“I’ll take your word for it.” I sighed and sat down, picking up a handful of nuts. “I’m hoping he’ll let us meet soon because we’re practically neighbors.”
“I’m sure he will if she demands it.” Axel sat across from me and grabbed some of the fruit, placing it on a dish in front of both of us. “Before he returns, I want you to know that I asked Lyave if he knew of a mixologist who might be interested in teaching you for credits. He stated that his brother’s luwaeri enjoys researching mixed drinks, alcoholic beverages, and teas from all over the galaxy. She’s become reclusive since being injured by a pafeldae, and Lyave’s brother is concerned about her well-being.
“When we called them, she agreed. Before you entered the room, I was going over the list of items you needed with Lyave.”
“Really?” My mouth dropped open in surprise. “How did you manage to find someone so quickly?”
“Because of my position, I have contacts all over the galaxy.” His chest poofed up, as if he was pleased with himself for using his resources to surprise me. “I figured I’d start close to the planet and work my way out. Sutol lives on the other side of the planet, making it difficult for you to travel there, but she is willing to work virtually. I’ll pay her for your lessons, and Lyave will provide you with the materials.”
“What will happen when you are called elsewhere?”
“She will continue to teach you,” he said, expanding his emerald mohawk. “I will have to make sure I always have a supplier wherever we go, or pack up enough supplies before we leave until I can find replacements. My vessel’s storage system is capable of preserving perishables for extended periods of time.”
“That’s it, huh?”
A loud ding rang through the room, echoing along the walls, as the projection came to life once more, this time with Lyave sitting on the ledge of a large indoor pool, with Soraya in the water, leaning against the ledge in a shell bikini, giving her the appearance of a mermaid.
“Ariel, is that you?” I teased, shoving a handful of nuts into my mouth.
“Don’t ‘Ariel’ me, Miss Queen,” Soraya joked, splashing me with a small wave. “I was relaxing in this warm pool when Lyave said my friend was inquiring about me.”
“I didn’t want to take their words for granted, and I wanted to hear from your mouth that you were okay before I let Axel off the hook.”
“I don’t quite understand what a luwaeri is or everything a hometree is capable of, but other than that, I am doing perfectly fine for someone who just survived their ship being attacked and then crashed landed on a planet. We were just taught that aliens existed and that we were not alone in the universe.”
“You’re right,” I said as I looked up at Axel, who was sitting across from me. Maybe it was the way the sunlight was streaming through the window-walls, but something about him had changed—he was suddenly very attractive. “We are no longer alone.”
8
Ixik’tryl
“I need to talk to Sar-Rah.”
“What business do you have with my mate?” Carth’aiq demanded, gripping his chair’s arms.
The golden-haired female sat on his lap, dressed in a revealing blue gown, her legs draped across him, her feet dangling over the edge of the chair.
“Let the birdman speak, Carth-Eek.” As she pressed her hand against his chest, a ring of laughter echoed within the confines of my office. “Not everyone hailing our vessel has a business relationship with you.”
“I’m the ship’s captain.” He growled, his hot gaze fixed on her as he wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her closer to his chest. “So if he wants anything related toyou, he has to go throughme.”
“You can join Loki in the storage bay if you want to play that game with me.” She cupped his cheek and tilted his face, giving him the wildest grin with glinting eyes I’d ever seen. “I thought we were ateam, dear.”
The Chusezri scout was covered in a coat of thick fur marbled in shades of brown and black. His heavy mane had grown thicker since he’d been mated, and the braids and beads in various shades of blue had been added recently.
Mating somehow had made him fiercer… which made sense, since humans were a fragile species when it came to natural defenses, and he needed to make sure he could protect her from the nefarious forces in the universe.
“Fine.” He huffed, and pulled his head away from her hand, turning to shoot a glare my way. “What can we do for you?”
“I need your assistance with a human escape pod that has crash-landed on X’thyrl—”
“That is the planet where your villa is located.” Carth’aiq frowned, his brow furrowed. “Did anyone tell you about its crash course before it hit? Why are we being hailed for assistance now?”
“I did receive warnings about it, but I read them too late.” I ruffled my feathers in annoyance at how the situation played out that day. “However, because I was on vacation, I ignored the hail and spent the day swimming in my private pool.”
“So, why do you need us?”
“Carth’aiq, I need you to assemble an excavation team to gather their escape pod,” I informed the scout, then turned my attention to his mate. “And I need Sah-Rah to speak with the female humans to make sure that they want to stay planetside, and offer to take them to my brother’s sanctuary. They will also require any necessities that cannot be easily created or replicated, which I am hoping you can assist with.”
