Page 11 of Own to Obtain

It almost felt odd that it would appear, the peace didn’t soften the savage way he took her, if anything it made the experience more real. Sweat slid between them as he maneuvered and twisted her body in different ways, always keeping her angled and open for him so he could thrust into her hard in every possible position. He worked in and out, massaging the spots that made her twist, arch her back, and cry out. He reached so deep within her that she could scarcely catch her breath, and when she could, she screamed.

When he finally knotted her, grunting as he spilled inside, the peace within the bond expanded as it pulsed. Shaya panted underneath his weight, sideways on the bed with his knot forcing her open. His arms closed around her as his purr began; heavy and rich, laced with satisfaction.

Her body already ached with the way he’d molded her. Bites were all over her skin, and his sweat covered her completely.

But Shaya had never felt so satisfied and at peace. She drifted to sleep, secure in the knowledge that he had staked his claim as he should.

***

When she woke up, the greyness was even less present than it had been the day before. Kyus brought her food and they ate together, though Shaya didn’t tell her about her dreams. She decided she needed them, and wouldn’t feel ashamed about it. Kardos had introduced her to what it meant to be with a man—with an Alpha—and she didn’t see any reason why she couldn’t fantasize.

When they finished eating, Kyus asked her if she wanted to visit the garden.

“No,” Shaya said. “I’d like to know how you know I’m not suffering from the potion, Kyus. This greyness… it feels too powerful to be anything else.”

Kyus placed down her plate. “I’m sure because I have experienced this ‘greyness’ before.”

Shaya peered at her. “You have?”

Kyus was quiet for a moment. “Do you remember when we lived in the cottage with the lake?”

Shaya squinted as she thought back. She had been much younger, but she would always remember the cottage with the lake. It was the first time she had seen fish swimming—it had been fascinating.

“Do you remember when I was sick?”

Shaya nodded, the memories coming back to her in fragmented pieces. Kyus had returned from a mission extremely ill. She was in bed for days, barely able to move, barely able to speak. It was the first time that Shaya had been truly scared. She’d been so young and she’d had to look after Kyus, cook for her, feed her, bathe her, and dress her because Kyus hadn’t been capable. It was as though her limbs did not work. As she worsened, Shaya became afraid she would die. She cried at her bedside, pleading for her to get better because she didn’t know what to do.

“You didn’t want me to treat you,” Shaya said slowly as she remembered. “You were adamant about it.”

“No. Because I wasn’t physically sick. I was missing an Alpha,” Kyus said.

Shaya slowly sat up, watching Kyus in disbelief. “You were… lovesick?”

Kyus nodded.

Shaya was speechless. Kyus had never been one to easily show any kind of emotional weakness. She was the strongest person Shaya knew; she dealt with difficult people, including Alphas, all day. She was a master in debates and skilled with small blades. The idea that it had been an Alpha who had taken her off her feet for so many days was shocking. But it could only be one Alpha.

“Elion?” Shaya asked.

Kyus nodded.

When she said nothing more, Shaya squeezed her hand. “Tell me.”

Kyus broke their gaze and took a breath. “I was on a mission to infiltrate the high society of DarRojan, Cleyanti, and Eiros. I was supposed to find out the weaknesses of many of the dukes so they could be used if we ever needed them. It took months to penetrate the inner circles. I went to many events, befriending people, winning their favor, connecting them with important people, and proving I had value, and eventually I met the prince.”

Her eyes shifted to the back of the room, but it was obvious she wasn’t seeing it. They misted over in memory and Shaya breathed shallowly as she continued.

“He was, of course, incredibly charming,” Kyus said, a small smile on her face. “We debated about the effects and relevance of the royal family on the rest of the Western Lands and what the impact would be to the Land if there was no royal family at all. Our debate became heated, and I revealed that I knew more than I had ever let on to anyone else. I think he was both intrigued and offended by some of the points I made. I excused myself and made sure I avoided him for the rest of the event, but after that, everywhere I went, he sought me out to engage me further in discussion.” She paused, her chest rising and falling slowly as her fingers fidgeted in her lap. “It wasn’t long before I was in his bed. I told myself that it was just meaningless, something for me to do while I completed my mission to gain information, but I was fooling myself. I never once used him to gain access or knowledge about the other dukes or anyone else of importance; I kept him completely separate from my mission.” She glanced at Shaya. “Good spies do not do that. They use everything at their disposal, all opportunities that arise, to get what they want. But I couldn’t even tell my superiors about him.”

“Why?” Shaya whispered.

Kyus lifted her shoulders. “At the time I told myself it was because he wasn’t important. I would complete my mission and then move on, and it wouldn’t matter. But that wasn’t it. In reality, I wanted to keep him separate because he felt different to me. He felt real. The connection we had… I had never experienced it before, and I’m not just talking about sexually, although that was incredible. He was intelligent, and charming, and saw the world so differently. He had a terrible ego, of course, like all of the royal men. But there was something vulnerable about him, something beneath the surface, something that was different than any other Alpha I had encountered. He did not let his ego overwhelm him, he was smarter than that, and that intrigued me.”

She was silent for a long moment, seeming to drift back into her memories.

“And what happened?” Shaya asked, almost reluctant to interrupt her.

“Once I had gathered all the information I needed,” Kyus said, her voice low, “I considered if I could find a way to still maintain my relationship with him. It seemed as though we were well-suited, and I knew he wasn’t pursuing anyone else, which was unusual in the circles he traveled. Then, he invited me to this house and asked me if I wished to live here with him.” Kyus gave Shaya a knowing look. “It seemed as though it was too good to be true, but I didn’t question it. I was so happy that he felt the same way I did.” She took another breath, her body tensing as she continued. “But, that evening we went to an event that the king was attending. They got into an argument, as I now know is usual for them. Elion began talking about his previous lover—who he hadn’t mentioned to me before. He fought with the king so hard about her all night, it took all his attention and energy. It was as though I didn’t exist. He talked about her as though she was so special and argued with the king for stealing her from him. And that’s when I realized that he was still in love with her.” Kyus swallowed and the painful expression on her face made Shaya’s heart ache. “Whenever I tried to speak to him that night, he brushed me off as though I was a servant. He didn’t even realize when I walked out of the event.”

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