Page 54 of Own to Obtain

He seemed dazed when he lifted his head from her neck, and she had to hold his head up by his jaw to tip the potion in.

“Kardos,” she said as she stroked his cheek. “Are you well?”

“I just feel sleepy,” he said. “Don’t worry I won’t crush you.”

“If you feel sleepy, you might be sick,” Shaya said hurriedly. “We need to get out of here.”

“All we need to do is wait,” Kardos said calmly. “You have the potions. You know what to do if it gets too cold.”

“No, Kardos,” she insisted. If the rock had hit his head too hard, he could be suffering from shock.

“There’s nothing we can do, Shaya. We just have to wait. The Nyek people will not let us suffer. If they can help, they will.”

His faith in the Nyek people was unwavering.

“How do you know they will?” she asked.

“They are exceptionally trained,” Kardos said. “They usually do what they are supposed to. It is rare they do not uphold the training.”

Understanding trickled into Shaya. They do what they are supposed to—they were trained the same way she was… for situations like this. Suddenly her training had a different slant to it. There were procedures for everything, and the Nyek people would follow them. Which meant they would find them, and that was what Kardos was holding onto.

She looked up at him again, finally comprehending why he had been so brutal about her understanding his culture. The kennel master had done something differently or done something wrong, and Yepa nearly died. The people who were supposed to turn the rocks were interrupted from their duties in some way, and the entire mountain nearly collapsed with the majority of the Nyek people inside. There was no mistaking that he had been right about being strict about procedure.

“You said to the emperor that your people cannot survive without Omegas. What did you mean?”

“In times past, the most successful tribes that survived were the ones who were led by true Alphas.”

“True Alphas?”

“Yes, an Alpha born of an Alpha and Omega pairing,” Kardos explained. “When the pairing discussions happened, it was usually taken into account that every tribe needed true Alphas to survive. Obviously when Omegas disappeared, no more true dynamics were born.”

Shaya frowned as she thought. So that was why they were so keen to have an Omega in the Southern Lands. And her parentage meant she was a true Omega. Did that make a difference or was it just true Alphas that were important?

She looked up at Kardos. “There’s so much history here. I don’t think I can keep up,” she said nervously.

Kardos’ eyes were closed, and a shot of panic startled Shaya.

“Kardos,” she said. “Stay with me.”

“I am with you, Shaya,” he said, his eyes remaining closed.

“I want to see your eyes,” she murmured. “Give me my oceans.”

His eyes opened, a frown embracing his face as he looked to her. “Your oceans?”

Shaya flushed. “They are my oceans,” she explained shyly.

“My eyes?”

“They are the perfect color,” she explained. “Sometimes they are calm, sometimes they are turbulent… They are better than any ocean.”

The smile that embraced Kardos’ face was so stunning that she was breathless for a moment.

“Assh rosoyen, Shaya.” He leaned in to take her mouth, claiming her with a hot, fierce kiss; it settled her worries. He wasn’t too much in shock to be unable to kiss her the way she loved.

However, as time wore on, his body lowered over her; his head permanently pressed against her neck as though her scent would soothe him and make him forget the strain he was under.

Shaya desperately tried to think of anything other than the pain he was in, but she couldn’t. Kardos was extremely strong, his muscles were enormous, yet the weight of the rocks was significant. She didn’t doubt that he would keep her alive somehow, but she wanted him to come out of it alive as well.

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