Skylar's Guardians by Breanna Hayse

the habit of stealing. It is breaking one of our societal rules… to neither covet nor appropriate the goods and property of others,” Troy chuckled.
    “Is he going to get into trouble for that?” Skylar asked with worry.
    “Nah, the council will understand. Ours is an extenuating circumstance. He has never broken a rule in his life and ever since you made him flush, he has been a different man. More relaxed and adventurous. I am enjoying watching the changes.”
    “He was wound tight as a spring, that’s for sure. Whatcha doing?” Skylar rose, wincing as her ankle adjusted to her weight.
    Troy held his arms out to her, inviting her to his lap. “Just doing last-minute adjustments before we leave tomorrow. I’ll be a while yet.”
    “Is it okay if I take a walk outside? It’s really pretty out, and I wanted to get some sunshine before we go,” Skylar asked, cuddling in his warm arms.
    He squeezed her gently, inhaling the fragrance of her hair. “We have a sun on our planet too, you know. It’s our moons, though, that are warm and invite recreation.”
    “My skin doesn’t respond to the moon. I don’t want to be as pasty white as you boys are,” Skylar teased. She kissed his cheek and scrambled off his lap. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
    Troy nodded, returning to his work. He didn’t see Skylar snatch a shifter on her way out.
     
    * * *
     
    She limped until she came to an open area and sat upon a large, flat boulder. The sun warmed her skin as she turned the device in her hand. She wished she knew how to use it. It would make the work the boys were doing a little easier when it came to gathering the supplies they needed to make her comfortable. Tralec refused to take her with him, concerned that she was still spending too much time on the injured ankle and ordered that she stay. She had forgotten to remind him of her need for undergarments and personal supplies. She would be on a planet that did not reproduce, so they would be unaware of the human’s menstrual cycle. This was the last chance to get what she needed before they left, and she had no way to contact the other man.
    Troy said it was mind-operated. Skylar glanced in the direction of the ship and made a decision. Hopefully, it would work. She closed her eyes and pictured the local Target, where she could get everything she needed. As she pressed the button, she remembered she did not have the counterfeit credit cards and would not be able to pay. She had used her Iberia Bankcard last time and recalled Tralec’s words as he had cautioned her of the danger of distraction when shifting…
    The world spun, sending panic through her. Something was not right! It felt different from when Troy had taken her. She opened her eyes slowly after the movement settled. The environment was unrecognizable—a freezing-cold back alley in a dark city—and she immediately began to shiver in Tralec’s thin, oversized shirt and her old sandals. Fear seized her, and she knuckled the device in her hand. There was no recall button and the power reading was black. Damn! No power? What was she going to do? How could she recharge it?
    The realization of how much she had grown to rely on her alien protectors in such a short time descended upon her. Would they be able to find her? Would they want to, even if they had time? They were scheduled to return to Calipi the following day and would not be able to get permission from the council to remain. Skylar stifled a tear. They would probably think she tried to escape them and had betrayed their trust. Would they believe her when she explained her stupidity? Both had strictly forbidden her to use any mind-operated devices until they had time to teach her to focus, and she had blatantly disobeyed them. That in itself had earned her serious punishment… if they ever found her. The thought of being bared across Tralec’s knee for a paddling was a welcome one in comparison to her present situation.
    Served her