Marcun (Sky Warriors Book 1) Page 9

  “I will remain with the ship,” Nax told him. “No need to worry that I will break your cover, young one.”

  Marcun had to hide a grimace. He hated being called young one.

  “We look forward to seeing you all.” Marcun nodded. Ioin nodded back and then they disappeared.

  “Seems we are here for a bit longer,” Tecan said. “Would you like me to teach you how to play this simulation game? I would go easy on you the first time.”

  “No need to go easy.” Sacaren grinned. “Your best is easy enough.”

  “I challenge you to another round,” Tecan stated.

  “Done.”

  The two of them turned away. He guessed he was on his own then. He knew for sure that no matter what, he would not be calling on either of them to guard Eden.

  He might not wish to be around her, but he did not want his pack around her either.

  She was definitely affecting his mind.

  6

  Why was she up so early?

  Marcun looked at the time displayed on his communicator. It was forty minutes before she normally rose and already she was dressed and hunting around for her security pass. It was the same every morning. There were some days when he had to turn away in order to fight the urge to tell her where they were.

  There. She had found it. This building’s security system was so outdated it was shameful. She was definitely leaving. But why? Perhaps she had a big order to fulfil? But she hadn’t said anything yesterday.

  What should he do? Attempt to follow her? Or act as though he were leaving as well? But would that not seem suspicious? She walked out the door and he knew he had one choice. He would follow her.

  He quickly threw on a shirt and buttoned it, wrinkling his nose at the scent. This apartment did not have an aClean machine. He was not certain how humans washed their clothes without one. Normally, he put his clothes in the aClean each night and the next morning they were folded and clean.

  Something else about this planet to dislike. Oh well, he could not worry about that right now. He had to catch up to the female. It did not take him long. Her legs were ridiculously short. He tried to keep his gaze away from those hips, swaying back and forward.

  Keep your focus. He needed to pay attention to his surroundings. She was a distraction. One he didn’t need. As he grew closer to her, he heard a noise.

  Was she…no, she couldn’t be…yes, she was.

  She was singing.

  Did she want to draw attention to herself? Was she hoping someone would rob her? Attack her? He ground his teeth against the urge to take her in hand and instruct her in matters of safety. She was reckless, foolish and—he winced as she tripped over a crack in the footpath—woefully unprepared to be out wandering in the dark.

  Movement off to the right caught his gaze and he drew back into the shadows, watching. His night vision was pretty good, although the way the street lighting was set up made it difficult for his eyes to adjust. The lights were bright but set far apart so there were large patches of dark followed by jarring light. Right now, the female was directly under a light.

  A male stepped forward out of the dark alley, creeping towards the female. His intentions were obvious, and for a moment Marcun considered letting him attack her. It would teach her a valuable lesson. She would soon learn to be more watchful of her surroundings. Then he saw the glint of something in the male’s hand. A knife.

  It was one thing to consider scaring her, another to let her be harmed.

  He took a step forward as she turned, her arm out in front of her, the stinger held firmly in her hand. “Back away. I don’t have anything worth your time anyway.”

  Marcun froze, still in the shadows.

  “Hey, bitch,” the male said in a low voice. “Bet you’ve got some cash on you. Your type always does.”

  “My type?” The female’s voice was steady, but he heard a hint of fear. Marcun curled his hands into fists, fighting the urge to go to her. To protect her. He realized in that moment that he would never have allowed the other male to frighten her.

  The idea of her scared or in pain did not sit well with him.

  “Yeah, the do-gooder type. I hear from people round here, how you give them your goods for free.” He grabbed at his crotch. “Want to give me a sample?”

  “Not even if you were the last man on the planet,” she said, sounding disgusted.

  What was he talking about? Did he wish to have a taste of her brownie? That was for Marcun. He scowled. Something about how the male grabbed at his shaft and the look of fear and revulsion on the female’s face made him think they were talking about something else.

  “Don’t be like that, sweetheart.” The male moved forward. The female took a step back before catching herself and standing her ground. That’s it. Don’t let him see your fear. Marcun wished he could make his presence known, let her know she didn’t have to be afraid.

  That she wasn’t alone.

  But he kept back, waiting.

  “Stay back,” she told him. Her voice had just a slight wobble. Not bad, but it needed improving. Half of a fight was your confidence. Your bluff. Not that she should ever have been put in this position. Anger stirred. Her mate should be here protecting her. Instead he was halfway across the universe in a war lord’s dungeon.

  “Now this could go two ways. You could be real nice to me and I won’t hurt you. Or you could be mean and then it’s going to hurt. A lot.”

  Her face grew even more pale. Enough. She was terrified. The male took a step forward then jerked, spinning, his body caught in a spasm. He fell to the ground, his body continuing to writhe.

  Marcun’s eyes widened. Then he moved his gaze from the male, who appeared to be having a fit, to the female. She stared down at the male, and he could see she was trembling.

  “Oh my God. I shot him. I really shot him. Oh shit. What if he has a heart attack? What if he dies?” she asked. Marcun did not understand this habit she had of speaking when there was no one around to hear her. Or at least when she thought there was not.

