Page 40 of The Omega Thief

Raz swore to himself. They had two days until the tenth day and, therefore, the last before Raz had to present Attiker’s wolf. If that didn’t happen, then Raz would be open to challenges for his title. But that would be so much better than the alternative.

That Attiker would be forced to prove he had a wolf. He felt the ripple of distress under his skin and knew his wolf was reacting to the thought of any harm coming to their mate.

Come on, he urged mentally to his wolf.Find your mate. He’d seen Attiker’s white wolf, and it was incredibly unusual. In fact, with everything that had happened, he’d forgotten to ask Grandmother if there was any significance to it.

He would see Thakeray first, he decided. He needed to make sure his captain had made sure Laronne’s servant hadn’t gossiped.

He was just debating whether to wake his mate up in a fashion they would both enjoy when there was a knock at the door. His Fenrir growled, and he didn’t blame him. “Enter.”

Attiker stirred, opened his eyes, then dived under the sheet when Pinkerton walked into the room.

“Your Highnesses.” He bowed very properly. “My apologies. But I have just received word from the harbormaster that a large ship transporting the royal family of Abergenny will dock in approximately two hours. They sent rowers on ahead, as the ship will need a special birth. I took the liberty of ordering the kitchens to serve breakfast in your private dining room, as I knew you would wish to be prepared for their arrival.”

“Who?” Attiker said and lowered the sheet.

Pinkerton took a breath and prepared to repeat his message, but Attiker interrupted. “No, I mean, are they all coming? Emperor Johannas, his heir?”

Pinkerton consulted the message in front of him. “I was asked to prepare rooms for Emperor Johannas, his heir, Sovereign Markell, plus an additional nine rooms for personal staff and guards. They are accompanied by ten crew, but they will remain on the ship.”

Raz told Pinkerton they would eat. He nearly asked him to summon Raynard, then thought better of it. “You might have to dress me,” he whispered in Attiker’s ear when Pinkerton had left.

Attiker arched a brow. “Didn’t your grandmother ever teach you how to tie laces?”

He laughed and jumped out of bed.

RazenjoyedwatchingAttikereat. He took great satisfaction in providing for his omega, well, that was until said omega put his fork down and asked Raz what he thought of the Abergenny royal family turning up. He opened his mouth to say he wasn’t surprised as representatives from all the five kingdoms would be invited, but catching sight of Attiker’s face made him pause.

That hadn’t been a casual question. “What are you thinking?”

“You ever met them?”

Raz nodded. “Ten years ago. They have different values to us.”

Attiker snorted and cradled his coffee. Attiker had been thrilled to find out Cadmeera imported some, and Raz was thrilled Attiker had been happy. “I think that’s putting things mildly.”

Raz raised an eyebrow. “You’ve visited?” It was a good thousand miles away.

“Not there. I went to the Market of Lost Souls for Isaac Shaw.”

“Really?” Raz was shocked, but then Attiker was a seeker. The Market of Lost Souls was at the base of the Dijon Mountains just over the border in Rajpur. You could buy anything there. But it wasn’t a market that sold produce like the one in Cadmeera. This market bought and sold people, stolen goods, and fever white, amongst other things. It had been another of the reasons that his father had gone to war with the Emir. Slavery had been outlawed in Cadmeera for a long time, but the Emir kept trying to use the pass to smuggle slaves brought in from ships that moored near their coastline.

“I can imagine what you were seeking for Isaac Shaw.” Isaac was a talented jeweler. His grandmother had many commissioned pieces from him, and some of his mother’s pieces were still locked in the palace vault, placed there after her death.

Attiker shrugged. “The precious gems Isaac negotiates himself for. No, he sent me for red rock.”

Raz frowned. “Red rock?” He knew what it was. The by-product of the many lava flows from the Fire Mountains in Rajpur. “Why?”

“He doesn’t just sell jewelry for decoration. He’s experimented for years with different crystals. His ma had joint fever when she was a young girl, and she would be in incredible pain in the cold. He found that some of the crystals you find in red rock, when worn next to the inflamed joints, lessened the pain. It was how he got into making jewelry. The first bracelet he ever made was for his ma.”

Raz sighed. “I have much to learn about the people of Cadmeera. Because of our wolves, we tend to exist in a bubble.” He’d heard of joint fever, of course, but much to his shame, he’d never given it much thought.

“Your wolf might make you ignorant of certain maladies that don’t affect you, but I’d wager your wealth creates a larger bubble,” Attiker said, clearly without thinking, then paused, a look of horror crossing his face. He sat straighter. “Sorry, that was—”

“The truth,” Raz interrupted. “Don’t apologize. I think Commander Blake was correct in saying we needed a people’s champion.” Attiker blushed a little but seemed pleased. “How did that mean you met the emperor? I can’t see him shopping in a market, any market.”

“I never met him, but the trader I bought the red rock from also deals in other things,” Attiker said. “That’s where the emperor bought his last omega from.”

“What?” Raz gazed at Attiker. “How did I not know this?”

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