Page 36 of Own To Obsess

Slowly, she sat up and saw that the carriage was on its side. One of the curtains had fallen and was wrapped halfway around her. She tried to untangle herself, but the ache in her limbs made her go slowly.

“Hey?” she called, trying to see if the guards were nearby. “Can anyone hear me?”

There was no answer.

Slowly, she checked her body to see if anything was broken or severely twisted. Apart from the serious bruising, it didn't appear she suffered any permanent damage. She needed to figure a way out, but before she could even get to her feet, the carriage rocked slightly and then a body was climbing through the window above her.

Dread clawed at her throat as she realized it was a man she didn’t recognize. He didn't look like he was an Alpha, at least not an Alpha like Kardos, but he was still bigger than her.

A million thoughts ran through Shaya's mind. Kardos had many enemies, many of them would seek to hurt him through her. He had potentially committed an offense by mating with her in the high chief's temple. She couldn’t forget that on her first day in the Isles, an Alpha had interrupted their journey from the ship.

She tried to back away from the man, but there was nowhere to go. He lurched forward and grabbed her, pinning her down and covering her face with the curtain as another person climbed in through carriage window.

“This is her,” said a muffled voice. “Hold her.”

Shaya struggled against the man’s hold as hard she could, but he immobilized her, making it impossible for her to even use her legs. “What do you want?” she cried.

“We want you to stop causing our tribe leader to embarrass us,” came a voice close to her ear. “You enticed him unfairly and caused him to renounce everything he promised us when he became tribe leader. You bewitched him into doing heinous acts that he never would have done before meeting you. I don’t care what anyone says, you are the one who has caused this, and you will pay for it.”

She gasped, struggling harder to free herself. “You will be going against his wishes if you do anything to me,” she said, trying to get the words out firmly, but they only came out as a breath.

“I am doing him a favor,” the high-pitched voice snarled. “I am always doing him favors and he never sees the kindness! All he had to do was stick to his agreement to pair with—” The woman abruptly cut herself off from her rant, but Shaya had heard enough.

She gasped. It was that woman… What was her name?

Muffled words were exchanged between her attackers before the woman began speaking again, this time angrier. “Shinno Kardos would never have gone back on his word before you came along. I tried to apologize to you, to do you a favor by letting you know he was betrothed, and youbondedwith him! And now my cousin is stuck in Tribe Obari instead of following me here like what she was supposed to do.”

The material covering her head fell off as she tried to lift her head and reason with the woman. “He won’t like if you do anything—”

“And how will he find out?” the woman said sharply. “How do you think I don’t know how to get to you if you tell him about this? Do you think I’m doing this alone? How do you think I got around your guards? The Tribe Nyek might be beginning to love you now but I won’t let you destroy our standing in the Southern Isles, Omega, and there are others whose interests align with mine. If you tell him who was here, you’ll simply find yourself dealing with some else later… someone less kind. This is just a warning. If you continue to allow our leader to embarrass us, things will be worse for you. Is that clear?

Shaya nodded, grateful the woman wasn't going to attack her… until she began gathering her hair into a bunch.

“What are you doing?” Shaya gasped.

The unsheathing swish of a knife sent a shot of terrifying fear into her chest. “No! Don't do that, please don't!”

It was too late.

Her head became light, and the cold seeped deeper into her scalp as her abundant, thick hair was cut from her head.

CHAPTER SEVEN

KARDOS

Kardos barked instructions at the sled-dog pups and was pleased to see them veer slightly to the right. They were learning quickly for their age; they were just the solution required to combat the infection that killed over a quarter of the sled-dog population recently.

“They are doing well,” he called to the instructor.

The instructor looked at him warily. She’d informed him she was nervous about putting such pressure on their bodies at such a young age, worried that it would cause them physical problems later, but Kardos explained his intention was for them to learn the instructions now so when they came of age, they would be ready.

“Indeed,” the instructor replied reluctantly, “but there are still too few. They will be in great demand whether they can learn the instructions quickly or not.”

Kardos nodded. That was true. “Tomorrow I will bring you—”

An incredibly powerful darkness slammed through the bond and pulsed across his chest. Kardos stilled, his words dying in his mouth.

Shaya.

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