Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Draikis walked tall and proud into the waiting transport, head held high, his gaze defiant.
He may have been stark naked, but these were his brothers, they’d all seen one another in such a state for as long as they’d been members of the order.
Except for the erection, that is. That put a few of them off and led to some uneasy glances.
“For the love of decorum, put your clothes on,” Totaxxis grumbled, tossing Draikis his bundled attire.
“You seem uncomfortable, Brother.”
“I am not uncomfortable. I simply have no desire to see the obvious signs of your betrayal to our order.”
“I—”
“You broke your vows. The law. And while your other transgressions may have been overlooked, this is unforgivable. You will be expelled from the order, naturally. What additional punishment is in store remains to be seen, but I assure you it will be severe. Elder Soparo will see to it.”
Draikis held his tongue and dressed, assessing the situation he’d found himself in with a growing ball of worry in his gut. He hid it well, but it was there, burning with a steady intensity.
They have Ella. Took her from me. His adrenaline surged, the desire to fight and cause maximum harm if necessary to protect his woman flooding his body.
No. You cannot overcome these odds. And she will suffer more if you try. Calm yourself, Draikis. Breathe, and regain your control. Then find out all you can.
“How did you know we would be at the hot springs?” he asked innocently enough. “No one ever goes there.”
“Thought you were safe to break our laws, did you?”
Draikis bit his tongue. He’d violated laws, yes, and more importantly, his vows to the order.
But this wasn’t just some woman. He could have handled that easily enough.
Ella, on the other hand, well, she was special.
More than that. She was meant for him, as he was for her, not that Totaxxis would care one iota about that.
So, he remained silent, knowing Totaxxis would not be able to keep silent long. The need to brag about how clever he was would undoubtedly loosen his lips. Sure enough only a moment later was he proven right.
“Surveillance drones.”
“You sent up drones? That’s a violation of protocol.”
“There were concerns of your closeness with the interloper. It was a prudent measure. Besides, I’m the head of security, Draikis. I wrote the protocols.”
“That still doesn’t change the facts.”
“Nor does it change that you were spotted copulating with this Earth woman. A world, I’ll add, that I have still found not a trace of information on.”
“They are new to the conglomerate.”
“So she keeps saying,” Totaxxis replied, a ponderous look on his face. “Her story just does not quite add up.”
“She was traumatized. Taken by Raxxians. Nearly burned to death. Irregularities are to be expected, so leave Ella out of this. Your quarrel is with me and me alone.”
“We will see about that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly as I said,” the head of security replied. “Now, I suggest you prepare yourself. You will have a very uncomfortable stay ahead of you.”