Page 86 of Sins of His Wrath

"That it doesn't matter anymore," he said, his voice strangely quiet. "The Lox Empire is the greatest power in your Known Lands. Taking it means taking everything."

Naya twisted in the saddle to look at him. "And if I find your Solution? If I save your land from the wild magic?"

Akoro's eyes met hers, dark and unreadable. "Then we negotiate, as I promised."

"But will you keep that promise? Or is this all just a way to keep me here, to distract me until my time runs out?"

For a long moment, he said nothing, the only sound the steady rhythm of thennirae'shooves against the sand. Then his hand came up, fingers brushing gently against her cheek, trailing along the place where the magical wound had been.

"I gave my word," he said simply. "And unlike the Sy who came before me, I keep mine."

The touch lingered, sending heat spiraling through her core. Naya turned back around, unable to hold his gaze any longer, confused by her own reaction. She should hate him for what he planned to do to her people. She should fear him for what he'd done to his own family. Instead, she found herself drawn to him in ways that went beyond the physical pull between Alpha and Omega.

As they rode back toward Onn Kkulma, the sun high overhead, Naya's mind returned to the question Akoro had asked her. Could she truly find the Solution? Could she save both their lands from destruction? The magic here was complex, ancient, woven into the very fabric of the desert itself. And yet, something nagged at her—a connection she couldn't quite grasp, hovering just beyond her reach.

The Sy Dynasty had broken the boundaries of the Nnin-kka Sands, unleashing the wild magic. In her own land, the white fire remained contained within the Wastelands. There had to be a key there, a commonality she could exploit. But with only three days left before she surrendered to her heat, time was running out.

And beneath it all lay the unsettling realization that despite everything, despite knowing exactly what Akoro was capable of, she was beginning to see him differently—not a beast who had kidnapped her, but as the complex man who had been shaped by loss and grief and determination.

A man who might still destroy everything she loved.

As they traversed the golden sands back toward Onn Kkulma, the silence between them grew. Thennirae'ssteady gait created a rhythmic motion beneath them, the desert air shimmering with heat. Despite the blistering temperature, Naya found herself acutely aware of Akoro's presence behind her—solid, imposing, inescapable.

"What did you mean last night?" Akoro's question broke through the quiet, his voice a low rumble. "When you said you were no longer afraid to be alone."

Naya stiffened, caught off guard by the sudden question. She hadn't expected him to remember that detail from their midnight conversation. After everything he'd revealed to her today—the brutal history of his family, the weight of his choices—avoiding his question felt cowardly by comparison.

She exhaled slowly. "After Lili died, I was afraid of making decisions. Afraid of hurting anyone else." The admission caught in her throat, painful yet necessary. "I decided I needed my true mate to help me rule."

Behind her, Akoro went still, his attention deepening even without seeing his face. "Why?" The single word held a dangerous curiosity. "Why would you think that?"

Naya kept her eyes on the horizon, focusing on the heat-blurred line where sand met sky. "My parents are everything that an Alpha and Omega pairing should be." A softness crept into her voice despite herself. "They comfort each other, complete each other, support each other. Being near them, you can feel it, their connection—how they strengthen one another and strengthen the empire in return."

She felt the subtle shift in Akoro's posture, a measured restraint in his breathing.

"I thought if I found my true mate, I'd never have to face difficult choices alone," she continued, her words becoming strained. "I'd have someone who understood me completely, who could guide me when I felt lost."

Naya's mood darkened slightly as she remembered her conversation with Mama—how, in fact, her parents’ seemingly perfect relationship had begun in captivity and conflict. The revelation had shaken her foundations, but she kept that knowledge buried. Some secrets weren't hers to share.

"I thought true mates were celebrated among your people," Akoro said, his tone carefully measured. "You said it was fundamental to your society."

"It is, but my parents demonstrate a perfect pairing," Naya explained. "Not all pairs are like them, but the ones who are—they're why anyone would wait for their true mate at all. They show what's possible. It’s a beautiful, wonderful thing."

Thenniraenavigated around a rocky outcropping, causing Akoro to adjust his hold on the reins. Naya tried to ignore how her body instinctively responded to his slightest movement.

"I tried desperately to find my mate," she admitted, staring at her hands. "I went to countless pairings with Alphas, spent years searching, neglecting my duties to the empire because I was convinced finding my mate would solve everything."

Akoro stiffened, a coiled tension radiating through his body. His words came out sharp, hostile. "What exactly happens in these pairings?"

Something dangerous fluttered low in Naya's stomach at his tone—a thrill at his possessiveness that she shouldn’t feel. She snorted, unable to resist a flicker of exasperation. "Nothing like what you're imagining. We sit in a small room and talk while unblocked so we can scent each other. If we're true mates, it's evident immediately."

"And how many Alphas did you 'pair' with?" Each word seemed carved from ice.

"I don't know. Dozens. Maybe more." Naya attempted indifference, despite the warmth spreading through her veins. "None of them were my mate."

"Until me." His statement fell like a stone between them.

Naya swallowed hard. "Until you," she confirmed quietly.

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