Bird of Prey: A SciFi Alien Romance (Project: F5 Book 1)

Contents
Prologue
1. Bryeca
2. Bryeca
3. Qraniebi
4. Bryeca
5. Qraniebi
6. Qraniebi
7. Bryeca
8. Bryeca
9. Qraniebi
10. Bryeca
11. Bryeca
Author’s Note:
About the Author
Project: F5
Project: Adapt
Project Universe Timeline:


Jade Waltz
Copyright © 2020 Jade Waltz
Develop is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
All rights reserved.
Published by: Jade Waltz
First Edition: August 2020
E-Book ISBN: 978-1-952420-01-6
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-952420-06-1


“Even when things are dark, a light will find a way.”


Prologue Bryeca
Five years ago… 
The music welcomed me as I entered my favorite establishment on the CEG space station.
Another completed mission.
Another failure.
The Yaarkins were resourceful, using their connections with the black market of the galaxy to support their cause.
What're credits when they made empty promises to anyone willing to listen? For the right price, they could sell you a night with any demi-human from their collection to whatever you pleased.
It sickened me whenever I came across a ship's auction catalog, seeing what product they had to offer aboard.
Demi-humans were sorted by what species they were spliced with and all of their physical attributes. Rarely were there any other species listed, unless they were part of their experiments.
No matter how many of their ships we've tracked down and seized control of, our target remained out of our grasp.
Would she be forever elusive, her presence only in my master's dreams? If it weren’t for Kaede discovering the master list, I would’ve continued believing that this was a fool’s mission, and we were chasing some fantasy.
But no, it was real—she was real.
I looked at her file every day as I wondered how many of the demi-human experiments we could save before the Yaarkins did something drastic.
For all of their sakes, I pray that the Stars will protect them—or give them a quick pain-free death.
A shiver passed through me as haunting memories from my past life aboard my Yaarkins experiment ship dared to resurface.
Hissing, I slammed down into my usual spot, annoyed by my sudden fragility.
Now wasn’t the time for me to second guess myself, just because our first missions as a squad had failed to inquire 5313-3F. There were over five thousand demi-humans registered on the master list across—only the Stars knew—how many ships within the galaxy. I would have to be blessed by the Fates and Stars themselves if we had found her right away.
I didn’t miss how Z battled with his frustration during our debriefing, nor did I enjoy the feeling of failing him yet again.
Sighing, I worked the table’s display menu, searching for something different than my usual order.
The problem? Whether it was my mood or wanting change, none of my usual items appeared appetizing.
Perhaps coming here was a mistake after all; there was nothing to celebrate during my recreational time, not when there were still thousands of innocents being tortured, somewhere hidden in space.
Staring at my favorite drink’s product listing, I crossed my arms and thought about if I really wanted to order something, or if I should just return to my private apartment suite.
“How about an exotic drink for a gorgeous female?” a male with a melodic singsong voice asked, boldly placing a curved glass filled to the brim with a bubbly rainbow liquid. “I've never seen you here before. Is this your first time?”
Instinctively, my hand hovered over my hidden dagger tucked underneath my sleeve and eyed the newcomer.
There were only three types of fools that dared to approach me unannounced—the drunks who didn’t know better, the egoistical fools who believed they could beat me, and those who dared to take me home.
Between the offering on the table and the cocky smirk on this Quaww’s face, he was the latter. No male Quaww had ever shown interest in a female unless they were trying to recruit them for his flock.
“What if it was?” I asked, eying the bold male. “Would you be fine with me thanking you for the drink with no hidden agenda? Or by me asking this will make you believe that I owe you something?”
A quick scan from REI labeled him as orange, one step above the yellow neutral citizens due to him being a Quaww, the archenemy of the Aldawi. He wasn’t a threat—yet—but I needed to keep an eye to him.
Unlike the rest of the attendees within the crowd, this Quaww didn’t hide himself with the shadows, dressed in bright colors instead of typical dark hooded robes. No, this male’s demeanor demanded attention from all around him.
His large magnificent wings were like a blue and green cape; their gold details sparkled in the flashing club’s lights. Surprisingly, he didn’t have any jewelry around golden taloned feet, showing his rank within his territory.
This meant he was trying to start a flock with me as his first target.
One thing he had going for him as he wasn’t unattractive.
The way his thicker shoulder feathers cascaded down his chest in shades of blues, green, and gold were gorgeous. I could tell he spent a lot of time pruning himself with the way there wasn’t a loose or misplaced feather anywhere on his toned body.
Too bad, his choice of attire wasn’t something I would call appealing.
I knew Quaww was typically flamboyant in nature, but a bright neon green bandoleer crisscrossing his chest and attached to a neon blue loincloth wasn’t something I would wear in a place like this, especially with the mirror-like buttons. A club full of mercenaries and merchants looking to score a deal wasn’t a place to stick out.
And that was precisely what he was doing.
“You don’t owe me anything.” He winked. “But if you want to pay me, I would accept your name.”
Rolling my eyes, I groaned.
“Are you