Page 8 of Survivor (A Space Pearl’s Treat #2)

Vraxxan

Space was notoriously quiet. Only the hum of the engines and the soft rasp of Lucy’s breathing filled the void.

I stood over when she lay curled on the upholstered bench, her dark red hair splayed about her face in a charming disarray.

She’d fallen asleep telling me about her favorite book.

Too bad. I could listen to her soft, husky voice for hours.

Not only that, but I was also quite curious about what happened next to the Pevensie children.

Perhaps she would continue the story when she awakened, although I was not in a hurry for that to happen.

She needed rest. The faint purple smudges under her eyes attested to that.

Lucy was an attractive female, but even more so when she slept, her features softened and peaceful.

Her long lashes rested gently on her cheeks, and her lips curved slightly in a dreamy smile.

In slumber, she appeared innocent and youthful, untouched by the ills of the universe.

Yet, I’d noticed the undeniable strength within her—a steel backbone forged of fire. I saw it firsthand when she stood against Seibring, as brave as any warrior I ever knew.

There was so much more to Lucy than her delicate outer shell. She seemed a complex fabric woven with countless threads, each representing a different intriguing layer. I felt drawn to her, eager to uncover these layers one by one.

I had never really contemplated females except during occasional nights of fleeting pleasure in which I indulged.

As the crown prince of Zarpazia, my future union was destined to be a strategic alliance, a carefully orchestrated political match.

The chosen female would hail from the warriors of our race.

One who could bear an heir with the same force of will as my mother and brother Vreses. A child who could shift their scales.

Sighing in resignation at thoughts of my bleak future, I pulled a blanket from an overhead compartment, draping the soft fabric over Lucy’s sleeping form.

As the soft fabric settled over her body, she gave an adorable little shimmy, a faint smile teasing her lips, even though she remained deep in slumber.

Her presence stirred something within me.

.. a strange, exhilarating sensation that made me feel vibrantly alive, accompanied by another indescribable feeling that caused my heart to stutter wildly, as well as making my cock twitch.

With a heavy sigh, I turned away from Lucy’s appealing form.

I could not allow myself to ponder the possibilities.

While my mother reigned as Queen, to keep the company of a human would be to sentence her to death.

I moved back to the cockpit with slow steps, stretching and feeling my scales shift and backbone pop.

The muscles across my chest pulled, causing a twinge of pain where the wound dissected my flesh.

Not much, though. Zarpazians healed quickly.

My fingers moved over the soft bandage, not yet ready to remove it for the simple fact that Lucy’s hand placed there it.

I drew a deep breath, trying to steady myself from the effect she had on me, yet her scent had permeated the air.

Sweet, but with a subtle hint of spice that made it enticing, not the cloying scent abhorrent to most of my kind.

Settling in the pilot’s chair, my fingers ran over the control panel, checking our navigational heading and wondering for the hundredth time if I was doing the right thing.

I hadn’t seen Vysar in years, not since my mother exiled him.

He was a good male, a male of excellent character and morals, but that was years ago when childhood adoration swayed my opinion.

He could be different now—if he remained alive.

The planet of Vysar’s exile was perfect for my intentions.

It was well out of the range of travel routes, mostly jungle, with the few hundred natives that inhabited the planet, barely sentient.

The perfect place to keep Lucy sequestered until the Alliance could deal with my mother.

I held no misconceptions. Dealing with my mother would be a bloody business. She would not relinquish the throne easily. The further I could keep Lucy from the fray, the better. Protecting that tiny human female had suddenly become the most important thing in the universe to me.

Reaching into my britches pocket, I pulled out a tiny comm device.

It was a flat metallic square, left for me by Diarvet, designed to function beyond the reach of Zarpazian communication signals.

Carefully, I placed my thumb on one side and pressed gently.

A single pulse emanated from the device, a silent message sent across the vastness of space, letting my cousin know I was ready to talk.

A few minutes later, the comm vibrated in my grip, sending a tingling sensation through my fingertips. I gave it a firm squeeze, and a sharp blast of static erupted from the device, crackling like distant thunder. A faint whisper followed the noise, barely discernible.

“Cousin?”

“I’m here,” I said, recognizing Diarvet’s voice.

“Thank the goddess,” he breathed in relief. “Seibring is claiming that he gave you a fatal blow.”

I snorted, a mix of amusement and disgust. “He cut me with his claws, but I am far from deceased.” I chuckled and added. “Did he tell you what the human female did to him?”

“The human female?” I heard the confusion in my cousin’s voice. “He did not mention her, only to say a guard incapacitated him with a laser blast and foiled his abduction attempt.”

Seibring was such a liar. Like my brother Vreses, he was not a male of integrity or honor. With great relish, I relayed the true, unfiltered version of events.

I had not heard Diarvet laugh this gleefully since he we were younglings.