  Then she did the stupidest thing he had ever seen anyone do. She moved closer to the male and knelt down, reaching out to touch him. By now he was just twitching a little. Marcun tensed, prepared to come to her rescue if the male was acting. It was something he would do. Pretend to be unconscious to draw the enemy in, then strike. She placed a finger against his neck.

  “Still breathing. Still breathing.”

  The male remained still. And Marcun remembered to breathe as well.

  “Shit. What should I do? I should call the police. But the stinger is illegal.” She stood and looked around. “Anonymous call. Okay, I can do that. How? Oh God, I don’t know what to do.”

  She looked so unsure and panicked that he took another step forward, right as the male groaned. She squeaked and jumped up into the air.

  She took a few steps back, away from the male.

  Finally, she was showing some measure of sense. Now, she just needed to leave so he could finish things off. But no, she stood there biting at her thumb nail while the male moaned and rolled around on the ground.

  “Are you okay?” she finally asked.

  “B-bitch, I’m g-gonna kill you. W-when I c-catch you. You-you dead.”

  Her eyes widened and then she turned and fled, leaving the stinger on the ground. The male continued to groan as Marcun stepped silently forward and around the man’s body.

  “Hey, man, help a brother out.” The pitiful excuse for a male held out his hand to him.

  Marcun picked up the stinger and after engaging the safety, tucked it into the back of his pants.

  “I am not your brother.” Marcun crouched with a sneer of disgust. Something sharp and pungent hit his nose. “Did you empty your bladder?”

  “That fucking bitch hit me with a stinger. Of course I fucking pissed myself. You ever been hit with one of those? Last laughs on me because I know where that whore works. Soon as I’m mobile I’m gonna mess her up so bad—�
�� Whatever else he had been about to say ended on a strangled gasp as Marcun wrapped his hand around the male’s throat and applied pressure.

  The male’s eyes opened wide, his face growing purple.

  “Listen to me well,” Marcun told him in a quiet voice. “The only reason I will let you live is because I do not have time to dispatch of your body. And because I want you to take a message to your other criminal friends. That female is mine. Anyone who attempts to harm her will answer to me. And there is no where you can hide. Nowhere for you to go. No one to call upon for help that will save you from my wrath. Do you understand?”

  The male tried to speak. Marcun rose, and pulled the male up. Then he grabbed him by the neck once more and drew him up into the air so his feet dangled uselessly inches above the pavement. “Understand?”

  The male nodded. Marcun dropped him and he collapsed on the ground, coughing and gasping.

  “Remember, she is mine. Harm her, attempt to rob her, even look her way and I will come for you. I will not forget. I will not give up.”

  He faded into the shadows and watched as the male scrambled to his feet and ran off.

  He allowed himself a small smile. That was the most fun he’d had since arriving on this planet. But now he had to get to the female before she got herself in more trouble. Keeping watch of her was a fulltime job.

  Every noise made her jump, caused her heart to race. Each creak of the building very nearly had her crawling under the desk and bawling like a baby. Her hands still shook, even an hour later. She’d messed up the batter for the bread. Twice. She had to calm down. He wouldn’t come for her.

  Would he?

  Oh God.

  She sat on the chair behind her desk. Gus, her head baker, had sent her out of the kitchen after her last botch-up. She didn’t blame him. She was a mess.

  What had she been thinking? She couldn’t believe she’d actually used the stinger. She’d shot someone. He’d been attempting to rob her…surely it was straight self-defense?

  Except she didn’t have a permit for the stinger; she’d bought it on the black market. Would the police really be that sympathetic? Not to mention that she’d left the guy and run off like a coward.

  Shit. Marcun had been right. That stinger had given her a false sense of security, but if there had been more than one guy or he’d been a bit smarter, she’d be in a much worse state than she was right now.

  Resting her elbows on the desk, she leaned her forehead into her hands, trying to take some calming breaths.

  It would be okay. That guy was full of shit. He wouldn’t come after her and risk her calling the police. He was in the wrong. Not her.

  “Are you well?”

  With a screech, she jumped from the chair and fell to the floor, crouching behind the desk. Hiding.

  Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, blocking out all other noise as she took huge, gulping breaths. Someone stepped around the desk and she fell back on her ass, scrambling back until her back hit the wall. Her gaze hit a pair of nearly pristine shoes, then rose up over dark, plain jeans to a ghastly pineapple-themed shirt. By the time she got to the shirt, her body started to understand what her head had been trying to tell her.

  That she wasn’t in danger. That this man was safe.

  “M-Marcun?”

  “You are sitting on the floor.”

  “You have a real knack for pointing out the obvious.”

  She reached out to grasp the edge of the desk and missed.

  Okay, get a grip now, Eden. Please. Please stop embarrassing yourself.

  He could have looked away to give her a moment of privacy, could have done anything to help alleviate her complete and utter embarrassment.

  But no, he just stood there, staring down at her. Yes, she was sitting on the floor. Yes, she was probably losing her mind. But damn it, could he not help her up? What happened to manners and basic courtesy?

