ReEmergent -Guardians of Vesturon [4] (20 page)

“
That’s why I’m taking Marik. He’s my back up Xarrid.”

Xarrid’s leg was thumping up and down again. Saylan reached over and placed her hand on his leg. His head jerked toward her, in a heightened response, but when he saw her eyes, he instantly began to calm down.

“
Give me your hands,” she ordered him.

He gave her an odd look but complied. In front of everyone, she said, “This is where trust comes in Xarrid. Trust in Jurek and have faith in his ability. You once told me that he’s invincible. Do you still believe that?”

“
Of course I do.”

“
Then show him that faith.” She turned his hand, palm up, placed a kiss on it and then laced her fingers with his. In less than a second, she found herself sitting on his lap, wrapped in his arms.

“
You’re right,” he said to her. Turning to the others, he said, “We’re on. When do we do this?”

********

Sharra asked Jurek if she could speak with him privately. They were in his quarters and he had just told her to have a seat.

“
What is it?”

“
I need a favor.”

“
And.”

“
I’d like to see Zander before we leave on this mission.”

Sharra twisted her hands and explained to Jurek the situation between the two of them. Jurek bristled when she got to the part of Zander not believing she would be safe.

“
He doesn’t know of your species Jurek. Don’t be upset with him about that. He knows of some things but not of everything.”

Jurek nodded. “So what do you need from me?”

“
I’d like you to bring him here and I’d like your permission to explain everything to him. Right now we are at an impasse. And quite honestly, I don’t know what else to do.”

“
You bloody Vesturions sure have a way of screwing things up.”

“
We can’t help it!” Sharra insisted.

Jurek raised his brow and snorted at her. “Yeah, whatever. Where is he?”

“
On Vesturon.”

Jurek sighed in frustration. “I know that Sharra. Where on Vesturon?”

“
Oh,” she giggled. “He’s at the Guardian Headquarters.”

“
Can he leave?”

“
Yes, because he’s not really assigned to anything yet. He just returned after Xarrid’s wedding. When we went back, he never returned to Earth.”

“
So if I go and bring him here, there won’t be any repercussions for him?”

“
No, I don’t believe so. And if there are, I’ll take care of it.”

“
Stay here. I’ll be back shortly. I feel like I’ve turned into a bloody Yarrister errand boy.”

Sharra threw her arms around him and said, “Thank you Jurek.”

He nodded and disappeared.

She paced around the room for a bit and then heard that odd popping noise. Looking up, there was Jurek with Zander in the room with her.

Zander rushed to her side. “Is everything all right?” he asked as he took her hands in his.

“
Yes, but I want you to know something. There are certain things about Jurek you aren’t aware of and I want you to know these before we head into our mission.”

Zander’s head swung toward Jurek and then back to Sharra. She began to speak when Jurek interrupted her. “Sharra, it may be best if I show him first and then explain it to him.”

“
You’re probably right.”

“
Zander, Sharra told me that you’re concerned about her safety, but you needn’t be. Allow me to explain. We are Praestani, the most powerful species ever to live. We are indestructible but we keep our existence a secret to avoid exploitation. You understand our ability to convert into energy, but that energy can also be used as a weapon. I can manufacture more power than your Annihilator, or any of your other weapons can. I can do this by a mere glance. You’ve noticed my eyes, haven’t you?”

Zander nodded.

“
Then let me show you something.” Jurek looked for something in his room that was worthy of destruction. Finding a decorative pillow on the sofa, he picked it up and had Sharra hold it. “Now Zander, watch my eyes and then watch the pillow.”

Zander did as he asked and saw something that frightened him. Jurek’s eyes morphed from their eerie lavender and silver swirling spheres into solid black. Suddenly, a thin beam of blue green light shot straight from his eyes and it targeted the pillow that Sharra held. The pillow instantly turned into specks of dust that floated away in the air.

For a few seconds, Zander wasn’t sure if he believed what he thought he saw happen. His eyes pinged back and forth between Jurek and Sharra but neither of them moved. Sharra finally said, “It was real Zander. Jurek has that power. That’s what you didn’t know and that’s why I’ll be safe when all this goes down with the Xanthians. I’ll not only have Jurek, but Marik will be there too. They will be in their energy forms so the Xanthians won’t know they’re even there. Please Zander, you must understand that I won’t be in any danger. You have to trust Jurek on this.”

Zander looked at Sharra and then at Jurek.

“
I promise not to let anything happen to her Zander. I’ve made that promise to Xarrid and you know how I feel towards him. You have my word. She will come back as she is now.”

“
What if something goes wrong?”

“
That’s why I’m taking back up. If there is a slight chance of anything happening, I will destroy anyone or anything that lays a hand on her. I swear this to you.”

“
I love her Jurek.”

He didn’t have to speak the words for Jurek to see that. It was in the way he looked at Sharra, the way his eyes softened when he gazed at her. “I know Zander. That’s why you’re here. You wouldn’t have this privilege otherwise.”

“
Understood and thank you.”

“
So, I’ll leave the two of you for a few moments. And then what will you do?”

Zander looked at Sharra for an answer.

“
We go tomorrow. Do you want to stay here until we return?”

Zander looked at Jurek for permission.

Jurek said, “It’s up to you. You can stay if you’d like.”

“
I would like that. Just to see her after she comes back.”

Sharra piped in, “But afterwards, we’ll need you back on Earth because we’re going to try to rescue the minions then.”

“
That’s correct. Once we have this done with the officers out of the way, it will clear the path to get the minions out. We’ll be operating on a tight schedule, so we’ll need as many Guardians down there as possible.”

Zander agreed he’d be there to help. Sharra grabbed his hand and they walked together to her quarters, which only consisted of a single bed and a small bathroom. Zander raised his brows at her and she giggled. “Wait until you see this,” she declared.

