Page 31 of Own To Obsess

The bond itself seemed to be echoing what Rozalia said. During the morning when he was with her, it had a warmer element to it, rippling with pleasure and desire when he was with her, but throughout the day, after he left, it turned hard and heavy again, as though he was angered by what he was experiencing out in the Southern Isles.

She longed to gain a clearer understanding of what he was doing, but knew that he would never speak to her about it. As far as he was concerned he had a duty, a cause, a quest to complete, and she basically had to wait for him to complete it before she got his full attention.

That evening, she took the potion back to Kardos' hut, and hid it away. She had to make a decision. The logical part of her told her that she could not rely that Kardos would always be even-tempered with her and the negative emotions were terrible. And yet, the mornings they shared together were becoming perfect, and she was beginning to look forward to it. Part of her was aware that she was conditioned to feel this way about him. She had to remember one of the reasons why she was upset was due to his ability to draw reactions from her without even trying. But was that reason to potentially destroy their bond? She had to think about it.

When Rozalia came back, she was pleasantly surprised at how much Shaya had managed to get done. They continued to work on the gardens, and Shaya made her tell her all the exciting things about her journey.

Then out of nowhere, Rozalia asked, “Did you ever learn the Ancient Tongue, Shaya?”

Shaya glanced at her in surprise. “That’s for magic—to cast verbal spells.”

“I know, I wondered if you learned it. It’s popular in the Western Lands, isn’t it?”

Shaya nodded. “Yes, but only among Talent-crafters. I didn’t learn that one.”

“No lullaby or song or rhyme?” Rozalia asked, lightly.

Shaya turned to her slowly, wondering why she was asking such a question. “No. Why do you ask?”

“I just thought it was common, that’s all,” Rozalia said, brushing her attention away with a gloved hand. “There are gathering places for Talent-crafters and potion experts in the Eastern Lands, you never know if what you hear is true or not.”

Shaya snorted. “Well, I know the Western Lands is where magic was first developed, but I assure you not everyone uses it,” she said firmly.

The following week after Rozalia had returned, they finished their lunch only to find one of the high chief's attendants at the door.

“What you mean she has been summoned?” Shaya heard Rozalia say sharply. “How can she be summoned without her Alpha?”

The attendant mumbled his response, but Shaya didn’t hear it. She stepped closer to the door and was surprised to see alarm on Rozalia's face.

“What's happening?” she asked nervously.

“You have been summoned to the temple on the Central Island,” Rozalia said firmly. “It's not clear why, but Kardos has not been involved in this.”

“Do I have to go?” Shaya asked.

“Absolutely,” Rozalia said firmly. “The high chief has sent for you directly, you cannot refuse. But Kardos needs to be told about it.”

“Why?” Shaya asked, a nervous flutter in her stomach at the way in which Rozalia was responding.

“Because you are mated, and you are new to the Isles. You shouldn’t be attending the temple without him,” Rozalia said as she gathered her furs. “It may be nothing, Shaya,” she said trying to be reassuring. “It is a surprise, that’s all.”

“What should I do?” Shaya said putting on her furs.

“You go with the attendant,” Rozalia instructed. “I will go and tell Kardos.”

“But….” She was unsure how to voice her concern. What if she said or did the wrong thing? What if she hurt Kardos' chances even more? He would never forgive her. The anger would return and she didn't know if she could bear it again.

“Just be honest, Shaya,” Rozalia said, her voice softening a little. “You have nothing to worry about. Be yourself and be true. There is no doubt Kardos will join you immediately when he hears.”

CHAPTER SIX

SHAYA

“We will not keep you very long, we just have a few questions for you.”

Shaya stood before the group of Alphas that sat on the floor before her. She didn't recognize them as being part of Tribe Nyek; in fact, they all wore different colors, as though they each were from a different tribe. But that couldn't be right. Why would the different tribes have summoned her to the temple through the high chief?

She stood in the main temple area with her back to the high chief’s platform. He stood to the right, facing her and the Alphas and watching their interaction.

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