Rule (The Draax Series Book 2) Read online

  RULE

  (Draax Series Book Two)

  Elizabeth Kelly

  Copyright © 2019 Elizabeth Kelly

  Published by

  EK Publishing Inc.

  eISBN-13: 978-1-988826-90-5

  This book is the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, scanned or distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. Quotes used in reviews are the exception. No alteration of content is allowed.

  Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Adult Reading Material

  Edited by

  L. Nunn Editing

  Cover art by

  The Final Wrap

  RULE

  (Draax Series Book Two)

  Three hearts, an uncertain future. Will love rule?

  I never thought I would give up everything and sign up for a lifetime breeding contract with an alien race. Although, being mated to a big green alien is a far better fate than my perilous struggle here on Earth.

  Being one of the lowers, I didn’t expect to be matched with the Draax king. Who knew I would be what they referred to as a guaranteed breeder?

  Only, there’s been a mix up.

  This is a farm, not a palace.

  Waiting out a month-long storm with two surprisingly sexy Draax and one adorable little girl in need of a nanny, shouldn’t be that bad, right? So, why am I craving both Bran and Court in my bed and wishing I could break my breeding contract with the king?

  Except, violating my contract means life imprisonment back on Earth. When the storm ends and the king arrives, I’ll have to go with him… or will I?

  * * *

  To read more about the Draax series, click HERE.

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter One

  Evelyn

  “Congratulations, we’ve found you a mate.”

  I stared in shock at the blonde woman sitting behind the desk. “You’re kidding.”

  The woman laughed before leaning forward and tapping her pen against the shiny surface of her desk. “I assure you, Ms. Fisher, that I’m not. We have matched you with a Draax, and you’ll be leaving for the Draax planet the day after tomorrow.”

  “I didn’t expect it to be so quick,” I said. “I just had the genetic testing last week and only found out three days ago that I carried the gene for breeding with the Draax.”

  The woman shrugged. “We pride ourselves here at the agency on our efficiency.” This time she tapped the end of her pen against her teeth. “Honestly, we rarely have breeding compatible women who sign up for the lifetime program, so we tend to fast track their applications.”

  I swallowed heavily as the woman said, “Mind you, most of the women we send to the Draax planet to breed never come back.”

  She paused, realized how that sounded and said hurriedly, “Because they’re very happy with their new life and the Draax they are mated with. Not because they’re forced to stay.”

  “I know,” I said. “I did some research before applying for the program.”

  She gave me a fleeting look and I tried not to blush. The woman sitting across from me was middle-to-upper class, and the shirt she wore probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. I pulled at my too-tight shirt. I was so poor I couldn’t even afford decent clothing for the breeding program interview. I’d had to borrow a top and skirt from my neighbour, Candy, and both items of clothing were too small.

  “Oh, I didn’t realize you had a tablet. Most of the lowers don’t,” she said.

  I squirmed in my seat. Like most middles and uppers, the woman didn’t have a clue about lowers. “I don’t. But the library has them.”

  The woman gave me a blank look – I had an idea that she had never once set foot in a public library – before nodding. “Oh, right, of course. The library.”

  She glanced at the tablet on the desk as a rush of uncustomary anger flooded through me. I tamped it down immediately. It wasn’t the woman’s fault that she was born into middle class. It wasn’t her fault that she didn’t know what it was like to be hungry or cold or on the verge of being kicked out of her home. It did no good to be angry with her just because she’d never laid awake at night in a closet of a bedroom, clutching a knife to her chest and hoping that her stepbrother and his friends didn’t get drunk enough to try and rape her.

  My stomach clenched, and I took a shaky breath. The woman glanced up from the tablet and frowned. “Ms. Fisher, are you all right? You’re very pale.”

  “I’m fine. What is the name of the Draax I’m, um, mated to?”

  I supposed it was a little strange to be asking the name of the alien I was about to be mated to for the rest of my life. In the old fairy tales that my mother read to me as a child, the girl married her Prince Charming. He was handsome and rich and madly in love with her. He certainly didn’t have green skin or a tail and was only interested in knocking her up with a baby. My stomach clenched again at the thought of having sex with an alien. What if he was rough with me?

  He won’t be. Candy has nothing but good things to say about the Draax aliens she slept with, remember? Besides, it’s better than what will happen to you if you stay.

  I shuddered all over and closed my eyes. My inner voice was right. In fact, I should be celebrating the fact that the agency had found a match for me so quickly, not be worrying about how rough alien sex would be. Even if the alien didn’t take his time or didn’t care about my pleasure, it would still be better than being married to that scumbag Troy. Just the thought of sleeping with Troy made me want to vomit.

