Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

On The Spaceship

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Baby staring at her. The cat was still in the sling around his body, and yet Raptor carried Grace as if she weighed nothing at all. He held her below Baby, in an obvious effort to keep from smashing the animal.

She didn't know if the spaceship bothered her more… or the way Baby loved all over the man and looked a little peeved that Grace was in his arms too. The damn cat was hers. Not his.

Grace sucked in a deep breath and refused to be jealous.

Pulling her gaze away from the deep green cat irises, she tried to see more of the ship. The only thing visible at the moment was a curving silver wall.

Raptor turned into a doorway and set her down on a chair. They were in a small area that appeared to be a kitchen. There was a sink and what looked like an extremely advanced microwave, along with a table and chair, and a small couch. There was also a large monitor on the wall.

He must have noticed her frowning at the screen because Raptor motioned toward the black glass and it turned on, showing the night sky and part of the meadow. "It's difficult and much more expensive to install windows on a spaceship. They aren't practical for several reasons. On newer spacecraft like this one, they aren't used at all. So, we have tiny pinpoint cameras surrounding the outside hull of the ship to display what there is to see on any of the monitors," he informed her.

She just looked at him. It was still beyond her ability to speak at the moment. Her mind was overwhelmed, and she had no idea what to ask. Where would she start? It was pretty clear he'd hidden his ship in the forest about a mile from her house. He was here to take her to Makayla. But not until she'd solved her own problems and gathered up some equipment.

Silly Grace, she believed they'd drive to find her friend. Or fly. But not in space. No, that hadn't been in her thoughts at all. Now Grace didn't know what to do next. She was stuck. Almost catatonic. How was she supposed to plan for something like this?

Luckily, Raptor knew exactly what to do. He carefully unwound Baby from the sling and sat the cat on the floor. "I'll go get the cat's stuff," he muttered and left the animal staring at her.

Grace found her voice once he left. "Don't look at me. I did not know he was an alien. And I don't know what we're going to do about it."

Raptor walked back into the room loaded down with the cat carrier, the cat's food, and all Baby's bowls and toys. He glanced around the room and then back at Grace. "Were you talking to someone?"

She snorted. "The cat. And before you ask—no, she doesn't talk back. After a few days of having someone try to kill you, maybe you'll talk to Baby, too."

He sat down all Baby's things and turned to Grace. "I used to be a Galactic Guardian. That means I was what you'd call a police officer for all the planets." He shrugged. "You get used to others trying to kill you. The outside of this ship is cloaked now and will remain that way while we are gone. This isn't a large vehicle. They created it for speed and stealth. If needed, it holds enough food and supplies to last us several months."

Baby came and rubbed against him, purring. The cat wasn't worried about her new home.

"Do you think we'll need to hide out that long?" She didn't like that idea.

Raptor shrugged. "No. But before I began this journey, I made sure I was fully stocked and had enough fuel for whatever happened. We have options and I wanted to let you know. I also want you to understand that once we've been to the lab and handled your problems, there is enough space on this ship for anything you wish to take to Makayla. You don't have to pack lightly."

She rolled her eyes at him.

He grinned and continued, "No one will be able to find the ship while we are gone. Baby can stay here and be safe while we're at the lab. And if we need to hide from your boss and his men, this will be perfect."

Grace couldn't avoid reality any longer. She knew they were running out of time. There was just one problem. "The lab is in town. That's a thirty-minute drive from my house. We can't walk that far if we plan to get in and out before daylight. Are we going back to my car?"

Raptor

He frowned. "You said the men tried to run your car off the road. I don't think driving it is a good idea. They know your vehicle." That seemed like the worst plan ever.

Grace nodded. "You're right. I know it's not. So, what do we do?"

Walking over to the wall holding the monitor, he pushed open a large slot and pulled out another chair. He sat across from Grace. He was tired of looking down at the top of her head. Raptor wanted to stare into her beautiful green eyes while he had an excuse. It was only good manners to make eye contact when you spoke to someone.

As soon as he sat down, the cat jumped into his lap.

Raptor laughed and shook his head at Grace when she snorted. He didn't push the cat away, but lightly sat his hand on Baby Monster's head and slowly glided over the animal's fur, all the way down its back to the long bushy tail. "I have a small shuttle. It isn't limited to following the roads, as the vehicle will glide over the trees. It also has a cloaking device so like my larger ship, it is completely silent and, when cloaked—undetectable."

