Page 314 of Hunters and Prey

Chapter 10

Chiara

Skye Palace

Planet Anarr

The Hai System

Thankfully the rest of the dinner went rather smoothly. No one else asked Chiara any prying questions. The males were content to talk about strategies to find the Neprijat spy while she simply ate and considered her formulas.

Only Zoya and Roman seemed to notice her distraction, but they didn’t say a word for which she was grateful.

If Roman was going to be one of her first test subjects she wanted to make sure her work was as flawless as possible.

Having him volunteer had been unexpected and surprisingly, it made her nervous. Chiara hadn’t anticipated it making her nervous. He was no longer just another male to her – no longer just a patient or test subject. Roman was now someone she cared about. Chiara didn’t want to hurt him, or disappoint him.

Despite how well he hid it, she’d seen the brief expression on his face when they’d all found out that, at the moment, only Alexei could produce offspring. She would have said nothing had she known they’d all stuffed their heads in the sand rather than be proactive about the disease.

Honestly, how stupid. No wonder they still struggled with any fertility at all.

“What do you think of the palace?” Roman asked, leading her into one of the many gardens.

She glanced at him and took another step closer when the edge came into view – even if it was pretty far off, Chiara didn’t trust herself. “It’s as beautiful as I would assume a palace should be even though there are still repairs being done. The place seems rather large for just one family.”

He stopped where a nice little patio area was. “It is rather large,” Roman admitted. “But we house a lot of staff to help us run the planet.”

The purple and red flowers were everywhere and made the whole place smell divine. The moons in the sky made everything bright and silver. Chiara noticed there were strange yellowish-green insects floating in the air and she peered closer as one flew leisurely by in an aimless pattern.

“We call those lightning bugs,” Roman explained. “They only come out during the spring and only at night.”

Chiara held out a hand and the tiny insect landed on her palm, content to just glow on its new resting place. “We have night-blooming flowers on Draga Terra,” she told him. “They’re everywhere all cycle except during the three months of winter. They’re exceptional and possess this bioluminescence that is rare on our planet. And since our night is only four hours long they are even more prized—almost as coveted as the sacred black roses only the royals possess.”

“I would love to see them one day,” Roman admitted.

She blew gently so the lightning bug flew off and Chiara turned to study Roman – his dark wings glinting under the moonlight, yet blending in seamlessly with the environment. He was made for this place, for this castle in the sky.

“Dance with me?” he asked, reaching out for her.

Looking around she didn’t see anything that could produce music. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Roman pulled out his simulcast and tapped something. A sweet waltz poured into the garden from the nearby room. “Even with music?” he asked.

Somehow he knew. Chiara wasn’t going to question how. There was a lot about the mate bond she didn’t understand. It allowed her to feel…what Roman felt to some degree. She’d noticed it during dinner when she felt that flicker of despair.

It didn’t scare her as much as she thought it would. Rather it was a bit…relieving. It would make understanding him easier. Chiara was glad for that as it would make up for some of her confusion when it came to the neuro-typical emotions and responses.

“I suppose with the music it will be fine to dance,” she told him, smiling slightly. Chiara took the hand that had never once fallen or wavered as he waited for her to decide. It was a symbol of everything that Roman was with her.

He wasn’t typically patient. She had noticed that the moment she met him.

Slowly Roman pulled her forward until they were pressed against each other. His hand went on the small of her back and the other lifted her hand up. Effortlessly he led her into the steps at the exact right moment.

Chiara had wondered after discovering they were mates if he would be able to stand her and her ways, but now she had no doubts. Roman was surprisingly gentle with her. He gave her the space she needed – both mentally and physically while still letting her know he was right there for her when she needed it.

“I know you’re upset about your test results,” she said, blindly following him through the waltz – trusting him to keep her from falling or tripping. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in private.”

Roman shrugged and gave her a rueful smile before twirling her. “How could you have known?”

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