Page 58 of Own To Obsess

Kardos ground his teeth and paced at the end of the bed the agitation in his body sparking like fiery bolts. “I want her breathing, now!”

Rozalia shot him a dangerous look and then opened a bottle carefully and poured its liquid into a cloth. She smothered Shaya's nose and mouth with it for a few moments then lifted up and press it down again.

“What are you doing!” Kardos boomed. “How is she supposed to breathe with that on her mouth. She is already struggling!”

Rozalia’s body stiffened but she ignored him.

She lowered her face to Shaya's nose, holding herself there for a moment and then grabbed another potion and issued a tiny drop on each of her eyelids.

“How is that supposed to help herbreathing!” Kardos exclaimed, a blast of annoyance, panic, and frustration taking over him. “I need her breathingnow, Rozalia!”

Rozalia continued to ignore him, but grabbed a blanket, tilted Shaya's head back, and lifted her shoulders to tuck the blanket underneath. Then she began to massage her throat all the way down to her chest and press her hands over her body.

Shaya took a deep breath, her body shuddering as she released it.

Kardos growled in relief and rushed toward her, grabbing her up from the table and holding her in her his arms.

He kissed her mouth, and murmured to her that she did so well and he was proud of her, but her eyes remained closed, even though her breathing had returned to normal.

“Why is she not waking up?” he asked Rozalia.

When Rozalia didn’t answer, he looked up to see her glaring at him, her hands on her hips as she stood on the other side of the bed. “Get out.”

“What!” Kardos snarled. “You cannot possibly be talking to me.”

“Is there another boneheaded Alpha in here?” Rozalia glowered. “Is there any other who has caused his Omega to suffer serious damage by sending her on a discovery quest she didnotneed to go on? Is there any other idiot who thinks that he is proving his care of his mate by trying to kill her!” She glared at him. “Is there?”

“I don't give a shit what you think about me,” Kardos barked at her, still holding onto Shaya. “It is your job to make her well, so make her well!”

“She is stable for now,” Rozalia confirmed. “But I'm not treating her with you in here. Get out.”

“I am not leaving her,” Kardos said, his voice low as he growled. “So if you choose not to treat her and she dies before I find another—”

“I would never let anything happen to her,” Rozalia said sharply. “And it feels like I'm the only one who is even thinking this way.”

Kardos snarled at her insinuation. “You will treat her immediately, Rozalia, or you will find another fucking tribe.”

Rozalia’s face slackened, but her hands dropped her side curled into fists.

“I spent weeks trying to get her to understand the Isles while she was with me, Kardos,” Rozalia said after a moment, looking at Shaya. “To help understand why things have happened and why her life is full of confusion and sometimes pain, but nothing I’ve said seems to make her believe that she is valued, and I didn’t know if she would ever believe that. Then she was attacked… maybe by someone of her own tribe, maybe not.” She lifted her gaze. “But it began with you, Kardos. You treated her the same way you have been treated all these years—how you are being treated even now by the shinnos.”

Kardos tensed and he snarled. “How the fuck can you say that?”

“Because it’s true,” Rozalia said calmly. “You chose to bring her here because she is an Omega, you chose to put her in the mountains because she is an Omega, you took advantage of her bite for your cause for the seat… Everything she has experienced has been because of her dynamic, not because of who she is. It was only her hair that signified who she is and that’s why she was so upset.

“You have been treated by the shinnos because of one defining physical feature… not because of who you are.” She shook her head. “She told me I would never understand it, but I think I do now.”

“You do not,” Kardos stormed. “Shaya cannot be separated from the fact that she is an Omega, just like I cannot be separated from the physical characteristics that define me. The things she does matters. The choices she makes matters. I will not pretend they don’t! She is an Omega, yes, but not every Omega would’ve have been suitable to come here. Not every Omega would have chosen me, and not every Omega would have made it out of that mountain! She is exceptional, Rozalia, and if you choose to underestimate her like others have underestimated me, that is your choice. But you will treat her,now!”

Rozalia’s mouth tightened, but she finally moved to gather what she needed.

***

Shaya finally showed improvement after a few days, but her recovery was painfully slow. Kardos stayed by her side at every moment, sleeping in her treatment bed and keeping her smothered with his scent and heat at all times. As soon as her recovery was almost complete, and the bond strength felt normal again in his chest, he moved her back to their bedroom and insisted that Rozalia stay at his hut to treat her until she fully recovered.

Things were tense between him and Rozalia now; it wasn’t any different than with some of the members of Tribe Nyek who had loved Shaya, even if just the idea of her. Tribe members came to visit her and to join in a group prayer to Az Eshra outside the hut, and many left gifts for her.

Everyone would eventually understand why he had to do what he did. He didn’t have to explain himself to anyone.

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