Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Madison

“M y king.” I bowed when Quill entered the council room. He was followed by his other advisor, Teo, the head of the king’s guard, Galan, and, my smile softened, Krey.

Krey joined me at the table, taking my hand and pressing a kiss against my knuckles. “Hello, my mate.”

“Hi, honey,” I said.

Quill sat at the head of the table, and the rest of us took our seats.

“What have you learned, Madison?” Quill asked.

“I don’t believe that Regan and Lomax knew each other before Regan saved her life,” I said. “Lomax used to be a middle who worked as a supervisor at one of the shipping facilities in California.”

“That could give her more access to the eastern province than the average human,” Teo said.

“That’s true,” I said, “but Lomax lost her job a while ago. She dropped from a middle to a lower and worked a menial job that barely helped her survive. Plus, she was actively dying and sleeping with Draax to get juice.”

“Which could give her a reason to work with Eastolf,” Teo said. “He could have promised to heal her in exchange for her spying on us.”

“Again, possible,” I said, “but it doesn’t seem likely. If she was working with Eastolf and Regan, she waited too long to put the plan in motion. The only reason she’s alive is because Sigan knew CPR.”

I turned to Quill. “My king, there are many reasons why suspecting Regan or Lomax to be spies isn’t valid. Sigan told me he, Aiden, and Thromi had never been to that particular bar before this trip. They randomly picked the bar once they were on Earth, so how would Eastolf know they would be there? The first night at the bar, when Sigan said he wouldn’t have sex with Lomax in exchange for juice, she didn’t argue or try to convince him further or even ask him questions about who he was or his life. He said he gave her his flask of juice, and she thanked him and left. On the second night, she tried again and when Sigan said no, she again didn’t pump him for more information or keep trying to seduce him. He’s positive she would have found another Draax to sleep with if he hadn’t given her all the juice he and the others had on them.”

Quill listened silently, his silver eyes intent on mine as I made my case.

“After speaking with Regan and Lomax, I don’t believe either is here as a spy,” I said.

“I agree with you about the little human,” Galan said, “but how can you be so sure about Regan?”

“Would Eastolf send his head of guard to spy?” Teo said thoughtfully.

“He could do so as a way to throw us off,” Krey said. “Send the one person we would never suspect.”

“True,” Teo said.

“Regan was nice to me when I was on the Korcean ship. No, it was more than that,” I said. “He showed compassion and kindness.”

“He still allowed you to be taken by the Korceans. You almost died on that ship because of him,” Krey growled.

“No, I almost died because of what Eastolf did. Regan is a pawn in his games, just like I was,” I said. “It was because of Regan that I found the courage to survive. I know he’s Eastolf’s head of guard, but I don’t believe he agrees with what Eastolf is doing.”

“He is still loyal to his king,” Krey said.

“I don’t think he’s as loyal to Eastolf as Eastolf and Regan himself believe he is. We can use that to our advantage,” I said.

Quill frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Eastolf is cruel to everyone, including those who work closely with him. I suspect that living and working in his castle is, forgive my language, a real shit show,” I said. “We can show Regan that it doesn’t have to be that way. If we can show him what it’s like to live in a province that isn’t ruled by fear, we might convince him to speak to the other kings about what Eastolf is doing.”

“It is a good idea,” Teo said, “but not one I think would work.”

“It could,” I said. “I have seen firsthand how Eastolf treats Regan.” I turned to Quill and Krey, “So have the both of you. He was dismissive and cold to Regan when we went to save my mother.”

“He was,” Quill said, “but that does not mean Regan will turn against him.”

“If we show Regan how a kingdom is meant to run, if he sees a king who is firm but fair, it could be enough to tip the scales in our favour,” I said. “He’ll be here for a month. Let him have his freedom in the castle, my king. Let him see how your people admire and respect their king without the use of threats or fear. Maybe it will do nothing to change his mind, but the worst that happens is he returns to Eastolf once the storm ends.”

“And gives him information on our kingdom,” Galan said.

“Is there anything we wish to hide?” I asked. “Eastolf knows of the work program, and Quill does nothing illegal in running his kingdom that Eastolf can use against him.”

“You have a point, little human,” Galan said.

I stared earnestly at Quill. “I believe Regan knows that Eastolf is not fit to rule. He knows what he’s doing is wrong, and if we can win him to our side, he could be the witness we need to convince the other kings of Eastolf’s wrongdoings. It would no longer be just our word against Eastolf’s.”

I sat back in my chair, slipping my hand into Krey’s hand below the table. His firm grip soothed me and helped me resist saying more. I had said everything I could to convince Quill. It was up to him now.

Quill stared at the table, his long fingers tapping a rhythm on the wood as he thought. After an eternity, he said, “Teo, do you have any objections to what Madison proposes?”

