Venomous: Erotic Science Fiction Romance (Alien Warrior Book 1) (40 page)

Held up by crystal columns crafted into archways, the octagonal plaza had an outer facade overgrown in blue creepers.

Inside the arched piers were four merchant plots apiece, the pattern repeated on the mezzanine that was reached by a floating corkscrew stair with wide, shallow steps and no handrail.

Venomous clasped my hand and led the way, Fiercely sauntering up behind us.

Yellow and blue plant life grew from clay pots brushed with a rose-pink glaze.

The manicured topiaries attracted chirping birds with singing wings.

Springing forth from a floor of quartz and stone sanded smooth was a sculpture of intertwined animals native to Rök.

A raptor with its wings spread in flight, an ursine predator pushing through tall grass, and a breaching leviathan were hewn from polished feldspar.

It radiated its bluish lustre as the mouth of the river monster spewed rainbow water.

The glistening surge reached beyond the upper level, and cooled the sweltering air, shifting its aromatic, cacao scent to a crisp, resinous one.

Rä motifs of four upturned hands and three sided faces signifying the gender triad were engraved into the fountain edging.

Instead of cascading into a walled basin, the water flowed across the terrazzo wetting the feet of passersby.

Giggling, an a’Rä youngling, no higher than my hip, kicked up its teeny clawed feet to splatter droplets over its mother’s robes.

She picked the tot up, plonked it on her hip then marched off scolding it all the while.

I’m sure I looked creepy as I gasped and cooed at the hatchlings, but they were
adorable
.

My hand went to my stomach and I grew excited again.

I’d have my own squalling terror in three moontides.

Tapping personal communicators, a’Rä that had the look of temperamental, unkempt adolescents loitered in clusters and trudged through the water as if beleaguered, but must have enjoyed the feature.

Those who did not want to get their feet, or robe trains wet could use one of the eight bridges that crossed from one side of the plaza to the other.

They arced above the mezzanine level creating cool shadows for the shoppers below.

The lofty bridge junction had a decorative opening at its heart to let the fountain spray burble unimpeded.

I watched a grinning Rä’Vak catch the arm of a hatchling determined to touch the water with its pudgy fingers.

It stuffed its lower hand into its happily smiling mouth, stout legs doing that overexcited hop-bounce babies do.

Running along the underside of each bridge was an aqueduct, and I realised the plaza was part of the purifying watercourse running through the city.

The plaza was filled with noise and life, and I loved it.

The only thing that dimmed the experience was when I turned to a freestanding holoscreen twice my height, and saw my own, very human, very out of place face staring back at me.

The hologram was a still image of me arriving at the spaceport; I was smiling up at Venomous as he cupped my jaw.

Disconcerted, I backed away.

I hadn’t realised Rä would be taking pictures then plastering them over public channels.

Under the lifelike image was a description of why I had been granted permission to dwell on Rök, my trailing name, my species, and who I was mated to.

There was a Senate contact cited should any citizens have ‘concerns’ they wished to raise at ‘conclave’ which I guessed was an open forum.

I licked my lips, gaze slingshoting all over the place.

A lot of people were staring at me.

This time, I felt it.

“Do not let that trouble you.” Venomous noted my preoccupation. He put a hand to the curve of my hip. “Your arrival is out of the ordinary. Soon enough, people will see you as I do. The fascination will pass.” He pulled me into his side. “My return would have made the broadcasts on the communications matrix regardless. That I brought home an alien adds a tantalising slant.”

He squeezed my hip to let me know he was teasing.

I lay my head on his arm in a bid to soak up his confidence then peeked at Fiercely to see how he handled it.

He scowled at anyone who dared let their gaze linger longer on me than he considered proper.

I loved him a little for it.

Putting aside the negative feelings, I made a happy face. “Thank you for bringing me. I needed fun after the drama.” I twiddled loose thread poking from the hem at my side. “I know you’re anxious to see your kindred, so am I, but would you mind if we stopped here for high meal?” I tucked an errant curl behind my ear feeling a burst of shyness. “We haven’t had a first date, and now seems the perfect time. We have so much to celebrate. Our freedom, the hatchling, the fact our relationship hasn’t imploded because we’re a different species....”

