“Now to find my way back to the goddamn garden,” I said. I didn’t have a terrible sense of direction, but the maze of corridors and hallways would have been too much for freaking Marco Polo.
“I should have left myself a damn trail of breadcrumbs.” I peered up and down the hallway, trying to decide if I should go left or right at the t-intersection up ahead.
“Left… I think. Yeah, no, it’s left for sure,” I said.
I froze when I heard voices coming from that t-intersection… one of them sounded familiar. I cocked my head, straining to hear… oh shit. I did recognize that voice. It was old blue eyes who had caught me during my first escape attempt.
Panic made my heart trip in my chest. I needed to hide and do it quick. I backed up a few steps, glancing behind me as the voices drew closer. There was no way I’d make it to the end of the corridor before they saw me.
Think, Ellis! Think!
I grabbed the handle of the door closest to me. It was locked and I backed away to the next one as the voices swelled in the hallway. Fuck, they would be turning the corner in seconds. The handle of the second door turned beneath my sweaty hand, and I opened the door and slipped inside just as the two Draax rounded the corner.
I closed the door with a quiet click and leaned up against it with my eyes squeezed shut. My heart was racing, my breath was puffing in and out of my lungs, and my back was slick with sweat.
The low voices and heavy footsteps of the Draax grew closer and I held my breath as they walked past the door. Their voices and footsteps faded, and I slumped against the door.
“Fuck,” I breathed. “That was close.”
I opened my eyes and stared in mute surprise at the luxurious furnishings in the large living room to my left. The living room alone was bigger than my entire apartment and it was decorated in dark greys and rich burgundies.
“Holy shit,” I said. “Look at this place.”
I took a step forward and turned to the right to study the kitchen. “Shit!” I backed up, my ass hitting the door again, my heart roaring along like an airtrain, as I stared at the woman standing behind the marble topped island that separated the kitchen from the living area. She had long dark hair and blue eyes and she held an identical bottle of cleaner in one hand and a rag in the other.
She had to be one of the women in the work program, a housekeeper like Inara. Although her lower half was hidden behind the island, I could tell she had the exact body that the Draax liked. Tall and curvy in all the right spots. With tits like hers, she probably had to beat the Draax off her with a stick.
“Hello,” she said.
“Uh, hey, how are you?” I said.
“Good.” She sprayed the top of the island with the cleaner and wiped it with the rag before studying Galan’s shirt. “That’s an interesting look.”
I laughed. “Yeah, thanks. I just felt like wearing something pretty today to clean. You know how it is.”
Her laugh was genuine, and she cleaned another spot off the counter with the rag. “Are you lost?”
“Um, sort of. I mean, not lost, lost… I know I’m in the castle, but I can’t seem to find my way to the front door. I don’t suppose you could point me in the right -”
The knock on the door behind me made me drop my rag and slap my hand over my mouth. When Galan’s deep voice said, “Sabrina? Are you busy? May I join you?”, my heart almost joined the rag lying at my feet.
I bent and snatched it up before holding my finger to my lips. The woman stared at me in amusement as I crept toward the couch.
“Do me a solid and don’t tell the big guy I’m here, okay?” I whispered before dropping onto the floor in front of the couch.
I laid on my stomach, placing the bottle of cleaner and the rag on the floor beside me and staring under the couch as Galan knocked again. “Sabrina? May I come in?”
“Yes,” Sabrina said.
Still staring under the couch, I held my breath as the door opened. The floor was spotless under the couch. Damn… the woman could clean, I thought dimly as I tried to ignore the panic eating at my stomach lining.
“Hello, Sabrina. How are you?”
“I’m good, thanks, Galan. How are you? You look upset.”
Sabrina… why was that name so familiar? I tried to think of where I’d heard it before as I watched Galan’s feet walk over to the island.
“It has been a long day,” Galan said.
“What happened?” Sabrina said.
Fuck, how did I know the name Sabrina?
