Page 323 of Hunters and Prey

Roman smiled sadly at that and tucked a piece of her dark hair behind her ear. “What makes you so sure?”

“We’ve all but declared war and the Neprijat either haven’t noticed or don’t care. The battle to worry about won’t be the one for the Hai System, but the one for the Khara System.” She checked his arm and was pleased to see there didn’t seem to be any reaction so far. “I’ll need to run tests on you tomorrow morning. It shouldn’t take long to get rid of the disease, but I want you to pay attention to any abnormal symptoms or reactions. Your body may reject the gene I replaced the disease with.”

The silence between them wasn’t unpleasant as he stared at her. “What do you plan to do once all of Anarr is cured and we win as you said we would?”

Chiara didn’t know what to tell him. She’d never felt compelled to lie before, but right then she wanted to say anything other than the truth to keep Roman from looking sad again. So Chiara shrugged. It wasn’t a real answer, but maybe he would let her get away with it.

“Chiara,” he pressed. “Before…everything starts, I want to know.”

Sighing she ran her hand through her hair and then pressed it to her thigh to keep from fidgeting. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do. There are other team leaders on other planets in the Hai System. I may not be needed once my theory is proven and I can share it with the others. So I’ve no idea how long I will be needed. After that…I don’t know if I want to stay here, Roman. As much as I love your home it makes me nervous and it’s so different from everything I know – from everything I’m used to. I rely too heavily on protocol and dominance to function normally.”

This was the part of their bond Chiara had known would be problematic. She wasn’t sure she could stay. What was the point of a bond or mating if they couldn’t be together in the same system let alone the same planet?

She had duties and…well, that wasn’t true. Chiara could always quit working for Adelina. She could…find other work. But that wasn’t the problem. The problem was she had no idea how to operate among Roman’s people.

Roman didn’t seem surprised. He just nodded. “Well, if you can’t stay, then I will go with you – to wherever it is you need or want to go.”

Cold shock filtered through her veins. “What?”

He took her hand and laced his fingers with hers. “I want you, Chiara. I want to consummate our mate bond one day and I will make sure I pass however many tests you have for me if it means I get to keep you. Even if that means letting Alexei rule Anarr and following you to Draga.”

All she could do was stare at him as she processed. Roman had effectively removed the one problem she hadn’t been able to see a solution to. Chiara had been worried that she still might not be comfortable after finishing her work in the Hai System. If she wasn’t she wouldn’t force herself to stay.

But if they’d been bonded by then they’d both be stuck in a situation they couldn’t get out of. The kind of situation that would have made Chiara feel trapped and claustrophobic. It would have driven her completely insane.

Now though? She could have this bond with Roman – that she really wanted – and spend her time in Hai finding out if this was a place she could learn to comfortably live in, if she felt at home here.

“Are you allowed to hand over your future rule to Alexei?” she asked.

Roman smiled and pulled her into his arms. “If Kaiden is allowed to, I’m pretty sure I am too.”

Chiara gripped him tight as she let it all sink in. “I only have one more test,” she told him slowly. “You’ve passed all the others.”

He put his hands on her hips and lifted her so she straddled his lap. “Oh, what is that?”

Wrapping her arms around his neck she looked into those gorgeous blue eyes of his and hoped he wouldn’t laugh. “Sexual intercourse.”

His grip on her tightened hard enough she gasped – Chiara felt the ache between her legs grow at the slight pain and her thighs squeezed around him.

“We can’t do that test until you’re sure you want to be mated to me,” Roman told her. His voice was nearly a growl – almost pained as he held himself back.

“I’m aware,” Chiara told him, holding his gaze. “You complement me perfectly. I understand you and you respect me. There’s not much more I can ask for. I’m sure about this. Are you?”

The way he kissed her was a mixture of painful hope and vicious desire. Chiara felt her bottom lip bruise under his attention and it made her so very wet. She pressed against him, feeling how hard he’d become.

“I’ve been sure since you examined my wings,” he told her. “Though us males are like that. We fall hard and fast and blindly. But I’m not blind to who you are Chiara. I know you’ll need things to be a certain way, and I think I can accommodate that. Just make sure to talk to me about it, to tell me what I need to change – within reason.”

She laughed and felt those traitorous tears prick her eyes. “Within reason,” she agreed. “I have some time right now. Would you like to consummate the bond?”

Roman groaned and nipped her neck right under her earlobe. “I want to be able to enjoy ourselves. After all, I don’t think once will be enough this first time.”

His words made her shudder with need.

Pulling out her shreve she double-checked her schedule. She’d already inoculated everyone she was supposed to that day. Everything else could wait a while.

“You have until dinner,” she told him. “Would an entire afternoon be sufficient?”

Roman didn’t bother with words. His answering growl was enough as he stood. Carrying her across the room to her bedroom, he hoisted her up. “It should be enough – this time. If you schedule yourself a full day off you’ll understand what I mean by ‘enjoy ourselves.’ Lucky for you this isn’t an offer I’m willing to turn down.”

Chiara held on tight and licked her lips. She was a bit nervous, but her desire and need overpowered everything else. “I’ll make sure to have one of those – a day off,” she told him, tracing the ridge of his eyebrow with the tip of a finger. “Now show me what makes the Drakesthai such good lovers.”

Roman practically kicked the door down to get it open. “Oh, velika. You have no idea.”

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