Evie, are you even sure he’s the king?
I stared at my pale face in the mirror. No, I wasn’t certain. Although the palace was much bigger than the tiny apartment that I’d called home, it certainly wasn’t very…palatial-like. I had seen pictures on the holograms at the libraries of the castles on Earth and compared to those, this one was very modest. Humble, even.
I’d assumed a palace would have many servants in it, but I’d only seen the two Draax. Plus, the way the king dressed was very similar to his servant. Or employee? What did they even call them here?
I wished I’d had more time to do research on the king of the western province, but I wasn’t able to sneak away to the library before I left, and my PAR phone had no access to the InfoNet. I knew next to nothing about Draax royalty. Hell, for all I knew, both the Draax I met tonight were just servants. Maybe I would meet the king in the morning.
I sat down on the bed. The palace might not be fancy, but their beds were amazing. Of course, after sleeping on a lumpy mattress on the floor for years, maybe any bed would feel incredible. I bounced a little, hissing out a breath when it made pain rocket across my back and into my side. I pressed a hand against my side and tried to take shallow breaths until the pain subsided. When I’d used the bathroom earlier, there was still blood in my urine.
Fear tingled through me. I’d never peed blood for so long after a beating before. What if Alex had really hurt me this time? What if my kidneys were permanently damaged? What if it affected my ability to carry the king’s child?
Panic was worming through my gut and tears were sliding down my face. Stupidly, I was homesick for my tiny room and awful mattress. I despised living under my stepbrother’s cruel thumb, but I was still homesick for Earth. I hated that my only way to escape him was by whoring myself out as a baby-maker to some big, green angry king on an entirely different planet.
Still crying, I opened my backpack and pulled out a long t-shirt and shorts to wear to bed. It was late, and I was tired, and the palace was dead quiet. With my translator not working, I was pretty certain I wasn’t going to be having sex with the king tonight.
With any luck, my kidneys would be much better by tomorrow. The bruises would be horrible and very noticeable, but I would tell the king that I was in a vehicle accident before I left Earth and that I was fine. Hopefully, he would believe me.
I slowly undressed before turning and studying my back in the mirror in the corner. Shit. The bruising on my back was so bad, and the one on my shoulder had spread until it was across my upper back as well. I tried lifting my left arm above my head and moaned in pain as hot tears leaked down my face.
I wished I could ask for an ice pack, but I wasn’t sure if I should leave my room, nor did I even know how to begin to pantomime for ice. For all I knew, the Draax didn’t even use ice.
Another wave of homesickness washed over me, and I eased into my t-shirt and shorts. I gingerly sat down on the side of the bed, pressing my hand against my side. The pain, the lack of sleep, and the realization that I would never see Earth again hit me like an airtrain and I began to cry in earnest. I covered my face with my hands to muffle the sobs.
When the door to my room opened five minutes later and the king walked into my room, I was still crying like an overtired toddler. I hurriedly stood, wiping at my face with the palms of my hands as I stared wide-eyed at the Draax. His short, dark hair was wet like he’d just showered, and he was only wearing a pair of sleep pants that hung low on his hips. His upper chest was hairless, but I could see a trail of dark hair below his navel.
His body was incredible. All sinewy muscle and smooth green skin. His tail reminded me of a lion’s tail with a tuft of black hair at the end of it. It waved back and forth in the air behind him. Unlike the other Draax, his hair was cut short and he had dark brown eyes. When his gaze dipped to my braless chest, a flush of heat and nerves went through me.
I cleared my throat. I guess my question about whether he really was king or not was answered. “So, uh, you’re looking for sex, right?”
He scowled and closed my door before holding his finger to his lips.
“Sorry.” I hadn’t spoken very loudly, but obviously the king didn’t even like the sound of my voice. I had forgotten to curtsey when he entered, and I wondered if I was supposed to do it now. I decided not to. It made my back hurt too much.
You can’t even curtsey, but you’re going to have sex with him? Do you have any idea how much it’s going to hurt?
