Page 24 of Own to Obey

“I will try. I do not have the full host of my ingredients to make a potion for an Omega. I never expected to have to do that. It will take some experimentation.”

“Do what you must,” Kardos said. “Treska knows where her cabin is. She can take you. Just make sure that whatever you do, she is not harmed in any way.” He shot her a look of warning, so she would know that he was entirely serious, but he needn't have bothered. Rozalia was looking back at him as though he was an idiot for even saying it. “We will have a break from all shifts in two days, which will put us on course to arrive in the Southern Lands roughly two to three weeks later. I will need it within the next week.”

“I will try to have something for you in the next four days, my shinno.”

Kardos inclined his head in thanks and took his leave.

Once the tribe became aware that they were due a break, the mood in the ship completely changed. It returned to something similar to what it had been when they first set off on their journey, but for Kardos it was an inappropriate time to feel joyful. The more he took Shaya to his private deck, and the more she pulled away from him, the more desperate he became to have her submit. At times, he was furious that she did not recognize what he was doing for her. He was ensuring that she got to see the ocean, he was making her feel the way an Alpha was supposed to make an Omega feel, and he wasn't taking anything for himself. His cock had been begging for release for weeks, but he had no enthusiasm to seek out any of the other women on the ship. He wasn't sure if it was because he had already tasted what it was like inside an Omega, or because none of them captured his attention the way that she did, but he was stuck in a limbo that he couldn't get out of until Rozalia completed the potion.

If he tried to fuck Shaya again, there was no doubt it would go badly. Her first experience had not been met with any pleasure. He knew when he withdrew that he may have spoiled that part of her experience, but he had done it in favor of trying to repair it later. It would be a disaster if she was given to the high chief only for it to be discovered that she did not like sex. It was unheard of in the Southern Isles. Such things could only happen in the other Lands, where the amoral and devious lived. There was no way he could bring an Omega to the high chief with that affliction.

Playing with her and sucking on her slippery, tasty clit until she came had helped a little—it had at least made her less conscious of her beautiful body—but there was no guarantee that full sex would be met with enthusiasm. In fact, it was likely that it wouldn't after what happened, and that's why he needed her blocks removed. Without her blocks, or her Haze, there would be no resistance to him, and she could truly understand the pleasures of being an Omega and the joy of being with an Alpha.

The next time that he summoned Treska to report back on Shaya's progress, it seemed as though Shaya was indeed a quick learner, which made him a little more secure that they still had over two weeks left for her to continue her learning. Unfortunately, that was not the only thing Treska reported on.

“What do you mean Anata came to her cabin?” he thundered. “No one is supposed to know where she is, or that she even exists on the ship!”

Treska shrugged back a little. “I don't know how she found out,” she said. “She kept saying that somebody was taking your attention and there is no one else on the ship who is doing it that she knows of. I think she has been investigating, my shinno. She is familiar with your movements and your patterns of behavior. She has guessed that you have been spending time with someone else.”

Kardos clenched his fists. Anata shouldn't even be guessing what he was doing with his time. It was none of her fucking business. “What did she do, and what did she say?” he asked through gritted teeth. Anata was known for her temper, but most of the tribe knew how to deal with her. Shaya would not.

“Katashaya couldn't understand anything that she said,” Treska said, quickly. “But she could tell that Anata was threatening her.”

“And what did she say?” Kardos said sharply.

“She said that she had guessed all along that there was somebody else on the ship taking your attention, and she had been correct in her assumptions, but she wasn't aware that the woman was going to be so small and insignificant, with no real curves, and no character. She said the only thing Shaya had going for her was her pretty face, and that that could be destroyed easily enough.”

The fury that burned Kardos at the idea that anyone would dare even threaten to touch Shaya's face could barely be contained. The rumble of displeasure that began in his throat turned into a roar at the audacity of thisjakhrato threaten his Omega, and Treska shrunk back until she was flattened against the wall by the time the roar ended.

“And you say Shaya could not understand it?” he growled.

“N-n-no,” Treska stuttered. “And I couldn't explain to her why she was even in the room because of the lack of communication—”

“I will reallocate her now,” Kardos decided, striding to the door. He slowed to a stop as a thought occurred to him, and he looked over his shoulder at Treska. “Is she frightened to be in the room now?”

“She doesn't seem to be,” Treska said. “But it is difficult to know what she really thinks when I cannot communicate with her properly.”

“She seems to be learning quickly,” Kardos said turning back the door. “Hopefully you will be able to communicate with her soon enough.”

***

When he entered Shaya’s room, she was surprised to see him. Usually he would come later to carry her to his private deck. He looked around the room to see what would need packing up to take to her new cabin, but noticed that there was nothing. She only had two sets of clothes, which she seemed to be washing herself, items for her hair and injuries, as well as the materials for her learning. Rozalia’s words sprung to his mind.She is going to assume the worst of us if we do not treat her well.

He strode to her and lifted her into his arms, as he always did, and she settled against his chest, as she always did and the familiar satisfaction rose that she was in his arms. This time he took her to a cabin that was on the same corridor as his own. It was guarded more heavily, even though there were more people around the deck. He preferred having her closer to him, and if anything was going to happen, at least he would be nearby.

The cabin he gave her was a few doors down from his own, bigger than the one she had been in, and much more lavishly decorated.

He put her down slowly, keeping her close to his body as he tilted her head up to him. “This is your new cabin now, Shaya,” he said in Mayaros. “The same rules apply.” Unfortunately, she hadn't yet learned any of those words because her gaze was blank. She didn't understand.

He lowered, hunched over her, and brushed his lips with her own. “I'll be back shortly for our ocean time so you can fly with me.” When he pulled back, she looked surprised that he had kissed her and he couldn’t help but smile. “You are still very beautiful, little bird.”

To his amazement, a gorgeous shy smile grew and her eyes darted down, her face a picture of embarrassment. She understood him! He leaned in and kissed her properly, sucking on her perfect lips and pressing his tongue into her mouth. She whimpered and accepted him in, sucking on him and kissing him back as she went limp in his arms. When his pants became tight, he forced himself to pull away. He would have his tongue in that fragrant place between her legs shortly, but there were things he needed to do first.

Turning, he left and sought out Treska, immediately sending her to Shaya to try and explain that she has now moved cabins. Additionally, he sought out a few of the tribeswomen who were good crafters to make some jewelry for her and some gifts so that her new cabin would not be so impersonal and bare.

Next, he sought out Anata working on fuel deck four.

“Thatjakhratold you I was in the cabin, didn't she?” She laughed nervously and humorlessly. “I knew that she would run to you. I was simply protecting you that's all.”

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