Page 1 of Own to Obtain

CHAPTER ONE

KARDOS

“You cannot leave the Southern Lands to collect your Omega. I forbid it.”

A low growl rumbled in Kardos’ throat at his father’s audacity, but he ignored him, turning to grab the arrows on the wall and drop them into his quiver.

“I am not jesting, Kardos,” the high chief said sharply. “You cannot go. The blizzards will arrive shortly. You’re needed here. The announcement of your ascension to high chief must be made and you have to prepare the people.”

“I will not have Shaya roaming the Lands for however long it takes until these blizzards subside!” Kardos’ anger flared even further at the very idea. “She belongs here, with her people and with me. When the blizzards hit, the people need her here.”

The high chief stood in the doorway of Kardos’ armory, his face like thunder, but Kardos barely registered it. This was the second time within a number of months the high chief had visited Nyek Island. Kardos would have been surprised had his entire focus and energy not been so deeply targeted on the task he was about to embark on.

“They need you here more,” the high chief snapped. “This is your opportunity to show you are truly worthy, Kardos.”

“I have repeatedly shown that!” A snarl formed on Kardos’ face as he spun around to his father. “If they cannot accept that by now then they never will.” He lifted his sword and slid it into its scabbard. “This isn’t about their opinions anymore, my chief,” he said, his voice low. “This is about me and Shaya. I may be needed here, butIneedher.”

“This isn’t about only about opinions, your decision will have consequences for our people.”

“And what of the consequences for Shaya?” he threw back. “My concern for her isn’t an exaggeration. The people of the other Lands are dangerous. She is too mild-mannered, too friendly, too… fucking gorgeous to roam the Lands unattended. It’s an unacceptable risk.”

“But she grew up in one of them,” he pointed out. “And she’s not on her own, I assume?”

Kardos gritted his teeth as a flare of rage erupted in his chest. His father would never understand. He’d never been bonded to an Omega. Kardos stalked across the armory to the small blade section, grabbing a potion bottle as he laid out the throwing daggers.

“Why did she feel it necessary to leave at this delicate time?” the high chief continued, his question almost a demand. “And if you need her so much, how could you let her?”

Kardos could barely hold onto his temper as he applied droplets of a paralyzing potion along the blades of the tiny daggers, but he forced himself to focus—he had to be careful with the powerful liquid. The memory of Shaya stepping through that portal before he had a chance to get to her sliced hot blades of rage through every nerve in his body. He may not have managed to get to her in time, but there was no fucking way he would not bring her back.

When the high chief finally realized Kardos was not intending to answer, he swept into the room to stand beside him. “You don’t know, do you? You have no idea why she left.”

Kardos glanced at him. “It doesn’t matter why. She will be returning with me.”

The high chief was quiet for a moment as Kardos slid the daggers into their sheaths and hooked them onto his armor. “And what if there is nothing to come back to? By the time you get to one of the other Lands, even with the ship at full speed, the blizzards will have been raging here for at least a month.”

Kardos slowed. “How long until the blizzards arrive?”

“At the very minimum, based on the most recent casts, a week and a half. If we are lucky, two and a half. But not much longer than that.”

Kardos resumed his preparations. “Then I will be back before then.”

The high chief opened his mouth to speak but closed it again, his eyes narrowing. “You intend to use the portals.”

“What are they there for if not to use in these circumstances? They will ensure I can get her back before the blizzards hit. Are you intending to forbid me using them too?”

His father was quiet for a moment. “You cannot take an army through—they are not powerful enough.”

“Then I will take a select group of warriors.”

“You also cannot take any of the Talent-crafters while we have to prepare for a blizzard, Kardos. We don’t have many, but they do help.

“I won’t be gone that long.” He stalked to the other side of the armory but his father followed.

“You don’t know where she is. And you don’t know why she left. What if she doesn’t want to return? What if you cannot find her for days or weeks? What if—”

“I will find her!” Kardos turned to the high chief, battling with his annoyance. “And I will bring her back! All you need to do is prepare the Isles for the blizzards. Let me worry about Shaya.”

“If you had been truly worried about her, she may not have left in the first place.” The high chief’s expression hardened. “I told you you had been careless by putting her in the—”

---