She walked up to a panel on the wall and he watched as her fingers danced across it. The room quickly transformed into a sitting area, complete with a sofa, coffee table and side chair.

“
What the devil is this place?” Zander wanted to know.

Sharra laughed and answered, “It’s called Lare-Stell base and it’s Jurek’s headquarters. It’s his base for all his operations. It’s a fully operational space station that’s powered and capable of going anywhere in the universe.”

Zander cocked his head and asked, “But what exactly does he do?”

Sharra laughed really hard then. “He’s a mercenary!”

“
What?”

“
You heard me. But don’t be alarmed. He is on our side. He’s the right kind of mercenary.”

“
Yeah, okay.”

Sharra looked at the uncomfortable Zander and her heart squeezed in her chest. “Please sit Zander.”

He took a seat on the couch and she knelt between his legs as she clasped his hands in hers.

“
We leave tomorrow and I wanted you here with me before we did this, partly because I know how difficult it is for you to accept and partly because I need your strength.”

“
Sharra?”

“
It’s not what you think. I’ll be safe, but those Xanthians are the same monsters that nearly ruined Saylan. They raped her and did terrible things to her. Zander, they used her like an animal and made her act like she wanted them.” She was squeezing his hands so tightly that he winced.

“
I’m not concerned for my safety. What I’m most worried about is that when I’m there, I’ll go nuts and want to kill every one of those bloody bastards myself. I didn’t tell this to Xarrid because that’s the last thing he’d want to hear. This is why I want you here with me now. I need you Zander.”

She found herself being hoisted off the floor and into his arms. His mouth was on her neck, leaving a trail of kisses and he whispered in her ear. “I didn’t know they did that to her.”

“
I know.”

He kissed her cheeks and then their lips joined as their arms embraced each other.

“
You’re my world Sharra. If anything like that ever happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Sharra’s heart leapt into her throat at his words. “Stop. Don’t think that way. I’ll be fine. I’m worried about my reaction and Jurek’s too. He wants to kill all of them. We all do.”

“
Sharra, do the rest of your brothers know about this?” Zander felt her stiffen at his question, so he knew her answer before she uttered the first word. “Do you think that’s wise?”

“
They’d never agree to this. But you don’t understand Zander. If I could put you in a room with Xarrid and Saylan for three minutes and have you hear just a snippet of what happened to her, you’d be running in there with all weapons firing at full power.”

He ran his hand through the black silken strands of her shiny hair. He was so enamored by its luster. It was inky black and at times there were hints of blue dancing off of it. Picking up a thick section of it, he lifted it to his face and inhaled, letting her scent wash over him like a soothing balm.

“
How long?”

“
How long for what?” she puzzled.

“
How long will we have to wait until I can call you my wife?”

“
Oh Zander!” she cried and she moved to kiss him.

“
Wait a minute. If you kiss me, you’ll distract me and I’ll never get an answer from you. How long?”

“
I don’t know.”

“
Well, what is the proper protocol for marrying the only daughter of the Great Leader of Vesturon?”

“
I suppose you must speak with my father about it.”

“
That can be done. Are you supposed to be present?”

“
I’m not sure. Maybe we should ask one of my brothers.” After thinking about it for a minute, she said, “On second thought, that won’t help at all. Maddie’s parents were deceased, January didn’t want her parents there and well, you know about Saylan’s parents.”

Zander gazed at Sharra and didn’t say a word. He just had a goofy grin on his face.

“
What?”

“
Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll talk to your father and mother and then find out how long we must wait. I want to do the proper thing. I love you Sharra Yarrister. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I don’t care how we have to do it.”

Sharra burrowed against Zander and put her face into the crook of his neck. “Mmmm, I love it when I’m right here, like this. I love your scent Zander.” She heard his chest rumble in laughter.

“
You’re supposed to silly. That’s part of our bonding as Vesturions, remember?”

“
Yeah, well, I adore it and I’m going to tell you every day.” She lifted her head had her face was all scrunched up.

“
What is it?”

“
What if two people connected and one of them thought the other smelled bad?”

Zander burst out laughing.

“
Why do you find that so funny?”

“
Because, it wouldn’t happen. That’s part of our connection...our scents. You’re attracted to mine as I am to yours.”

“
I know but what if I were smelly and you thought I smelled good, but everyone else thought I didn’t.”

“
Good heavens! Where do you come up with this crazy stuff?”

“
I don’t know.”

“
Sharra, if you smelled bad, I would bathe you with sweet smelling soap and the put perfume on you. I couldn’t have my lady stinking up the place now, could I?”

Sharra was still stuck on the thought of Zander bathing her. She was trapped in that moment, watching his mouth form the words and every so often, his tongue would moisten his lips. She twitched on his lap and he looked at her with his head cocked.

Zander was surprised, almost as much as Sharra was, when her hands reached out and firmly grasped his head. Not once did she look away from his beautiful eyes, but she dipped her head then touched her lips lightly to his. Her tongue peeked out to lightly trace the outline of his lips. She felt his body jerk in reaction, but she didn’t stop. Grabbing his bottom lip between her tongue and teeth, she lightly nipped at it, until she heard him groan.

With his head spinning, Zander shifted Sharra until she was lying on her back. He placed himself on top of her, his weight resting on his elbows and then he began to kiss her in earnest. He wanted to touch every part of her, every curve and hollow. But he didn’t want to stop there. He wanted to follow those touches with kisses and then...pulling his thoughts back to where he was and what he was doing, he broke off their kiss.

Disappointment painted Sharra’s face.

“
Oh Sharra. I would kiss you forever, if I could, but my, er, I, um...”