The Alien's Equal (Drixonian Warrior #7) - Ella Maven Page 0,35

Royal females come from families who have excellent breeding capabilities. If they don’t produce, they get evicted from the pods.”

Justine’s mouth flopped open. “A litter?”

“Uldani breeder females give birth to anywhere from three to five infants at a time. Non-breeders only have one.”

I thought Justine’s eyes would pop out of her head. “Three to five? What the hell? Sign me up to be a non-breeder. Jesus Christ on a cracker.”

Gram’s brow ceased. “What does that mean?”

“She’s cursing,” I answered for her. “She’s quite inventive about it.”

Gram smiled. “I see. Well I’ll let you two sleep. By the way, there’s a portable cleanser there.” He pointed to a curtained stall near the furs. “I had Mags wheel it in. You both look a little worse for wear.”

Justine’s entire face lit up and she even clapped her hands together with excitement. Seeing her reaction, I turned to the Uldani. “Thank you,” I said, letting my mistrust of him fade considering Justine’s happiness.

Gram’s jaw clenched for a moment before he exhaled roughly. “I’m sorry for what we’ve done to you. I know much of what you lost can never be recovered, but I will do my best to make sure it never happens again.”

“I’m sorry too. The powerful are at their most dangerous when they feel that power slipping from their fingers.”

Gram’s eyes closed briefly before they opened again with a shine and a grin that made a shiver run down my spine. “And the weak are at their most dangerous when they see equality within their grasp.” With a nod to Justine, he left, and the wooden door swung shut behind him with a click.

She turned to me with a heavy gulp. “Drixonians don’t have … litters, do they?”

I shook my head with a smile. “Largest birth I know of is twins. Like Gar and his sister.”

She let out a relieved breath. “Good. I fear for my friends pushing out multiplication tables of horns.”

I cocked my head, unsure of her words, but she waved her hand in the air. “Never mind. Just thinking about loud. I’ll hop in the cleanser first if that’s all right?” And after a nod from me, she scurried behind the small curtain.

Justine

I woke up slowly, blinking my eyes in the light of the dim lantern that sat on a small table near the door.

I didn’t even remember falling asleep. Stumbling out of the cleanser wearing nothing but a large shirt, I’d collapsed into the furs and snuggled down. Nero must have joined me sometime later, because I could feel the heat of his big body at my back. While the room had dirt walls and floors, a woven mat dyed in a maroon and brown stripe lay on the ground. The furs were clean, and Nero had hung our packs from a hook on the back of the door. Getting clean had been the best feeling, as I’d been grimy with dirt and nervous sweat.

Under the furs was some sort of mattress, which was probably why I’d slept so well. I was sure it hadn’t been a full eight hours, but enough that I felt human again.

I still could barely believe the turn of events. I never expected there to be an underground resistance of Uldani, let alone led by the same one who was responsible for Val and Sax’s escape. I remembered Val telling me about the small brave Uldani. I wondered if revenge was everything he dreamed of. He clearly was still fighting for something.

The bed shifted behind me and Nero’s large arm settled over my waist. His hand curled up to press against my chest, tucking me back into him. His breathing remained deep and even, so I suspected he was still asleep, which meant he was cuddling … in his sleep. Oddly enough, I wasn’t surprised. After getting to know Nero the last few days, I totally pegged him for a cuddler.

It’d been a long time since I’d let someone hold me like this or get this close. I rarely wanted to be touched because of my childhood experiences and my adult decision to stay in control of my life.

But Nero felt so good—warm and strong. When his face pressed into the back of my head and he inhaled deeply, I nearly melted into the bed. When I thought we were doomed to be killed by the Kulk guards, all I could think about was that I’d never get this, I’d never know what it was like to wake up sleepy and content