Releasing a breath, she leaned forward. "Good. We can take that."

"When I say it is small, I mean tiny. They designed this shuttle for one person to transport minimal supplies or take two people extremely short distances. It's not for extended travel, isn't very fast, and isn't armed. I worry we might need the spaceship and all the options my larger ship offers. Can you give me a better idea of where we're going? You said the lab is in town. Is it in the middle of the town or on the edge? I'd like to move the ship closer. Say to an empty lot or park near the lab. Then use the shuttle the rest of the way. It would save time and be safer. If we got into any trouble, we'd have easier access to the spaceship's weapons and technology."

When Grace smiled, Raptor moved his hand up to his chest and rubbed over his heart. He would do anything to see that look on her face every day. He could see that making her happy was going to become his life's work.

Raptor had no problem with that.

He hadn't been doing anything important with his life, anyway. Running from his fate. Hiding from the Interstellar gods. The light coating of Binding Pollen on his flesh was proof that running and hiding didn't work. So, he was happy to fall into those green eyes and devote the rest of his life to making sure Grace got everything she needed from him.

"The high school is right next door. We can park on the football field. There is plenty of room for the ship. The school is closed right now for spring break, so no one will be there in the morning. There should be plenty of time for us to get in and out of the lab." Grace sat back and asked, "What do we do first?"

Raptor stood with Baby in his arms. "We get things ready for this Monster. There is a small, empty closet across from the kitchen. Let's fix it for him and then we can go."

Grace warned, "While I get the litter box set up and put out her food and water, you hold on to that cat and don't let go. If Baby thinks we're going to lock her away, she'll dig in those claws and escape."

Shaking his head, Raptor groaned, "I refuse to donate any more flesh trying to control this Monster. I'm giving the cat a tour of the ship while you get her room fixed."

"Coward," Grace called out as he headed down the hall.

He hated to admit that she was right.

Grace

Sitting in what he called the bridge, where there was a larger monitor and all the controls needed to pilot the spaceship, Grace waited for Raptor to come back. He said he needed to contact someone before they left. If something went wrong, he wanted backup. He wanted those in charge to know where they were, what they were doing, and why they were doing it.

In charge of what, she didn't ask. She figured it had something to do with him being a Galactic Guardian. Eyeing all the controls, Grace guessed he could have made that call from here, but wanted privacy. She didn't mind. To save time, she would hold her questions. But she had a list going. A list of every freaky, unexplained thing since Raptor… somehow slipped into her house. It had to have been through the cat door.

When this was over, she would ask those questions. Now? They needed to hurry. It was already after midnight. Raptor could make his call to a higher power, and she wouldn't ask… anything . Not yet.

Besides, it was nice to have a few seconds alone. To just breathe without having to share every thought and emotion.

They locked Baby in her small closet. It was the perfect size for her cat, with a cupboard that fit the litter box as if it was made for it. Once Raptor removed the door. They backed out of the space, leaving Baby inside, curled up on her bed.

When he closed the closet, he frowned at her and muttered, "If something happens to us, who will take care of the Monster?" Then his gaze shifted, and he met her eyes. "If something happens to me, who will help you finish this? Because you won't stop." There was a question in his look.

She'd raised her eyebrows and shook her head. No. She wouldn't stop. There were too many lives at stake.

That was when he decided to contact someone. Grace couldn't complain about having a backup plan. She let him go without asking more questions and was now sitting here alone, thinking.

Her cat was fine. She wasn't. For the last few days, Grace had been riding an emotional wave. One of horrific discoveries, near death, and now this. She was sitting in a freaking spaceship. It hadn't escaped her notice that this silver circle with a little bubble on top looked like every drawing of a UFO sighting since the dawn of time. She thought there were cave drawings that resembled this flying saucer .

Staring at the monitor as if it were a window, she zoned on the black screen. She didn't know how to turn it on. But for now, that didn't matter. It was just something to focus on.

A single tear slid down her cheek. Grace sucked in a shaky breath. Her life was over.

