Mission: Guardian Angel (Veslor Mates Book 2) Read online

  “This is what you get for doing an alien,” she whispered, going to her discarded clothing and picking them up. “A ton of questions and not enough answers.”

  The door behind her opened and she straightened and spun around. Drak entered wearing black loose pants that rode low on his hips, and he held a tray. The smell of food hit her. He smiled as he kicked the door closed behind him.

  “You are awake.” He came right to her. “I had planned to do that with food. I’m certain you must be as hungry as I am. I ate before we came here yesterday but I didn’t know if you had.”

  She dropped the clothes in her hands and glanced at what was on the tray. Two plates full of breakfast. There were omelets, bacon, toast, and hash browns…foods typically enjoyed by humans. The smell of coffee told her what was inside the two dark mugs. “I’m starving.”

  “Good.” He moved to the bed and placed the tray in the middle, sitting next to it.

  She took a seat on the other side. “This was so sweet of you. Did you run to the cafeteria? This isn’t from the food dispenser.” She glanced at his bare feet.

  “No. I asked Gnaw to go. He felt bad for me.”

  She cocked her head, picking up one of the mugs. It was hot enough that she had to blow on it. “Why?” She tried to emotionally brace herself in case he told her that he regretted the night they’d shared.

  He smiled instead, though. “Roth was upset with me.”

  She took a sip of the coffee. “Oh? I got the impression he was okay with me staying the night with you. They gave you this room, after all.”

  “He is. This may be strange for you, but…humans are mostly solitary. As a grouping, we aren’t. He has some concerns about us being together.”

  Abby mentally braced to hear something that might hurt her feelings again. “Okay. What are they?”

  He hesitated.

  “I’d like for what we shared to be more than just last night, Drak. Where do you stand?”

  He held her gaze. “I’m sitting.”

  Abby opened her mouth.

  A deep chuckle came from him. “I thought you would laugh. I understand your meaning. I want to keep you in my life, and my bed.” All humor left his expression. “I feel possessive of you, and if you were a Veslor, I would have mated you last night. That’s where I…stand.”

  She took another sip of coffee and swallowed hard. “So this is serious between us. I feel that way too.”

  “You agree to be my mate?” His eyes flashed with an emotion she couldn’t read.

  “We need to get to know each other a little better first but I’m open to that happening in the future.”

  His expression shuttered. “I understand. Humans are much slower at making those decisions.”

  “They are. So what are Roth’s concerns?”

  “We’re fighters.”

  “I know that.”

  “We travel often. Veslor females don’t. It’s almost instinctual for them to want to build a home on a planet and remain in it for all their lives. Roth fears that if we mate, you’ll demand we settle on a planet. That would mean we couldn’t do what we love.”

  Abby thought over his words. “I travel a lot for work. I have for years. I’m living on Defcon Red right now because I wanted to be here. I don’t want to remain on this ship forever, but I’m not overly attached to living on Earth. To be honest, I think you and your grouping would be miserable there. I wouldn’t ask you to move there if we mated. I can do my usual job from anywhere. My department is currently being run by one of my best friends. D Corp hires good people.”

  “You would be open to traveling as my mate?”

  “Yes.”

  “Roth will be relieved.”

  She couldn’t help but smile. “What about you?”

  He grew solemn. “I want you for my mate. It would hurt deeply to leave my grouping but mates come first.”

  “I’d never ask you to separate from them. Thanks to Vivian, I understand how close groupings are, and you matter to each other maybe even more than a typical family does. You live, work, and grow old together.”

  “What about cubs? Do you want to have any if we mate?”

  She studied him. “Does Roth want to know, or is that you asking?”

  “Both. I would like to have cubs with you but not right away. This current job worries me because of how much humans don’t like us. I’d worry that they’d be a danger to you and our cub when I wasn’t around to protect you. Roth is worried about the future of our grouping if any of us takes a mate.”

  “Why?”

  “For the reason I stated. Veslor females don’t travel. They nest in one place, on a planet, and raise their young.”

  “Right.” She put the coffee down and picked up a fork, starting to eat. “I’d like to have kids. Or cubs. I think Klad is the cutest baby I’ve ever seen. That’s Vivian and Brassi’s cub. They make it work living on the Brar. From what I’ve heard, it’s not even an overly large ship. I agree with not having a cub right away. I’m a firm believer in a couple spending a few years together before adding to their family.”

  He started to eat, watching her closely. Abby knew there was something else on his mind. She swallowed her bite and cleared her throat.

  “What else? Just say it, Drak. I believe in total honesty if we’re going to be a couple. That’s very important to me. My parents are happily married because they always talk, and are open about how they feel, what they think, and that’s what makes their relationship work. I want the same thing.”

  “I do as well. Will it bother you living with my grouping?”

  “No. I think it’s pretty cool. Do I like Roth in our business? Not really. But I understand. Your decisions affect them all. I respect that. Part of me even longs for it. My parents and I are close, but the truth is, I don’t get to see them in person often. They’re busy. I’m busy, too. It’s nice to think of having family living with us around the clock if we mate. I’m just glad we have some privacy.”

  His tense body relaxed. “They would become your grouping if we mate.”

