“Only three or four moons,” I said.
“Okay, that’s good,” Evelyn said.
“Are you cold, human?” I asked.
“I’m fine,” she said with a nervous look at both of us. “I’m not used to this type of cold, but I’m sure I’ll adapt quickly.”
“Is that why you did not bring enough warm clothing?” Bran said.
“Um, yes.”
Krono, the human was a terrible liar. I felt the familiar annoyance that she was lying and tamped it down. Female humans lied. It was what they did. I should not be surprised that Evelyn was no different. But for some reason it bothered me that she lied to us.
“Our planet is very pretty during the warm months,” Bran said. “You will enjoy it. The flora and fauna on Draax are,” he paused searching for the right word, “incredible.”
“There is a garden in the palace with artificial light in the cold months,” I said. “During the cold months when it is not storming, the king opens the gardens to all in the province who wish to enjoy it. You will have access to it every day.
She set down her spoon and crossed her arms over her torso. “So, do you know much about the king?”
“He has not been king for long. He used to be the head of the king’s guard and his older brother was king. But his brother was killed in a ship crash before he had any heirs and Quillan was crowned king.”
“Is he,” Evelyn hesitated, “a nice king?”
I shrugged. “We do not know him personally.”
“He has a reputation of being impatient and short tempered,” Bran said.
The human paled and she rubbed at her side. “He does?”
“A bit.” Bran studied the human. “What is wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said.
She was lying again. It was obvious that what Bran told her had frightened her. I was not surprised that she was scared. She had a very timid nature and if the king was impatient with her, no doubt it would terrify her.
The thought that our king would frighten her, sent a strange wave of possessiveness over me for the little human. I didn’t like the idea that she would be at the castle, alone and terrified, with a Draax who did not have a reputation for being patient.
Suddenly eager to ease her fear, I said, “He will be kind to his queen.”
She gave me an anxious smile and I had to stop myself from reaching out to stroke her soft cheek. Instead, I said, “You are important to him and he will treat you well.”
Even though I didn’t know the king, I wasn’t lying. Draax loved the little human females. They were special and precious, and if a Draax was lucky enough to have a female for breeding purposes, they did everything they could to convince the female to mate with them permanently.
But would he be patient with her? There were many human females who were nervous around us, Bran and I had spent enough time at human bars on Earth to know that, but this human’s fear went beyond that. Would the king recognize that Evelyn’s fear of us was not normal and do what he could to make her feel safe?
That I didn’t know.
“Do you have family?” Bran asked.
“My mom died when I was a baby, so I don’t remember her,” Evie said. “My father remarried when I was seven to a woman who had a son only a few years older than me. But then my dad died in a work accident when I was twelve and my stepmother died a few years ago. I lived with my stepbrother before I came here.”
“What did you do for work?” I asked.
“I worked a few odd jobs at retail stores,” Evelyn said. “Alex, that’s my stepbrother, didn’t like it when I worked.”
“Why?” Bran asked.
She shrugged and stared down at her glass of juice. “I don’t know.”
“What did your stepbrother do for work?” I asked.
Evelyn looked extremely uncomfortable. “He did different jobs.”
“Like what?” I persisted.
She hesitated, her cheeks colouring. “He was in the, um, pharmaceutical business.”
“Were you close to him?” Bran asked.
“No,” Evelyn said. A look crossed her face, disgust with a hint of fear in it. “I didn’t like him very much, actually.”
For a moment, I wondered if it was this Alex who had beaten her before I dismissed it. Not only was he her brother and it was his duty to protect her, but females were precious. A human male would be a fool to injure one in such a manner. The little human would have died from her injuries if not for the gallberry juice.
Someone hurt her, Court. You saw the footprint shaped bruise on her side. Do you believe another female did that to her?
“What illness did you have that made you join the breeding program?” Bran asked.
“Oh, um, I wasn’t sick,” Evelyn said.
