Page 1 of Own to Obey

CHAPTER ONE

KARDOS

From the moment shinno Kardos entered the room, he knew he wasn’t leaving without the prettiest woman in it.

He had seen her before and been stunned by her beauty, but thought she belonged to King Malloron, his host in this foreign land. He was rapidly becoming aware that this wasn’t the case.

She was dressed less richly than the others in the room and seemed to be overlooked in conversation, as though she wasn’t as important as the rest of them.

He quickly decided to figure out how to take her. It wasn’t as though the king could deny him—Kardos had done much for Malloron already, and even though Kardos had negotiated with him for an Omega, he was about to leave this land and no Omega had yet been given.

However, upon entering the room, the king did indeed offer him an Omega; a different woman in the room. She stood with her betrothed, who obviously reacted negatively to the idea, but while she was good-looking, Kardos didn’t care for the argument that ensued afterward. He was not interested in taking another man’s woman. Such action had the potential to cause long-lasting problems that conflicted with the natural law in any matter of unforeseen ways. He actually chuckled to himself that the king was so bold to offer the woman to him in front of her betrothed. He would miss Malloron’s antics when he returned to the Southern Isles.

But in a surprising and fortunate turn of events, that could only have been guided by Az Eshra themselves, the young, pretty woman Kardos desired was revealed to be not only the younger sister of the Omega offered, but also an Omega herself. Even better, she asked to leave with Kardos to prevent him from taking her sister.

“This pleases me,” shinno Kardos announced, cutting through all the talk, turmoil, and tears. He didn’t give a fuck about any of it—he only cared about securing this Omega before anyone changed their minds.

“Take her to the ship,” he ordered his men, pointing at the young woman they called Shaya.

“No!” her sister screamed, as the men neared. Her betrothed held onto her to stop her from interfering.

The queen, Malloron’s Omega, stepped forward. “You don’t need to drag her there,” she said to the Kardos. “She is willing to go. Let her walk.”

That was true. For now. The shinno inclined his head and spoke again to his tribesmen as they approached her, this time in his own tongue, “Let her walk out of the room and then escort her directly to the ship. If she resists, drag her.”

The girl nodded her thanks to the queen and spoke to her sister, who burst into tears, and then walked to the door, passing Kardos as she left with his men.

Kardos watched every move and sound she made, realizing with each moment that she was indeed something special. Her mild manner, her soft voice, her obvious love for her sister, not to mention her small, shapely body… even the way she walked was sexy and she wasn’t even trying. She would be perfect.

There was only one thing that bothered him. “She has no Omega scent,” he said to her sister, after the Omega had gone. “Why?”

Her sister was in no real condition to answer the question. She sobbed fiercely, but Kardos had no patience. He had been in this land much longer than necessary—it was time to leave.

“Why does she have no scent?” he repeated.

She stuttered and heaved, blubbering something that made no sense.

Fortunately, the queen translated for him. “Magic has been used to suppress her Omega scent and urges,” she explained. “But it will wear off.”

Good. This idea of blocking someone’s natural urges went against every law he was aware of. It was utterly heinous. “After how long?”

“Three months,” the sister answered. She turned to the queen, her eyes tortured. “In three months she will be completely vulnerable, Amara. She isn’t like us. She…” Her words faltered.

So in three months, the Omega would be completely as she was born to be. The idea filled Kardos with extreme satisfaction… and excitement.

He turned to Malloron. “I am very, very pleased you have held up your end of our arrangement.”

Malloron nodded. “I’m glad. I will come to the port to see you off.”

“Please, wait,” the queen said, stepping forward. “I promised Malloron I wouldn’t interfere, but please, I have to know. What do you intend to do with her?”

Kardos raised his head as he looked down on her, silent for a moment. It was not usual for anyone from his Lands to reveal too much about their culture to foreigners.

Since he arrived, these people of the Western Lands proved themselves to be deviants of the highest order: multiple lies and deception, blocking dynamic urges, wiping the minds of their slaves, stealing Omegas, declaring war on unsuspecting enemies… the list went on. He saw no reason to tell them more than he needed to, especially if it would cause them to renege on their promise. But he would not lie. So he told them one truth. “She will be a gift.”

***

The Omega was indeed perfect.

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