Page 16 of Own To Obsess

Kardos grit his teeth, his voice lowering. “That is not important.”

“Kardos!” Rozalia shouted, her brown eyes blazing. “Do you realize how badly you look to the Isles right now? To the other tribes? To your people—the tribe that loved and protected and defended you at every turn?”

“I am aware!” Kardos shot back.

“Then tell me everything!”

“I was inside her when she bit me,” he said harshly, turning away to pace the room. “I was soothing her because she was upset. She told me she hated me, and I couldn’t let her think that was true. She is not permitted to hate me!”

“Why did she say that?”

Kardos exhaled. “She was upset about her fate—about being given to the high chief and paired with another. I don’t know how she found out about it but—”

“So it was your fault,” Rozalia interrupted, bluntly, jabbing a finger at him. “She discovered the plans you refused to tell her and she retaliated. Is that accurate?”

“No,” Kardos said sharply. “There is no excuse for her unruly behavior.”

“If you had told her what to expect she could have been more prepared for what was to come,” Rozalia explained. “She would have come around to it and found a way to deal with it. I cannot believe you visited the high chief and made arrangements to give her to him while she knew nothing.”

“She didn’t need to know until it was necessary,” Kardos said sharply. “And I never planned to make any arrangements—it was only my intention to let the high chief know I’d returned and that I had her. That was all. The other shinnos forced the high chief’s hand.”

“What did you think would happen when you announced it to the entire island, Kardos?” Rozalia said, almost incredulously. She pointed in the direction of the port. “You hadn’t even taken ten steps on Nyek soil before you announced her presence, and you had the entire journey to tell her what her role would be.”

“That is of no consequence!” Kardos bellowed, annoyed at her flawed reasoning. Why couldn’t she understand? He glared at her, lowering his voice. “I can choose to handle this situation however I please, Roza. It is my right. I am tribe leader and shinno, I do not answer to her or to you.”

Rozalia’s mouth tightened as he spoke, but he didn’t fucking care.

“I did everything I could to prepare her for what was to come without alarming her. And even if I chose never to tell her, she knew there was an expectation for her to do as she was told. I did not give her permission to bite me and Idid notgive her leave to make such outlandish claims that she hated me.”

Rozalia’s eyes narrowed. “Why does that bother you so much? So what if she hates you?”

Kardos turned and began pacing again, his fists clenched as he tried to answer her question. In truth, he didn’t know why he had such a reaction to those words from Shaya’s mouth, but he couldn’t deny they bothered him deeply and had spurred him into action to prove they weren’t true.

“You have behaved as though she was yours this whole time. Did you tell her she was yours?” Rozalia asked. “Did you assert that you were her Alpha in any way?”

Kardos shot her a dark look and she swore long and loud.

“And yet you accept no blame,” she said, disbelievingly. She shook her head. “You cannot blame her for claiming you, Kardos.”

“No!” Kardos roared. “I do not blame her for that!”

Rozalia’s mouth dropped open, shock and confusion deepened her expression. “You…don’tblame her?”

“Of course not.” Kardos glared at her, pointing to the direction he had seen Shaya go. “Look at her. She is perfection in every way. It is the highest honor that she has claimed me.”

Rozalia’s voice was hoarse as she tried to order her thoughts. “Kardos. What are you saying?”

He stopped and turned to face her, trying to make sense of his thoughts battling for dominance. “I do not blame her for claiming me, Rozalia. I am intensely proud that she has.”

Rozalia stumbled back until she reached a chair, her eyes locked onto him, and dropped into it. “So… so you wanted to give up the seat?”

“No,” Kardos growled, turning from her again. “I didn’t expect her to bite me, but in any other situation, Rozalia…” He paused, silence filling the room for a long moment. “In any other situation, I would have demanded it of her immediately.”

Rozalia’s brown eyes searched his face. She seemed speechless, and Kardos had never known her to lack the ability to speak.

“Iam her Alpha,” he stressed. “She does truly belong to me.” He began to pace again. “I should be the one she is with and if she had to choose, sheshouldchoose me. I cannot be angry with her choice.”

“Then why are you angry?”

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