Page 7 of Sublime Target

Besides, Tarak had forbidden that particular approach—on punishment of death.

“Uh, hello, Commander Jerik.” Alexis was the first to greet him. She walked slowly toward him and pulled out a chair before gesturing for Sienna to do the same. “How are you?”

“I am well. Why do you ask? Do I not look well?”

The human laughed. “You Kordolians do tend to take things literally. I was just greeting you. It’s something we humans do—ask how each other is. You don’t have to answer honestly unless you feel like it.”

“Then what’s the point?” One thing Jerik didn’t understand about humans was their constant need for small and subtle deceptions.

Alexis smiled. “It’s just our nature to pretend that everything’s fine when it isn’t. Sometimes, it makes life bearable.”

“You did look a little bit grouchy when we first walked in,” Sienna added. “One would think the weight of the entire universe was on your shoulders. Don’t worry, Commander Jerik. We’re just going to give you some useful pointers, that’s all. What you decide to do with that information is up to you.”

Where Alexis was thoughtful and a little reserved, Sienna was forthright. According to Ikriss, she could be blunt and foul-mouthed at times. She was highly trained in the art of preparing food—something that was extremely important to humans. Apparently, she’d gotten her bluntness from working in the kitchens—a high-stress, fast-paced job where diplomacy was unnecessary.

Jerik folded his arms and frowned. “I know that. As you may be aware, I’ve identified a human with a potential for compatibility. She’s a civilian, an ordinary member of the Federation. I suspect she knows little about us and our ways beyond what is usually fed to your people through the official channels. All I want to know is how to approach her. I don’t want to scare her off on our first meeting.”

“You’re self-aware,” Sienna quipped. “That’s a good sign. So, who is she? How do you plan on introducing yourself to her?”

“She’s called Clarissa Lee,” Jerik said stiffly. “A corporate worker residing in the metropolis of Sydney. I plan on going down to Earth to visit her dwelling—”

Shaking her head, Alexis raised her hand. “Hold on a minute. You can’t just show up at her house. That’s a sure-fire recipe for being labeled a creep and a stalker. Given that this is an entirely new situation, I’d advise a different approach.”

“New?” Jerik growled, his impatience rising. “What’s so new about it? You have all been through the process.”

“True, but pretty much all of us were put into close proximity with our mates through circumstances we couldn’t control. Abduction, captivity, incredibly dangerous scenarios. You have the luxury of being able to go about the business of dating in much less dangerous circumstances.”

Jerik would almost prefer the former. Not that he would want any potential mate of his to be put in danger, but in a crisis, he would know what to do. He would be in his element; in control.

This sort of thing was a right infernal pain-in-the-ass, but he did want to claim his mate in the right way, so he would just have to put up with it.

He let out a sigh and massaged his left temple. “Fine. Just tell me what exactly it is that you suggest I do.”

Suddenly, Alexis and Sienna were all smiles.

“So glad you asked.” Sienna’s eyes lit up with a mischievous sort of look. Almost as if she were enjoying this.

Jerik hadn’t realized that humans had a sadistic streak to them as well. He’d always thought of them as the balance Kordolians needed to rein in their more vicious tendencies.

“So, you have a woman you want to get to know,” Alexis said quietly. “It’s fine to be direct if you’re interested in her, but first, you’ll have to gain her trust in one way or another. You have a significant advantage over her; an unfair advantage—you’ve been able to access a lot of information about her. I think it’s fine to let her know the true reasons in time, but you need to let her get a sense of you—the real you, without relying too much on your advantage.”

If Jerik had been unsure about human mating rituals before, now he was completely and utterly confused. But he wasn’t the type to let it show. “You are suggesting that I orchestrate a meeting first, in a setting where she would be more at ease? That I should converse with her to assess her willingness and suitability to become a potential mate?”

“That would be a good idea. I wouldn’t rush at first. Take your time, and get to know her. If you feel that she’s interested in you, you can start to get a little more serious.”

“One thing you should know,” Sienna added. “Earth women—hell, I’m sure women all over the universe are the same—we don’t like it when men assume they’re owed something, or when they don’t listen and try to push things onto us that we don’t want.”

Jerik gave her a cold stare. Did this female think he was so unsophisticated that he would behave in such a manner? “You presume a lot, human.”

“I know what the Mating Fever does to you guys. Trust me, I know. I’m just telling you this because getting hit with the Mating Fever at the wrong time… it might cause you to accidentally give off the wrong impression. If you want this girl to be into you, you need to be aware that you can be quite intimidating, Commander Jerik. She’s an ordinary human who’s probably never even been off-planet. All she knows about Kordolians is what she’s been told through the media, and their portrayal of you guys can be a little, uh, biased.”

“Hm.” Jerik knew his people had developed a certain reputation throughout the Nine Galaxies, and most of it was probably justified. He also knew that he could be abrupt, demanding, and exacting. He had little patience for incompetence and inefficiency, and certain things could make him quick to anger.

He wasn’t the prettiest bastard, either. Not like that infernal Rykal or Enki or the former prince. He was scarred and battle-hardened and rough around the edges.

The human had a point, he supposed. He could try to show his gentler side, to make any potential mate understand that he wanted only to cherish and protect her—and never, ever harm her.

But he was who he was, and he didn’t see much point in carrying out some big deception.

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