My inner voice wasn’t wrong, but I didn’t have a choice. I needed to play down my injuries. If the king thought I couldn’t have sex with him, he’d send me back to Earth.
Evie, you’re not thinking clearly. Candy said they were kind, remember? He’ll give you time to heal. Just show him your damn bruises so he’ll leave you alone tonight.
I couldn’t take that risk. If they sent me back to Earth, Alex would kill me or worse… force me to marry Troy.
He was still standing across the room from me and staring at my legs. I was beginning to feel self-conscious. Why wasn’t he undressing or undressing me? Was I supposed to make the first move? Maybe he found me so hideous that he had to work up the nerve to fuck me.
My cheeks flushed, and a wave of shame went through me. The guy I’d given my virginity to had been nice enough. He’d complimented me a lot when he got me naked, told me I was beautiful and sexy, but it was obvious that the Draax king didn’t like me.
Despair uncurled in my belly. We needed to have sex so he could have an heir, but could he even get it up if he found me ugly?
My gaze dropped to his crotch and I took a deep breath. Like I’d just told myself - I was here for a reason – to have sex with the king and give him a child. If I couldn’t do that, I was of no use to him and he’d send me back to Earth. If I wanted to stay here, if I wanted to avoid being killed by my stepbrother or married off to Troy, I needed to use my limited seduction skills on the king. It was obvious that he couldn’t make the first move. Maybe he would just close his eyes while we were fucking. I mean, a pussy was a pussy, right?
My cheeks went red, but I took another deep breath and walked toward the king. He seemed almost frozen to the spot, and he didn’t move when I pressed my body against his and put my arms around his waist. Steeling myself, I kissed his chest and then his collarbone before nuzzling his neck. I stroked his lower back and a bit of his middle back, but my throbbing shoulder wouldn’t let me lift my arm any higher.
The king still hadn’t moved a muscle, and feeling awkward and weird, I stood on my tiptoes and pressed my mouth against his. His lips were warm and firm, but his entire body went ramrod stiff. When I licked his lower lip, he made a startled noise and pushed me away.
Not expecting it, I tripped over my own feet and landed hard on my ass. It sent agony up and down my spine and through my kidneys and I couldn’t stop my sharp cry of pain.
For one terrible moment, I thought I was going to black out. I immediately lowered my head between my knees, breathing in long, slow inhales and exhales, counting out seven beats for each breath.
I cringed when the alien’s hands wrapped around my arms and he lifted me to my feet. He wasn’t rough, but I still scurried away from him and held my hands up in supplication as tears slid down my face. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I thought that was what you were, um, here for. I’m very sorry.”
He scowled, and my throat went dry. What was the punishment for angering a king on Draax? What if it was a beating? My kidneys actually pulsed in pain at just the thought, and I backed up again until my legs hit the side of the bed.
“Please, I’m very sorry.”
The king turned and walked out of my room, closing the door softly behind him. My heart thudding in my chest, I sank onto the bed, holding my hand against my throbbing kidneys and trying not to cry.
I was so screwed.
Bran
I hurried down the hallway toward my own bedroom. Court’s bedroom light was off and
there was no sound coming from his room, but I still snuck past it like I had done something wrong. I entered my room and closed the door behind me.
What in Krono’s name just happened?
After my shower, I’d gone to Bella’s nursery to check on her. She was sound asleep with her tiny fist curled around her favourite doll. I’d sat on the floor beside her bed for nearly half an hour, just staring at her face. Krono, I loved her.
The human’s room was next to Bella’s and, at first, I couldn’t identify the sound I kept hearing. Finally, I stood and pressed my ear against the wall that separated the rooms. It sounded like the human was crying.
I’d hurried out of Bella’s room. I told myself I was only going into her room to tell her to be quiet, not because I wondered why she cried. Bella was a real groden if she was woken up, and I had no wish to spend the rest of my night soothing a grumpy toddler.
