Page 3 of Written in the Stars

I grinned. “It drew you in, didn’t it? There are plenty of pirates who appreciate a good book, and more who like having someone around who’ll buy them.”

The alien bristled but didn’t argue with the comparison, just made a non-committal noise, and leaned over the counter. My breath caught and my cheeks burned at being so close to him.

Should I ask him his name? Should I kiss him? Ask him out for a drink?My mind spun out of control, paralyzing me with options. Good options, bad options, crazy options. And all I could see was his face, handsome and rakish, a scar across his left cheek adding to his appeal.

Nebula broke the moment with a hiss, pouncing at the alien with claws out, wings spread, and fangs bared. My reactions were too slow to do anything other than panic, but the warrior responded instantly.

He wheeled, one hand flicking out, claws extending from his fingertips. The other came up between him and Nebula, trying to block. But even his reflexes were no match for a flying cat, and she zipped over his arm to hit him in the face.

Caught off balance, he tumbled back and fell out of view with a crash. Nebula’s battle-yowl cut off when they hit the ground. I called her name, vaulting over the counter, terrified that I’d find her impaled on the warrior’s claws.

“Hah, what a fierce guardian you have,” the alien said. He held Nebula back from his face with one hand and scratched behind her ears with the other as he spoke to her. “Aren’t you a mighty warrior? Yes, you are.”

I breathed a sigh of relief as Nebula’s purr filled the shop. Hands on hips, I looked down at the pair of them.

“Some guardian. Look, some asshole’s buying her off with head skritches.”

He barked a laugh, momentarily silencing the winged cat with the deep booming sound. He gave her an apologetic look before replying. “Ah, I lie here at her mercy, a defeated foe. I offer her this in tribute, not as a bribe.”

Nebula’s purring resumed, louder than before. I snorted and shook my head. “You are ridiculous.”

“I am not, and you will not attempt to ruin my reputation by telling anyone about this. Otherwise…”

He trailed off, climbing carefully to his feet without disturbing the flying furball. I watched with both admiration and jealousy—she’d never been that comfortable or compliant with me.

Come on, Megan. If he scratched you behind the ears, you wouldn’t put up any more of a fight than she did.Just the idea made me blush bright red and stammer. “Otherwise, what?”

Drask lowered his voice to a growl that made me shiver. “Or I will have to punish you.”

3

DRASK

After the Uplink War, humans spread everywhere. Like weeds, they thrive in the least hospitable environments.

HUMANS AND THEIR HABITAT,BY LONDRA TSOL

Why did I say that? Why was I talking to this Megan at all? I’d satisfied my curiosity about the strange sight of a bookshop in a pirate den. Now I ought to get back to the business of repairing my ship and putting as many lightyears as I could between me and the Empire.

But Megan distracted me from any thought of lying low. She was magnificent, beautiful, a star adrift in the forsaken darkness of Talbrek Station.

And now I am thinking about her in bad poetry. Wonderful.

She stood before me, looking up, her cheeks flushed and a wide smile on her lips. Was that normal for humans? I didn’t know. I had met only a handful, and Megan was unlike any of the others. Smooth pink skin called to me, and the curves showing through her clothing made me itch to explore them with my fingers and lips. Long red hair tumbled down her back and framed a heart-shaped face from which jade-green eyes watched me.

Her clothing got in the way, and my fingers flexed, claws sliding free. I wanted to strip those black pants from her legs, pull off the short-sleeved top with its incomprehensible design, see her voluptuous figure directly.

“Stranded?” I asked when the silence had stretched far too long. “How did you get stranded out here in the ass end of the galaxy?”

A look of relief flashed across her face, and she tore her eyes off me. “It’s a long story. A misunderstanding, bad luck with pirates,goodluck with pirates, and then I was here, opening my bookshop. How about you? What are you doing here in the ‘ass end of the galaxy?’ You’re not just here to bug Nebula.”

“Is that not reason enough?” I stroked the little creature’s back, scratched between her wings, and she rewarded me with a purr loud enough to wake the dead. A small speaker on her collar translated the sound. “Happy. Happy. Friend.”

Megan cocked her head to the side and waited. After a few heartbeats, I relented a little. “Very well, I am here because it was the most convenient station to stop at.”

A frown clouded Megan’s expression, and she slipped back behind her counter. “How long will you be here, then, mystery man?”

“A few days, just until my ship’s repaired. She took a beating in the battle.”

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