  “I know. Vivian explained that part to me, too. She gained several brothers when she mated to Brassi. His grouping has also been a huge help with raising Klad.”

  “Yes. They would love our cubs as if they belonged to them as well.”

  “I think the only reason Vivian asked me to be godmother to Klad was so he’d have a woman around if anything ever happens to her. None of Brassi’s grouping have mated yet. She told me they’d help me raise Klad, and it was clear they came as a package deal.”

  He cocked his head.

  “I wouldn’t be taking Klad to live on Earth. I’d stay with Brassi’s grouping.”

  He frowned. “Our mating could interfere with your godmother duties.”

  “I’m hoping some of Brassi’s grouping become mated soon. I know one of them really wants to find a human.”

  A low growl tore from him, and his hold on his fork tightened.

  “What did I say that made you angry?”

  “The male probably wants you. He can’t have you.”

  There was that jealousy again. “I know you said you feel possessive of me. Well, you have me. I’m here.” She jerked her head toward the rest of the bed and the messed-up sheets. “I feel pretty darn claimed after last night.”

  All the anger faded, and he smiled. “You are.” He quickly sobered. “I don’t like when other males touch you.”

  She flashed back to meeting Clark Yenna. “Is that why you put me on your lap yesterday? To stake your claim?”

  She swore Drak blushed. “Yes.”

  “It’s a good thing that I like sitting on your lap then.” She winked. “Got it. I don’t have to shake anyone’s hand if it makes you feel that way. A nod their way will do from now on. I can compromise. I take it that goes both ways? You won’t be touching other women?”

  “You are the only female for me.”

  She knew Veslors committed for life, didn’t cheat,
and he’d already said he wanted her to become his mate. “Good. We have that settled, at least. Are there any other things that concern Roth?”

  “Mostly, he worries that you’ll lure me into leaving our grouping or demand we settle to live on a planet if we mated. Fighting is what we love. It’s what we do. One day we’ll settle, but we have many years ahead of us before we’ve saved enough to be financially set for the rest of our lives. I want you to be assured that I can always care for you, Abby. You’ll never want for anything as my mate.”

  Abby kept quiet, not wanting to remind him that if they mated, money would never be a problem for him or his grouping again. That was one more aspect she liked about Drak. He didn’t seem to understand how much she was worth. He just wanted her.

  She dug into her food, finishing most of it. Drak cleaned his plate. It didn’t surprise her that he had a huge appetite, considering he had to feed that muscled body of his. “What time do you have to work today?” She glanced at the clock. “I have a meeting with Howard soon.”

  “We’re meeting with Clark in a few hours.”

  “I should probably get dressed and go to my cabin then. I can’t exactly meet the commander in what I wore yesterday.”

  “I will walk you there.”

  Abby liked that he was so considerate. “I’d appreciate that.”

  Drak stood, staring down at her. He got that look on his face again that said he was thinking about something, probably wanted to say something, but he didn’t.

  “What are you thinking now? Tell me.”

  “I’d like for you to sleep here from now on.”

  Abby managed to keep her jaw from dropping. “You want me to move in with you?”

  “Yes. You need reassurances that we are good together before you agree to become my mate. The best way is for you to live with me.”

  She finished the rest of her coffee and stood, peering up at him. “How about if I bring some clothes here and we sleep together at night? It’s almost like living together, and I admit, I totally want a repeat of last night.” Her gaze dropped to the front of his pants. “I never got a chance to get a good look at you down there. That’s the plan tonight.”

  He stepped closer and cupped her face with his hands to kiss her. It wasn’t a deeply passionate one, but more on the sweet side. He broke the kiss, his gaze locked with hers. “I look forward to it. Imprint yourself to this suite. That way you have unlimited access.”

  He was basically giving her a key to his place. “I’ll do that today. I’ll also imprint you on my cabin.”

  He smiled, releasing her face. “I will think about you while we’re apart.”

  “I have a feeling I’ll be thinking about you, too. I’m going to get dressed. You probably should put on shoes and a shirt. Otherwise, we’re going to draw some stares while you escort me to my cabin.”

  “I don’t want you to go.”

  “I don’t really want to leave, either, but we both have responsibilities. Life. It is what it is.”

  “I only work a seven-hour shift today. Roth spoke to Clark Yenna earlier.”

  “Are you going down to the planet?”

  “Yes.”

  “Clark is flying you?”

  “Yes.”

  She was relieved. “I’ll be waiting for you when you’re off shift.”

  “Here?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good.”

  He backed away, going to the large bag she hadn’t noticed until then. Not only had he gotten breakfast but he must have retrieved his belongings from Gnaw while she slept.

  She bent, grabbed her clothes from the floor again, dropped her towel, and quickly dressed.

  * * * * * *

  Abby ended up being five minutes late to her meeting. Howard sat behind his desk, a scowl on his face as he read something on a data pad.

  “Problem?”

  He looked up and sighed. “Just minor annoyances.”

  “You shouldn’t have fired your personal assistant. Are you ready to take me back yet?”

  “Abby…”

  “I told you that I’m staying. I might as well work. At least let me do it while Drak is on shift. Otherwise, I’ll be bored.”

