“Here, drink this.” Sigan handed me a bottle of gallberry juice and I drank it down, enjoying the warm flush of energy it brought.
“How are you feeling?” Sigan asked.
“Better. Be honest with me – how much extra time will this give me from the whole dying horribly of cancer thing?”
“It is impossible to predict an accurate length of time, but,” Sigan looked me over, “probably a moon longer. Maybe a moon and a half. You are malnourished though, and I assume food in prison will not be plentiful so that will weaken you.” He shook his head. “It will give you an extra moon. No more than that.”
“Super,” I said.
Depression was sinking into my bones and I shook it off. An extra month was a gift.
Sigan patted my arm. “I am sorry it is such a poor diagnosis, human.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Honestly, I probably won’t last a week before I’m murdered in prison anyway.”
What almost looked like sympathy crossed Sigan’s face. “Why did you steal the juice?”
“I didn’t. It was Cheryl, remember? I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
He scowled before handing me another bottle of juice. “You are the most infuriating female I have ever met. I am glad not all females of your kind are like you, or I would never find a mate.”
“So, you’re single, huh?” I took a big swig of juice. “Haven’t found a lady to be your breeding machine yet?”
His skin darkened. “I do not wish to find a breeding machine as you so coarsely put it. I wish to find a mate. I respect human females and if I am lucky enough to find one to mate with me, she will be treated well by me.”
His tail thumped against the wall and I kind of felt bad for insulting him. “Sorry, Sigan. I didn’t mean to insult you.”
His tail thumped again. “We are not like your human males. We do not think females are below us, nor do we abuse them. Females are precious.”
“Right, no, I get it,” I said, even though I didn’t. My track record with men wasn’t exactly positive and I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea that a man – alien or human – believed a woman was precious. “So, um, why aren’t you mated yet? You seem like a great guy.”
His tail slumped to the ground. “I am in the database for the breeding program, but no female has chosen me yet.”
Great, now he looked completely dejected. First, I insult him and then I depress him. “That’s weird. You’re handsome and smart and you’re like a Draax doctor, right?”
“Kadana,” he said. “We are called kadanas.”
“Why do you even need kadanas?” I said. “The gallberry plant heals you, right?”
“It does. But as we age, it becomes less effective and eventually stops working. Plus, someone needs to help our females birth their young and guide our elderly to the other side. I also do research into human genetics, develop new and improved testing methods, and coordinate with humans on how to best administer the gallberry plant.”
“So, you’re a scientist too,” I said.
He just shrugged before giving me a funny little side glance. “You think I am handsome?”
“Um, yeah, sure,” I said. Handsome probably wasn’t the best word to use. Sigan didn’t have the classic good looks of a movie star – if said movie star had green skin and a tail - but he did have very pretty silver eyes and his body was as big and muscular as the rest of the Draax. “You have really nice eyes.”
Sigan folded his arms across his torso. “I am aware that I am not good looking. You do not have to lie.”
Jesus, I was really batting a thousand today.
“You’re handsome,” I said. “And I’m sure you’ll be an excellent mate to a very lucky woman some day. There’s probably so many Draax in the database, that women just haven’t found you in there yet.”
“Jarka says I am too blunt. He says I must soften my words and not speak the way I do if I wish to find a mate,” Sigan said.
“Who’s Jarka?”
“The palace chef and my best friend,” Sigan said. “Perhaps he is right. Perhaps I do speak too bluntly. Do you think my words are too forward, human?”
“Well…” I hesitated, trying to think of a nice way to agree.
Sigan suddenly laughed. “Never mind, human. I have no wish to mate with you, so your opinion holds no value to me.”
I rolled my eyes. “That right there? That’s what Jarka is talking about, Sigan.”
Before he could reply, there was a knock on the door and a woman walked in. She was carrying a tray in her hands and the smell wafting from it made my stomach growl.
“Good morning, Sigan,” the woman said.
“Hello, Inara.” Sigan glanced at the device on his wrist. “You are here early this morning.”
“Jarka knew I would be cleaning the infirmary today and asked me to bring breakfast for your… guest.”
“Thank you. You can leave it on the table.” He pointed to the table next to my hospital bed.
The woman, she was on the taller side with wide hips, dark red hair and pretty green eyes, set the tray on the table. “Hello, I’m Inara.”
“Ellis,” I said.
She held out her hand and without thinking, I tried to shake it. My cuff locked up around my wrist, biting painfully into my skin. Inara stared at the cuff around my wrist, her eyes wide.
“Sigan, a little help here?” I rattled the cuff against the railing of the bed.
“Step back, Inara. This female is a prisoner and dangerous.” He smoothed his finger along the underside of the cuff, and it loosened around my wrist, the bright red it had turned fading back to its usual dull shade.
A beeping sound emitted from the device around Sigan’s wrist and he checked it before hurrying toward one of the inner doors in the infirmary. He opened it and I caught a glimpse of some lab equipment as he stepped inside.
“Inara, I must check on a few of my tests. Do not go near the human while you clean,” he said.
He shut the door and Inara backed away, the smile on her face fading.
“I’m not dangerous,” I said. “He was just joking.”
