Page 4 of Survivor (A Space Pearl’s Treat #2)
Vraxxan
The human female was not at all what I expected.
She was.... beautiful.
I’d only ever seen humans on holo images. While I’d considered some of them attractive, no female I’d ever beheld—human or otherwise—compared to her.
She was diminutive and slender, almost appearing delicate, yet there was an undeniable aura of determination etched into her expression that lent her an unexpected strength.
She had piled her dark red hair atop her head, but rebellious waves cascaded around her face, defying any attempt at control.
Her eyes were an intriguing blend of hues—a gentle brown that seamlessly transitioned into the palest shade of green, interspersed with shimmering streaks of gold that caught the light.
Her face was elegantly heart-shaped, with high, prominent cheekbones and full, inviting lips that completed her captivating visage.
Something in my chest shifted, my heart taking on an erratic beat as though the organ didn’t know how to behave around her.
I felt strange in her presence, protective, but something else, something deeper that I couldn’t rightly name.
I drew in a deep breath, steeling myself for the sickeningly sweet human scent that made my kind ill, determined not to vomit in front of her.
When her fragrance hit my nostrils, it was.
.. surprising. She smelled sweet but with a hint of something spicy and musky that made her aroma pleasant.
I drew in another deep breath. More than pleasant, she smelled downright delicious.
The gold in her eyes had deepened when I first walked into the restaurant, and the way she gazed at me caused my cock to twitch within the confines of my leather britches. But now that I had spoken, her gaze turned wary, and a faint acridness clouded her scent. The scent of fear. I did not like it.
“What... what do you mean, you’re here for me?” She shifted her stance, muscles tensing as though preparing to bolt at any moment.
“My name is Vraxxan,” I said, using the same tone I would employ for a skittish beast. “I am here to protect you.”
“Protect me?” she snorted, finding the concept amusing.
Strange. As the lone human female on the Hanze Erreinua, I could not believe she was without protection. Granted, most of the species that called the space station home were peace-loving. Still, a lone human was not safe anywhere in the universe.
I took a deep breath, keeping my voice low and calm. My words would be frightening enough. I did not want my presence to be so. “I am here because one of my kind travels here to abduct you. I have alerted the Alliance, but it is no longer safe for you to remain on the space station.”
“No longer safe,” she repeated, snorting again, this time with a laugh at the end. “How can I not be safe? There are a dozen guards outside the restaurant.”
“Guards?” A chill of foreboding crept over my spine, making my scales twitch. “There were no guards outside the restaurant.”
Her eyes flashed wide for a moment before she composed herself. “Vaktaire and Aljani warriors are guarding both the front and rear entrances.”
I shook my head slowly, noticing the acridness of her scent increasing. “I saw no Vaktaire or Aljani males when I arrived.” I’d noticed plenty of Verdesians, Romvesians, Osrakut and Ilyiakikts, but no warrior species save a lone Kaelaks in the space dock.
Confusion blanched her pale face further. “I don’t understand....”
The sounds of entry from the rear of the building reached my ears, and I tensed, readying myself as an Aljani guard rushed into the dining room.
“Lady, we must leave. There has been an incident.”
The female jolted at the sound of his voice, her gaze whipping between me and him.
The male appeared a little disheveled, as though he had been in a recent fracas.
His pale hair was in disarray, and the buttons on his tunic were askew as though done up quickly.
That wasn’t what caught my attention. When he stepped closer, coming under the glare of a low hanging light, I noticed a subtle rippling reflecting the light from his skin—like scales existed under the smooth flesh.
Which they did.
“Don’t move.” I hissed to the female. “And do not let him touch you.”
Her lovely face flashed with aggravation, but she held her ground. The way she studied the Aljani told me she, too, noticed something off. She just didn’t have the experience to recognize what.
“Hello, Seibring.”
At my words, a broad smile spread across the Ajani’s face, his lips curving upwards with a mischievous glint.
His skin began to ripple and morph, like water disturbed by a gentle breeze, eliciting a faint sound of surprise from the human female.
She watched the rest of his transformation in stunned silence, her eyes wide with disbelief.
It took only a brief moment, yet felt as if time had slowed.
