"As you prefer," was the only reply I got. Dain ran his claws through my hair before stepping away, lacing his fingers behind his head and watching me with hooded eyes as I unhooked my sleeve and stepped out from the rosebush. When I looked at him again, he smiled, an expression reminiscent of the Queen's, but with a very different sort of energy to it. She'd been all beautiful poison, and he was wicked and animalistic. Both were dangerous, but at least I could clash with Dain and be fairly sure I'd come out alive.

Without speaking, he held out his hand to me again, a challenging light in his eyes. There was no one here to see if I took it or not. The only decision to make was how much I was willing to engage with him, and on what level. I could hold the distance, treat him like a smear, and be as cold as the Queen. But I could also step forward, take his hand, and... unravel him.

Cold was probably the wiser decision, but I'd never been great at making the wise decisions. I stepped forward, tilting my head to one side, and took his hand again, watching the skin around his eyes tighten and his ears lay back.

"Who are you?" I asked softly, looking up into those wolf eyes, searching that expression as if I might see who lay beneath the mercurial face he showed. A man who had destroyed a city, who killed four people to keep me and would have killed four more to get back to me, who gentled thorns out of my hair and who wore pain beneath his anger.

"Dain Sundamar, the crown prince of Stag Court, the moon-called Beast of Phazikai," he said, just as softly. "Fae soulmate of a mortal girl who seems to have a death wish."

My lips twitched; I couldn't help it.

One corner of his mouth tilted up for a moment. "Who are you?" he asked in return.

Well, fair's fair, I figured. "Leah Escarra, called the Duchess, a missile defense programmer. Mortal soulmate of a fae prince who probably should kill fewer people," I said, wrinkling my nose as I said it. I didn't like labeling myself his soulmate, even if it didn't mean that I had to love him, but the symmetry was too pleasing to resist.

He made hmf noise, but seemed to accept that answer. Dain turned and started leading me through the garden again, holding my hand. "I didn't answer your question as you wanted," he said, looking sidelong at me.

"Not at all," I said, and sighed through my nose. "I got exactly one more piece of information, which is something I don't even understand."

"I'll answer a question if you do," he said, looking straight ahead again.

I glanced over at him. "One-time offer, or ongoing thing?"