“Sigan doesn’t joke,” she said.
“Jesus, you got that right,” I said. “Look, I promise I’m not dangerous.”
“Why do you have that cuff around your wrist then?”
“They think I’m a thief.”
Her eyes widened. “Why would you steal from them? To be accepted into the program is a gift. Why would you jeopardize that?”
“I’m not a part of the breeding program. Besides, being in the breeding program is not a gift,” I said.
Her forehead wrinkled in confusion. “I’m not a part of the breeding program.”
“So, you’re a nanny then?” I said. “I hate to tell you this but looking after someone else’s brats isn’t a gift either.”
“You’re not here for the work program? There were rumours that they were bringing in more women, so I just assumed…” She looked me over. “I should have known. You don’t have the body type.”
“What are you talking about?” I said.
“I can’t tell you,” she said. “It’s a trial thing and not many people know. I just assumed you were hired to work in the castle like the rest of us or I wouldn’t have said anything.”
“C’mon, you gotta tell me now.” I grinned at her. “Pretty please?”
“I can’t,” she said.
“I have a cancerous tumour on my spine, and it’s spread to my lungs, liver, and kidneys,” I said. “And because of the whole stealing accusation, they’re sending me back to Earth today where I’ll be put in prison. I’m gonna be dead in like a week so who will I tell?”
“Oh my God.” A genuine look of sympathy crossed her face. “I’m really sorry to hear that, Ellis.”
“Sorry enough to tell me about this work program thing?”
She smiled. “How can I say no after that? So, a few months ago, I found out I had brain cancer.�
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“Shitty,” I said.
“Tell me about it.” She shook her head. “But not surprising, right? Did you read the study that came out last year? They’re predicting that more than sixty percent of us will get some form of cancer before we’re sixty-five, and the numbers are only going to go up each year.”
“Holy shit,” I said.
“Right?” She glanced at the lab door before grabbing a chair and dragging it to the end of the bed. She sat down and slipped one shoe off before rubbing at her heel. “The government keeps saying it isn’t the atmosphere that’s causing all the cancer, but us lowers are the ones with the highest percentage of cancer, and we spend the most time outdoors or in crappy buildings, right? Most of us have shit jobs in buildings that don’t have filtered air. The cancer diagnoses in middles and uppers are significantly lower. Like, forty-five percent lower.”
I had no idea if what she was saying was true or not, but she certainly was passionate about the subject.
“So, you found out you had brain cancer…” I prompted.
“Yeah, so obviously I applied for the breeding program right away and lucky me – I’m one of the seventy percent of women with the necessary gene to carry an alien baby.”
“Lucky you,” I said.
“You don’t, huh?”
I shook my head. About four months ago, at a really low point, I’d gone in for the blood test to determine if I was breeding compatible. It had only taken seven years on the street for me to finally do it, and I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or disappointed when I didn’t come back as compatible.
Relieved. You know for a fact that even if you could carry their babies, no Draax would have asked you to breed a baby for them. It was a waste of time getting the test done.
Like always, shame and sorrow filled me up until I was almost drowning in it. Esther would still be alive if I had just tried a little harder, if I’d done a better job of seducing –
I shook myself out of my memories. What good did they do? Esther was dead and that was it. Nothing I said or did now would change that. I’d fucked up, and maybe getting cancer was just karma’s way of repaying me for killing my sister.
“Sorry,” I said to Inara. “What were you saying?”
“I was asking when you were tested. If it was before three years ago, you might be breeding compatible. You might have the variant of the gene they discovered. I read that something like three to seven percent of women have it.”
Man, this girl loved her numbers.
“I was tested this year,” I said. “I didn’t have the regular gene or the variant. Anyway, tell me about this work program thing.”
“Right. So, I was breeding compatible which was great. Only, when I went to the agency to look through the database of Draax males to choose one to breed with, I was introduced to Sabrina instead.”
“Sabrina?”
“Our queen,” she said. “She’s amazing. She didn’t say a word about being the queen of the Draax western province or anything, just said her name was Sabrina and she was spearheading a new program and wanted to offer me the chance to participate.”
She rubbed harder at the heel of her foot. “Basically, I’m a part of a trial work program. Rather than exchanging the juice for being a baby mama, Sabrina offered me the chance to work here in the castle. I’m just doing housekeeping, but I get free room and board, free food, and they pay me a weekly wage.”
“But what about your brain cancer?” I said.
“Oh, they cured that right away with the gallberry juice,” Inara said. “I can’t participate in the program if I’m dying of a tumour, right?”
“Right,” I said.
“Anyway, so we had to sign a contract for a year, but at the end of the year we’re free to go back to Earth with our earnings. Or, we could stay and keep working too, Sabrina says. As long as we follow the rules.”
“What are the rules?” I said.
“Nothing too crazy. We aren’t allowed to leave the castle without a Draax escort, we -”
“Why not?” I said. “Are they afraid you’ll be hurt?”
“Oh God, no,” Inara said with a smile. “Draax males are super sweet to females. I think they’re more afraid that we’ll meet a male outside of the castle and decide to quit our jobs to mate with them and have their babies.”