Not her physical life. And she'd damn sure fight like a maniac to make sure that didn't happen. But her life …

Her boss was trying to kill her. That meant, at the very least, that she needed a new job. She knew he'd threatened to burn down her house. Grace had learned over the last few months that Garrett always did what he said he would. So that probably meant that no matter what happened, it would be too late and everything she owned would be gone. Her house, her garden, her view. She'd have to start over.

Grace still had Baby. Big blessing there. As long as the cat didn't abandon her for the alien. Another deep breath and she wiped away the tears.

She had Baby and an invitation from her best friend. No. Not an invitation. A plea for help. Straightening in her seat, Grace let the fear and sadness go. She didn't have time for this. This… almost a breakdown .

Her parents hadn't raised her to mope about what she couldn't control. Her life was changing. She needed to be ready for it. For the first time, she was happy her mom and dad were traveling. Because Garret couldn't use them against her.

Her parents were wandering the globe with no itinerary. Grace never knew where they were until they called. And the calls were random. Grace didn't talk to them very often, maybe once every two or three months. She didn't need to worry about them getting caught in the middle of her mess. Her boss couldn't find them to use as bait.

At that moment, Raptor came in and settled in the other chair. He flipped a few buttons and switches, and she made a mental note of the one he used to turn on the monitor. The meadow at night filled the screen. It was breathtaking in the moonlight.

Within moments, they were zipping over the trees on the way to town.

"Can we talk while you drive?" she asked. "I don't want to break your focus."

Raptor grinned at her. "Once I input the destination, it pretty much drives itself. I won't have to do anything until we find a place to land. Which should only take about ten minutes. So, what did you want to talk about?" He turned his seat, watching her, not the view out the monitor.

Which made her nervous. But she figured he knew what he was doing. "I know we don't have time for a deep discussion. Not yet, but I warn you that is coming. I have a list of questions saved for another time. But… Is Makayla in outer space? Is that where you plan to take me when this is done?"

Raptor chuckled. "She isn't on a ship in space, but is living on another planet. Before you ask, I don't know all the details of how she got there. What I do know is a quick version of her story. Aliens went to her home on Earth and kidnapped her sister and cousin. They didn't take Makayla, but left her behind."

Grace snorted. "That was their first mistake. Makayla would have been mad and determined."

"That is what I understand. That is how she met my brother, Falcon. But we'll leave that story for later. He took her in his ship, one very similar to this one. They followed the aliens and found they had crash-landed on the planet Megoth. Falcon and Makayla eventually found the girls, and they all had mates. Makayla, her sister, and her cousin are all pregnant. Each woman mated a man of a different species, and there are issues. None of them have the same problems."

Grace frowned. "Kaitlyn and Lauren."

"What?"

She looked up at him. "Kaitlyn is Kayla's sister. Lauren is her cousin. We definitely need my bigger microscope and the Genetic Analyzer from the lab."

"Then we will get them," he assured her. "Is that the football field?"

Grace turned and looked at the monitor. "Yes. And see that tall building on the other side of the field, that is the lab." She pointed.

Raptor fiddled with the controls and the lab zoomed closer. He focused on the high fence with the barbwire on the top—and then scanned the building and several acres of paved ground.

Grace realized that not only did that fence make things difficult, but there was nothing to hide behind once they managed to climb over it. "They'll be able to see us."

The ship landed. Standing, Raptor held out his hand. Grace took it automatically and let him lead her through the ship.

He said, "Cloaking, remember. No one can see this spaceship sitting in the middle of the field. The shuttle will fly us over the fence. It will also be cloaked so no one will see us. We'll park the shuttle close to the building. Hopefully, in a spot where no one trips over it. Getting inside is the least of our worries."

He pulled her into what had to be a cargo bay. And swept his arm toward the shuttle.

Grace gawked—her mouth open. Raptor said the shuttle was tiny. He was right.

Grace was almost six feet tall, curvy, and strong. She'd been called fat all her life. She wasn't fat—she just wasn't a stick. What was on her body was muscle. Grace ran, lifted weights, and regularly practiced yoga. Alone, it would be difficult for her to squeeze into that tiny space. And she wasn't going alone.

Glancing at Raptor, she sighed. She'd have to sit on his lap and the man wasn't a stick either. With hands on her hips, she shook her head. "There is no way we'll both fit into this thing."

Raptor

When he closed the closet door on the Monster cat, Raptor had an epiphany. A moment of sudden revelation. In his imagination, he clearly saw the cat crying at the door, wasting away to nothing because Raptor and Grace couldn't come back for him.