“Date?” Fiercely questioned.

“It’s a Western Earth custom. The male,” I amended that to, “males,” at Fiercely’s glower, “ask the female out on a date. They get dressed up, pick her up from her lair and take her somewhere nice. Most often they share a meal. They act on their best behaviour to show what a good partner they’ll be. It’s an opportunity to learn more about each other.”

Fiercely screwed up his flattened nose. “I prefer the mating teachings as set out in
the way
. Does it not make sense to learn of each other whilst sequestered in the lair as the solars pass? And why put on a false face when your life mate is supposed to feel affection for you unconditionally?”

I rubbed my lips together thinking of how to counter such reasoning.

“There is a lot of talking in human culture,” Venomous told the other male in a low aside. “They debate everything and need words to calm them. I wager there is much talking during this custom. Watch me as I make our mate happy with words.” He straightened and smiled with fangs. “My Lumen, will you date with me?”

“Date with me too,” Fiercely said at speed fingering his quills. “If you want to. If not, I will wait here while you and Venomous endeavour the courtship ritual.” Arms crossing, his brille narrowed. “It still sounds like trickery.”

Holding back laughter, I held out a hand to each of them. “I would love to date you both.”

They exchanged smug, proud looks then each clasped a hand.

“Now what?” Fiercely demanded.

“We choose a place to eat.” I peered around, tongue poking the corner of my mouth. “Suggestions?”

Fiercely stared at his nest mate with expectation.

So I did too.

“I have been gone a long time,” Venomous muttered. He jerked his chin making his gold clink. “There. That seems a fine enough establishment befitting our Rä’Na.”

Strolling across the plaza then climbing the sloping steps, we approached a freestanding plaque displaying the eatery name in ornately painted glyphs.

Underneath the arched belvedere were clusters of low, circular tables and puffy cushions, most of which were occupied.

Themed black and gold, the ambient music was low.

The place settings were extravagant, and I could tell after a glance the place was not my style despite the delicious fried banana scent wafting from its outdoor cookery.

My eyes wandered from the tables to the people.

Face lowering, I stepped back into my males, hugging my middle.

At the abrupt change in body language, they were at once protective, tongues flickering as they tried to understand my mood and decipher its cause.

Frozen, claws half way to mouths, the Rä patrons inside the restaurant ogled me with stunned, horrified expressions, as if I were a feral, dangerous creature prowling unchecked in their humdrum suburbia.

That was how they looked at me; like I was an animal.

“Not here,” I mumbled then hot footed it down the causeway.

I chose a place where I could sit and watch a troupe of drummers beating wooden sticks on barrel shaped drums bolstered on slanted stands.

Loose robes in subdued tones fluttered as they thumped a rousing, hypnotising beat, their identical stances bold and tense, expressions focused as they drummed a synchronised rhythm.

Vibrant glister creep, a laid-back tone, and a lip-smacking meaty, nutty aroma that reminded me of oriental cuisine went a long way to dissipating my discomfort.

There was staring, but no one froze in sheer terror at the human roaming in their midst.

We sat on patchwork cushions in the outside seating area and ordered drinks.

It was here I got to study my first Rä female up close.

Dropping my chin into my palm, I chewed on my fingernail and watched the female on the ground level trying on a bangle.

Bald, her reddish cranial ridges were polished, and she wore a beaded headband across her brow with a teardrop gemstone between her black eyes.

Her brilliant white softsuit was a work of art.

Halter necked, it was richly embroidered with silver thread and teensy mirrors were sewn onto the diaphanous fabric.

The front hem reached her knees, showing off strappy sandals, while the back was damp, brushing the mosaic tile of the shop she stood on the threshold of, as if not convinced she wanted to go inside.

She stood a head taller than her Rä’Vek, and looked as if she could bench press him with one arm.

Her male had wavy quills streaked with grey that reached his behind, and so much gold pierced them, I wondered how he managed to keep his head straight.