I closed my eyes in thought and made a soft grunt of surprise when something hard and pointy poked me in the side of the head. I opened my eyes, staring up at the tiny purple face looking down at me from the couch.
The little girl was maybe two years old and her dark hair was scooped up into two tiny pigtails. She blinked sleepily at me as her tail came down and poked me again in the side of the head.
I glared at her and pushed her tail away when she brushed it against my forehead. She sat up on the couch, rubbing at the sleep creases on the side of her admittedly adorable face. She used her tail to poke at my face again and I batted it away, putting my finger to my lips when she opened her mouth.
“Shh,” I said in a low voice.
Her tail brushed across my hair before she whispered, “Hello, girl.”
I waved at her then held my finger to my lips again.
She mimicked me, holding one chubby finger against her mouth before smiling.
I glanced under the couch again, staring at Galan’s feet. Shit, what did I do now? Also, who did this kid belong to and why was –
I couldn’t hold in my loud grunt when the toddler dropped onto my lower back. She was a chubby little thing and it was like a bowling ball hitting me square in the spine. The toddler laughed, her tail tugging on my hair and her hands clapping.
“Surprise, girl! Mama, I surprise the girl!”
“Jovie, what…”
The toddler was lifted off of me and I stared up at Galan as he held the toddler in his arms.
I waved at him. “Oh, hey, Galan.”
“What in Krono…” Galan set Jovie down on the floor and she wandered away. I flinched when Galan reached for me, but he just grabbed my arms and hauled me to my feet.
“What are you doing in here, Ellis?”
“Um… I got lost?”
“How did you get out of your living quarters?”
Galan shook me lightly when I didn’t answer. “Answer me, little female.”
“Galan, it’s fine.”
We both looked at Sabrina. She was standing in front of the island and holding the little girl in her arms. My mouth dropped open at the sight of her belly. Holy shit. She was pregnant.
“My queen, I am sorry,” Galan said. “I do not know how she got into your private quarters.”
Motherfucking hell.
I stared wide-eyed at the queen, my sarcasm and usual smartass replies blanketed under the surety that I was about to have my head chopped off by Galan’s shiny sword.
“What are you doing in the king and queen’s private quarters, Ellis?” Galan’s hands tightened around my arms. “You must answer me immediately before -”
“Sadora?” The door swung open and – oh this just got fucking better and better – the king walked into the apartment. “Is Jovie awake from her nap? I will take her for a walk in the garden before… Galan?”
The king stared at me before turning his gaze to Galan. “Why did you bring the thief to my queen?”
There was a moment of silence. When Galan looked at me, I knew without a doubt that I had fucked him over big time. Regret and shame immediately coursed through me. It hadn’t been my intention to get Galan in trouble and I didn’t care if it cost me my head, I would make sure the king knew Galan had nothing to do with me being here.
“Answer me, Galan,” the king said.
I craned my neck to stare around Galan’s large body. “Your majesty, he didn’t -”
&n
bsp; “I asked him to bring her to me,” Sabrina said. “I wanted to meet her.”
The king frowned at her. “Sabrina, that little female is not to be trusted.”
“I know, Quill,” Sabrina said. “But I remember how terribly bored I was when I first got here and was locked in my room all day. I figured she’d like to meet some new people.” She handed the toddler to him.
“Hi, Papa.”
“Hello, Jovie.” Quill kissed her cheek as he studied me and Galan. “Galan, if my sadora wishes to visit with the thief, I will allow it, but you must remain with her at all times. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Quill,” Galan said.
“Good.” Quill kissed the toddler’s cheek again. “Meena, would you like to go for a walk in the garden?”
She clapped her hands and screeched “garden” at the top of her lungs.
Sabrina laughed. “I think that’s a yes. Let me just change her first. Ellis, it was nice to meet you.”
“Um, it was nice to meet you too, uh, your highness.” I made a clumsy curtsy and then bowed to the king as Galan’s hand tightened on my arm.