  I realized the woman from the agency was speaking and I said, “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  “I said, that I had even better news about who you were matched to for mating. You have been matched with a Draax named Quillan and he,” the woman gave me a look of breathless anticipation, “is the King of the Western Province of the planet Draax.”

  “I – what?” I said faintly. Did the woman just say I was being mated to a king?

  The woman nodded. “It’s true. You’re our number one match for him.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. You’ve tested higher than any other human for breeding compatibility. You’re a - what we like to call in the business - guaranteed breeder. It’s highly likely that you’ll become pregnant on the first try.”

  The woman smiled at me. “The king is apparently very anxious for an heir.”

  “Right, of course,” I said. “Um, he knows that I’m a lower class, right?”

  “We have passed on all of your information but, frankly, the Draax don’t care what class you are. They just want you healthy and able to breed. Now, your payment of gallberry juice is waiting for you in the front room.”

  The woman pushed a few buttons on her tablet
and then frowned. “This can’t be right. It says you’re to receive only a gallon of juice for a lifetime of service. Oh, for the love of God, the juice guys can’t get anything right. I just knew they would screw this up some -”

  “It’s right. I only need a gallon.”

  The woman gave me a suddenly anxious look before speaking very slowly and clearly. “Ms. Fisher, you understand that you have signed up for the lifetime program, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “You will never be able to return to earth unless your mate allows it. You will become the Queen of the Western Province and will most likely bear the king more than one child.”

  “I get it,” I said.

  “But you only asked for one gallon of juice.”

  “That’s all I need.”

  The woman hesitated. “It’s for the rest of your life, Ms. Fisher.”

  “I’m aware.”

  She couldn’t hide her time-to-stop-arguing-with-the-idiot look. “Very well. You are to be at the docking bay at eight-thirty Tuesday morning. We’ll have someone from the agency pick you up at your apartment at eight to escort you to the loading dock. Please be ready to go by eight. The pilots don’t like it when the cargo is late.”

  “I won’t be late,” I said.

  The woman pushed the tablet toward me. “Your signature is required on the bottom line. Did you read over the terms of the contract like I asked?”

  “Yes, I read it after I tested positive for breeding.”

  “Good. By signing, you agree to the terms of the contract. If you break them, it is considered a first-class felony and you’ll be sentenced to a minimum of twenty-five years in prison. Is that perfectly clear?”

  “Yes.”

  “You will go to prison, Evelyn,” the woman said. “There is no getting out of it once you sign the contract. Be very certain you wish to do this.”

  “I’m certain.” I signed across the line with the tip of my finger and only felt a moment of panic before it subsided. I sat back in my seat as euphoria washed over me. I was free of him. By this time next week, I would be on a new planet and my stepbrother would never be able to hurt me again.

  You still need to get to the docking bay without him noticing. You’re not free yet, and he’s dangerous and unpredictable. Don’t ever forget that, my inner voice cautioned.

  “A copy of the contract will be sent to the email address you provided. Unless you have more questions, we’re finished here,” the woman said.

  She stood and smoothed down her skirt as I stumbled to my feet. I hesitated and then held out my hand. The woman glanced at it before giving it a brief shake. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Fisher. Enjoy your new life. Don’t forget to pick up your juice at the front desk.”

  “Yeah, I won’t forget.” Did the woman think I was that stupid? I could hear the disdain in my voice and I automatically cringed. At home, that tone would get me a punch to the face if I was lucky, or a kick to the kidneys if I wasn’t.

  The woman gave me a strange look before pointing to the door. “The reception is to the right. Goodbye, Ms. Fisher.”

  “Goodbye.” I hurried out of the woman’s office and down the hallway. At the front desk, I picked up the gallberry juice and tucked it into the backpack I had brought for that very purpose. I couldn’t very well walk through my neighbourhood carrying a gallon of gallberry juice. My throat would be slit in the first two minutes.

  I rode the elevator down to the front lobby and walked outside. I breathed in the warm air and the smell of the flowers that were planted in front of the office building before slinging the pack over my back and tightening the straps. An airtrain roared by overhead, blotting out the sun for a moment and sending a gust of warm air over me. I studied its silver underbelly as it flew by, wondering what it would be like to travel in the air like that.

  You’ll find out in two days.

  A little sprinkle of excitement bloomed in my belly. Yes, I would. In two days, I would be flying in a spaceship to another planet and my life on earth would be a distant memory. I took another deep breath and started the long walk toward home.

  Chapter Two

  “Thank you again for letting me borrow your clothes, Candy.”

  “Don’t mention it, sweetie.” The curvy brunette sat down at the table and watched as I folded the clothes she’d given me and placed them on the table. “How did the interview go?”

  “Good,” I said. “I got the job.”

  “Seriously?” Candy’s eyes widened. “That’s awesome. Congratulations, Evie.”

