Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
Madison had forgotten how wonderful it was to just talk and not worry about translators.
“Put this on.” Anna handed her a small bundle of clothes. “You can’t go around wearing a medic robe. You’ll look like an escaped patient.”
All Madison had was the heavy suit she’d worn through the Virilian desert. This set of clothes Anna had handed her looked tiny. She gave the redhead a skeptical look.
“It will fit,” Anna insisted. “Just go put it on.”
“I don’t know.” Madison held up the black bustier-type thing and tried to think of a diplomatic way to decline. “I think I might get…cold.”
Anna laughed and gave her a little shove toward the washroom.
“Go change. I want to see Drex’s face when he sees you in something less…
warm.” She scooped up little Reo, who had made a giggling dive for the plate of food on the table.
She handed him a morsel and moved the plate away from the edge.
“The way Trak described Drex made me think he was Jabba the Hutt sitting on a throne.” She laughed, loud and full. “It was really ridiculous.”
Madison had to chuckle, too. “Yeah. I mean, they both have tails, but…” She shook her head. “I never even knew Drex had a brother. But then, we’re still just getting to know each other.”
“Is it true he didn’t want a match?”
“Oh yeah. He’s got a complicated thing going with his departed mate.” She shrugged. “Sometimes it’s hard to get over loss.”
“Trak says Drex is uptight and rigid as a board.”
“He’s not.” Madison picked up a piece of the food. She had no idea what it was, but the small gray squares on the plate tasted a little like strawberry parfait. “He’s very serious, but he has a lot of responsibilities.”
“Well, then.” Anna gave her a wicked grin. “All the more reason to help him unwind a little.”
Madison bit her lip. She could stand there and make arguments all day long, but the fact of the matter was she didn’t have anything else to wear except for a space suit she had worn way too long to be anything but disgusting, and this medical robe, which was basically a bag with a head hole.
She shuffled into the washroom to change. Maybe this getup would actually fit.
To Madison’s surprise and partial dismay, it did.
Her breasts were considerably higher and plumped up.
Her legs were encased in tight black pants in a sturdy material that rode low on the hip and had a thick, attached belt covered in pockets and little compartments.
Chunky-soled boots completed the look, which Madison had to admit looked pretty freaking awesome.
She could have just walked off the set of a sci-fi thriller.
She looked tough, which wasn’t the most far-fetched description she could come up with for herself.
She had kneed Drex in the balls, after all, and given the circumstances at the time, she didn’t feel too bad about that.
On a whim, she unbraided her blond hair and pulled it into a high, sleek ponytail.
Wow. She looked ready to raid a ship. The very thought made her laugh. She opened the door and strutted back into Trak and Anna’s chambers, prepared to strike a goofy pose for Anna, and stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Drex. He stood with his brother and Anna, and little Reo.
“Oh.” Madison froze, unable to read Drex’s expression. He said nothing, showed nothing, but swallowed hard.
“Ooh.” Trak cocked his head to the side. “I always liked that outfit.”
Anna crossed her arms. “I also have it in red.”
“And transparent,” her mate replied with a wolfish grin.
“Let’s not go there,” said Anna with a raised eyebrow.
Drex’s gaze slowly slid down the length of her, then back up. It was as though he was riveted in place. “You look…nice.”
“Nice.” Anna raised a brow. “Now there’s an endorsement.”
Trak stepped forward and took a piece of food off the plate. “We received word that Exir City is clear. You two can return home.”
Home. He said it so easily, as though it was the place she belonged. With Drex.
“That is good news,” she said. Just then, Reo tore across the room and crashed into Madison’s legs, wrapping his arms around her knees.
She automatically picked him up with a chuckle and smoothed his unruly hair away from his eyes.
He smiled and did the same to her hair with one small, sticky hand.
His tail wrapped around her forearm. Madison laughed and touched her nose to his. “I will miss this little charmer.”
It was true. Reo was a delightful child, full of energy and spirit.
He was quickly wriggling into her heart.
She glanced up to see Drex watching her and Reo with a peculiar look on his face.
It wasn’t displeasure, exactly. More like wonder mixed with unease.
But who knew? Maybe he ate something that didn’t agree with him.
She wasn’t doing anything weird, only playing with his nephew.
“Hold up.” Trak touched the device on his ear with a frown. “My communications officer is hearing whispers of something I don’t like.”
Drex’s gaze went sharp. “Like what?”
“Sifters. There is a Virilian in their group.”
Drex’s jaw tightened. “Yes. We knew there was a traitor. One of our own at least helped kill my guards.”
“It happens.” Trak spread his hands. “Not everyone values life as much as you, dear half brother. It probably isn’t personal. Remember the valuable terria mines sitting below the city? That’s what I would be after, if I wasn’t the scrupulous fellow that I am.”
Drex gave him a bland look. “How insightful.”
“Like I said, someone wants your throne.” Trak’s mouth turned grim as he looked to Madison. “And they really don’t want you to produce an heir.”
Madison unconsciously held Reo closer. The toddler snuggled into her neck. “You mean…they want to kill me, too?”
Trak nodded. “My communications officer, Niir, tells me you are also a target. They fear you are already carrying the heir of Exir City.” He peered at her. “Are you?”
“I—I don’t know.” Madison felt numb all over. “It’s too soon to tell.”
Drex swore and turned away. “So we return to Exir City and then what? If Sifters are hiding in closets, it would take many cycles to do a full sweep of the entire city.”
Trak sighed. “You have no vision, half brother.”
“What he’s trying to say is,” said Anna, “we do the sweep from above. The Crib can scan through the rock and detect life-forms inside the city.”
“Exactly,” said Trak.
“Um...” Madison placed Reo, who was beginning to squirm, on the floor. “What happens if you do see life-forms inside?”
“We blast the living piss out of them, love,” replied Trak cheerfully. “Sends a clear message.”
“No.” Drex shook his head. “We are not destroying the city over a few Sifters. We’ll take them out one by one.”
“Bloody inefficient, if you ask me.” Trak shrugged. “But my crew and I will back you. That’s thirty-eight well-armed fighters.”
Anna cleared her throat. “Your crew?”
“Oh right,” Trak said with a crooked smile. “Our crew. Sorry, love. Old habits.”
“I’m going to speak with King Virak,” said Drex, heading for the door. “I don’t want him sending the Exir City residents back until we’re sure it’s safe. That includes my great-aunt.”
“I’m sure he’ll be happy to keep her here for as long as possible,” said Trak. “He seems enamored with her.”
“Virak is lonely,” said Anna. “Who wouldn’t be? He’s all alone on that big throne with no family, only advisors and such.” She shook her head. “Sounds awful.”
Madison’s gaze moved from Anna, who clearly had no clue she was describing Drex’s state, as well as Virak’s. His eyes only flickered once, before a bitter smile pulled at his lips. “Ready your ship for departure.”
“At once, my liege.” Trak gave him a completely irreverent bow. “You’re the boss. Sorry, the king.”
Drex grunted, turning to the door. “For the moment.”
“You really need to build yourself an army.”
“To fight Sifters?” Drex shook his head.
Madison clenched her hands together as she watched the brothers go, arguing over the merits of an army versus a small militia.
They were returning to Exir City and…then what? Would they go back to the way things had been between them? Drex had offered no indication otherwise.
She smoothed a hand over her flat belly. The possibility existed that she was carrying his child, but it didn’t mean anything was going to change.