Page 4 of Rule

“All right, baby.” Candy picked him up andsmiled at me. “I’ll be right back.”

She carried Roden back into the bedroom. Istared at the gallberry plant. It was given to Candy last week by a Draax malewho had visited the bar she waitressed at. It was robust enough when she’dbrought it home to Roden, and he had planted it in a small pot of soil andcarefully watered and tended to it, but the plant was dying. Many people, fromqualified agricultural specialists to hobby farmers, had attempted to grow thegallberry plant to no avail. I’d been doing a lot of reading about the Draaxrace in the last few months and in theHistory of the Draax, I had readsomething about the gallberry plant not growing in our atmosphere.

Didn’t stop the humans from trying though.

“Sorry about that.” Candy had returned,and she poured us both more tea.

“What was the medicine that you gave him?”I asked.

“Just a cheap cough medicine I got at thepharm-aid. It helps ease the cough a bit, but…”

She blinked back tears and cleared herthroat. “He’s getting worse. The lung infections never really clear up, youknow? Even with the bit of juice I can get him.”

She gave me a pleading look. “Hey, do youthink you could come by tonight? Roden’s regular sitter can only stay untileleven and normally I would be home by then, but I’m, um, gonna try and getsome juice tonight.”

Her face turned red and I could see theshame in her eyes. My stomach ached for her and even though the Draax malesshe slept with in exchange for a bit of juice always treated her well, I hatedwhat she had to do for the juice.

She won’t have to do that any longer.

No, she wouldn’t. Before I could show herthe juice I was carrying, Candy squeezed my hand. “I know you disapprove ofit, sweetie, but I have no choice.”

“I don’t disapprove of it,” I said. “Ijust worry about you. If you get caught, you’ll go to prison. What the Draaxare doing is illegal. They’re not allowed to give gallberry juice in exchange forsex, unless you’re in the breeding program.”

“I know it’s a risk, but I’m not breedingcompatible. I really have no choice, Evie.”

Only about seventy percent of Earth femaleswere breeding compatible with the Draax. I knew that Candy had applied for thebreeding program when Roden was only a year old, but she’d been incompatible.

The breeding program and the gallberryjuice were all strictly regulated, but like all things of value, a black marketfor the juice had quickly sprung up. Candy couldn’t afford the juice even onthe black market, but there were more than a few Draax males willing to risk imprisonmentby handing over a bit of gallberry juice in exchange for a night of sex.

I’d been to the bar where Candy worked andthere were always Draax there looking to convince a woman to sleep with them.Even with a language barrier, the Draax were amazingly good at seducingfemales.

Hell, Candy had told me once that half theDraax didn’t even need to bribe the women with a bit of juice to sleep withthem. They were strong and handsome, if you didn’t mind green skin and tails,and lots of women were willing to at least give sleeping with a Draax for fun atry. Apparently, their bedroom skills were legendary.

“I hate to ask because I can’t pay you forit, but I really need to get him even a little bit of gallberry juice. If Idon’t, I don’t think he’ll make it past the month.” Candy’s voice hitched, andtears slipped down her cheeks. “I should be home by five or six in the morningby the latest.”

I bent and opened my backpack. I pulledout the jug of gallberry juice and set it on the table in front of Candy. “Idon’t mind staying the night, but you don’t have to do that anymore.”

She stared at the jug of pink liquid. “What– is that what I think it is?”

“Yep. I looked up gallberry juicerequirements for kids with CF and while the exact amount varies, they never needmore than half a gallon of it. I got a gallon though, just in case.”

“Oh my God…” Candy’s voice was a whisper.“You got Roden some gallberry juice?”

“I did.” I grinned at her.

“How? When?”

“I told you I got a new job.”

Candy stared at me. “You said it was withthe government.”

I shrugged. “It sort of is.”

“You got picked for the nanny program?”

I shook my head. About ten years ago, asecondary program had opened up. Women who were breeding incompatible couldsign up for the nanny program on the planet of Draax. Nanny positions variedin length from a year to five years, and three months ago, I had applied to thenanny program. I hadn’t been picked yet and probably never would. I lovedkids, but I didn’t have much experience with them.

“Then how…” Candy gave me a shocked look.“The breeding program. You signed up for the breeding program?”

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