  “Thank you.”

  Candy studied her small and shabby apartment. “Just think, with a government job, you’ll soon be making enough money to move out of this piece-of-shit building. Hell, you’ll get an apartment in the city and you’ll never have to see your asshole of a stepbrother again. He won’t be able to make you quit this job like he did the last one.”

  She reached out and squeezed my hand. “I’m going to miss you. You need to promise me that we’ll still see each other. I can scrape up enough cash for Roden and I to take the airtrain into the city once or twice a year and we can meet in the park. What do you say?”

  Before I could reply, there was a low moan and coughing from the tiny bedroom just off the kitchen. Candy jumped up and hurried into the room. I could hear her soothing Roden and a few minutes later, she returned to the kitchen with him.

  Candy was a small woman and Roden was eight years old, but the cystic fibrosis had ravaged his body to the point where she could still carry him easily. She sat him gently in the chair and wet a cloth before wiping his face and mouth. The young boy was sweaty and pale, but he gave Candy a small smile.

  “Thank you, Mama.”

  “You’re welcome, baby. Is your chest still hurting?”

  He nodded and a pinched look of worry came over Candy’s face. She grabbed an amber coloured bottle from the cupboard and poured a spoonful of liquid. “Take this, baby. It’ll help.”

  Roden swallowed it obediently before smiling at me. “Hi, Evie.”

  “Hi, honey. How are you feeling?”

  “Okay. Mama says I have another infection.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “That’s okay. I don’t feel too bad.”

  I reached out and ruffled his dark hair. Candy had been our neighbour for only three years, but I loved her and Roden like they were family. The cure for cystic fibrosis had been discovered over fifty years ago. Unfortunately, the cure was expensive and only the uppers could afford it. The only other option was the gallberry juice from the planet of Draax.

  A shiver went down my back. In two days time I’d be on Draax. Being bred by a big green alien in exchange for a gallon of gallberry juice and, more importantly, a place to live free of being beaten every time I opened my mouth or gave the wrong look.

  You hope. What if this Draax king is as bad as your stepbrother? As bad as Troy? You’ll be going from the frying pan into the fire.

  I shook off my trepidation. The Draax king wouldn’t beat me. I was too valuable to him. If I was really lucky, he would leave me alone except for when he wanted to breed. Hopefully, as long as I spread my legs, let him have sex with me, and gave him an heir to the throne, I could live my life peacefully without worrying about being hurt. I’d even have a child or two to love. Being a mother was something I’d always wanted. Did it matter if the baby was alien instead of human, or that I wouldn’t love its father?

  No, it didn’t.

  You’re still going to spend the rest of your life on an alien planet with a savage warrior race.

  My stomach was churning, and I could feel that familiar fear and panic enveloping me. I hated that I was so timid, so afraid of everything, but after years of living with my stepbrother, I couldn’t control it. It didn’t help that the race I would soon be living permanently with, came across as merciless killing machines. Of course, if it hadn’t been for them, Earth as we knew it would no longer exist.

  The Draax rac
e had saved Earth’s bacon over forty years ago from an alien race called the Gokmards. The Gokmards were very close to taking over our planet when the Draax had swept in with their swords flashing and destroyed over half the Gokmard army. The Draax’s muscular green bodies and their brutal fighting skills made them true warriors. Despite the Gokmards advanced technology, they were no match for the Draax’s viciousness and healing abilities. After watching most of their kind be cut to pieces, the rest of the Gokmards had fled in defeat to their own world.

  The Draax saved us for a reason, of course. Females were rarely born on their planet and now females of breeding age were almost non-existent. Thanks to similar anatomies and our need to be rescued from the Gokmards, the Draax had chosen us to help repopulate their planet.

  The gallberry plant they grew and harvested into juice only sweetened the pot, as the old ones used to say. After the war, the Draax revealed that their healing abilities were actually thanks to the pink juice extracted from the gallberry plant that grew on their planet. The juice healed every known illness and injury to man, from the common cold, to cancer, to genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis.

  The Draax joined the United Space Coalition and quickly struck up an agreement with Earth’s highest authorities. In exchange for saving us from the Gokmards and supplying us with limited quantities of the gallberry juice, the Draax wanted to start a breeding program with us. It was completely voluntary, but after a lack of female volunteers to the program, the Draax had withheld the supply of gallberry juice that humans were already beginning to rely on.

  I studied Roden’s pale face as his mother set a glass of water in front of him. Desperate to save themselves or their loved ones from disease, the women had signed up for the breeding program in droves – mostly lowers and middles, of course. Once they provided a Draax male with a child, they were free to return to Earth. Not many did. Very few women wanted to leave their child. Thanks to humans, in the last forty years the Draax race’s fear of extinction had disappeared.