Bran gave her a curious look. “But you said you did not care for your brother.”
“Step-brother, and I didn’t. He wasn’t sick either.”
“Then why did you join the breeding program?” I asked.
“My neighbour’s child was very sick with a disease called cystic fibrosis.”
“That is a curable disease on Earth, is it not?” Bran said.
“Yes, but Candy was a lower like me and couldn’t afford the earth medicine that would cure her son. I joined the breeding program and got the juice for him.”
Bran was giving her a shocked look. “You joined the lifetime breeding program for a neighbour?”
“Candy is a very good friend and her child was dying,” Evelyn said defensively.
“Still, you can never return to Earth, human,” Bran said. “The king will not allow his queen to return even for visits.”
“I know,” Evelyn said.
There was a moment of silence and then I said, “What was your real reason for joining the program?”
Evelyn stared at me before swallowing hard. “That is the real reason.” She stood and picked up her bowl of half-eaten stew. “I’m not great at cooking, especially with Draaxan food, but I’d still like to help. I’ll clean up after meals.”
I looked at Bran who made a small shrug before standing and carrying his empty bowl to the sink.
I was suddenly determined to find out the truth why the little human had joined the program, but now was not the time. I would give her a few more days to relax and realize we would not harm her, before I questioned her again.
Chapter Eleven
Evelyn
I sunk to my chin in the bath and breathed a sigh of relief. I’d been in the tub for almost an hour and for the first time all day, I was warm. Even yesterday, I’d still been too sore to climb into the stand-alone tub in my bathroom but today the bruising and the soreness had dissipated enough that getting into the tub wasn’t an exercise in torture.
I lifted my foot out of the water and used my toe to push the button on the wall next to the faucet. It sent another stream of sweet-smelling liquid into the steaming water. It turned to bubbles as soon as it hit the water, and I sighed happily and closed my eyes. God, it felt good to relax in a tub. Our apartment didn’t have a tub and it’d been years since I –
“Hi, girl!”
I gasped and jerked in the tub. Water rose to the edge and almost spilled out before receding. I blinked at Bella and then studied the bathroom door that was now partially open. Neither my bedroom door nor the bathroom door had locks, but I hadn’t even heard her open the door. It was becoming more and more obvious that Bella was actually a tiny, purple, silent ninja disguised as a two-year-old.
“You having bath, Evie girl?” Bella said. She was wearing her nightgown and her long dark hair was hanging down her back.
“I am,” I said.
“I have bath too.”
Before I could stop her, she’d stripped off her nightgown and climbed into the tub with me. She sat at the other end, smiling happily at me as her tail flicked out and above the water and sprayed drops of water and bubbles everywhere.
“Hey, watch that tail,” I said as
I wiped my face.
She giggled before cocking her head. “Evie sad with no tail?”
I smiled. “No, it doesn’t make me sad that I don’t have a tail.”
Bella scooted a little closer and used her tail to pick up my bottle of shampoo from the side of the tub. “What this?”
“That’s shampoo to wash my hair,” I said.
“You wash Bella’s hair.” She slid under the water and then popped back up, her hair wet and her face covered in bubbles. She blew them off her mouth and stared at my wet hair. “Wash Bella’s hair like girl’s?”
“Sure,” I said. Bella climbed into my lap facing me and I washed her hair, massaging her scalp before washing the long strands.
“You have very pretty hair,” I said.
She was touching my upper chest, staring at her purple skin against my pale skin. “Why girl no purple? Evie girl sick?”
“No,” I said. “I’m not sick. Humans don’t have purple or green skin.”
“Ouchy.” She poked the healing bruise on my shoulder, hard enough to hurt and I winced.
She gave me a look of remorse. “Bella hurt girl. Sorry, girl.”
“That’s all right. Tilt your head back, honey.”
She tilted her head back, and I used my cupped hand and the bath water to rinse the shampoo from her hair. “There, nice and clean.”
