Page 62 of Badass Alien Boss

“Phuk! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It had just happened, and we were still investigating the incident.”We were investigating you, too.“We didn’t know he was Prellim at the time.”

Korsan got to his feet and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Please tell me what happened tonight has nothing to do with that.”

Ruyn frowned. “I’m sure it doesn’t. Why would it?”

He shook his head and took his seat again. “I hired her. I’m freaked out at the thought of something happening to her.”

“You and me both. A lot of strange things have occurred lately, but I don’t see a connection between a break-in by a member of a criminal cartel and her going into anaphylactic shock two nights later.”

“I am so sorry you’re going through this. That she’s going through this. I love you. I’m so sorry.” He sounded, not just sympathetic butapologetic. Why should he be sorry?

Ruyn suddenly got a bad feeling.

“Ruyn?” A nurse-tech appeared. “You may see Michaela now. And the doctor wishes to speak to you.”

He got to his feet, torn between seeing Michaela and pursuing the conversation. Michaela came first. “Will you wait?” he asked.

His brother nodded. “I’ll be here.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

The nurse-tech deposited Michaela in a small office to wait for Dr. Kurur who would reveal the test results. But, when the door opened, Ruyn entered. Immensely relieved to see him, she leaped up to hug him.

Rocking her, he held her tight, his heart thumping against her breasts. “You’re looking so much better. How do you feel?”

“Much, much better.” She touched her face and throat. “Am I still puffy?” She eased back so he could see her face.

“A little. Not like you were.” He hugged her again. “Let’s sit. What caused the reaction?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“By the way…Korsan—” He broke off as the door opened to admit the doctor.

Michaela sat up straighter.

“I know you’re anxious to hear the results.” Dr. Kurur took his seat behind the desk. “A little more investigation is required, but what we learned so far is that you were infected with a bioengineered alien allergen. It is partly organic, partly robotic. It triggers your body’s defense mechanisms to attack itself.”

Michaela sucked in a breath. Contracting an alien disease for which you had no immunity continued to be one of the risks of space travel despite advances in medicine.

“The good news is, we were able to deactivate and neutralize the allergen, so you are safe from further allergic attacks at the moment.”

The qualifier leaped out at her. “At the moment?”

“Until we discover how you were exposed, you’re still at risk. Grave risk. Tonight’s pre-treatment blood sample showed a highly activated bioengineered antigen level—and that’s after you received two antihistamine shots, right?”

“Yes,” Ruyn answered for her. “I gave her one we’d gotten from Dr. Adanna on Elyxis 4, and the medic gave her another.”

“And it barely kept your airway open. The antihistamine shots are becoming less effective,” Dr. Kurur said. “Another exposure would likely kill you.”

She clung to Ruyn’s hand, holding back the tears.

“I’ve never encountered an antigen like this one. Like I said, it’s partly organic, partly robotic. I’ve uploaded its DNA and behavioral characteristics to the universal database in hopes someone can identify its origins.”

He doesn’t know what it is.Not reassuring.

“Do you have any idea how she got exposed?” Ruyn asked. “Did she inhale it? Ingest it?”