Seeing so many Rä in one place, I found it easy to decipher the three genders, despite many of the males wearing skirted robes, and the muscular females with flat chests in hardsuits.

A’Rä that were not hunters or warriors wore nothing.

The longer the quills the gruffer the male, and the smoother the skull ridges the more dainty and feminine the female.

Which begged the question.... “Do you think I’m masculine because I have long hair?”

“I like your hair. It smells good.” Venomous buried his nose in it and sniffed. “I like how it feels against my scales when we are snug in our nest. It makes you look bigger than you are, and is a frightening threat display when you wake.”

“Maybe if you found me a brush the situation would be less frightful.”

A Rä’Vek ambling past us gasped as Venomous kissed my pouting lips then hurried his hatchling along covering its eyes.

“It gets in my way,” Fiercely said after a meditative pause. “I was going to shave you bald on the Trekker to enhance your beauty. I still can.” He cocked his head. “If you want.”

“Her skull
is
perfect,” Venomous confided.

Menace thrummed in my tone. “Cut my hair and I will end you.”

Fiercely grunted, perturbed, but said nothing more of it.

As the jittery waiter took our order, I could feel the eyes of the clientele riveted on me.

I pushed through the awkward feelings knowing Venomous was right; I was a novelty, and soon, the Rä would get used to the human and gawk at something else.

“Your home world is beautiful,” I gushed.
Fake it until you make it.
“It feels good to not worry about what’s going to happen next.” I grinned. “Well, I admit I’m nervous about meeting your kindred, but worst case scenario is they don’t like me. After killer space pirates meeting them seems, oh, dare I say it?” I waggled my eyebrows. “Easy.”

Venomous chuckled. “It brings me joy to see you like this. So carefree.”

“Well, you got me here in one piece. I’m safe now, so why shouldn’t I be cheerful?” I beamed at them. “Life is going to be good. I can tell.”

O
ur food arrived, and we traded stories and jokes as we ate.

They fed me with their hands, and I tried everything offered.

Fiercely’s stew was a favourite.

It was rich and gamey, accompanied with floury flatbread he dipped in aromatic butter made from fermented goodbeast mylk, hand curdled then rolled in a blend of wild herbs.

Then Venomous received his order of chargrilled patties.

Salty, with a seasoned, crunchy crust and a moist, flaky centre, he dipped it in a fruity chutney before feeding it to me.

Realising I loved the dish, as I devoured the first patty, he teased me, yanking his hand back as if scared I’d chomp his fingers.

Determined to get them to laugh at one of my jokes, I said, “Why don’t customers ever return to restaurants on the moon?”

I waited a beat to drop the punch line.

“They are usually freezing,” Fiercely mused between bites.

“Or ablaze from solar radiation,” Venomous added. “Often lacking gravity, so there would be no at–”

“
Because there’s no atmosphere
,” I squeaked in a rush because he was about to ruin it, as he had the last six. “Customers never return to restaurants on the moon because there is no atmosphere.”

“They were on a moon,” Fiercely pointed out. “It was likely there was no atmosphere.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

Venomous finished guffawing
at me
rather than my joke. He told one of his own. “Greedy Baxnonians will charge a Zutki nugget even for a Hydokon plasma blaster if you visit their star cluster, yesss? But what can they not charge you for?”

I mumbled, “It’s a good thing you give me orgasms.”

“
The free trip around their sol each rotation
,” he finished.

Hands thumping the tabletop until the dishes rattled, Fiercely cracked up.

Venomous bellowed right alongside him.

They leaned over to crack their heads together with such force the table rocked.

My gaze pinged between them. “And you think
I’m
not funny.” I poked Fiercely’s hard stomach. “You tell one.”

“Thsst! I do not do jokes. I do riddles.”

I folded my arms on the tabletop then dropped my forehead onto them. “Okay, I’m in the crash position. Go.”

“Your lair has three hot spring toggles that each control one running spout in the bathing pool. All three point in the off position. You do not know which toggle controls which spout. You want to know which spout connects with each toggle, but you can leave the pool no more than once. You flip the toggles, leave the pool, and reason which toggle goes with each spout.”