Page 2 of Alien Jeopardy (Mated & Afraid #1)

CHAPTER

TWO

Ka-Rexsh

It’s too good to be true.

Surely, there is a trap here somewhere.

I glance around at the four other Draegon males, but if they’re worried about this joint-species initiative, they don’t show it.

Standing straighter, I flex my wings, running a hand over a horn.

I recognize only one of them—Pol.

He doesn’t look worried, but he does look furious.

I can’t say I blame him. As the son of our tyrant king, he has every reason to want a fresh start at life.

Which is why all five of us are here.

This is supposed to be our chance to get off planet.

According to the Roth who have planned this, we will provide entertainment for humans, Roth and Suevans alike, and as a reward for finishing this… entertainment, we will receive a parcel of land and a home on Sueva.

And a mate.

A mate.

My cock grows hard, starting to skith at the very thought of a female to call my own. To cherish. My fangs press into my lower lip, but the sting of them doesn’t do a thing to damper my enthusiasm at the idea of a mate.

My mate.

It’s not the reason I signed up.

No. I wanted off the planet ruled by Pol’s father.

I wanted a new chance at a life, where I can do what I want.

But now that I’m here?

I can’t stop thinking about what a mate might be like. What she might look like.

The Roth organizer walks into the room where we’ve assembled, a serious expression on his velvety grey face. The ship we’re on is the antithesis of Draegon space cruisers, all sleek chrome and minimalist style.

Draegon prefer everything to be as luxurious and over-the-top as possible. The more gold and gems the better.

Not that I’ve ever been able to afford more than enough to feed myself.

Still, it’s a ship, and it holds the key to my future.

At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.

“Your mates have arrived,” he says. His nose twitches, and my eyes narrow at the small tell.

“What’s wrong with them?” Pol asks the question before I have a chance to, a growl in his voice. “What tricks are up your sleeve, Roth?”

“They appear to be… inebriated.” The Roth shifts his weight, anticipating our anger.

Draegon are not known for our patience and understanding.

Our wings tense as a group, and I share a furious glance with the male standing next to me.

The Roth steps back at the looks on our faces, holding his hands up.

“Don’t worry, their paperwork is completely in order, they selected the option for immediate filming, and despite their intoxication, they are all in good health and are excellent candidates for the five of you.” He licks his lips. “So we’ll simply continue as planned.”

“Give them something for their current state,” I snarl, angry at the mere idea of my future mate being inebriated when we first meet.

The idea of my future mate without full control of her faculties around the Roth makes my skin crawl, and I rub the spot where my horns grow from my forehead, my tail slashing behind me.

The rest of the males nod in agreement.

The Roth organizer takes another step back. “Of course, we already did. It might take longer because of their delicate human constitution, but they’ve been seen to. It wouldn’t do to have them at a disadvantage so early in the game.”

He clears his throat and, slightly appeased, we all glance sidelong at each other.

I could like these males, I decide.

They at least have some honor.

To my right, Pol paces back and forth, agitated enough that his skin’s shifting colors, another sign of his royal blood.

It’s strange that he’s here at all, and I doubt that he’s here by choice.

No, if I had to bet, I would say that this is some stunt done by the king to get Pol away from our planet once more.

“The women are behind this glass,” the Roth says, and we surge towards him as one, clearly all impatient to get to our mates.

A mate.

I squeeze my eyes shut, the kith of my cock moving so rapidly now that it’s nearly painful with need.

“I’ll turn the transparency on so you can see them and you’ll take turns selecting a mate.”

My hands fist at my sides, my talons driving into the flesh of my palm. The slight pain relieves a small bit of the mating frenzy that’s started to grip me. Heat rises from the base of my spine, up between my shoulders, to where my wings begin.

My lip curls as a snarl starts to climb from my throat, the mating heat drawing up, up and through the bones of my wings.

It’s begun, my body starting the process that will cause the poison of my mate bond to seep from my talon-tipped wings.

I don’t bother glancing at the other contestants for this game we’ve agreed to play, and I can tell from the tension ratcheting up in the room that we’re all solely focused on the women that will be presented to us.

Our mates.

My throat goes dry, and a growl escapes me before I can swallow it.

A tentative smirk plays along the Roth’s dark grey lips, and then he taps the opaque surface behind him, turning it transparent—for us, at least. The women seem unaware that we’re watching them.

The sight behind the glass nearly brings me to my knees.

Five human women, all scandalously clad, all beautiful in their own way, from plump and curvy to lean and muscled, short to tall.

Only one grabs my attention and holds it.

Reddish brown hair, rumpled and waved, falling around a lovely oval-shaped face, dark lashes framing brown eyes, a dusting of light spots across the bridge of her very human nose.

Rose-red lips part, and the breath’s knocked from me at the sight of a pink tongue before a hand covers her mouth, her eyes closing.

The woman on the other side of her elbows her, and I grit my teeth at the contact because no one touches what’s mine.

No one.

“I will pick first,” Pol announces, and the four of us all make noises of disgust, noises that quickly fall silent as the predatory alpha gaze he flings at us works immediately.

If he picks the woman that’s mine, I will kill him.

I roll my shoulders, my feral nature somewhat satisfied by that decision.

“We have assigned you each a number, actually—” The Roth’s words are interrupted by Pol stepping close to him, so close that the grey Roth visibly pales.

Interesting. I didn’t know their species was capable of that.

“Unless you want me to unleash my fire on you, Roth, you will let your betters decide.”

A laugh, unhinged, spills from the purple-skinned Draegon in the back of the room. He’s old, much older than the rest of us, his silver hair and ice-blue eyes full of malice.

“Careful there, princeling,” he says, the words a sarcastic purr that sets my teeth on edge.

The Roth’s throat bobs as we all glance to him, wondering what he’ll do.

If he refuses the prince, he may not leave this room alive.

If he doesn’t refuse the prince, all five of us may be driven to fight, our instincts screaming to get to the females in the next room.

If the prince picks my woman, I will sate my thirst for blood before he has time to blink.

“Perhaps the females should be allowed to pick,” the Roth says nervously.

My tail slashes the air, the idea of my female choosing another male making my stomach churn.

The prince, Pol, glances back at the silver-haired Draegon in the back, then nods.

“That will suffice,” Pol announces.

My talons bite further into my skin, and I force my hands to relax at my sides.

She won’t pick one of the others.

She can’t.

The petite human with the pale skin and spots on her cheeks, with the perfectly thick thighs and careless yawns…

She is the one for me.

My mate.