Page 20 of Sins of His Wrath

“So… she was influencing you?” Nrommo said, his voice rising as he also rose from his chair. “All this time, she was using you to escape!”

“Do you think she wouldn’t have escaped, regardless?” Akoro shot back. “She found an opening, and she took it, that’s all. She was terrified of the white fire in her own land, so whatever she did, it was only something she recently discovered that she could do. Do you think I didn’t take precautions?”

“She is a threat to you and everything we hold dear,” Nrommo spat.

Akoro stilled, every muscle in his body suddenly alert. The fog in his stomach unfurled, and his focus narrowed on Nrommo, his eyes narrowing. “Explain to me how my mate is a threat?”

Nrommo was stupid enough to open his mouth—but Akoro stopped listening. His fists clenched. His pulse thundered. Every muscle in his body went taut. His breath turned shallow, his vision sharpening on Nrommo as heat rolled through his veins, dark and possessive.

Oppo moved first. He half-rose from his seat, leaning forward and bracing himself on the table, and met Nrommo’s eye. “Answer that question if you wish to have an unbonded Alpha who is without his mate, decideyouare the threat to her.”

Nrommo froze. A flicker of realization crossed his face as his gaze darted to Akoro. The color drained from his ruddy skin. His throat bobbed. “I-I-I mean no d-d-disrespect, my king,” he fumbled out. “I just m-m-mean that she has upended our plans.”

Oppo placed a gentle hand on Akoro’s shoulder. “Breath, brother,” he murmured under his breath.

Akoro inhaled sharply, forcing his rage to settle into something controlled. Still, his voice came out like iron. “You do not speak of her, Nrommo,” he said finally when the prickle of rage had calmed. He let the words press against the stunned silence in the room. “Ever.”

Nrommo nodded almost too enthusiastically, his pale knuckles gripping the table.

Akoro scanned the faces around the table. They were all watching him differently now. Cautious and uneasy. Good. Naya may have been his prisoner, but she was something else now, and they had to come to terms with it quickly. They had a war to win.

“She is my mate, but it changes nothing,” he said. “The information we gained from her has been more than valuable. Yes, we have lost the element of surprise, but if we attack immediately while they’re still preparing their defense, we’ll still have the advantage. Where are we with the army?”

Nrommo was clearly still shaken, but he spoke up. “We won’t be able to use the whole army anymore—not while dealing with this crisis.”

“Then we take whoever we can spare and instead of attacking across the entire empire at once, like they will expect, we narrow our focus.”

“To where?”

Akoro straightened. “To the place they care about most.”

The rest of the meeting went smoothly. Yashol arrived and Akoro instructed him to carefully move Prillu’s sons to the palace healing wing. Within the hour, they’d come up with a new plan to be carried out, using a little over half of the army.

Akoro could tell that the council was on edge after his treatment of Nrommo, but he didn’t fucking care. No one had any right to threaten his mate, least of all the people who had sworn fealty to him. When he declared the meeting over, none of them stood immediately. They all glanced at each other, as though somehow able to read each other’s thoughts.

“What is it?” Akoro growled.

Ranin stood slowly. “I guess we’re wondering what your plan is for the Omega princess, my king.”

Akoro heard what he didn’t say. The generals had been instructed to disarm and capture Naya if they had the chance, yet she was the most dangerous warrior they would face, especially considering she’d be in her own land and have access to her magic.

“She is my mate and she will return to me to remain at my side.”

“What about the laws concerning Omegas, my king?” Nanaek said cautiously.

“And what about the people she killed?” Prillu said, her voice quiet but strong. “She caused many deaths. My own sons have been injured, one of them possibly fatally.”

Akoro exhaled. “Leave us,” he said to the rest of the council.

Oppo leaned in again, speaking quietly. “Do you have any objections if I re-familiarize them with what to expect with Alpha and Omega couples? I think it might help to avoid?—”

“Do it.”

Oppo bowed and followed the other council members out.

Prillu remained rigid in her chair, staring straight ahead. After a long silence, she spoke. “Please forgive me for speaking so boldly, my king.”

Akoro did not soften. “I do not,” he growled.

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