The scales on his face and arms shifted first, flickering from a shimmering light to a deep, onyx hue.
The white hair atop his head quivered as if caught in an unseen wind before retracting into his skull with a slurping sound as though one were eating noodles.
The color deepened to a rich black, settling into a sleek, singular stripe that ran along the center of his head.
Only his clothes remained unchanged, and I felt my heart constrict, knowing there was some poor Aljani who suffered the indignity of being stripped after death.
“Hello, Cousin,” Seibring drawled. The tip of his long gray tongue probed the tips of his elongated, canines as if to make sure they were still there. “I did not expect to see you here.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the human female gradually moving closer to me.
Her steps were deliberate and unhurried, each one a careful decision.
Her eyes remained fixed on Seibring, not wavering for a second.
Knowing she sought refuge by my side filled me with an unexpected and peculiar sense of pride.
My cousin’s eyes shifted so subtly that I don’t think the human noticed, and a flash of displeasure crossed his face.
“Are you trying to play hero, Cousin?” Seibring leaned against the long wooden bar, idly making one of the stools spin with a flick of his hand.
“I will not let you harm the human female,” I declared, my voice firm as I bared my own sharp fangs.
Despite my training as a warrior, I was no match for Seibring.
His ability to shift his scales allowed him to transform himself for battle—growing larger, stronger, and infinitely more deadly.
Yet, this confrontation was not about triumphing over him.
It was about ensuring the safety of the human female.
I was determined to keep my cousin occupied, providing her the precious time needed to escape.
If it meant sacrificing my life, I deemed it a worthy price to pay.
The female stood closer to me now, the warmth of her body radiating like a gentle hearth, and her scent enveloped me like a comforting cocoon. The faint aroma of sweetness, spice, and something uniquely her filled the sterile air. An utterly delectable scent.
“You must get to the dock,” I hissed urgently, each word heavy with the gravity of the situation.
“Get off the space station and send a distress call to the Alliance. They will protect you.” I cast a quick glance at my cousin, who lounged against the bar with an air of insouciance.
“I will buy you the necessary time to escape.”
The female’s eyes widened in realization, her pupils expanding as she absorbed the full weight of my words, recognizing the sacrifice I was willing to make for her.
Her expression shifted from worry to a mix of disbelief and gratitude while her full pink lips formed the word no, which escaped only in a breath.
“You know I could make this quick and easy,” Seibring drawled, his voice dripping with menace as he whipped out a small, gleaming blaster from his side.
The metallic sheen caught the dim light, casting a brief glint across the room.
It was surprising to see him holding the weapon.
Zarpazians considered themselves true warriors, choosing the honor of fighting by blade.
“But where would be the fun in that?” With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed the blaster onto a nearby table, the sound echoing ominously in the tense silence.
“I’ve wanted to kill you for a long time, Cousin.
It will be far more satisfying to do it with my hands. ”
His jet-black eyes locked onto the female, a predatory gleam dancing within their depths. “Run, little human,” he taunted, a sinister smile curling his lips. “Chasing you will be fun.”
I adjusted my scales, arranging them to stand on edge like a forest of razor-sharp blades, a transformation allowed to even the most unworthy. “Go,” I hissed at the human, my voice low.
With a last worried glance at Seibring, she stumbled away. I waited in tense anticipation until the soft echo of her footsteps faded. Only then did I launch myself at my cousin, every muscle coiled and ready for attack.
Diarvet ensured my ship had ample supplies and had also provided an impressive array of weapons.
As I surged forward, my hand instinctively grasped the hilt of the long, sharp blade nestled in the sheath at my side.
With a swift, fluid motion, I drew it free and swiped at Seibring.
The moment the blade sliced through the air, I caught the flash of surprise in his eyes, clearly caught off guard by my unexpected assault.
“You've been training, Cousin,” he chuckled.
He countered with a swipe of his hand. Though he held no traditional weapon, Seibring possessed the ability to elongate the small, razor-sharp claws each Zarpazian bore turning them into formidable daggers.
I narrowly evaded the attack, feeling a rush of wind as his claws passed dangerously close to my throat.