Page 26 of Songbird (A Space Pearl’s Treat #1)
Aliens didn’t celebrate Christmas. Instead, they had a gathering known as Dathliad , which took place a few times a year. Families would come together and indulge in an extravagant feast and eat like starving beasts. But hey, us Earth girls would take what we could get.
We congregated at Jala and Praxxan’s apartment.
Siemba, Praxxan, and Tarrick, their resemblance undeniable, with matching golden pelts and leonine features.
Only the hints of gray sprinkled throughout Siemba’s mane revealed him as eldest of the siblings.
And then there was Jala’s brother Jutuk, a Vaktaire with broad shoulders and his sister’s startling golden and cobalt blue eyes.
Of course, his mate Pearl was also present, making my stomach grumble in anticipation of her delicious cooking.
While the males followed Jala to the kitchen, no doubt eager to sample the upcoming feast as well, we females reclined in the living room, sipping exotic alien aperitifs, the sweet, fizzy flavor dancing on my tongue.
As with every time humans got together, the talk invariably turned to, “So, how were you abducted?”
“I was just a plain old abductee. Not a treasure like you two.” Pearl laughed.
She sat at the end of the furred sofa, her dark hair curling about her shoulders.
Her hand laid on her stomach, not quite protectively, but enough that I noticed a slight roundness.
I didn’t mention it. She might be pregnant, but she also might be a chef who enjoyed sampling the cooking. I didn’t want to risk a faux pas.
Treasures were people abducted specifically and not just the first one I can get my hands on technique many alien slavers employed. Praxxan learned from his interrogation of Kayzon’s guards that he’d seen me sing on a bootlegged Earth video, became obsessed, and had me abducted.
“You were a treasure, too?” I asked Dixa, Seimba’s mate, who sat in a nearby chair.
Certainly, she was beautiful enough to be considered a treasure.
Still, from what I’d learned, usually only celebrities, actors and musicians, suffered the fixation and subsequent abduction by alien collectors.
I’d heard Elvis was alive and well somewhere in the cosmos.
Pearl cleared her throat, a sound that was more laugh than anything, and leaned toward where I sat on the other end of the sofa, though her voice was far from a whisper. “Dixa was known by another name on Earth.” She cut her gaze to the lady in question, her smile broadening. “Marilyn Monroe.”
Holy shit!
Now that Pearl mentioned it, I noticed Dixa’s resemblance to the legendary screen goddess. But there was no sign of the tragic actress in the happy, contended woman sitting before me.
“Oh, my God. I’m so sorry. I didn’t recognize....”
Laughing, Dixa held up her hand, stopping my verbal vomit of apology. “Oh, honey, don’t worry about it. It’s not who I am anymore. Not at all.”
I knew exactly what she meant. I was different, too.
I was no longer the woman who used to take the stage with a heavy heart, feeling like an imposter and singing songs not for joy but purely for profit.
Now, every note that escaped my lips was a genuine expression of my soul, a reflection of the boundless happiness and deep love I found with Tarrick.
I wouldn’t go back to my old life if they paid me.
“Anybody hungry?” Jala swept in from the kitchen, carrying a tray and swatting at the hands of the males hovering around her, trying to snatch a bite.
All three Asad brothers were striking examples of what it meant to be male, but Tarrick was, at least to me, a cut above.
After the battle with Kayzon, he’d shed his loose-fitting robes and padded jackets for the more form-fitting leather garments preferred by his brothers.
The material hugged his body, emphasizing every muscle, adding to his already impressive presence—a vision of strength and power.
He was a truly gorgeous specimen of maleness. And mine, all mine.
“You really don’t think what happened with Kayzon will hinder Tarrick’s work as an operative?” Jutuk, Pearl’s mate, sat beside her, cradling the appetizer he’d snagged, which suspiciously resembled pigs in a blanket.
“On the contrary.” Siemba juggled his own handful of meat and bread as he sat on the arm of Dixa’s chair. “I think it will serve to make Tarrick even more effective.”
“There’s no better story than a former playboy who changed his life for the woman he loves,” Pearl grinned at me, raising her glass of fizzy pink something in a toast.
“Hear, hear.” Dixa agreed.
As for myself, I only smiled, knowing the truth of that statement, and raised a glass.
