Page 9 of Songbird (A Space Pearl’s Treat #1)
I paced restlessly outside Space Pearls , my eyes flickering to the door every few seconds, eagerly awaiting Izzy’s arrival.
We’d decided earlier that Izzy and I would go on something she called a dinner date , a way to solidify our bond in the minds of those around us.
From where I stood, I could hear the moans of displeasure coming from patrons as they found out Izzy would not sing tonight.
For a moment, I felt guilty about allowing Jala to cancel the performance, but Praxxan convinced me otherwise.
My brother was right. If I truly saw Izzy as my mate, I would insist upon spending time with her over any other form of distraction.
My mind was so consumed with thoughts of Izzy that I barely avoided colliding with a Verdesian couple, holding hands and dressed in colorful robes as they headed toward the restaurant.
I mumbled a half-hearted apology, too focused on the night ahead to care for much else.
I hadn’t been this nervous since facing my first warrior trials as a youngling.
The line for Space Pearls grew as it neared the dinner hour, and I relocated to a nearby storefront where my pacing and crazily swiping tail wouldn’t be a danger to anyone.
After a few steps, I glanced up, catching sight of myself in the reflection of a store window.
My stomach turned at the sight of the leather jacket adorning my frame.
It was an expensive piece, of course, in keeping with my ruse as a wealthy playboy.
What I hated was the padding, which made me look soft and paunchy and hid my lean, muscular frame.
I longed for Izzy to see me as I truly was—a warrior who could and would protect her.
As if simply thinking her name sent a spell of conjuring through the universe, Izzy stepped through the restaurant’s door.
She took my breath away.
This had to be the green dress Priemba admired.
The silk fabric shimmered emerald in the dimming evening light, clinging to her every curve.
Izzy wore her hair loose, the golden strands floating about her shoulders in a riot of waves.
I stepped forward, catching the moment she noticed my approach with a widening of her bright blue eyes and soft smile.
My fucking tail lost its mind. Filled with an uncontrollable energy, it swiped back and forth in a frantic frenzy.
I gritted my teeth and exerted some semblance of control over the errant appendage, tucking it close to my thigh.
The urge to let it loose was almost overwhelming, like a wild animal resisting a cage.
I made it to her side in a few steps, nodding my head in greeting as words... and breath seemed to leave me. Gods and goddess, she was so beautiful.
“Hi!” Izzy offered, her smile brightening. But the hand she lifted to give me an adorable wave trembled slightly. Could it be possible she felt nervous, too?
“You look beautiful.” I noticed the interested glances of patrons standing in line to enter Space Pearls and others milling about the street. I should have shouted to further our ruse, but I kept my voice low, wanting my words only for her ears.
“Thank you.” Izzy’s face flushed with color, and her gaze darkened as it swept over me. “You look pretty good yourself.”
“Shall we go?” I offered my arm, feeling a surge of pride as her hand came to rest in the crook of my elbow. She smelled sweet, like those cakes Priemba fancied, but with a spicy undertone that made my blood heat.
As we strolled away from the restaurant, a sense of contentment washed over me.
Her presence by my side, her arm linked with mine, felt as effortless and natural as breathing.
Treating her as my mate would require no acting or false pretenses.
It was simply how she deserved to be treated.
.. how I wanted to treat her. The streetlights cast a romantic glow upon our path, and the soft sound of our footsteps mingled with the distant hum of space station life.
The night was alive with possibility, and I couldn’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else in the universe but right here, with her.
“So, where are we going tonight?” Izzy asked as we strode along the corridor.
“I thought we’d have dinner at Nebula ,” I said, the word itself sounding like a distant galaxy, and watched Izzy’s eyes widen in surprise.
The restaurant was situated in the upper tier of the space station, accessible only to those with exclusive invitations or high status.
With a glass ceiling, twinkling stars and colorful quarks that seemed close enough to touch, the restaurant imparted the sensation that patrons dined amongst the cosmos themselves.
“I’m impressed,” Izzy said on the heels of a laugh.
“The food at Nebula isn’t as good as Space Pearl’s , in my opinion, but it’s a very romantic setting, and our dining together there will cause much speculation.
” I led her past the lift tube that would have delivered us to Nebula in seconds, instead choosing the pathway that would do a loop around our current level before gradually ascending.
“This direction will take us by a known Berajbe haunt.”
“It’s all about being seen together,” Izzy sighed in resignation.
“Yes,” I agreed. I couldn’t take my eyes off her and quickly noticed that no one else seemed to be able to, either.
As the day drew to a close, the bustling corridor thinned somewhat, still teeming with creatures making their way home after a long day’s work or heading out for some evening entertainment.
The air was thick with the tantalizing aroma of food from nearby restaurants, highlighted every now and again by the whiff of perfume from the beings that passed us by.
The dull roar of conversations and footsteps echoed, creating a soundtrack to the chaotic energy of the crowd.
Each step brought a fresh sight or sound—the flash of colorful advertisements, the clanging of street performers’ instruments, the occasional burst of laughter or argument.
It was a vibrant world within these walls, filled with life and movement.
Izzy noticed the stares from those we passed, her cheeks taking on a fetching pink hue.
Most of the glances held surprised curiosity.
Jala was right. My reputation as a playboy preceded me.
But amidst the curious and judgmental, there were some that held a softer gaze, filled with wonder and pleasure at the outward indication that my wayward days were over and perhaps I had finally found a mate.
“So, tell me about the Berajbe.” Izzy’s eyes darted to and fro as if trying to ferret them out from the crowd.
I gently placed my hand over the delicate fingers she had tucked at my elbow.
Her skin felt like velvet, radiating a comforting warmth that seeped into my own.
The minuscule hairs on the back of her hand tickled my palm, and I couldn’t help but imagine a faint electrical response to our touch.
It was as if an invisible current flowed between us, connecting us in a way that defied explanation.
My heart fluttered at the thought, and my tail.
.. after tonight, I might have to cut the damn thing off.
“The Berajbe are a species from the Gliese system,” I said as I pulled her toward the inner railing where our conversation would be more difficult to overhear.
“Most are small and slender with pale lavender skin, small eyes, but very large ears. They are not warriors, nor is their technology up to par with the rest of the universe, but their ability to obtain and spread information is unmatched.”
“So, Jala was right. They’re a big bunch of gossips?” Izzy teased with a wry smile.
I laughed heartily, the sound drawing a gasp from an elderly Aljani female who had us in her sights.
“It’s more than just gossip. The information they control can destroy planets.”
“Goodness,” Izzy breathed, her eyes going wide.
“The Berajbe settlement here is only a small part of the greater whole. Their network spreads throughout the universe, in the court of every ruler, within every sector of government,” I explained.
“Better than Facebook,” Izzy mumbled with a twist of her perfect, full, rosy lips. While I would admit to being intrigued about a book made from a face, the sight of her luscious mouth took my mind in a completely different direction.
If she were another Stranac, our tails would knot together, only unraveling once we consummated our mating.
Izzy was human, and despite my eldest brother’s mating with a human female, I had no idea how to proceed.
“Since you have been in a similar situation before, as facial hair, what do we do? Just walk along and nuzzle?” I’d like to nuzzle her.
I’d like to nuzzle her a lot. I’d even decided that I might like to try the Earth gesture of affection known as kissing.
My brother Siemba and his human mate Dixa did it a lot, although the first time I saw them, I thought Siemba was trying to eat her face.
“Facial hair.” Izzy’s laugh was bright, albeit a little nervous. “Why don’t we just get to know each other a little bit before we start with the nuzzling?”