Page 75 of Sins of His Wrath

After checking the beast's harness, he placed Naya on the saddle and mounted, pulling her close to him as thenniraebegan to move. Naya relished the solid warmth of him, the undeniable, steadying presence that she enjoyed.

The ruins receded behind them, silhouetted against the darkening sky. As they rode in silence, Naya found herself reflecting on what she'd learned—not just about the wild magic and the history of Akoro's civilization but about the Alpha himself. Still dominant, still unyielding, but with depths she was only beginning to glimpse, complexities that didn't excuse his actions but perhaps began to explain them.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Darkness had cloaked the city by the time Naya returned to her bedroom, her limbs leaden with a bone-deep exhaustion that seemed to reach into her very soul. She sank onto the edge of her bed, her mind still churning despite her body's desperate plea for rest.

Shadows danced across the intricately patterned walls, cool breeze drifting in through the lattice windows the sheer curtains hanging at the windows. Naya's gaze landed on the huge artwork on the wall over the bed and drifted up to the elaborate carvings that adorned the ceiling—flowing patterned designs that interlocked with such precision and beauty that they seemed impossible to have been created by human hands. The palace itself was a testament to what Akoro had told her.

Years ago this had been a civilization at its peak—magical innovation woven seamlessly into everyday life, transforming a harsh desert into a thriving paradise.

She rose slowly, her muscles protesting, and headed to the separate bathing room. A servant had already prepared it, filling the sunken basin with steaming, fragrant water. Afterward she climbed into the plush bed, her eyelids already growing heavy. She was exhausted, her mind weighted with everything she’d learned. Sleep should have claimed her immediately.

And yet, as she lay in the darkness, something felt... wrong.

The bed was too empty, too vast. The silence too heavy. No Alpha’s chest to rest again, no arms pulled her close, stroking her skin.

She shifted, turning onto her side, then onto her back, her limbs restless despite her exhaustion. She sighed. This was absurd. She’d managed sleep in a prison cell, this shouldn’t be a problem.

But that was different. Akoro’s absence was palpable—his heat at her back, his arm draped possessively over her waist, his breath warm against her neck. The memory of his scent wrapped around her, rich and earthy, with undertones of musk that made her inner Omega sigh with contentment.

"This is ridiculous," she muttered into the darkness, rolling onto her stomach and burying her face in the pillow.

But the image persisted, growing more vivid rather than fading. His powerful chest pressed against her back, his heartbeat a steady rhythm that lulled her, his fingers entwined with hers.

Naya's breathing slowed, her body relaxing into the fantasy despite her mind's protests. The line between wakefulness and dreams blurred, and she drifted, carried on a tide of exhaustion into the peaceful darkness.

Sometime later—it could have been minutes or hours—she stirred, a subtle shift in the air nudging her. Her eyelids fluttered open, her senses immediately alert even as sleep clung to her mind.

His scent.

Not a memory, not a dream—but real. Potent and unmistakable, filling the chamber like a physical presence.

Naya lifted her head, her eyes adjusting to the silvery moonlight that spilled through the window. In a chair across the room, Akoro sat. His massive form was silhouetted against the pale light, still and watchful. He was fully dressed, his posture alert despite the lateness of the hour.

"Akoro?" Her voice was rough with sleep, barely above a whisper.

"Go back to sleep," he rumbled, the low timbre of his voice snaking through her body.

She pushed herself up, the sheets pooling around her waist. "What are you doing here?"

He was silent for a moment. "Do you really believe I can go a night without you,tmot zia?" The question had no amusement, no sarcasm—his tone was grave.

“But…” Her mind lurched. This wasn’t normal, was it? “You can’t stay here.”

“I have watched you sleep every night since your heat,” he said. “Every night until you ran. I’m not going to stop now.”

She stared at him through the darkness, her heart beating an uneven rhythm against her ribs. She should be angry that he was in here, watching her in the dark like a miscreant, but her pulse quickened, her inner Omega recognizing that he was here, in the room.

"You are exhausting," she said finally, but there was no heat in the words.

His chuckle was a low rumble that seemed to vibrate through the air between them. "Sleep, Naya. Your first day is done. Four more until I have you in your heat."

Naya blinked slowly, her body warming at the words. She should order him to leave, to tell him never to enter her room again in the night. Instead, she sank back against the pillows, his mere presence soothing something tightly wound within her.

When she woke again, golden light streamed through the lattice windows, casting intricate patterns across her blankets. Her body felt surprisingly light, her mind clear and alert. She stretched languidly, and then abruptly sat up.

Akoro was gone.

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