Siemba took a bite of the appetizer, frowned for a minute, and then shoved the whole thing into his mouth. “I’ve already arranged for Izzy to go on tour singing. It will be the perfect cover,” he announced after a swallow.
Tarrick sank onto the sofa next to me, his arm going around my shoulders as his other hand juggled a mug of Verdesian ale. “Already, the upcoming concert series has gained us access to several places previously off limits... even to my playboy persona.”
“Is that safe? There are still a lot of places where being a human is very dangerous,” Jutuk worried. He was so sweet to Pearl, making sure she was comfortable and feeding her bites of food. The way he treated her made me think my speculation that Pearl might be pregnant was correct.
Babies!
Priemba and her cousins played, rushing around the apartment, laughing and happy.
Dixa and Siemba proved I was compatible with Tarrick, and their two boys showed what adorable beings the mix of humans and Stranac produced.
I couldn’t wait to have a baby with Tarrick, but we had all the time in the world for that. Now was the time for adventure.
“I’ve been training with Tarrick for over a month now, learning self-defense techniques and how to handle a blade,” I said in answer to Jutuk’s concern with a broad wink. “If I’m going to join my mate in the spy game, I need to be able to handle myself.”
“Plus, I’m sending a security detail of warriors with them disguised as something Izzy calls roadies ,” Seimba said and added slightly under his breath. “Whatever the hell that is.”
“Well, as long as you promise to sing at the opening of the new Space Pearls location,” Pearl reminded me.
“You got it. It will give me a chance to visit with Lucy. She’s so excited about running the new restaurant for you.
” The new Space Pearls was located on a human-friendly space station in the Thirvakka system.
While one of the Framaddi Pearl trained would act as a chef, they pegged Lucy to manage the venture, and she was beyond excited for the opportunity.
“Izzy!” Priemba burst into the room, followed by Dillon and Braydon in a rush of cuteness.
“Priemba, remember what I told you about interrupting grown-ups,” Jala scolded lightly, but I lost myself, captivated by the spark dancing in the little girl’s golden eyes.
“Sing for us, Izzy!” A deep yellow mane danced around her head as she practically vibrated in excitement. “Dillon and Braydon want to hear you, too.”
I glanced helplessly around the room, unsure how to refuse, or even if I should.
“Go ahead,” Praxxan chuckled, soothing his mate’s aggravation with a hug. “It’s not like we wouldn’t ask you ourselves later.”
Tarrick’s laughter echoed throughout the room as Priemba grabbed my hand and dragged me to my feet.
She led me over to an instrument in the corner, resembling a baby grand piano but with a unique mix of keys and strings.
It had been a learning curve, but over the past month, I’d become rather adept at the alien version of a piano.
“Do you want to sing with me?” I suggested to Priemba as I ran my hand over the keys. The instrument emitted a unique sound, a blend of melodic piano notes and twangy guitar strums with a hint of the soulful wail of a clarinet woven in.
“Can I?” The golden eyes sparkled with excitement.
While Tarrick and I lingered on the space station, waiting for the dust to settle, I’d been giving Priemba singing lessons. Her voice was youthful and carried a rich alto tone, different from my own but equally pleasant.
“What song?” Priemba practically vibrated with excitement as the two boys, Dillion and Brayden, settled at her feet.
I let my answer come in the form of a melody, watching as Priemba’s face morphed with pleasure.
Of course, this was the first song I’d taught her. It was the first song my grandpa taught me. The song I sang, holding his hand as he drew his last breath. A song so special that I never consented to perform it publicly, keeping it solely for those I loved with all my heart.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There’s a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby
The harmonies of our voices mingled together, accompanied by the ethereal melodies of the alien piano.
The notes flowed through the room like a gentle kiss, filling every corner with soothing vibrations.
One by one, everyone gravitated towards the piano, creating a cluster around it, each face emitting pure delight at the performance.
Tarrick stood by my side, beaming with affection as his dark eyes met mine, his gentle touch tracing along my spine in a loving caress as I sang.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true
I let my voice soar, reveling in the love of my mate and my newfound family. I might have had to go a little farther than over the rainbow and fly a little higher than the bluebirds, but my dreams really had come true.