absolutely necessary. Strong hands lifted me off the ground as the males helped me into Sloane's quarters. The pain was excruciating, but the prospect of seeing her again, being near her, made it a lot more tolerable.

Sloane was deep asleep on the bed when the males helped me into a padded chair. A quick discussion followed about whether they should leave me alone with the female, and I was glad when they finally decided that I wouldn't pounce on her.

The lights had already dimmed, announcing that nighttime was approaching. Most ships in outer space followed GalacticStandard Time—GST—but time in space is flexible. Typically, the ship's computer calculated the route—like ours from the space station to Darlam—while factoring in passengers' sleep needs and the time difference between the two points. This system determined day and night cycles for the journey, making it easier to adjust to Darlam's time once we arrived.

It was still light enough to take in her sleeping form. Her face was scrunched up, and her body seemed tense, even in her sleep, as the same pain that tormented me ravaged her body. I would have gladly taken her pain on had there been a choice.

I hadn't liked the idea of mating marks, or what Darlams called Soulweb Glyphs, as we found out. I was a male of action, and I worked independently. The very idea of having somehigher powerchoose a mateforme hadn't sat right with me, despite the others looking happy about their fated mates. But seeing her now, I couldn't deny the pull toward her. She looked like the kind of female I would have chosen for myself.

I was absolutely certain that the moment Sloane opened her eyes and saw me, she would be utterly captivated by the idea of us as mates, completely enthralled with our destined bond. After all, no female had ever resisted me, and I had no doubt Sloane would be no exception. How could she not, I was everything females drooled over?

SLOANE

My entire body ached.It felt like waking up after a severe case of the flu, an extremely hard workout, or a mission from hell. I didn't even have the energy to open my eyes. I just lay on the bed, bathing in my misery, and tried to figure out my next steps.

Getting in contact with the Pandraxians was crucial—ideally the emperor, but a Lord Protector or the Superior Commander would suffice. If reaching Zapharos to warn him about his compromised position proved impossible, then the Pandraxians had to be informed. Allowing the Moggadesh to get their filthy hands on an Arkhevari was unthinkable. With a groan, I rose from the bed, forcing my eyes to open only to land… on that silver hunk I had admired before. He was lying inside what looked like a comfy as hell giant beanbag.

"Sloane, you're awake," he stated the obvious. "How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?"

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