She smiled. “Nice and clean.”
There was a knock on my bedroom door, and I heard Bran’s muffled voice. “Human – Evie, may I come in?”
“Papa!” Bella shouted.
The door opened and Bran said, “Bella, where are you?”
“In the bath, Papa!” Bella shouted again. “Come here!”
I clamped my arms across my breasts and shouted, “No, don’t come in! I’m in the bathtub too.”
When Bran spoke, his voice was just outside the partially opened bathroom door. “You are bathing with Bella?”
“I was already in the tub and she climbed in with me before I could stop her,” I said. “I’m sorry.”
“Bella, you must not bother the human when she is in her room,” Bran said. “Get out of the tub and come to me, please.”
“No,” Bella said and grinned at me.
“Bella, out of the tub,” Bran repeated.
“I bathing with Evie-girl, Papa.” Her tail splashed the water. “You bathe with us too!”
“Meena, do as I say.” Bran’s voice was stern, and Bella’s face fell. Her lower lip pouted out and her look turned pleading.
“Bella stay with girl. Okay, girl? Please?”
Oh my God, no one could resist that sweet face.
“I’m almost finished,” I said. “I don’t mind if she stays with me a little longer.”
There was silence and then Bran said, “I do not expect you to be her nanny while you are here, hum – Evelyn.”
“I know,” I said. “But I really don’t mind, I swear.”
“Girl no mind, Papa!” Bella shouted.
I laughed and Bella grinned at me. “Bella stay with girl, Papa.”
Bran sighed. “All right, meena. But be a good girl.”
“I be good,” Bella said before sliding off my lap to the other end of the tub.
I waited until I heard Bran’s footsteps fade away and the bedroom door close, before unclamping my arms from my breasts. “Come on, honey. Let’s finish bathing and get out of the tub.”
“Sure, Evie girl.”
* * *
When Bran knocked the second time, I was sitting on my bed, my fingers twined through Bella’s hair as she sat in front of me. I wasn’t wearing a bra, but I had my thick sweater on to hide that fact, and my bare legs were tucked under the quilt.
“Come in,” Bella shouted.
I laughed and Bella grinned as Bran opened the door a crack and said, “Human, may I come in?”
“Yes,” I said.
Bran walked into the room. Apparently, he’d had his own bath or shower because his dark hair was wet, and his shirt was clinging damply to his chest. I concentrated on finishing braiding Bella’s hair and not staring at his body, as Bella yawned hugely.
“Evie girl braiding my hair, Papa.”
“I see that, meena.” He stood self-consciously at the foot of the bed. “Thank you, Evelyn.”
“It’s no problem,” I said.
He frowned a little. “She should not be bothering you when you are in your room. I will speak with her in the morning when she is not so tired and make her understand that you need your privacy.
“If that’s what you want to do, but I’m okay with spending time with her,” I said.
I really didn’t mind Bella’s company. She was a cute kid and while her ninja skills took some getting used to, I was enjoying getting to know her. Besides, I would have a kid of my own soon and it was probably good to get some practice with a toddler, right?
My stomach twisted a little at the thought of sleeping with the king. They’d said he was impatient and short-tempered. What if I couldn’t please him in bed? What if he got angry with me when it became apparent that I didn’t know what I was doing when it came to sex?
For a moment, I wished that I’d slept with a few more guys once I’d been accepted into the breeding program. Maybe even tried sleeping with a Draax so I would know what it was like.
That’s what I should have done. I’d only had a few days between finding out I was accepted to the breeding program and leaving Earth, and it was difficult to slip out of the apartment with both Alex and Troy watching me like a hawk, but I could have managed something. God, I was so stupid. I could have been practicing sex with a Draax on Earth and then I wouldn’t have to worry about not pleasing the king. Why hadn’t I thought of that before I left Earth?
Hey, Evie? You have a couple of Draax right here that you could practice with.
