Page 2 of Own to Obey

Shinno Kardos found his gaze returning to her every few moments. He watched her in the flurry of activity as his tribe prepared for travel. He watched her as she was boarded onto his ship, and he continued to watch her when the ship lurched away from Eiros port.

She also looked at him frequently, as she should, but when she did, her eyes darted away again immediately, as though she wasn’t willing to hold his gaze. He found that undesirable. Sheshouldlook at him. It was natural for an Omega to look upon an Alpha, and he found himself strangely thrilled when she did.

Although she had been unexpectedly removed from her family and former life, she didn't look as though she would try to escape. Her hands remained clasped in front of her, and her movement was minimal. There had been no tears. No cries to see her family again or any last requests before they boarded the ship that would take her far from her home and to his Lands. Perfect. The behavior suggested a resilience, but it wouldn’t last—he’d acquired her only a couple of hours ago. He suspected the shock of her new circumstance hadn't sunk in yet. But it would. When she realized the weight of what was about to be placed on her, she would crumble.

“The new bondmaids have been settled in the lower cabins,” one of his most trusted tribesmen, Zolt murmured as he came to a stop beside him. “That just leaves the new passenger you obtained. Treska will allocate her a cabin and—”

“No,” Kardos rumbled, his eyes still on her. “I will do that. Get Treska to supply suitable wear.” The Omega’s clothes weren’t appropriate for where they were going. She was dressed strangely, like all the other people that lived in the foreign land they had visited. She wore what looked like a long, shapeless, bland-colored dress that reached her lower calves and a similarly bland material covered her head. The material didn’t look warm at all, but itchy and flimsy—he couldn't understand how anybody could even be comfortable in it. She needed something much more substantial for where they were going.

Zolt nodded. “Then we are settled for travel, my shinno.”

Kardos turned in a half-circle, planting his feet wide as he viewed the large hall around him. Located on the upper middle deck, where most of the tribe’s gatherings took place while they were sailing, all of his tribe had assembled, as they usually did before they traveled, to celebrate the start of the journey.

The Omega stood a few feet from Kardos, surrounded by three of his tribesmen, who escorted her anywhere he needed her taken, even though he’d kept her within his view from the moment he acquired her.

“Brothers and sisters,” he bellowed out, “we are finally going home!”

A deafening roar erupted from his tribe, and the Omega jumped at the raucous noise, her sloped brown eyes wide in alarm.

“This journey has been long and troublesome,” Kardos continued as the cheers began to fade. “We have experienced more than we planned; some things unpleasant, others incredibly… satisfying.” Low chuckles rumbled around the room and Kardos grinned. “We have gone to war, we have had to deal with strange people and cultures, but we leave the Western Lands with a new ally. We have said goodbye to some of our warriors, and we have gained new bondmaids to assist the needs of our own Lands.” He paused, looking around the hall at his tribesmen who stared back at him fiercely. “I am pleased with each of you. We have carried the name of Nyek with honor during our time on foreign soil.” He raised a fist. “And we return stronger than when we left. May Az Eshra guide our travels!”

The tribe raised their fists, calling and bellowing out their agreement with echoes of “May Az Eshra guide our travels” rebounding across the room.

The Omega’s head jerked sharply at the various roars that ripped from his men, her small body tense and closed and her hands clasped tightly in front of her. For the first time since he had taken her, she looked terrified, but the sight sent something snaking down Kardos’ spine. Even in her fear, she was still perfect.

Kardos stalked toward her as his tribe filtered out of the hall, nodding at the three who surrounded the Omega, giving them permission to leave her side.

The Omega watched them leave, her body shrinking even further as Kardos approached. She looked even smaller now that she stood on her own, but after a moment, she took a breath and straightened her back, looking up at him as he towered over her.

The rumors about Omega beauty had not been false.

In that room with her sister and the king’s Omega, this one rose above them both. She was young, clearly a maiden, although he could not guess her age, and her looks had caught his attention before he knew she was an Omega—when she was still pretending to be some kind of servant. How no one noticed she was much too stunning to be a Beta was beyond him. Of all of her exquisite features, her mouth was the most enticing. Shapely, with a slightly plumper bottom lip than top, it was ripe to be sucked and bitten. Perfect.

“Follow me,” he ordered.

Turning on his heel, he led her out of the hall and along a narrow corridor. He strode at a normal pace, but her footsteps clambered to keep up behind him. As they passed through a group of tribesmen and women, he turned and grabbed her arm, pulling her so she pressed firmly against him as he continued on. Her body was soft against his, and he found himself weaving his arm around her as he walked to keep her close to him. The feel of her shapely waist caused his cock to twitch but he ignored it, for now.

As they navigated along the corridors and across the deck, his tribe was getting to work. During travel, each tribe member followed a routine to ensure the successful running of the ship. As a multi-deck, advanced ocean vessel, his ship had the capability to travel swiftly across the waters. It was more powerful than any other ship known in his homeland, and he suspected no other in the known Lands could claim the speeds that his ship easily climbed to. But its functions needed to be constantly maintained. Since they had left fifteen hundred men behind, swapped for the bondmaids, it was even more important now that everyone tended to the needs of the ship so that the journey home was a pleasant and quick one.

As he arrived at a set of stairs, Zolt intercepted him, holding a bundle of clothes. Kardos released the Omega, ensuring she stayed close to him while he spoke with Zolt for a short moment about areas of the ship that were low on manpower. Kardos gave him instructions, took the bundle, and descended to the lower middle deck, beckoning the Omega to follow. Weaving his way through the corridors, he entered a quiet section of the ship filled only with empty cabins. He headed to the middle of the central corridor and turned into one of the cabins, striding to the center of the room.

It was a decent size, completely self-contained, and more importantly, no other person occupied any cabin in this section of the ship, keeping her, and the knowledge he had an Omega, somewhat secluded from the rest of the tribe.

He turned to face the Omega as she entered tentatively, her eyes fleetingly darting around the cabin before locking onto him.

“This will be your cabin,” he told her. “You will remain in here at all times.”

The Omega stilled and then turned to look at the room more closely.

“You are not permitted to leave this room unless you are escorted,” Kardos said firmly. “You will be punished severely if you do not abide by this rule. Do you understand?”

Her eyes returned to him and she nodded.

“During our journey back to the Southern Isles, this ship is maintained by the actions of its tribe. You are required to fulfill duties on the ship to the standard expected of every other tribe member,” he began firmly. “You will begin with tasks that will improve your body by toning your muscles and increasing your strength.” As he spoke, Kardos’ cock jerked in protest at the idea. Her soft body felt incredible as it was, but no one in the Southern Isles would survive if they didn’t hold at least some muscle, and she didn’t feel like she had much. “Punishment will be swift and thorough if you do not complete your tasks as expected. It is the Nyek way, and you must learn our ways quickly.”

The Omega stared at him, but said nothing.

“When you are not completing your tasks, you will learn about Southern Isles culture and undertake tasks and duties that may be expected of you.” Kardos fell silent, waiting to see if she would respond to anything he said.

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