“Mating is against the rules?”
“Well, not exactly. I mean, one of the rules is that we aren’t allowed to,” she made air quotes with her fingers, “socialize with the Draax males, if you know what I mean, but that’s only for the first three months. After that, we’re allowed to date them if we want,” Inara said. “But, honestly, the palace is huge and there are so many Draax males that work and live in the castle. If you’re looking to get lucky, you won’t need to go looking outside of the castle, that’s for sure.”
“Date them,” I repeated. “They don’t want us for dating, they want us for breeding. I don’t even understand why they’re trying this work thing. What’s the point? All they want from us is sex and babies.”
She glanced at the door again before leaning forward and lowering her voice. “You make a valid point. Most of the Draax here do just see us as potential mates, and I imagine once they’re allowed to actively start pursuing us, some of the women in the work program will decide to quit and instead mate with them and have their babies.”
“That’s pretty damn sneaky,” I said. “Luring women here with job offers when really they just want them to be baby machines.”
Inara frowned at me. “It isn’t like that. The queen truly believes that if the Draax offer us an alternative to just popping out babies for them, that it’s better for us and for them. One of the other women in the program, Candy, told me that she knew for a fact that Sabrina only approached lowers to be in the work program. She’s trying to help us and improve our quality of life. As for the Draax – yeah, maybe they’re only agreeing to this because their plan is to lure a woman away from the job and mate with them instead, but can you blame them? We’re their only hope of not going extinct.”
She sat back in her chair. “Look, don’t get me wrong, the gallberry juice is amazing and without it, I’d be dead, but this opportunity is… well, it’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I don’t care if it turns out that it’s only the queen who is determined to turn this into our new reality, or if the Draax are just using this work program as a different way to get us on their planet as potential mates. What I care about is the money I’m making over the next year.”
Excitement flooded her face. “With the money I make, I’ll be able to get my own place on Earth and have a bit left over to start my degree through online schooling. With what I make here, as long as I find a part time job on Earth, I can keep going to school and Wendy can live with me. Neither of us will have to worry about going hungry or being kicked out of some disgusting apartment in the middle of the night.”
“Who’s Wendy?” I said.
“My sister.” Inara beamed with pride. “She’s with my parents right now but as soon as I get back home, she’ll move in with me.”
“So, I take it you’re not planning on letting a Draax seduce you into staying permanently,” I said.
“No, absolutely not. I hated leaving Wendy for even a year, and I’m definitely not leaving her permanently.”
“Maybe she could get into the work program,” I said. “If women start dropping out because the Draax convince them to be their mates, then they’ll be looking for replacement workers, right?”
“Wendy is only twelve,” Inara said. “She’s too young for the work program. It isn’t safe for her on Earth without me. Even when I joined the breeding program, my plan was to pop out a baby and then return to Earth.”
“Really?” I said.
“Yes. I know that makes me sound awful – what kind of mother would leave her child – but Wendy is like my child. I basically raised her, and at least I know my baby here would be well taken care of by it
s father. Wendy only has me.”
“I thought you said she was with your parents?” I said.
“She is, but,” Inara’s face pinched with worry, “they aren’t great parents.”
I was curious about what she meant, but it really wasn’t any of my business.
“Anyway,” Inara stood, “I need to get back to work and you need to eat before your food gets cold. I’m sorry about your cancer diagnosis, Ellis.”
“Thanks,” I said. I watched her walk away to the broom closet before pulling my tray of food closer to me.
I might have cancer and be dead in a month or two, but after nearly eight years of near-starvation, I wasn’t letting impending death stop me from stuffing my face.
Chapter Six
Ellis
“Hey, Sigan?” I stepped out of the bathroom, my too-large gown billowing around my freshly washed body. “Is there a bathroom on the Draax ship that’s returning me to Earth? Because I’m thinking I can probably drink at least another ten bottles of juice if there is. What do you think ten more bottles will give me? Another week, maybe?”
I rubbed the pot belly I had developed from breakfast and from the four bottles of juice I drank. I was already feeling sloshy from the IV serum and all the juice, but I didn’t care. I would gorge myself on juice if it gave me a few extra days.
Do you really want an extra few days in prison, Ellis?
“Sigan? Where’d you go?” I wandered toward the back of the infirmary.
“I asked him to give us a few minutes alone, little human.”
I whirled around, my pulse kicking into high gear at the sound of Galan’s voice. “Galan, um, hi.”
I crossed my arms over my torso. When it was just Sigan and me in the infirmary, I didn’t think twice about the fact that I was naked under the thin hospital gown. But with Galan it seemed to be the only thing I could think about.
“Hello, Ellis.”
Goosebumps shivered to life on my skin. Holy crap, the way he said my name… why did it sound so friggin’ sexy?
I squeezed my thighs together. I was not getting wet just from hearing Galan say my name. Nope, I absolutely wasn’t, because that was crazy, and I was probably just hopped up on the juice. That shit was a drug and I was already hopelessly addicted to it. Christ, the withdrawal symptoms from the juice would probably kill me before my fellow prisoners did.
Rebel (The Draax Series Book 3) Page 8