My face went bright red and I stared at Bella’s dark hair before continuing to braid. I was embarrassed, but maybe I should ask one of them to sleep with me. It was obvious that they found me attractive.
Do they, though? Maybe they were just half-asleep like you were and would have touched any woman in their bed.
Maybe, but I didn’t think so. At least, not in the case of Court. The way he looked at me sometimes… I might have been a bit naïve about sex, but I knew lust when I saw it. I was pretty sure he wanted me. Bran, on the other hand… I was more of an annoyance to him. I couldn’t blame him. I’d be annoyed too if I was expecting a nanny for my kid and got someone who had no experience with children.
I wound the elastic around the end of the braid and smoothed the sides before smiling at Bella. “There you go, honey. All done.”
“Bella pretty, Papa?” Bella said.
“Very pretty. Come, meena. It’s time for bed,” Bran said.
“Evie girl come too.” Bella wrapped her arms around my neck and her tail around my arm when Bran tried to lift her from the bed.
“Bella.” Bran’s tone was a bit exasperated and I slid off the bed, holding Bella in my arms.
“It’s fine. I can carry her to her room.”
“You are injured,” he said.
“I’m feeling better,” I said. “It doesn’t hurt to hold her.”
I was mostly telling the truth. I did have a dull ache in my kidneys and lower back, but it was manageable.
I was wearing shorts and he stared at my side where the bruising was covered by my thick sweater before studying my bare legs. The cold air had made goosebumps break out on them and Bran frowned. “You need to put on warmer clothes.”
“I’m okay,” I said. “Come on, Bella, let’s get you to your bed.”
I followed Bran out into the hallway, Bella’s tail thumping against my hip. “Uda!” she shouted, making me jump a little. “Uda, where are you?”
The door to Court’s bedroom opened and he stepped out. My mouth dried up and I quickly looked away. He was wearing just a pair of pants and I didn’t know if it was possible, but his chest and stomach s
eemed even more muscular than Bran’s.
No chest hair, just like Bran. Do you think that’s a Draax thing or do they wax?
I ignored my inner voice as Bella made a soft sound of happiness. “Uda, say night night.”
“Night, night,” Court said.
Bella pointed her tail at him. “Kiss, Uda.”
He walked toward us, and I kept my gaze firmly on Bella’s braid as Bella puckered her lips.
He gave her a kiss and tickled her belly. She giggled and pushed at his hand. “Bella loves Uda.”
“I love you too. Sleep well, meena.”
“Sleep well, Uda,” she mimicked.
He stepped back and I walked by him, trying not to flinch when my elbow brushed across his bare chest. “Sorry,” I murmured without looking at him. God, he was so warm, I could feel the heat even through my thick sweater. Were all Draax that warm? Also, why the hell were my nipples so hard?
I walked into Bella’s bedroom and set her down on the bed when Bran pulled the quilt back.
“Kiss, Evie girl.”
I pressed my mouth against Bella’s and stroked her damp hair. “Good night, Bella.”
“Sleep well, Evie girl.”
She was so cute. I stepped back as Bran, holding a book in one hand, sat on the edge of the bed. I was about to slip out when Bella patted the other side of her bed. “Papa read to you too, girl.”
I hesitated before sitting next to Bella on the other side. Bran opened the book and I listened in fascination to his deep voice as he told the story of a little Draax girl named Ulena and her quest for a golden statue. Bella listened silently, her eyelids closing for longer and longer periods of time, until Bran closed the book and tucked the quilt to her chin.
Her eyelids fluttered open and she gave him a sleepy look. “Bella loves Papa.”
“Papa loves Bella,” he said before pressing a kiss against her forehead. “Sleep well, meena.”
I followed him out into the hallway. He shut off the light to Bella’s room and closed the door. Court was no longer in the hallway and we stood in silent awkwardness for a moment before I said, “She’s very sweet.”
Rule (The Draax Series Book 2) Page 11
