Page 2 of Songbird (A Space Pearl’s Treat #1)
Three months later….
I knew he’d be waiting.
The idea of watching the aggravation cross my older brother’s face was the very reason I pressed the accelerator on my skiff, careening into the docking bay of the Ardeese Valout space station at a dangerous speed.
I waited until the last minute to apply the brake, the skiff jerking so violently it made my teeth clack together.
Praxxan was there. Standing on the upper platform watching my landing, arms crossed with a deep scowl on his face.
Yep, totally worth it.
Besides, I had a reputation to uphold.
Tarrick of House Asad.
Youngest brother of Siemba and Praxxan and … renowned playboy. Of course, that last bit was a ruse to cover my work with my eldest brothers spy ring—not that I didn’t enjoy the perks. And there were a lot of perks. Wealth, females, and the best the galaxy had to offer… especially information.
Of course, while my lifestyle hid a greater good… it could be lonely at times and despite his scowl, I looked forward to visiting my brother and his family.
Of course I’d never tell him that.
Praxxan stood waiting when I lowered the ramp of the skiff, his golden eyes and flowing yellow mane a gift from our mother’s genes.
My coloring was darker, like our father, brown eyes with more bronze and wave to my mane.
He stood a centimeter or so taller, but my brother didn’t possess my broad shoulders or defined musculature.
Of course, all that was hidden to most eyes by the thick cloak and padded jacket I always wore.
My ruse as a playboy included being so spoiled that I gorged myself on fine foods and wines and never trained.
Since he ran the Ardeese Valout space station with his mate Jala, there was no need for Praxxan to train other than a desire for physical fitness.
While I kept it hidden, being at my peak physically was often the difference between life and death.
Plus, my tail was longer… something I’d teased Praxxan about mercilessly during our youth.
Especially since folklore held that the length of a Stranac’s tail often indicated his degree of virility.
“You’re going to kill yourself someday,” my brother grunted at me. Despite the scowl, I noticed an upward twitch to his mouth.
“And wouldn’t you miss me,” I teased pulling him into a hug.
“I wouldn’t,” He groused, slapping me on the back before pulling away. “But Priemba might.”
“And how is the most wonderful youngling in all the universe?” My niece Priemba was the light of all our lives.
“She is well, as is her mother,” Praxxan promised with the grin of a proud father.
“And how is the restaurant business?”
Honestly, it was one of the reasons for my visit.
Several moon cycles back, Praxxan and Jala had assisted Jala’s brother Jutuk with the rescue of a human female—a chef named Pearl.
The outcome of that adventure had been my brother and sister-in-law sponsoring the start-up of a restaurant featuring the human female’s recipes.
Word traveled the galaxy extolling the deliciousness of what was being called human-alien fusion cuisine .
The restaurant, dubbed Space Pearls , proved a resounding success, so much so I knew my brother and his mate were working on opening locations on space stations across the known universe.
“Well,” my brother laughed, leading me away from the docking bay. “I hope you are hungry.”
“Famished,” I said honestly. My skiff didn’t possess much of a kitchen so the fare during my travels tended to be mostly protein bars.
Praxxan led me out of the docking back to the service tunnel that would take us to his and Jala’s penthouse.
“And how was your last mission?” he asked, as we walked through the empty corridor.
“Unsuccessful,” I admitted with a growl.
I—as well as most of my brother Siemba’s spies—had one current mission.
Find Ambassador Yaard of the Kerzak. The Interplanetary Alliance Council governing the universe had designated Yaard a wanted fugitive when his deeds in the assassination attempt on Duke Ako came to light.
Unfortunately, the brigand seemed to have vanished.
I’d chased rumors of his presence on six different planets, always coming up empty.
“We will find Yaard,” Praxxan laid a consoling hand on my shoulder. “The universe is large but not infinite.”
I grunted, although not convinced. “At least Siemba has had more success helping the Alliance rescue kidnapped humans.”
“Yes, we have been most successful in that endeavor.”
The pride on my brother’s face told me the answer to my next question, but I asked anyway.
“And the rumor that you have made the Ardeese Valout a safe haven for humans?”
“True.” The pride he wore swelled. “While the planet Tau Ceti is still the first choice for resettlement, now that the Alliance has given Earth and its people protectorate status, there are more options. We currently have three rescued human females working with us at Space Pearls and Jala is teaching another the operations of the space station.”
I took in the information with the slightest bit of trepidation.
Despite all my travels, my experience with humans—especially human females—was slight.
I knew them to be beautiful, fragile creatures, but under my ruse as a spoiled playboy, I’d always made myself appear disdainful of the species.
More than once, I’d had to turn down the sexual favors of a human female offered by unscrupulous slavers that considered them no more than livestock.
Thankfully, my tactic of pretending I thought human beneath my touch helped sell my refusal.
“We are not going to your apartments?” I asked, noticing Praxxan took the exit that would take us to level four.
“I thought you might want to visit the restaurant first,” he grinned. “A concoction called Chili is on the menu tonight and it is most delicious.”
“I could eat,” I admitted.
The restaurant occupied the space on level four where the grand dining room once stood.
The moniker Space Pearls was ablaze in light and the building’s facade awash with colors of green and blue that reminded me of the images I’d seen of Earth.
While I knew the dining space could easily accommodate over two hundred individuals, the line to enter the building stretched down the corridor.
Praxxan and I suffered no issue entering the restaurant. A simple nod from my brother toward the Bojovik guarding the door and we swept inside.
The interior was dimly lit, smoky and filled with scents that made my stomach rumble.
I caught another scent… something else… something not food—sweet, spicy, and decidedly feminine.
Most likely due to the number of females in the room.
Each table sat filled, patrons from all over the universe enjoying themselves as they delved into delicious looking dishes.
I caught the notice of a few females as Praxxan and I made our way across the room and returned their sultry gazes with my most charming smile.
I did have a reputation to uphold. And that reputation said that Tarrick of House Asad never spent the night alone.
Of course, my choice of feminine company tonight would be my sister-in-law Jala and niece Priemba, but no one needed to know that.
“We got here just in time,” Praxxan grinned, laying a hand on my shoulder and steering me toward the bar. “Izzy is about to sing.”
Izzy? I didn’t recognize the name. Probably some Framaddi entertainer as that species was well known to excel in the arts.
Praxxan and I took our seats at the end of the bar, seconds later finding ourselves nursing full glasses of valat thanks to the bartender.
I took a sip, enjoying the spicy, sweet taste of the wine while Praxxan ordered us a couple of bowls of the Chili concoction.
“You’re in for a treat.” My brother’s grin was almost impish as he settled back in his chair nodding toward the far end of the room.
She stood alone on the darkened stage, clad in a red silk gown that clung to her slender curves.
Hair, the color of golden sun, flowed over her shoulders like waves in a stream.
Her skin was pale, turned into the color of moonlight by stage lights that also added sparkling highlights to her deep brown eyes.
Then she opened her mouth.
And despite being the most beautiful female I had ever laid eyes one, the dulcet sounds coming from her lips were… more. Smooth, velvety tones that wrapped around my heart and tickled across my skin like a caress.
I was transfixed, unable to tear my eyes… and ears away from her. And in that moment, something that had never occurred once in my adult life... something I never expected to occur happened.
My tail tingled.
Fuck!