Page 36 of Own to Obtain

SHAYA

“Narves tay ash, kysm eshar.”

Kardos’ words cut through all the confusion swirling in Shaya’s mind. Never before had she been so conflicted, pulled in multiple directions at once.

It didn’t help that the empress had taken her to room that stank of aggression. The number of Alphas baring their teeth and holding their weapons had surprised and frightened her until she saw Kardos. Standing in the center with them surrounding him, he was the fiercest one; face contorted, deep gritty growl, and every muscle poised to strike. So magnificent, no other Alpha compared. She hadn’t been able to keep her eyes off him.

Part of her had been so relieved at the sight of him, she’d been shocked by the power of the feeling. The greyness that had lingered within her simply evaporated, and suddenly her whole body was sensitive to the contrasting emotions vying for attention, her heart soaring at how handsome he looked—even more so in battle when that raw fierceness that affected her so deeply was strongly present in every part of him. But with that sudden inner and emotionally rich clarity came a severe panic.

Initially, she hadn’t wanted to see or talk to him—it was too painful to think about his lack of care toward her, how trusting she had been, and how much she really wanted, even now, to have him hold her. But the emperor had been insistent that she face him. Emperor Drocco didn’t want to be branded as dishonorable by Tribe Nyek and he firmly stated that withholding a bonded Omega from her Alpha reached the depths of the lowest kind of behavior anyone could exhibit. The empress and Kyus both tried to negotiate, but in the end, Shaya told them she would see and speak to him. She was about to leave the known Lands forever, and he deserved to know that much—that there was no point in continuing to search for her.

But the loss of the greyness confused everything. The portal arrived as the woman in white said it would, but she couldn’t even move toward it and step through while Kardos’ fierce gaze remained on her.

Now, with him lowered to his knees, everything in her wanted to run to him. To have his arms slide around her and pull her in close.

Even on his knees he was enormous, but somehow the urge to run to him strengthened.

The portal, a few feet away from her, suddenly started to pulsate wildly, shuddering and revolving until it broke apart. Strands of dark blue magic drifted away from each other in a sudden burst and floated out into the room before evaporating completely.

The other Alphas in the room, who were highly on edge about the portal, stilled, glancing at the emperor, who was in deep conversation with the empress.

Kardos never moved, his entire body stayed exactly where it was, and his eyes remained on Shaya, as if nothing else existed in the room.

“The portal will return, Shaya.”

Shaya glanced behind her at Kyus, whose eyes were soft, a thoughtful expression playing on her face as she flicked a glance at Kardos.

“Speak to him,” she murmured. “You can always go through the portal the next time it appears.”

“You think I should give him a chance?”

Kyus’ mouth twisted. “I don’t know,” she admitted. Her eyes flitted to Kardos. “You have to make the decision, Shaya. I will support whatever you choose. I think you are right to protect yourself, but… the way he looks at you…”

“If I speak to him, will you speak to Elion?” Shaya asked.

Kyus narrowed her eyes, tilting her head to squint at Shaya, a slight smile on her face. “That sounds like a bribe.”

Shaya raised her brows, enquiringly.

Kyus sighed. “I will speak to Elion,” she conceded.

Shaya nodded and turned her attention back to Kardos; his gaze was fiercer than she had ever seen it. It sent a strange thrill in her body, but she held herself still. And time stood still between them.

“Narves tay ash, kysm eshar.”Come to me, little bird.

Shaya shook her head.“Ni oth.”I can’t.

“You can.” He tapped his chest, his voice a growl. “This is where you belong. Nowhere else.”

“I-I tried,” she said quietly in the Common Tongue. “I tried really hard, Kardos. But I cannot be what you want me to be.”

“You already are, Shaya. You are more than I could ever hope for.”

His blue-green eyes burned so brightly that Shaya had to lower her eyes to her fidgeting fingers for a moment to collect her thoughts.

“That’s not true,” she said finally, lifting her eyes to his. “You have spent almost all the time I have known you training me to be something else, punishing me when I don’t understand or do what you say quickly enough. I am far from what you want me to be, my shinno. I require too much training.”

Kardos inhaled sharply, his nose flaring. “I was training you to learn about our culture in a limited time, you were always bound to make mistakes, but you learned well, Shaya. I told you it hadn’t gone unnoticed.”

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