I’d gone into the human’s room, and then things went strange. I scrubbed a hand across my jaw. The human had changed her clothing and I was almost mesmerized by the smooth, paleness of her long legs. I was just thinking about what they might look like wrapped around my waist when the human had approached me. The feel of her soft lips on my chest and neck had shocked me into stillness. When she’d pressed her mouth against mine, licking me with her soft tongue, I’d come to my senses and pushed her away.
I cringed and walked to the bathroom connected to my room to stare at my reflection. I hadn’t meant to be rough, but I’d hurt the little human. No longer covered by Court’s cloak, it was obvious that her body was small and fragile. When she’d landed on the floor, the cry of pain and the way her lovely face paled, had made me feel lower than a glackenswine.
But it was even worse when I had helped her to her feet, and she had startled away from me like a terrified grundleswat. The way she cried, and her body trembled in fear… I groaned and returned to my room, climbing into bed and staring up at the ceiling. I hadn’t meant to scare or hurt her and once her translator was working, I would tell her that.
Chapter Five
Evelyn
With my phone broken and no clock in my room, I had no idea what time it was. The storm outside the window made it impossible to even tell if the sun had risen, but it felt like morning. The wind rattled the window and I took a step back. It was cold in my room, despite the heat blowing from the vent in the floor. I studied the thick snow that was falling and wondered how long the storm would last.
After a few minutes, I gathered my courage and left the bedroom, carrying my uneaten plate of food. I’d dressed in a t-shirt and jeans before putting a sweater on over my shirt. It was chilly in the palace, but mostly I was embarrassed at how noticeable it was that I wasn’t wearing a bra. I tried to put it on, but the pain in my shoulder made it impossible. Just getting the t-shirt and sweater over my head was an exercise in agony.
I hadn’t slept again last night, the pain and the homesickness and the worry that I had somehow insulted the king, making sleep impossible. I felt sick to my stomach, exhaustion was making my vision blurry, and I was on the verge of tears.
I moved slowly down the stairs and down the hallway. I could hear some noises coming from a doorway to the right, and I peeked my head into the room. It was the kitchen and, again, while it was giant-sized compared to the narrow alley kitchen in my apartment, it didn’t seem nearly large enough to feed an entire palace of people. Of course, the palace still wasn’t exactly bustling with aliens. The only Draax in the kitchen was the one who had picked me up from the ship last night.
I tried to smile in a friendly way at him as I entered the kitchen. “Good morning.”
Maybe the translator was working now. Please God, let the translator be working.
He studied the plate of food in my hand before scowling and striding forward. He took the plate and said something that was gibberish before pointing at the food.
Shit. Still no translator.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I, uh, I wasn’t hungry last night.”
He frowned, and my heart lurched against my ribcage. I took a step back, my right hand automatically coming up to protect my liver – a favourite punching spot for Alex – and sputtered out another useless apology.
A strange look came over his face, and he backed away from me immediately. He turned and walked across the kitchen, dumping the food from my plate into the garbage as his tail flicked agitatedly back and forth.
He turned and pointed at the chair as he put the plate into what looked like the Draax version of a dishwasher. I eased my body into the chair, fuck did it hurt my kidneys and back to sit, and wiped away the sweat on my forehead as the Draax brought me a glass of water.
“Thank you.”
I sipped at the water. Even though I knew I was dehydrated, I didn’t want to drink too much. This morning, I had discovered the door on the right wall of my bedroom led to a small bathroom. I’d used it, but peeing was torturous, there was more blood than before, and I’d nearly passed out on the toilet. I had no desire to pee again anytime soon.
The Draax was leaning against the counter, his arms folded across his massive chest. He was wearing a loose cotton shirt and dark pants that clung to his thick thighs. He was barefoot, and his hair was sticking up at the back, like he had just rolled out of bed. It was both adorable and a little confusing. Wouldn’t someone who worked for the king make sure he was more presentable?
