That explained the deep inhales through his nose in every room, I realized. He wassmellingto see if we spent time together. Heat rushed into my cheeks when I thought of him smelling us in the bathing room and bedchamber. We did a lot more than spend time together there.
Once Dryden was done “examining” our living spaces, he looked to Bokkan. “Is there somewhere I can speak to each of you separately?”
“My office,” he answered.
“I would like to speak to the human female first.”
“My name is Leda. Please use it,” I said to Dryden.
Dryden bowed his head. “Of course.”
When we went into the office, Dryden stopped Bokkan by holding out a hand. “General, you know you cannot be in the room when I speak to Leda.”
Bokkan scowled at him. “I do not trust you.”
“Those are your mating instincts. You have known me for decades. We trained together in the King’s Guard. You know I will not harm your female or even touch her in any way.”
The ferocious frown on Bokkan’s face intensified. I could literally see him wrestling with himself. Finally, he nodded and backed out of the room.
His eyes came to me. “I will be in the kitchen. Just call my name if you need me.”
I nodded to him. “I’ll be fine. You know I will.”
His jaw flexed, and his fingers clenched into fists. “I know, but I do not like it.”
“The quicker you leave, the quicker we’ll be done,” I pointed out.
Bokkan growled but backed out of the office. Dryden closed the door but didn’t move. He stood in front of it and waited until Bokkan walked down the hall. Though I couldn’t hear him any longer, Dryden stood there for a few moments longer.
Finally, he turned toward me. His smile was polite as he said, “Shall we sit?”
Nerves shimmered in my stomach. I knew he would be able to smell it, so I just asked what I needed to know. “What exactly happens now?”
He walked over to one of the chairs by Bokkan’s desk and sat down. “I will ask you a few questions about how you came to be here and if Bokkan has your consent to pursue you. They are simple and straightforward. I will pay attention to your breathing, heart rate, and scent to ascertain if you are telling the truth.”
I nodded, still nervous, because Bokkan and I were essentially lying about testing compatibility. We slept together, we fooled around, and we basically lived together. If I weren’t already planning to go home as soon as possible, I would’ve seriously considered building a relationship with Bokkan.
I walked over to the chair next to Dryden’s and sat. “Okay. What if you ask me a question I don’t want to answer?”
That seemed to surprise him. “Why wouldn’t you want to answer?”
I felt my face heat as I met his gaze. “In the human realm, some things are considered private.”
“You mean you do not speak about bedding? Or something else?”
My cheeks had to be red as hell. “Uh, yeah. The, uh, bedding stuff. Those are things we might talk about with a close friend but not with someone we just met.”
“I promise that most of my questions will not be about details, but to be certain that you are a willing participant in your interactions with the general.”
“Why do you call him that?” I asked.
“That was his rank in the King’s military. He was one of the most decorated generals in history.”
That didn’t surprise me. He was intelligent, observant, and cunning. Yesterday, I saw more of that side of him, but I would have believed it even if I hadn’t. Bokkan projected competence and confidence. Even when he wasn’t sure what to do with me because of my humanity, he seemed calm and collected when he figured out what to do.
“We should start before Bokkan comes back and breaks the door down.”
I clasped my hands in my lap. “Okay.”
