“I am…well, I was…a biochemist. I got my PhD last year and was in charge of research and development at a drug company on Earth called GloboPharma.”
Queen Deston, Jessica, leaned forward, her expression pleased. “You’re a doctor? That’s so cool. What were you working on?”
“Not a medical doctor, but a doctor of science,” Rachel clarified. “I worked in a research lab on a cure for cancer.” Rachel shook her head, her smile sad. “But we killed more people than we helped. The CEO falsified my reports with the FDA to get the drug approved. When it hit the market things went bad, people died, and they hung the whole thing on my head and walked away with a slap on the wrist and some fines.”
I didn’t know what the abbreviations meant but I knew she’d been falsely accused and found guilty.
“That stinks. But why were you in jail? They don’t usually put people away for stuff like that, do they?” Queen Deston took a sip of her dark purple wine and looked at my mate over the rim of the glass. “Or did you volunteer for the brides program?”
Rachel looked down at the food on her plate, took a deep breath. “I was convicted of fraud, conspiracy, forgery, lying under oath,and facing so many civil lawsuits I’d never get out from under them.”
Prime Nial’s dark brows winged up. “How many innocents died?”
“At least four hundred.” Shame, dark and ugly wormed its way into Rachel’s heart at the confession and I longed to take her into my arms almost as much as I wanted to punch Prime Nial in the face for upsetting her.
“Four hundred dead. That is, indeed, a serious accusation.”
Queen Deston jumped to Rachel’s defense. “But she didn’t do it.” The woman lifted her glass to my mate in a gesture of solidarity and respect. “I totally believe you.”
Rachel’s cheeks turned an interesting shade of pink. “Thank you.”
“And it’s not all bad. You ended up here, the sweet cream filling between two hard Prillon Oreos.”
Rachel nearly choked on her wine. Captain Brooks coughed, loudly, and I suspected he hid his own laughter behind the gesture when Rachel’s cheeks went from pink to bright red. I didn’t know what an Oreo was, but it was blatant Earth innuendo, I was sure. Queen Deston’s laughter rang out around the room as her second, her monster of a warrior, Ander, scowled at her. “Behave yourself, mate.”
But Queen Deston simply laughed harder and lifted her hand to his cheek, placing a quick kiss on his lips that effectively silenced his protests.
I understood his dazed but resigned look well.
When Rachel touched me with such tenderness, I could deny her nothing. That did not mean I would not discover what an Oreo was once we were alone in our suite.
Maxim cleared his throat and the laughter faded. “I do not care about her past. She is my matched mate. I have chosen Captain Ryston Rayall as my second. And we are here to celebrate the arrival of a new era on the Colony.”
Prime Nial nodded. “How many of your warriors have submitted to the brides program testing?”
“Doctor Surnen?” Maxim turned to the Base 3 doctor and Rachel’s anxiety at being on display, at being watched by so many strangers, morphed to a quiet, simmering hatred.
So, my mate had not yet forgiven us the mistake of taking her to the examination room upon her arrival. I rubbed her leg gently, renewing my determination to fuck that anger out of her later.
The doctor cleared his throat. “Prior to Lady Rone’s arrival, less than ten percent of Base 3’s warriors had submitted to the testing. But since then, the testing rates have tripled. Every warrior on Base 3 will be processed in the next six weeks.”
Prime Nial nodded and addressed Governor Bryck of Base 2. “And your warriors, Bryck?”
The large man nodded with a grin. “I confess, I myself have not yet been tested. However,” he paused, glancing from Queen Deston to Rachel with a look close to hunger in his eyes, “I will correct that immediately once I return.”
“Excellent news.” Prime Nial congratulated us as cheers went up around the table. “The gods blessed you, Governor Rone. Ryston.”
“Indeed.” I could not help but agree as I looked at my beautiful mate.
* * *
Rachel
I met Jessica’s mischievous gaze across the table and nearly burst out laughing.
The cream filling in the middle of a Prillon Oreo?
Really?