Page 32 of Own to Obtain

The empress snapped a look at her. “What do you mean?”

Shaya frowned. “We?” she said to Kyus.

“Of course,” Kyus replied. “You don’t think I’m letting you go alone, do you?”

“But what about your spy work, and Elion, and—”

“None of that matters,” Kyus interrupted. “There is no way you can travel into such a dangerous place on your own without any help or assistance. I’m coming with you.”

“No,” Shaya said firmly. “The whole reason I went was so you could be safe and stay with your Alpha. If you come with me that will not happen. It was my decision, and everything that has happened is because of my decisions. I have to take responsibility for them.”

“And you have been,” Kyus said sharply. “You have been taking responsibility all this time with him. On your own. I won’t let you do it anymore, not when it was my fault to begin with.”

“What do you mean you only need sanctuary for a few hours,” the empress asked. “Where are you going?”

Suddenly the door opened, and an enormous Alpha stepped in. The words in Shaya’s mouth died as her eyes widened. Huge and bulky, he was dressed in rich fabrics and an armor made of various clothes and metals. Although he had dark hair and eyes, he moved in a way that reminded her of Kardos.

The Alpha headed straight towards the empress’ side and turned his gaze on Shaya and Kyus.

“We cannot give you sanctuary,” he said bluntly, his deep voice bounding around the room. “I will not keep an Omega from her bonded mate. It is against how things are supposed to be.”

The empress looked at him, a frown developing on her face, seeming to sense something was wrong. “How did you know that, Drocco? What has happened?”

“King Malloron just got in contact,” the emperor said. “The Southern Lands’ Alpha is coming to get his Omega. He will be here in moments.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

KARDOS

Kardos descended upon the Eastern Lands with the force of a thousand warriors contained within just the five men he brought with him.

The Talent-crafters told him it wasn’t possible to create a portal that would take him directly into Lox Palace, so he had them create one just outside its gates, which Malloron had strongly advised against. The king wanted to try to talk to the emperor first, but Kardos was at the end of his patience. He wanted Shaya back in his arms today, and his urgency was becoming uncontrollable now that he’d scented her in her room and seen her gardens. It was as though she was always so near and yet just out of reach. She had already been out of his grasp for so long, and he didn’t trust that the emperor would be reasonable. Why should he? He had the prettiest, strongest, and smartest Omega in his territory, and according to the Talent-crafters tracking her movements, she was alreadyinsidehis palace. If the situation was reversed, Kardos wouldn’t give her up.

Furthermore, he had to remember that as each day that went by, the blizzards drew closer to the Southern Lands. All of this fucking around with talks and negotiations was wasting precious time that prevented him from getting back to his people with their chieftess.

“Are you ready, High Chief Kardos?” one the Talent-crafters asked.

Kardos squared his shoulders. “Let’s go.”

When he stepped through, his men were already engaged in battle with guards at the palace gates which, strangely, settled him. Battle was a much better resolution of outright conflict than the charm and persuasion methods that King Malloron used. When two men fought, there was no denying that an issue would finally be resolved, no sneaking around fancy language or misunderstandings.

As he joined the fight, he was impressed that Emperor Drocco had battle-ready men as guards for his palace. They were suitably skilled and armed. No match for Tribe Nyek warriors of course, but well trained nonetheless.

Once the gates were open, the small team made their way around the edge of the courtyard and into the side entrance of the palace. The archer’s arm was a blur as he launched arrow after arrow, hitting all the guards who stood on balconies on the outside of the palace walls, while the rockpulter targeted the guards on the ground with hard-hitting fist-sized rocks sculpted from Nyek mountains thrown at a speed that it was difficult to even see them soar through the air. Kardos aimed his drugged throwing daggers to any they couldn’t catch quick enough, and together they knocked out a number of the Lox warriors from a distance before they even knew what to look for, allowing Kardos and his men to make their way into the palace and up to the first floor before any warrior managed to even get close to them.

By the time the Lox warriors surrounded his team in a large hallway, Kardos had made it two-thirds of the way to where his Talent-crafter speculated Shaya was, and Kardos was confident he would make it all the way to her.

He pivoted to watch the Lox warriors inching toward them, their swords and axes high, their faces contorted. Their armor gleamed and their swords looked well made, but Kardos wasn’t fazed. Only their training mattered. For some reason, they didn’t seem intent on attacking. They stayed surrounding the team but didn’t close in, just watched them, highly alert.

Perhaps they were waiting for instructions, or for more men arrive, but Kardos wasn’t about to wait for anything. He charged toward the warriors and the battle began.

Kardos fought wildly, knowing with every step he took he was drawing close to Shaya. But as the moments passed, he noticed a strange scent in the air that strengthened the longer he fought. As his team rounded a corner, he suddenly realized what it was; these men were all Alphas.

He roared as a fury so powerful and primal gripped him. His Shaya was in the palace among a horde of Alpha warriors. She couldn’t be more at risk! A ferocity took over until everything became a blur. He had to get to her as quickly as possible.

“Fall back!” boomed a voice from beyond the crowd of warriors surrounding his team.

Immediately the Lox warriors pulled back, and Kardos’ men closed in around him. Both sets of warriors watched each other guardedly, staying alert for any changes in the other’s demeanor.

---