Page 286 of Hunters and Prey

“Anything I can help with other than that?” Roman asked, leading them toward the west wing.

Alexei was silent beside him, listening and cataloguing like he always did.

Roman almost hoped the female wouldn’t need anything. There was still so much more he had to do for the day and hunting his prey was at the top of his list, but this was a priority to his mother, and she was still ruling princess of Anarr so there was no avoiding a direct order.

“Since I have you two here with me now I should do your tests,” Chiara stated, stopping when they did.

The west wing was completely empty other than the servants scurrying about, trying to make it presentable. Chiara took it all in with the same slight frown she’d had since she’d arrived. But it seemed to be satisfactory because she turned to Roman and met his gaze once more.

Was this what those dominance fights in Draga were like? It was as though she was trying to see who would look away first, establish who had a stronger will. But Roman felt no need to look away or down as he had with her queen, but he did feel something rise to the challenge, something deep inside.

More than anything though he wanted to step forward and breathe in her scent to see if she was his mate.

It was an instinct that was difficult to resist when it was so common in the Hai System. But no doubt she would think it rude and assumptive. Roman glanced at Alexei who shrugged, clearly straining to hold back as much as he was. It wasn’t that they wanted her to be either of their mate – it was that their biology demanded they find out when a female was so close.

After all, they’d thought they’d never end up with a mate after having met every Drakesthai female in the Hai System. The anger and devastation caused by that revelation was what drove all the males to work so hard.

They fought and protected the females that did exist, even if they weren’t theirs. Roman gravitated toward them, but knowing none were his pushed him to train harder. All that rage was put to use and it was what made him so fearsome on the battlefield.

Until the Drakesthai Council had decided to bow before the Neprijat.

“What do you need for your tests?” Alexei asked when neither he nor Chiara looked away from each other.

Chiara cleared her throat and then glanced at Alexei. “Blood and scans. That’s it. Neither of you are mated are you?”

Alexei flinched which made Roman bristle. He tried to tell himself she couldn’t possibly know how sensitive that question was for them. To have no mate…it didn’t matter that he had no control over such things. It still made him feel like a failure – a feeling all unmated Drakesthai males shared.

“No, neither of us are mated,” Roman told her. “None of the Drakesthai females were a match.” He stepped closer, until the tips of their boots brushed against each other and she had to crane her neck to look up at him. “Would you mind if we checked each of your females for the bond? No doubt it would only help with your research.”

It was a challenge and despite the smell of her anxiety Roman detected a slight shiver from her – and it wasn’t from the cold.

Chiara’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t back down or step away from him. “I suppose there’s no harm in it.”

Roman spread his wings as far as they would go. “Then I suppose you wouldn’t mind if we started with you?”

The way she looked between them in surprise was almost comical, but Roman’s heart pounded in his chest. Seventy-five females and one of them could be his. The jealousy he’d felt when Kaiden had brought home his new mate seemed to ease at this new prospect.

“Fine,” Chiara snapped, clearly uncomfortable. But she wasn’t going to back down from her agreement. Roman respected that. “But as always consent is key. If there is a mate bond between any of my team and your people, we retain the right to deny it if we so desire. We are not Drakesthai females, which means that your council does not rule us and accepting the bond is not enforced.”

Alexei’s wings rustled slightly as he took in her words. Neither of them was really prepared for this moment, and the idea of finding one’s mate only to lose her was terrifying. But if they did not agree, they lost even the chance.

“Of course,” Alexei said gently. “Would you mind?” He held out his hand for Chiara.

The team behind her seemed to hold their breath, as did the servants who slowed in their scurrying.

For permission to be granted…Roman knew every male would be coming to him in the next solar day to ask to be seen by the new females. He mentally sighed. These Draga physicians were about to disrupt everything on Anarr for the next few days and there was nothing he could do about it.

Roman supposed it would be easier to simply accept it and delegate what he could.

He watched closely as Chiara took Alexei’s hand, hesitating only once. Roman hoped one of the females was his brother’s mate. Would Leo mind a Draga female? Roman still hadn’t decided how he felt about it, and no doubt Mikhail would refuse if one of them were his.

Alexei leaned in close enough to her neck to get a good scent and then breathed in. Everyone held their breath as he paused. Alexei took a step back with a shake of his head. “We are not mates, but I appreciate the offer to let me find out.”

Always such a gentleman, his brother.

Then Roman held out his hand for her. He almost hoped she wasn’t his mate. He wasn’t sure he was ready for such a thing now that the opportunity was once more before him.

If she was his mate would she deny him outright? If she did, he would be doomed to spend the rest of his life alone. None in Draga, or the Unchanged worlds would be potential mates once he found his.

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