Page 8 of Sublime Target

Either she liked him and accepted him for what he was, or she didn’t.

If the latter turned out to be the case, he would find someone else.

“I’ll keep what you’ve told me in mind,” he frowned at the humans. “If I can’t go to her dwelling, then how do I approach her? What is socially acceptable to you humans? Do I need to have an introduction from someone of influence?”

Sienna and Alexis shared a look; a silent, mysterious communication.

“Jerik, you have some data on where she works and the places she frequents.” Alexis’s eyes narrowed. “Does she ever go to bars? Clubs? That sort of thing?”

“Basically, places where alcohol is imbibed,” Sienna said dryly. “In some of our cultures, it’s part of the mating ritual.”

“Alcohol?” Jerik’s frown deepened. The substance humans called alcohol was a toxic poison. Apparently, it affected Kordolians much more severely than humans—something to do with an enzyme his kind lacked. The boss had strictly warned them to stay away from the stuff, not that Jerik would ever voluntarily ingest such a thing. “I thought you said I shouldn’t take advantage.”

“I did. Whether she’s had a few drinks or she’s completely sober, that doesn’t change. Just be aware that there’s a huge power imbalance between the two of you. When she realizes exactly who you are—well, it would be quite intimidating, I would think.”

“I’d suggest identifying a public space she’s likely to frequent,” Alexis offered. “Somewhere near her workplace; a cafe, a bar. People often go out for after-work drinks. It’s perfectly acceptable to become a regular and then strike up a conversation. Get her to know you a little before she learns about everything else.”

“Hm.” It all sounded far too complicated for Jerik’s straightforward military mind.

He sat back and considered his options.

Could he actually see himself sitting in some human drinking establishment, waiting vainly in the hope that the subject of his interest would just happen to glance at him and become engaged?

Him?

In a crowd full of humans?

Human mating rituals were all well and good, but he wasn’t human, and there was only so much he could handle. He couldn’t imagine the kind of disaster that might occur if his Mating Fever were triggered in such circumstances.

Then there was the fact that he was quite obviously Kordolian. What was he supposed to do? Use one of those disguise devices that could make him look vaguely human?

Again, he didn’t like the subterfuge.

He also mildly disagreed with Alexis and Sienna on the unfair advantage matter. The prospect of having to deal with a potential mate who was human, delicate, and quite possibly afraid of him was fucking daunting.

Jerik made up his mind. “My thanks for the advice. I’ll take what you’ve told me into account.”

After all, Alexis had a point. He was the first of them to actively go out and seek his mate instead of encountering her in some precarious situation. His approach could well become the prototype for the rest of the unmated Darkstar males.

Sienna grinned at him. “I think you’ll be fine, Commander. Just turn on that roguish charm of yours. It’s kinda cliched, but a lot of the ladies… they do love a bad boy.”

Jerik snorted. He didn’t think there was anything bad or roguish about himself at all.

“We shall see…” He stood and offered the humans a small bow as he exited the room, conveniently deciding not to mention the fact that he was very much going to do things his way.

FIVE

Clarissa took the Northern Loop back to her apartment in Eastwood. The train was extremely fast and soundless, and at an hour to midnight on a Monday, it was almost empty. In this carriage, there were only two other passengers besides herself. One was a man in a suit—probably a corporate worker like herself. He was seated against the window, his head resting against the glass, asleep despite the ultra-bright lights shining on his eyelids.

The other was a kid, probably no more than fifteen or sixteen, dressed in the spacecore style that was in fashion these days—tightly fitted reflective metallic top, baggy white trousers with multitudes of pockets, and a sleek cap with a digital visor that concealed the wearer’s features and connected to a virtual display.

One could go out in public and yet be comfortably ensconced in their own little world without ever having to interact with another human being. Those visors were equipped with AI that could pay for tickets, order food, communicate with bots, and so on.

Clarissa had never liked the things. She’d tried one once. It had made her feel both detached from reality and claustrophobic, so she’d never gotten on board with the trend.

She leaned back against the hard seat and closed her eyes as the train entered the tunnels. In a heartbeat, they would be underneath the Sydney Harbor.

As a child, she’d been terrified of riding this train. Her vivid imagination had conjured thoughts of water seeping through the ceiling before a huge crack dumped the contents of the harbor into the tunnel, drowning them all.

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