  She reached for the desk again, this time managing to grab hold. She attempted to heave herself up, but it seemed her body wasn’t ready to co-operate. Her legs had decided to do an impression of limp noodles.

  Two warm hands wrapped around her waist, hauling her up. She gasped. Warmth filled her body, making her skin tingle and her stomach drop, like it did that time she’d ridden a rollercoaster as a child. Except now she was all grown up and these were not childlike feelings she was having.

  Instead of setting her on her feet as she’d expected, he held her up, her feet dangling in the air. Her eyes widened in shock at the show of strength. She wasn’t a lightweight by any means and he was holding her as though she weighed nothing. Yeah, he had muscles but this was next level.

  His blue-green gaze ran over her body. Need pooled in her stomach, spreading throughout her body. What was wrong with her? Three minutes ago she’d been on the verge of a panic attack and now she was so horny, she was close to jumping Marcun and having her way with him.

  She nearly snorted at the thought. As though he’d just lie there and let her do whatever she liked. Not that she really knew what to do. Even though she’d been married, her sex life hadn’t exactly been stimulating or varied. Mainly, it was just her lying there until he finished. Thankfully, it hadn’t taken Barry long to get sick of that part of their life.

  Why was she so attracted to Marcun? With the amount of sex he had, he probably had gonorrhoea or chlamydia. Maybe both. Was it possible to have both at the same time? She couldn’t remember learning that during sex education. Anyway, he was out of her league. He would never be interested in her, plus he was a rude jerk. She needed to quit lusting after him like a teenage girl with a crush.

  “Put me down, please.” There she’d managed a semi-firm voice.

  “No.”

  “No?” she half-squeaked. “What do you mean, no?”

  “If I put you down, you will fall. Then I will just have to pick you up again. You may hurt yourself.”

  “I’ll sit in the chair.”

  He narrowed his gaze at her. “Why did you scream? Were you frightened of me?”

  “Not of you.” She avoided his gaze.

  “Then of who?” His eyes grew stormy, raging, and she stared at him, shocked by the menace in his voice.

  He sat her down on the desk and drew something from the small of his back that made her breath catch in her throat.

  “Where.” She cleared her throat. “Where did you get that?”

  He set the stinger down next to her. “I found it as I walked here. It is yours.”

  She thought about denying it, but he hadn’t worded it as a question.

  “It might not be,” she said instead.

  “But it is. I spoke to the male you shot.”

  “Oh God.” She placed her hands over her face. “Wait. He was still lying there when you walked past?”

  “Yes. After speaking with the male I followed him for a while to ensure he left the scene. He tried to attack you.”

  “He wanted to rob me.” She didn’t tell him about the rest. “I can’t believe I shot him. I didn’t know what else to do. Did I do the right thing? Was he all right? I should have stayed. I should have called the police.”

  “He tried to rob you and you are worried about him?” He looked incredulous.

  “If the stinger hurt him, killed him, I could be in a lot of trouble.”

  “For defending yourself?”

  “You’re supposed to have a permit to own a stinger, but they’re really expensive and I kind of bought the stinger on the black market.”

  His eyes widened. “A black market?”

  “The guy who lives on the other side of me, Eddie. He’s a drug dealer and he has this friend who sells weapons.” She put her hands on her stomach, rubbing anxiously. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this. You’re a stranger. And I could get into a lot of trouble.”

  “You will tell me. Right now.” It was clear he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  “Eddie, he lives across the hall from me. Have you met him? Skin
ny guy, shakes a lot, long greasy hair?”

  He shook his head.

  “Well, he has this friend. Rodney. He sells … um … weapons. To people who … ah … don’t want to get a permit.”

  “And not having a permit is illegal.”

  “Exactly. I’m not supposed to tell anyone about Rodney. He made that very clear.”

  He narrowed his gaze. “He threatened you.”

  “Yeah, well, I guess most of the people he deals with have a police record. I don’t. He had to make sure I wasn’t going to tell the police. If he finds out I told you, he won’t be happy.”

  That was an understatement.

  “And this law about having a permit, it is strongly enforced? You will be punished severely?”

  “I wouldn’t say severely. It would have a big fine, possibly jail time. But the fact that the stinger is probably stolen is a bigger issue. Funnily enough, the police take a dim view of people who buy stolen weapons.”

  Surely it was the same where he came from? Her brain sent off a warning, but it was quickly wiped away by her worry. She had more important things to think about than Marcun’s odd upbringing.

  He stared at her for a long moment. “Why did you buy the stinger from this Rodney?”

  She paced back and forth. “Because I didn’t have the money to get it legally. And I needed it to feel safe. Barry had just left, I’d moved into this neighborhood. I was working long hours.”

  “And now that you have had to protect yourself you regret it?”

  “I didn’t think I would ever have to use it, I guess,” she said. “Stupid huh?”

  “Yes,” he replied.

  She blinked a few times. “You know, you’re not actually supposed to agree with someone when they say they’re stupid.”

  “You’re not?” he asked, looking puzzled. “Even if they have been?”

  “No, you’re supposed to reassure them that they’re not stupid,” she explained.

  “Well, that does seem stupid.”

  She snorted out a laugh. “I guess it does.”