  He set the data pad down. “You weren’t in your cabin last night. I stopped by to check on you.”

  “No.” She took a seat. “I spent the night with Drak. He and his grouping love the family suite I found for them.”

  “Clark informed me.” He leaned back more in his chair, his gaze scrutinizing her. “You slept with Drak? Did any issues arise? No pun intended.”

  “Do you really want me to answer that?”

  “Yes. Yesterday morning you showed me pictures of a Veslor child, stating you might want to have a few. I don’t think it’s too far out of line for me to be concerned about how it went between you and Drak. He’s an alien. I’m responsible for you, after all.”

  Abby was grateful that he cared about her wellbeing. “No issues. We totally did the deed. Do you want to know his rating on a scale of one to ten?”

  Howard scowled again. “No. I just wanted to make certain you don’t need to go see a doctor. Or talk to someone on staff for mental trauma.”

  She laughed. “I’m absolutely fine.”

  “I’m not so certain I am. Right now, I’m grateful you’re not actually my daughter. It would be even more uncomfortable to have this conversation.”

  “It’s all good. Drak asked me to move in with him.”

  Howard gawked at her.

  “Veslors don’t need a lot of time when they think they’ve found their mate.”

  “Shit.” Howard appeared utterly shocked. “Your parents are going to flip out. You’re mating to him already? Don’t you think that’s a little hasty?”

  “Not right away. I told him I need more time before we made that lifelong commitment. Veslors don’t have divorces. It’s until death do them part. I did pack an overnight bag and plan to sleep with him again tonight.”

  Howard blushed. “I didn’t need to know that.”

  “The point is, we’re together. I’m staying on Defcon Red. Do you want me to at least work while the Veslors are on shifts?” She glanced at the discarded data pad. “Is that something I can handle?”

  Howard followed her gaze. “I was looking at possible candidates to replace you. I’m not happy with the options available. It looks like I’m going to have to send for a new assistant. It could take weeks for them to be transported here.”

  “Good thing I’m not leaving then.” She stood. “I’ll get the ball rolling to find you a good replacement, though, before the Veslors leave. Any idea how long they’re assigned to Defcon Red?”

  Howard hesitated. “The situation on the planet below won’t be wrapped up anytime soon. We can’t abandon the colonists. They’d be wiped out in a matter of weeks if we weren’t sending teams down there to take out the threat. We’re looking at months more, if not longer.”

  “Then there’s no rush to find a replacement for me.” She smiled. “Would you like some coffee? I’ll get to work.”

  Howard sighed. “I have a meeting in ten minutes with a few of the department heads. They always feed us at those things. I’m fine.”

  “Is there anything you need to take with you?”

  “No. It’s just them updating me. I get to listen. I don’t have to study reports this time or ream them for anything I find fault with.”

  “So it’s a good day for them.” She winked. “I’ll be at my desk.” She walked to the door.

  “Abby?”

  She turned.

  “Are you sure about Drak?”

  “I am. He’s pretty amazing.”

  “Then I’m happy for you, and I hope it works. Your parents, though…”

  “They’ll be thrilled if I fall in love with a guy who loves me for me. They’ve always said they just want me to be happy. Bottom line.”

  “What about D Corp? I’m aware that your parents hope you’ll take the reins
when they eventually retire.”

  “They’re both workaholics. It’s not going to happen anytime soon. I’ll work that out later. My department can handle anything while I’m gone. Do you know how many work trips I take each year to colonies or space stations? Dozens. Working via communications to Earth is normal for me. That’s the only reason I could be here now.”

  “Alright.”

  She went to her desk and took a seat, going over incoming messages for the commander to prioritize them, and he left for his meeting minutes later.

  Abby’s thoughts kept straying to Drak. She might make a trip to one of the control stations to make sure Clark Yenna was actually piloting them to the surface.

  Her mission still wasn’t over. She was going to look out for the Veslors. Now her motivation to do so had increased a thousand-fold. Nothing could happen to Drak. She wouldn’t let it, now that they’d found each other.

  Chapter Twelve

  Abby finished responding to messages from D Corp and stood from the table where she’d worked in her cabin that evening. Mel only sent her the priority clients who demanded to hear back from a Thomas. Some of them were elitist jerks who thought they’d only receive quality service from one of the owners. Or in her case, the owners’ daughter.

  Clark Yenna had contacted Abby to let her know the Veslor grouping would be spending a second shift down on the planet. With Team One being pulled off rotation, they were needed. It scared her that Drak was down on the surface fighting those worm beasts at night. Cadia would be searching for food. His team would be protecting the settlement and the colonists living there.

  Abby stood and entered her bedroom, packing some clothing into one of her suitcases. The distraction didn’t help lessen her worry. As badass as the Veslors were, Drak could get hurt. He was a fighter, though. She’d known that before deciding to get involved with him.

  “Just deal with it,” she muttered. “You like him as he is.”

  Clark had promised to let her know when he picked up the grouping from the surface. She kept her communications device close. Abby had every intention of meeting Drak inside his family suite when he returned. She finished packing and lifted the case, leaving her cabin.