Page 48 of Rule

“I love you too. Sleep well, meena.”

“Sleep well, Uda,” she mimicked.

He stepped back and I walked by him, tryingnot to flinch when my elbow brushed across his bare chest. “Sorry,” I murmuredwithout looking at him. God, he was so warm, I could feel the heat even throughmy thick sweater. Were all Draax that warm? Also, why the hell were mynipples so hard?

I walked into Bella’s bedroom and set herdown on the bed when Bran pulled the quilt back.

“Kiss, Evie girl.”

I pressed my mouth against Bella’s and strokedher damp hair. “Good night, Bella.”

“Sleep well, Evie girl.”

She was so cute. I stepped back as Bran, holdinga book in one hand, sat on the edge of the bed. I was about to slip out whenBella patted the other side of her bed. “Papa read to you too, girl.”

I hesitated before sitting next to Bella onthe other side. Bran opened the book and I listened in fascination to his deepvoice as he told the story of a little Draax girl named Ulena and her quest fora golden statue. Bella listened silently, her eyelids closing for longer andlonger periods of time, until Bran closed the book and tucked the quilt to herchin.

Her eyelids fluttered open and she gave hima sleepy look. “Bella loves Papa.”

“Papa loves Bella,” he said before pressinga kiss against her forehead. “Sleep well, meena.”

I followed him out into the hallway. Heshut off the light to Bella’s room and closed the door. Court was no longer inthe hallway and we stood in silent awkwardness for a moment before I said, “She’svery sweet.”

“She is,” he said.

For the first time since I’d met him, hedidn’t look irritated. It was obvious how much he loved Bella and how much sheloved him. The way he was with her reminded me of my own father and an achingsadness settled in my belly. I missed my father, even after all these years.

“Human, are you all right?”

I nodded, blinking back the tears that weredangerously close to spilling past my lashes. “Yes. Bella loves you verymuch, it’s obvious.”

“She is my girl and I love her,” Bran said.“It is still rare for females to be born, even with the humans, and the momentI saw her face…”

He stopped, his throat working, and thensaid, “She is special.”

“Did her mother die in childbirth?” DespiteBella’s purple skin, I knew she was half-human. It didn’t matter if the Draaxbabies had human mothers. The males were always green, and the females werealways purple. I wasn’t sure of the exact reason although I vaguely rememberstudying it in biology in high school. Something about the gene that decided skincolouring being dominant in the Draax.

I also knew that while extremely rare, occasionallya woman would die giving birth to a Draax baby, even with the gallberry plant.

“No” Bran said. “She returned to Earth a moonafter Bella was born.”

I couldn’t contain my look of surprise. Whatwoman would voluntarily leave their child on another planet?

“That’s strange,” I replied, trying to keepmy voice neutral. “I’ve actually never heard of a woman leaving the breedingprogram after having a baby.”

“She was not in the breeding program,” Bran’svoice was growing strained. “She joined us as our mate because she wanted to.”

“Us?”

Bran studied the wall. “Court and me. Weshared the females we slept with.”

Hot colour flooded my cheeks. I wasn’tsurprised, I’d woken up to both of them touching me, but still… it was one thingto suspect they did threesomes, quite another to hear it put so bluntly.

“Oh, right,” I said stupidly. “Draax like,um, threesomes.”

He didn’t reply and I chewed on my bottom lip.“I didn’t realize that two Draax would mate with one woman though. I thoughtit was more of a casual thing.”

“It is unusual but not unheard of for twoDraax to mate with one female,” Bran said. “Our preference was to share our female,even as a mate.”

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