Page 45 of Sins of His Wrath

Akoro’s body tensed. “You left.” His words were rough, but while she could sense his anger, they were quiet too, as though the rough edge of his annoyance had dropped away. “Even though I warned you, you left in the most dangerous way.”

Naya made a soft noise in the back of her throat. “You are angry I chose not to be your captive anymore.”

The alpha said nothing.

She inhaled, voice barely above a whisper. “You are angry I chose not to be your mate.”

“That’s not your choice to make,” he snapped, the harsh grit of his voice laced with a dangerous possessiveness that rumbled through his chest.

Naya didn’t bother to argue. Because even though she vehemently disagreed, she could feel the certainty in his bones. Maybe he didn’t know how the bonding process worked, but it wasn’t true. It was her choice. She could have easily erased the connection they had with one bite from Lonn.

Her thoughts drifted, sifting through the history between her and Akoro, his determination to cut her with his blade, to keep her with him. Mama had said he treated her better after he realized what she was to him, but that wasn’t true. He’d cut her. And yet…

“Why did you promise I wouldn’t be hurt if I came?” she asked, the words slipping out on a tired mumble this time.

Akoro’s fingers brushed absently against her back. “You want to be hurt?” he asked, his annoyance still biting.

Naya tried to shrug, but her shoulders barely moved in the tight hold of his embrace. “You didn’t mind before.”

Akoro stiffened, the shift so sudden she could feel the change in his breathing. His voice was quiet, rough, when he finally spoke. “I do what I need to do so I can fulfill the promise I made to my people. You do the same.”

Naya’s brows knitted together. “You promised them you would torture the Omega princess of the green land?”

At that, he said nothing. His hand crept up and down her spine, each stroke drawing her deeper into comfort she didn't want to acknowledge. The rough pad of his thumb brushed the exposed skin at her nape, sending tendrils of heat slithering down her spine.

“The magic….” Her voice was thick with sleep. “Is it following us?”

He hesitated. “Yes.”

Naya exhaled. She’d suspected as much. “Is it followingme?”

His hand stilled on her back. “You won’t be hurt.”

That meant yes. Naya let the answer settle. It made sense. Wild magic was attracted to Omegas, so traveling across the desert must attract them. She thought back to when she was here before—how they’d kept her covered with a magical dome while they traveled. How Akoro had sparred with her outside the camp, but under the shield of another dome. And when she was on horseback with him, nearing the city—one of thennin-eellithihad appeared in the distance. “The domes disrupt my Omega signals?”

“Mostly,” he said roughly. “You don’t need to be concerned about it. Sleep.” His fingers resumed their slow path along her spine, each stroke stirring something inside her—fluttering, restless, dangerous.

Naya wanted to tell him she wasn’t concerned, that she just wanted to understand. But sleep took her before she could form the words.

The next day, she woke with a sharp inhale. For the first time in six years, no brutal, gruesome nightmares had wrenched her from sleep screaming. Instead, strange and unsettling dreams simmered at the edge of her consciousness—lingering impressions she couldn’t grasp upon waking.

She exhaled slowly, blinking into the dimness of early dawn.

Akoro was gone.

He had left her wrapped in the blankets, warm and cocooned in lingering traces of his scent. A quiet relief settled in her chest, though… somewhere deep inside, she was also disappointed.

She stilled and focused for a moment, seeing if she could sense any wild magic. But there was nothing. No vibrations curled at the edges of the horizon.

The camp was already stirring. The dome of magic covering her had been removed, and a servant gestured toward the wash tent. She followed without question.

Once again, they packed up swiftly, moving with efficiency honed by routine, and Akoro didn’t arrive until they were ready to travel. As he strode toward hisnnirae, his gaze flicked to her, something smoldering beneath the surface.

Naya stilled. It hit her then—he had come to her last night. Not to question her about her nightmares, or order her to spar with him or demand to use her, but simply to comfort her. Without sex.

The realization unsettled her more than it should have.

Before she could dwell on it, he mounted in a smooth, effortless motion, and without a word, they set off.

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