Then Raptor looked at Grace and realized that if he died or got injured during this mission, there would be no one to help her out of this mess. No one to save her if she needed saving. Or to bail her out of jail if her boss caught her breaking into the lab.

Not that he thought that would happen. Based on his previous actions, the man wouldn't waste time having Grace arrested, he'd just have her killed.

Raptor couldn't do this. Couldn't take Grace into danger and leave Baby behind, knowing that something could go wrong. He needed to stop thinking like an ex-Guardian running from his responsibilities and handle this like he would an assignment given out by the Interstellar gods.

It might mean he would need to grovel, apologize, and beg for help. He didn't have a problem with that. Not if it meant Grace and the cat would be okay—no matter what happened to him. But he didn't want her to hear him groveling. Leaving her sitting on the bridge, he promised to be right back. Raptor planned to use the communicator in his bedroom.

He really hoped the number hadn't changed. He'd been gone without permission for a very long time.

Walking back to the bridge a few minutes later, Raptor was amazed at how easy it was to be taken back into the fold. The Helpers would monitor the situation, and the powers that be were sending in another Guardian. He'd be here within a few hours to provide backup. No one seemed surprised that he called.

It didn't take long to move the spaceship to the football field. But now they were at an impasse. Hands settled on her hips—Grace shook her head. "There is no way we will fit into this thing."

This was going to be tricky. The space definitely wasn't big enough for the two of them, not as they were now.

Well, at this point, she already knew he was an alien. He just hoped she didn't run screaming into the night. Just in case, he kept the cargo door closed that led to the outside. Then reached behind and locked the door leading into the hall. "Sure, we can. I just need to make a few adjustments..."

Grace ignored him. She turned away to lean down and peer inside the shuttle. "Even if we manage to squeeze into the shuttle, we couldn't fit my microscope or the Genetic Analyzer in here. We'd have to leave them behind." She sounded disappointed.

Raptor offered, "I have something that might help with that. This shuttle can shrink technology and non-living items. Boxes of food, etc. We can make the things you want to take... fit. But that won't help us." He sighed. "It seems I keep springing things on you without giving you a chance to discuss them."

Grace turned around. Raptor watched all the blood leave her face. She slid to the floor. At least this time, she didn't pass out.

In his true form, Raptor's Guardian body was close to seven feet tall. He was silver and his body hair was a dark olive green. His eyes were a shimmering gold. One advantage of being a Guardian is that he could change his shape. Raptor morphed his silver body to be less than five feet tall and only a few inches thick. He remained silver and green, but with all the inches of muscle and height skimmed from his form, it wasn't recognizable. And he definitely wasn't the chubby man she met a few hours ago.

"In this body, we can easily fit." He watched Grace struggle to breathe, to form words. Raptor knew he scared her.

She sucked in air and scrambled to her feet. Waving a hand at him, she steadied herself against the shuttle. "This answers the question of how you got into my house. You changed into this silver pole body and slipped through the cat door, didn't you?" she demanded.

Chuckling, he nodded and leaned over to open the top of the shuttle. This vehicle was the easiest and quickest way over the fence surrounding the lab. The cloaking device was the only way they wouldn't be seen until they exited the craft. They needed to take the shuttle. Sliding into the seat, he held his arms open and motioned to her. "Get in," he suggested. "I promise you won't hurt me."

Grace rolled her eyes and folded her frame into the small vehicle. Raptor closed the top and opened the cargo door on the star-filled night.

He shuddered when she slid a finger down his arm and looked at the dust collected there.

"What's this?" she asked and rubbed the silver powder between her fingers.

Shit. He put his hand over hers and pushed the Binding Pollen away from her face. If she ingested even a small amount, they wouldn't be searching the lab. "It's one more thing you need to trust me on. I promise, Grace— with everything I am —I promise I will explain it all later. Just don't put your fingers in your mouth or touch my skin when I'm silver. Or lick me. Please?" he asked her and waited for a reply.

Grace snorted. "Yeah. I think I can promise that I won't lick you. Geeze! You have the highest opinion of yourself. I'll try to resist your charms." She turned away, more than a little pissed at him.

Raptor watched her roll her eyes. It was okay if she was mad right now. It might help her resist the pollen.