The old Draax shook his head. “I do not. Although I do not believe we will successfully turn Regan against his king, I agree with Madison that it is worth trying.”

I gave Teo a grateful look as Quill nodded and said, “I will do as you ask, Madison, and allow Regan his freedom to move about the castle.”

“Thank you, my king,” I said, squeezing Krey’s hand.

“I hope you are right,” Quill said gravely. “Convincing Regan to speak to the other kings may be our only chance of stopping Eastolf.”

* * *

Regan

“I am fully healed,” I said to the kadana when I opened my door and saw him standing in the hallway. “I do not need your attention.”

“That is not why I am here,” Sigan said. “I am escorting the little human because she wishes to see you and did not know the way to your quarters.”

He stepped aside, and I stared at the small human behind him. She waved at me. “Hello!”

I didn’t reply, and she glanced at Sigan before saying, “Do you mind if we come in for a moment?”

“I was about to nap,” I lied.

“It’ll only take a minute, I promise,” she said.

I sighed and stepped back. With another look at Sigan, the little human stepped into my quarters. The sweet smell of her skin drifted to me, and my cock twitched in my pants. Now that I wasn’t actively dying, I could appreciate how beautiful the little female was. She had long dark hair and pretty brown eyes. She was tall, although I still towered over her like I did almost everyone, and she had lush, full curves that a Draax could get lost in. I pictured how her breasts would look in my hands, how she would sound as I sucked on her nipples, and my cock went half-hard.

Krono, I needed to stop thinking such thoughts. Now was not the time for my dick to be in charge. Besides, it was the little female’s fault I was stuck in the western province for an entire moon. Dying because of a human might have been a less noble death, but it would not nearly be as painful as what Eastolf would do to me when he discovered I spent an entire moon in the western province.

The little female smiled hesitantly at me. “So, um, I’m Lomax, and you’re Regan, right?”

I nodded and let my irritation over her part in the mess I was now in shine freely from my face.

“I wanted to say thank you for saving me in the alley. Pretty sure Mitchell would have killed me if you hadn’t stopped him.”

“The human’s bullets nearly killed me,” I said, sounding like a petulant toddler.

She winced. “I know, and I’m so sorry. I’m so glad that Sigan was able to save you. I would have felt terrible if…”

“If I had died?” I asked. “You should feel terrible about that.”

“Watch your tongue,” Sigan said as the little human paled.

“What? Should I lie and pretend that I did not almost die because of her? That I am not trapped in this castle for a moon because of her?” I asked.

Looking like she might cry, the little female said, “I’m truly sorry. I know that doesn’t change what happened, but I am sorry and appreciate that you helped me.”

She backed toward the door, her face still white and eyes bright with unshed tears. “I should go. Sorry again.”

She slipped out the door, shutting it behind her as Sigan, his tail whipping back and forth behind him, glared at me. “What is wrong with you?”

I bared my teeth at him. “Leave.”

“She was dying and gave you the gallberry juice instead,” Sigan said.

“What are you talking about?” I asked. “The human had barely harmed her before I stopped him.”

“Like I told you in the infirmary, Lomax was dying,” Sigan said. “She was at the bar fucking Draax for juice because she had heart disease. I gave her all the juice I had on me because I knew if I did not, she would not survive another few days. She gave that juice to you to save your life instead of keeping it for herself. She could have left you to rot in that Earth alley, but she did not. She gave you juice and took you to her quarters.”

“I did not… that is, I had no idea she needed that juice for herself,” I said as familiar self-loathing washed over me.

Sigan curled his lip at me. “She returned to the bar the next night to get more juice for you because you were dying. She was dying too, but she was still going to share whatever juice she managed to get with you.”

My stomach churned, and I wanted to throw up my lunch. Sigan carried on relentlessly.

“The only reason either of you is alive is because I could not get the dying little female out of my head. I kept Aiden and Thromi on Earth a day longer and returned to the bar even though my conference was over because I wanted to help her. I found her nearly dying in the bar, trying to find someone to fuck her for the juice she needed to save your life.”

He stepped closer, his tail still jabbing the air. “Lomax was looking for juice for you, Regan. To save your life. She had the opportunity to leave you after I found her. Instead, she took us to her apartment and insisted we bring you back with us. I wanted to leave you, as did my companions. She refused to leave, refused to come to Draax with me so I could give her gallberry serum unless I agreed to take you with us.”

“Krono,” I breathed. “Why did she do that?”

“Because you saved her life,” Sigan said. “She was determined to save yours in return and nearly died trying. Her heart stopped twice on the way here.”

I stared at him, my tail thumping hard against the floor as Sigan said, “You should be ashamed of how you treated her, but I doubt you are. You eastern Draax are all the same - liars and selfish rakarts who believe you are better than everyone else.”

With another flick of his tail, he stalked out of my quarters, slamming the door behind him.