Nodding to Quill, he marched me past the king and the princess and out the door. The minute the door closed behind us, I said, “Galan, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean -”
“Hold your tongue, human.”
There was no warmth in Galan’s voice at all. Feeling sick to my stomach, I followed meekly along as he led me through the maze of corridors until we were back at my room.
He pushed me inside and I said, “I really am sorry. I didn’t know who she was or -”
“How did you get out of your living quarters?” Galan’s tail was flicking back and forth so quickly it was a green blur.
“You left the door unlocked.”
Lying came automatically to me. I’d spent the last seven years rarely able to trust anyone and lying had kept me safe. I was extremely good at it, and my voice remained steady and my gaze didn’t shift from Galan’s face.
So, why did I immediately feel so fucking shitty about lying to him?
“Krono!” Galan ran a hand through his dark hair. “This is my fault. If you had hurt the queen or the princess…”
“I wouldn’t have hurt them,” I said. “You know me better than that. I’m not, like, a monster for God’s sake. C’mon, Galan.”
He stared at me and the disappointment in his gaze was worse than the anger. “You should not have left your living quarters, Ellis. If the king knew what really happened, you would be sent to Iron Gate immediately. Is that what you want? To sit in a prison cell alone until the war ends and you are returned to your planet?”
“No,” I said, “but it isn’t fair that you keep me locked up in my room and refuse to take me for a fucking walk just because you’re pissed that I hugged Sigan. I only get to leave this room twice a day and you took that away from me because you were having a tantrum.”
“I was not having a tantrum!” Galan shouted.
“Like hell you weren’t!” I shouted back.
His tail banged against the wall before he stalked out of the room. He slammed the door shut and locked it and his footsteps faded away.
My hands shaking, guilt and anger and regret all jockeying for a spot in my stomach, I ran to my bed and climbed in, pulling the quilt over my head and letting the hot tears fall.
Chapter Eight
Ellis
The knock on my door made my pulse race and shivers of anticipation run down my spine. I stood up from the love seat, chewing on my bottom lip as the door unlocked. I don’t know why I was so anxious. It wouldn’t be Galan. It would be Adrix again bringing me lunch. Just like it’d been for the last three days. I had a feeling I’d never see Galan again, not with how pissed he was at me.
The door opened and just like I expected, it was Adrix who walked in carrying my lunch tray. What I didn’t expect was the queen to walk in after him.
“Human, you will show respect to our queen and bow,” Adrix said.
“Right.” I bowed quickly. “Um, sorry, your highness.”
“It’s fine,” she said as Adrix set my lunch tray on the table. She sat down on one of the chairs as Adrix stood behind her.
“Adrix, you don’t need to hover,” the queen said.
“My queen, your mate was very clear about what he would do to me if any harm came to you while you visited with the prisoner,” Adrix said.
“She’s not going to hurt me,” the queen said. “Are you, Ellis?”
“No, absolutely not,” I said. “I promise.”
“See? Why don’t you wait for me outside in the hallway?”
Adrix’s face turned a pale shade of green and he shook his head. “My queen, I cannot do that.”
“Not even if it’s a direct order from me?” she said.
Indecision crossed Adrix’s face before he finally said, “You know that my life is yours, my queen, but I cannot and will not disobey our king’s orders.”
“Yeah, okay. How about we compromise, and you relax on the couch or hang out by the door?”
Adrix glanced at me and I held my hands up. “Adrix, I’m not gonna hurt the queen. I know the king will lop off my head if I do, and I like the old brain bucket exactly where it is.”
“He will kill you, human,” Adrix said.
“Adrix!” the queen said.
“If you hurt his mate, he will kill you,” Adrix said again. “He will show you no mercy or second chance. The last Draax who tried to harm her, lost his life at the hand of the king. He will do the same to you. Do you understand?”
“Perfectly,” I said.
