Chapter 70

The mate market surged around them as the crowds gathered ready for the arrival of the females. Daevishk moved to the front position, snarling at the males that pushed too closely too him, less respectful without Nadyr present. But Daevishk was both a former second and a survivor of the penal colony, and those that tested his boundaries did so cautiously. He would, he thought, have to present at the combat ring sometime soon to remind these upstarts of just what he was capable of. It had been a long time since he had fought within the rules of the combat ring, however. Survival at the penal colony had meant discarding the civilities of battle. A fake-mate for Nadyr, he refocused on the problem before him as the side doors opened. He disregarded the first females in the rows, focusing on the middle as Nadyr had instructed the day before. She needed to be beautiful, as Nadyr would need to use her for her scent, and submissive so that she could be taught to behave appropriately and