Page 41 of Own to Obey

“And she is aware of what will be expected of her?”

“No,” Kardos said. “I've tried to prepare her the best I can but she has grown up in a different land. She is intelligent but she will not be an Isle woman at heart until she has learned more about our culture and can appreciate it.”

“You argue hard for her,” the high chief commented dryly. “It is likely she will not become accustomed to Isle culture before she needs to do what is required.”

Kardos didn’t respond. He had always known that Shaya would probably have a hard time of it and tried to prepare her, but she had learned too little. Still, he couldn't deny that she was a perfect Omega to be the first one to return to the Southern Lands, regardless of how well she fared. She had been perfect from the beginning.

The urge to ask his father what he planned to do with her rose swiftly but it wasn’t his place to question the high chief’s intentions, especially while the other shinnos watched. “Why is there a shinnos summoning the day after I return, High Chief?” he asked instead.

“It was requested by all.”

Kardos swallowed the growl that threatened. The only way a shinno summoning could take place was if the high chief issued the summons or if all the shinnos requested it. Kardos had only requested to meet with the high chief on his return, which means the others coordinated their requests extremely quickly. They were worried. As they should fucking be.

“Since all the shinnos are in attendance, let us first deal with the question of the choosing,” the high chief said, raising his voice louder so it echoed throughout the hall. “As you are aware, we are currently in the Year of Selection. You have been named shinnos of your tribes because you are Alphas who have proved yourselves worthy in your contribution to the well-being, safety, and flourishing of the Southern Isles. During this year, you were tasked with completing a quest that will determine who will be most suited to become the future high chief. Many of you have been completing your quests successfully, and I've heard good things from the tribes and the clans; however, in order for shinno Kardos to request this choosing, the implication is that his achievements outshine all possible achievements that have been or could possibly be made by any other shinno, therefore declaring the choosing should take place now and will likely favor him.”

Kardos did not need to glance around the hall to know the other shinnos were tense, he could feel it radiating from them.

“I agree with him that the incredible accomplishment he has made in bringing an Omega to the Southern Isles is indeed difficult to surpass. So I open the floor to you all. If you dispute this request, you may do so now, however,” he said, his voice ringing with warning, “by the end of this discussion, a decision will be made immediately if the choosing is uncontested.”

Kardos stood tense, his demeanor guarding himself against the hostility around the room. Unless the other shinnos had a good argument, he would be leaving this room named as the next high chief, as he rightly deserved.

“I do not contest,” came the voice of the shinno of Tribe Jenzi. He turned his thick body to the rest of the shinnos. “An Omega in the Southern Isles is good for us all. It will allow us to thrive in ways we have been unable to since we had true dynamics born in every tribe and every clan. We all know we have been living in dishonor without that, even having to change how we pair mates and how we live because we no longer have tribe leaders who are true Alphas. With an Omega back in our Lands, we can finally honor Az Eshra the way we are supposed to, and any Alpha who achieved such a feat deserves the seat of high chief as far as I am concerned. It cannot be argued.”

Surprise and relief pierced Kardos' defensive attitude. He hadn't expected any of the shinnos to support the decision, simply based on the fact that he was the one who made the achievement, but anyone who truly cared about the well-being of the Southern Isles could not deny that every single word spoken was true.

“He says she is not aware of why she is here,” Gergo from Tribe Byedor responded. “He has not prepared her correctly.”

“She is on Southern Isles soil,” the shinno from Jenzi argued back. “It matters not if she is prepared. She will soon be.”

“It matters a great deal! The benefit of her presence here is dependent on her ability to do what we need her to do.” He turned to Kardos. “What kind of preparation did you do? Did she learn our tongue?”

“She is in the process of it,” Kardos responded.

“Does she call on Az Eshra?”

“Daily. She is drawn to the ocean.” Kardos saw his father smile out of the corner of his eye.

“Can she look after an Alpha? Groom him, make fevvoli, and mix potions?”

“Yes.”

“Have you bed her to ensure she’s not afflicted with undesirable traits unsuited to an Alpha’s bedroom?”

“Of course.”

Gergo huffed in displeasure that Kardos had answered all questions but did not continue to question him.

“She needs to be able to do more than that,” another shinno called from opposite Gergo.

“She is not from the Southern Lands,” Kardos shot at him.

“No, she is from the Land of the deviants,” the shinno shot back. “She could have many undesirable behaviors you simply haven’t seen yet.”

“So?” Kardos said sharply. “For an Omega to return to our Lands, she would have had to come from somewhere. She spent weeks on my ship, and she was watched closely. She is smart and she can learn. She already has learned some Mayaros quickly. This is not a reason to deny me the seat.”

A murmuring grumble spread across the shinnos.

“My concern,” came the lazy voice of shinno Sethol of Tribe Azzan, “is that you did not bring her to the temple. How do we know she truly exists?”

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