The Healer's Hellion - Miranda Bridges Page 0,9

me. Or perhaps it’s because he’s told me the truth so far. Either way, I’m not scared of him even though I should be.

I really am an idiot.

Also, I didn’t miss the looks of shock from the medics when I challenged Braxton a moment ago. It isn’t hard to guess that people never speak to him that way, and it has me thinking he’s in a position of power of some kind.

“So you’re in charge of all this?” I ask, waving my hand.

He nods. “I am the chief medical officer, but the commander is the person who runs the crew of this ship.”

“It’s all very Star Trek-y.”

I catch the hint of a smirk from Braxton. “I have heard that once before,” he says.

“Really?”

“I am referred to as Bones by my queen.”

I grin up at him, immediately catching the reference to the infamous doctor that was part of Captain Kirk’s crew. “It’s fitting.”

“Agreed. It is but one of the names she has graced me with.” There’s a hint of affection along with a sliver of exasperation in his voice. It’s obvious his queen is someone he cares for. The fondness coating his words when he speaks of her moves me more than I care to admit.

“How does she know about Star Trek?” I ask, letting my head fall back against the pillow. It’s as if all the energy in my body has disappeared, leaving me in need of a good nap. Well, another one, since I was unconscious. However, my mind is still sharp, and I wonder if he is avoiding my question. So I ask again.

Braxton doesn’t speak right away. Instead, he grabs a tablet and types on it as if he didn’t hear me, but I know damn well he did. When I cross my arms and give him a pointed stare, he finally gives me an answer.

“My queen is human.”

I almost fall off the bed.

Braxton’s reflexes are fast as lightning. He grips my shoulders, keeping me upright while I blink up at him in a stupor. “What pains you?” he asks, scanning me with his neon gaze.

“What did you say?” I couldn’t possibly have heard him correctly. Maybe I experienced a little brain damage when I overextended myself by using my powers?

“Where are you hurt?”

He runs his fingers over me, starting with my arms and moving downward. The second he skims my hips, I’m brought out of my daze. I cover his hands with mine, trapping them on my thighs.

“Your queen is human?” I ask.

After a moment, he nods, concern still lingering in his eyes.

I force myself to ignore it and the mushy feelings that want to rise within me. “How?”

“This is not the first time my people have come to your planet.”

My gasp is loud and has several heads turning in our direction—again—but I only have eyes for Braxton. He utters a brusque word in a foreign language, and immediately everyone goes back to what they were doing.

“When? Why?” I try to keep my voice low, but it still sounds shrill to my ears. Just from the looks of things, Braxton’s people are highly advanced, and it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that they’ve come to my planet before. And obviously they were just on Earth, but their motives are my main concern. What could they possibly want with humans that they don’t already have within their own civilization? A seed of distrust now blooms within me at this newfound knowledge.

“Do I need to give you a sedative?” he asks, raising a brow.

I squint at him. “Do I need to give you a kick to the nuts?” There’s a chance he doesn’t have balls, but considering how closely he resembles a human, it’s not a far-off guess.

He exhales, and I can’t tell if it’s from exasperation or defeat. “What is your name?”

“That’s irrelevant,” I snap.

“It isn’t to me.”

The way he says that has my heart rate increasing. I try to mask my nervousness by taking a deep breath. “Then why haven’t you asked before now?”

He plants his hands on either side of my hips and leans into my space, leaving me nowhere to go. Suddenly all the air I just inhaled isn’t doing me a bit of good because I feel like I can’t breathe. So I hold his stare, wondering what thoughts are running through his mind. It irritates me how little he gives away with his facial expressions.

“Before now nothing mattered but your safety,” he says. “If I could’ve dragged you straight to this