I liked Adrix, he’d been kind to me the last few days and even sat and chatted with me once while I ate my meal, but I’d never seen this version of him before. A chill went down my back when he rested his hand on the handle of his sword and stared at me.
“Do not make me harm you, little human.”
“Adrix, enough. She gets the point,” the queen said.
Adrix walked over to the door, standing next to it. I stayed where I was and the queen said, “Come and eat your lunch, Ellis.”
I joined her, sinking into the chair across from her. I was hungry but eating in front of the queen seemed… rude, somehow.
“You’re not eating,” the queen said after a few minutes.
“Um, I’m not that hungry actually, your highness.”
My stomach growled with perfect timing and the queen laughed. “One, you’re obviously hungry and two, call me Sabrina.”
I ate a few forkfuls of the blue rice-like grain called orechoke and a bit of meat. “I’m sorry for walking in on you the other day, your majesty. If I had known it was your personal quarters, I would never have walked in like that.”
“Call me Sabrina,” she repeated. She rubbed at her belly. “Would you mind if I took some of your gallberry juice? Carrying this kid makes me crave it something fierce.”
“Not at all.” I stood and grabbed a bottle from the fridge and handed it to her.
“Thanks.” She took a long drink before shifting in her chair. “Look, before I met Quill and married him, I was a nobody, all right?”
“Were you a lower?” I asked.
“Just barely a middle,” she said. “I worked as a nanny and lived with my sister. My sister had liver cancer and I took the test to see if I was breeding compatible. I wasn’t, so I joined the nanny program and was chosen by a farmer.”
I blinked at her. “You’re about as far away from a farm as you can get.”
She laughed. “Yeah, I know. There was a mix-up and I was sent here to Quill, and his actual intended mate, Evelyn, was sent to the farmer. It was in the cold months and one of the infamous Draax storms had started so we were isolated in the castle for a month.”
“So, obviously you’re one of the women with the gene variant,” I said.
“Yes.” She drank some more juice before resting one hand on her belly. “I didn’t like Quill at first, I thought he was arrogant and rude,
but…”
A soft smile crossed her face and I said, “But?”
“I realized I was wrong. Anyway, long story short, Quill and I fell in love and we discovered the gene variant existed when I became pregnant with Jovie. We performed the mating ceremony shortly after that and now this former nobody is the queen of the western province. Trust me, no one is more weirded out by the fact that I’m a queen than me.”
“What happened to the other woman?”
Sabrina grinned at me. “Luckily, Evie fell in love with the farmer and his best friend. When the storm ended and Quill took me to the farm to tell the farmer that I would not be his nanny, we discovered that Evelyn was perfectly happy to stay with her new loves. It’s a friggin’ miracle really. What are the odds that one – they’d give us the wrong identification chips and two – we’d both fall in love with the Draax we weren’t supposed to be with?”
“So, Evelyn is in love with two Draax guys?” I said.
She nodded. “Yes. Bran and Court. Bran has a daughter named Bella whose mother left her to return to Earth, but Bella thinks of Evie as her mother. And Evie and Court just had a baby boy.”
“So, they’re just one big happy family,” I said. “I knew that Draax liked to have threesomes with chicks, but I didn’t realize it extended beyond the banging.”
I winced at my coarseness. “Uh, I mean… sorry. That was a rude way to say it.”
Sabrina laughed again. “Maybe, but accurate. It is a little unusual for two Draax to mate with one woman, but Bran and Court always knew they wanted to share a woman and Evie is perfectly happy with both of them.”
I spilled some orechoke down the front of Galan’s shirt and muttered a curse before giving Sabrina an apologetic look.
“As cute as you look in oversized Draax shirts, where are your clothes?” Sabrina asked.
“Sigan burned them while I was in the shower,” I said. “And I didn’t have any other ones in my backpack.”
She laughed. “Sigan means well but he has a hard time understanding females.”
“Tell me about it,” I said. “But to be fair, my clothes did smell pretty terrible.”
Rebel (The Draax Series Book 3) Page 11
