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,