Page 97 of Guardian's Destiny

Since I couldn't simply drag her out of the room the way I wanted to, I pulled out a chair. It seemed the night was far from over, and it wasn't time yet to go to our new bedroom.

"So the guy—" Tucker picked up the conversation I had interrupted, but Sloane stopped him by slashing her hand through the air.

"How come you never told me you had a sister?"

Tucker moved his hand through his hair and leaned back in the chair, looking as if Sloane had slapped him. "Shit. How is she?"

"She's good. She's mated to a Space Guardian, like me." Sloane brushed her fingers over my arm, right over my Soulweb Glyphs, and it took a huge amount of restraint not to pull her into my lap and devour her. "I'll fill you in on all the details later, but… why does she think you're dead?"

The human male leaned forward to take a long sip from whatever he and Sloane were drinking. My curiosity aroused, I took Sloane's cup and tried it. Frygg, that was good. Bitter, but good. Not as strong as our spirits, but very good. I wondered how Silla had managed to get this stuff brewed; I knew the traditional Pandraxians were all against spirits. At court not somuch, but the colonies under the Lord Protectors' rules hardly ever imbibed.

"I made sure she would." Tucker emptied his cup, pulling up a large clay vessel to refill his and Sloane's before getting up and grabbing a new cup for me. I appreciated the gesture.

Sloane remained quiet the entire time, watching him, brushing my arm, giving him time. When he filled the cup for me and pushed it over, I mumbled a quick thank you, wondering if he wasn't so bad after all.

"It's complicated," he began. "My family was what you'd call dysfunctional. My dad and uncle raised us after my mom up and vanished one day. We lived out in the swamps, and I suppose she didn't like living in a trailer all that much. Living off gator hides, Dad and Uncle Boone sold. Those two were mean as snakes. Not so much to Nova, although…" he drifted off, sighed deeply, "I suppose they weren't very loving to her either. I tried to protect her as good as I could, took the brunt of the beatings." He smirked, not looking like the charming male I had met earlier. I had no idea what some of the words he said meant, likegators, snakes, swamp, but it didn't matter. I got the gist.

I never had a family, and hearing him talk, that might have been better.

"The only thing I ever wanted was to join the MARSOC unit, that's all I've ever dreamed of. I hated the god damn swamp, I hated the skeeters, the humidity, everything. I even joined the damn ROTC, ignored the insults Dad and Uncle Boone threw at me, bore their insults, just so that I could get out.

"I was ready to join the marines the moment I turned eighteen, but Dad wanted me to join him and Uncle Boone in their new business, making meth and he wasn't above making threats. When that didn't work on me, he threatened Nova. She doesn't know about that, but Dad said if I took off, she would get hurt.

"The only idea I could come up with was making him think I was dead."

Tucker was sitting right there with us at the table, but judging by the look in his eyes, he was far, far away.

"So I did. Two buddies of mine from the ROTC and I made it look like we got lost or killed in the swamp and disappeared."

Silence ensured. We waited for him to continue, but I supposed he was done.

Sloane cleared her throat. "So that's it? You just up and left, let your little sister believe you were dead?"

"I didn't have a choice," Tucker defended himself. "It was either that or cook meth. Uncle Boone and Dad both got killed doing just that. Exploded the entire trailer around them. Had I not left, I would have been with them."

When Sloane didn't reply, he continued, "When I heard what happened, I came back. I was set on taking care of Nova. I already had housing through the Marines organized and everything, but when I returned, I was told Aunt Missy had taken her to Shreveport. Aunt Missy used to be Dad's girlfriend a very long time ago. She was a nice lady. You know what army life is like." Tucker looked at Sloane, who nodded reluctantly. "That wasn't a life for a teenage girl. I would have done it, but Aunt Missy was a good person. She came from money. How Dad ever got her to love him, I'll never understand, but she was a real lady. One who would take care of Nova. Better than me. So I left."

"Why didn't you try contacting her?"

He shrugged. "I liked being dead. I liked being Tucker Beauvier, the Marine, without any attachments. And I was damn good at my job." He looked defiantly at Sloane.

"You were," she agreed. "The best."

His boyish grin returned. "Damn straight."

"Look," Sloane rose from her chair. "I'm not judging, this shit is between you and Nova. I just wish you would have told me."

"So we're good?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we're good. I'll fill you in on our mission in the morning."

I emptied my cup and put it down on the table, where the cleaning drones would pick it up, and followed Sloane out into the hall.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm good," she assured me. "Horny, but good."

I laughed; that was exactly what I had hoped she would say.

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