Evie, something’s wrong. Just try and think past the exhaustion and the pain, would you? Something is very, very wrong. This place isn’t big enough to be a palace, and there aren’t nearly enough servants around.
The Draax said something before pointing at his chest.
“I’m sorry?”
He pressed both hands again his chest before saying. “Court.”
I blinked at him, trying to concentrate over the pain. Court. He was saying court. Did he mean the king’s court? “Uh, we’re in the court?”
He nodded and pointed to himself again. “Court.”
“Oh!” The lightbulb went on. “Your name is Court.”
“Court.” He repeated before pointing at me.
I pressed my right hand against my chest. “Evelyn. My name is Evelyn.”
He cocked his head at me before hesitantly saying my name.
I smiled and nodded my head. “That’s right. Evelyn but most times I go by Evie.”
He just stared at me and I took another sip of water. “Which I shouldn’t have said because it’ll just confuse you until the translator starts working. God, I hope it starts working soon.”
There was a noise behind me, and I shifted in my chair, pressing my hand against my throbbing kidneys, to see who was behind me. My mouth fell open. The king had walked into the kitchen and he was carrying a little girl. She had long dark hair and purple skin, and she was staring as wide-eyed at me as I was at her.
The king gave me an irritated look before speaking to Court in a fast and angry tone. The little girl continued to stare at me, her chubby arm slung tight around the king’s neck. I sat back in my chair. Why did the king have a little girl with him? I was certain the lady at the agency said he was looking for an heir. Maybe he needed a boy? Maybe he…
Evie! Think, goddammit! You know what this is!
“Oh no,” I exhaled before touching the spot where the woman on the ship had injected me with an ID chip. “They mixed them up. They – she mixed up the chips and they thought I was Sabrina. Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.”
The king – no, not the king – was staring at me and my face flushed bright red. I had kissed him last night, I had kissed him and touched him and… oh shit.
My head was buzzing, and it was hard to breathe. I was on the verge of passing out and I pushed back my chair and leaned over, crying out at the pain, and immediately stuck my head between my knees.
Shit. This was so fucking bad.
* * *
Court
“Why is she in here?” Bran glared at me.
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“Do you mean to keep her as a prisoner, Bran?” I replied. “If so, then lock her door if you do not want her leaving her room.”
His skin darkened and his tail flicked rapidly behind him. “Of course, she is not a prisoner. But I told you I do not want her around Bella.”
“She has to eat,” I said. “Not that she is.”
“What do you mean?”
“She did not eat any of the food I brought to her last night. Not a single bite.”
“She will eat when she is hungry enough,” Bran said as an odd look of guilt flickered across his face. “I take it the translator is not working yet?”
“No, but I believe her name is Evelyn.” The human name sounded foreign on my tongue.
“What kind of name is Evelyn?” Bran said.
I shrugged. “You know the humans sometimes have strange names. She -”
The human made a cry of pain and we both turned to see her leaning over with her head between her knees. I pushed past Bran and crouched in front of her. She ignored me, and I poked her lightly on the top of her head. “What is wrong, human?”
She straightened and stared at me. Her pale skin was even paler than normal, and her eyes were huge in her face. Little pain lines were etched around her mouth and she was breathing much too quickly.
“Human – Evelyn, do you feel faint?”
“She cannot understand you, Court.” Bran had placed Bella in her booster chair, and he stood next to me, staring down at the human.
“Does she look like she is in pain to you?” I asked.
“Yes,” Bran admitted.
“Perhaps we should give her some gallberry juice.” I studied the silent, sweating woman in front of me. “If she is sick, it will help.”
The human began to talk, but it still made no sense to me. I glanced up at Bran. “Pour her a glass of juice, would -”
“I’m not here for the nanny job. Oh shit. How do I make them understand? Maybe I could pantomime it. Think, Evie. You’ve played charades before. How hard can it be to make them understand you’re here for breeding not nannying?”
Rule (The Draax Series Book 2) Page 5