“You are safe now, with the female?” He said after composing himself, although his voice held the tremor of amusement.

“Yes,” I said although unsure of how long it would last.

“The queen is furious at your betrayal,” my cousin said with a heavy sigh. “She has put a bounty on your head—one million credits to any Zarpazian warrior who brings you in dead or alive.”

“I’m impressed by the amount.” Of course, my mother was paying for the right of vengeance for Vreses, not for any worth she attached to my life.

“Sebring will be relentless. Not only to earn the reward, but to keep his lies from being uncovered. The shame of being bested by a female will not be one he wants to bear.”

“When is he not?” I snorted.

“You should have killed him when you had the chance,” Diarvet told me in a scolding tone.

“Perhaps,” I mulled the decision. “Did you forget he is my kin as well as you?” I opted for the easy excuse.

The truth was that I didn’t kill Seibring, not because I was vehemently against the idea of cold-blooded murder.

If anybody in the universe deserved to die—it was Seibring.

The real reason was that I couldn’t bear the thought of Lucy witnessing me commit such an act.

An act that would show me to be no different from my brother.

“Yeah, but I’m from the good side of the family,” Diarvet quipped teasingly. “The less murderous one.” He grew silent, and when he spoke again, his tone was somber. “Be careful, not just for her sake, but for yours as well.”

“I will.” I lifted my hand to my chest and placed my palm against my heart in a vow no one could see. “I have a planet in mind where we should be safe.”

“Don’t tell me your destination,” Diarvet insisted, leaving the rest unsaid. I didn’t need the words to know should my mother discover he had helped me; his torture would be severe.

I spoke solely in support of Diarvet’s safety. “To be safe, Cousin, I think we should suspend all communication until the Alliance has intervened.”

“About that,” Diarvet hemmed, causing a fissure of concern to shoot down my spine.

“What?”

The deep, weary sigh that escaped from my cousin’s lips sent a shiver of apprehension through me as if it carried the weight of a gathering storm.

“I was reporting for duty in the throne room when I heard your mother speaking to someone from the Alliance council. From the tone of their words, I suspect that she may have allies in the Alliance who support her ambitions.”

“Fuck.” The word teased my tongue. I had found it often during my Earth research, a favored curse of the planet and one Lucy seemed to prefer as well.

My mother’s ambitions were domination and bloodshed. She envisioned conquest, seizing power through force and fear. If someone from the Alliance lent their support for her endeavors... the very thought sent a chill down my spine.

“I think we should assume that someone intercepted your message to the Alliance,” Diarvet suggested, his voice steady yet tinged with concern.

“Without Alliance help I cannot keep Lucy safe in the long run,” I worried aloud, my mind racing with grim possibilities.

She would be condemned to live a life of perpetual flight and danger.

Lucy did not deserve that. Not to mention, the thought of her constantly hunted by my mother and Seibring caused a rolling knot deep in my gut.

Diarvet paused, his voice thoughtful as he weighed the options. “I believe you should try contacting Chieftain Khaion of the Bardaga or Duke Ako. They are honorable men, untouched by corruption. They will be able to reach the Alliance Prime with your news.”

“Good idea,” I said, nodding to myself. I had heard much of both males. Both warriors were known for their sense of justice, fairness, and determination to protect and treat humans equally. “I am sorry for any danger this puts you in, Cousin.”

“Sometimes doing the right thing is worth the danger,” he replied, voice unwavering. “Be safe, Cousin.”

“You as well,” I told him. Diarvet was connected to me by the bonds of family, but beyond the ties of ancestry, he was my friend.

When the comm ended, I snapped the small metal unit in half, the sharp crack echoing in the air.

The act shattered not only our line of communication with my cousin and the Alliance but also eliminated the more important threat of my mother using it to track us.

Worry gnawed at me for Diarvet’s safety.

Uncovering his betrayal would cause Mother to unleash Seibring on him, and Seibring would show no mercy.

Perhaps I should have killed him when I had the chance.

Utilizing the ship’s communication system, I dispatched two encrypted messages, one to Chieftain Khaion and the other to Duke Ako.

Although I refrained from disclosing my exact destination, I conveyed the details of my mother’s intentions.

I assured them Lucy was safe and would remain under my protection until such a time when the Zarpazian queen no longer presented a danger.

Without a way to pinpoint Khaion and Ako’s location among the stars, the messages would have to travel through channels, meaning it might take rotations, or possibly even cycles, to traverse the cosmic expanse and reach them.

I would be on my own... with Lucy. The thought of having her all to myself sent a thrilling rush of excitement coursing through my veins, yet a substantial wave of fear balanced it.

Her entire life, her every breath and heartbeat, would rest solely in my hands—a responsibility I embraced with the utmost dedication.

I would do anything and everything in my power to keep her safe.