Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

The Rest of Our Lives

While the men were dealing with Garret, she was propped up in bed. Baby beside her, purring as Grace ran her hand over the soft, black fur from head to tail-tip. The two had dinner, including dessert. Baby got salmon, while Grace had ice cream.

Then they walked the halls of the spaceship. Grace kept up a conversation with her pet. "You'll be able to climb in the open ceilings all the time. Just don't mess with anything up there, okay? I would hate for you to bite through a critical wire or something."

She felt like she should start packing. Even though Raptor assured her, the Helpers would handle all of it. He wanted to take her somewhere tomorrow. He said he didn't know exactly where, but he'd figure it out. They were borrowing Dahvid's shuttle. Which was much larger than theirs, so they wouldn't need to contort their bodies to fit. Once they did the spaceship switch, they were keeping the multi-person shuttle. So, not really borrowing, she decided.

This was all so confusing. Raptor explained Guardians didn't own anything except for some personal effects. But they were given pretty much everything they wanted or needed. It was their payment for patrolling the universe. They traded ships and stuff all the time. As far as she could tell, they did it to make sure the Keepers were happy.

Now she could have anything she wanted. In fact, Raptor asked her to make a list. The cost was no object. Grace looked at the blank tablet lying beside her. Penciling in a dozen incubators, she groaned. She was pretty sure there were other things she wanted, but she couldn't concentrate or decide what they might be.

Except… she wanted Raptor to come back to the ship.

Grace fooled with the remote, which wasn't that different from her TV remote. She figured out how to do a split screen on the monitor. At the moment, she focused on the cargo door entrance of Dahvid's spaceship on the other side of the meadow and the front door of their smaller ship. Because both vehicles were cloaked—she couldn't see them. Raptor showed her how to "see" what was there with the ship's special radar. They'd used Dahvid's shuttle to take the two men and Garret to his home a few miles away.

What was taking so long? She thought they were only going to drop him off and wait for the police.

Grace had watched the video that the Interstellar gods somehow managed to get broadcast on every single news station around the world. There was no question that every law enforcement agency within several hundred miles of their little town would be searching for the man.

She squinted up at the screen. The only movement out there was the grass blowing softly in the breeze, and a few nocturnal creatures shifting about.

And then there was Raptor. Right at the front of the ship, coming in the door.

Grace squealed and ran, followed closely by Baby. She jumped when he crossed the threshold and Raptor caught her. Baby wrapped around his legs, and the two females took their male to the floor.

They ended up in a pile on the cold metal, laughing.

"Good. You're home. Hungry? Thirsty? Everything go okay?" Grace peppered him with questions.

Raptor hugged her to him. "Not hungry. Would love some sweet tea. Depends on your definition of okay."

They untangled their bodies and stood, heading toward the kitchen, hand in hand. While Grace got him a glass of sweet tea, he told her what had happened that night.

Afterward, Grace shook her head. "We thought someone might be there. But the Prime Minister? How the hell did he get there so fast? Only three guards? I think that surprises me more."

"We can guess, but it doesn't matter. Dahvid's timetable has been moved up. He'll get additional help. Other Guardians and Helpers are being transferred into the area temporarily. So, he won't be alone. Let it go. We need to focus on what we're doing next. How is the list going?"

Grace rolled her eyes. "What list? I don't have a clue what I need or want. How often can we get supplies? Do I need to make a list for the next year or two?" Grace demanded.

Raptor shrugged. "We get whatever you want when you need it. We can either go to Earth and get the supplies ourselves or we can send a list to the Helpers and have them bring the supplies to us. Another Guardian would fly them in. You never have to go without the things you need or want."

"Is that true, no matter where we end up? Once we've taken care of Makayla and her lot, how does this whole Guardian thing work? Does someone give us orders?"

Raptor shrugged. "We just answer the call to duty when it is given. And you can get supplies anywhere. Even in deep space."

Grace smiled. Okay. That was something she understood. As retired military, answering the call of duty was standard procedure. And the list wouldn't need to be that long. Three months' worth might be a goal.

Before she could come up with another question, he cut in, "And when we have children, we will make the changes you are comfortable with."

She choked on her sweet tea, spitting most of it on Raptor. "I'm too old for children," she said emphatically.

He reached for her hand. "I understood that you and Makayla are best friends. She's pregnant. Are you older than Makayla?"

Frowning, she pulled her hand back. "This has something to do with the transition, doesn't it? Makayla shouldn't be pregnant." And why had it taken this long for that fact to sink in?

Raptor nodded. "In your new form, it is possible to have my children for another several hundred years."

She stared at him with a blank look, then pointed at him. "If that is true, you won't touch me until we have birth control. I would like to have a baby in the future, but not right now. There is too much going on."

He readily agreed. "All Guardians have the ability to control conception. You don't need to worry about birth control."

Grace didn't comment. But she did the math in her head. Something else she hadn't considered. Her friend had been trying to save her family. Had met a Guardian, become a Keeper, and moved to another planet.

There was no way in hell she would have gotten pregnant now .

Especially if she had a few hundred years added to her fertility. Makayla's mate probably told her he could control conception . Just as Raptor had assured her.

Nope… not happening. She was the one in control of her own body. Grace now had a second thing to add to her list .

Birth Control.