Page 28 of Songbird
Izzy rose from the sofa, taking the few steps that put her directly in front of Ambassador Mukhal. Her blue eyes were wide and bright as she issued another curtsey. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Mukhal raised a small gray hand, one of his three fingers catching Izzy just underneath the chin and raising her gaze to his. This time, when his lips twitched, they formed a genuine smile. “The Alliance Prime is correct. Humans are the most fascinating creatures.”
Izzy’s cheeks flushed a deep pink. Ambassador Mukhal appeared completely besotted. Not that I blamed him.
“Would you like to join us for dinner atSpace Pearls?” Jala asked. “Isabella will be singing tonight."
The Ambassador’s expression brightened for merely a second before he caught himself. “I would love to, but unfortunately, duty calls. I must leave immediately for the Gilese system.” His gaze caught first mine, then Izzy’s, accompanied by a nod before turning his attention to Jala. “I will have documentation of my decision sent to you shortly.” His attention finally shifted to Praxxan. “If you would see that Kayzon and his males board their ship, the Alliance will escort him back to his planet.”
“I will see it done.” Praxxan gave Mukhal a bow and headed for the door.
“My gratitude, Ambassador,” I said as the small gray male turned to leave.
Mukhal paused, turning his head slightly so his dark purple gaze found mine. “You have a treasure that most of us only dream of. Do not waste it.”
I nodded despite my heart twisting. I didn’t want to waste it. I didn’t want to lose Izzy. It was impossible to fathom a future without her at my side. Had been since the moment I saw her singing.
Jala took the Ambassador’s proffered arm, walking him to the door. The moment we heard the swish signifying Mukhal’s departure, Izzy sank to the sofa, giggling with relief. I settled beside her, grabbing her hand and bringing her knuckles to my lips. Bright blue eyes met mine, and for a moment, her expression gave me hope that perhaps Izzy, too, didn’t want our fake mating to end. That she recognized the truth of what lay between us, just as I did.
A moment that Jala interrupted, entering the room and theatrically flopping into a chair. “I’m so glad this ruse is over. Now we can stage your breakup, and all get on with our lives.”
Chapter 13 - Izzy
Jala’s words pierced my heart like a thousand needles, sending it into erratic spasms of pain. I couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment, but at some point, the charade between Tarrick and I had become something real, something tangible, something I didn’t want to lose.
Tarrick’s grip on my hand tightened, his body tensing beside me. His gaze bore into his sister-in-law, his features hardening as if morphing into stone. I couldn’t discern whether he agreed with her. His thoughts were a mystery, one I desperately wanted to solve.
“Wouldn’t it look strange if we broke up all of a sudden? Like we lied about the mating after all?” I asked, wondering if anyone else noticed the tremor in my voice.
“It will,” Tarrick agreed with a grunt. “Once a Stranac finds his true mate. They mate for life.”
A fissure of relief ran through me, although I couldn’t tell if Tarrick felt the same.
“True.” Thankfully, Jala seemed oblivious to my upset. “I’ve been thinking about that. Izzy is human, not Stranac. Still, we’ll need to take some time to make it believable.” Her golden eyes settled on me. “Claiming you as his mate means Tarrick will abide by your wishes, even if those wishes are that you two are apart. Tarrick still handles much of his family’s holdings as part of his cover and will need to return to work. You, of course,won’t go with him. We can claim you didn’t want to give up singing atSpace Pearls, and honestly, some of the places he visits aren’t quite safe for a human. After some time, you can claim Tarrick stayed gone longer than promised, pretend to feel abandoned, and end things. Tarrick will stay away because of your wishes, and because of his heartbreak return to his playboy ways.” A sly smile curved her lips. “I’ve been reading about Earth relationships lately.”
Well, she certainly hadn’t been reading romance novels. Not the kind with happily ever after. Maybe I should suggest she readBridgerton?
I didn’t want Tarrick to leave. The connection between us was undeniable, filling me with a warmth and joy I had never known before. I was in love with him. I knew that as surely as I knew my own name.
But what if Tarrick didn’t reciprocate my feelings? My heart stuttered at the thought. Our time together never felt pretend to me. Every touch, every word exchanged between us felt sincere and true. I had let go of any pretenses long ago, but had he done the same? Uncertainty gnawed at me, and I knew there was only one way to find the answers.
I shifted on the sofa, turning to gaze at Tarrick when the swish of the door opening stole the moment.
“You’ll be happy to know that Kayzon’s ship has left the Ardeese Valout with an escort from an Alliance warship,” Praxxan told us, settling into the chair opposite Jala.
“Thank the goddess,” Jala groaned. We were just going over plans for Tarrick and Izzy’sbreakup."
Praxxan’s eyes narrowed for a moment as he glanced at Tarrick. For his part, my pretend mate sat relatively motionless, his eyes focused on my hand he still held.
“Perhaps Izzy and Tarrick need to figure this out without our input. They will know what feels right for them,” Praxxansuggested, the gaze he set on Jala so full of affection that the green-eyed monster reared its ugly head. God, how I wanted Tarrick to look at me like that... and sometimes, I thought he had.
“I’m afraid time is of the essence.” Jala’s gaze bounced between her mate and his brother. “Siemba comm’d before Ambassador Mukhal’s arrival. He needs Tarrick’s help to infiltrate a human slave hold in the Akruvara system.”
Tarrick’s head snapped up at her words, something that looked like a flash of excitement crossing his features. “Why didn’t he comm me?”
Jala smiled, her eyebrows waggling. “He said he tried... all last night. I suspect you were otherwise occupied.”
Tarrick’s gaze bounced to me, full of memory and something else... regret?
