Page 109 of Shrine of Fire

“Of course.” He waved a hand. “The intricacies have been long discussed.”

“I appreciate that you have considered the intimate nature of our arrangements, but even if you were pack in name only, you would still be bonded to me and the others.”

I watched his face, to see if he understood what he was signing up for.

“No matter that,” he said, bringing the teapot to the table. “I am an even-tempered man, in control of his own emotions.”

“That is commendable, Admiral, but a bond allows you to access someone’s innermost feelings.” Stefan accepted his own plate of desserts. “It is why we intend to see if you would be a good match. Agreements or not, if this is not a good fit, we will not bond you into the pack.”

“I see.” He looked between me and Stefan. “I will then strive to show you I am the best fit. I will not fail the Empire in this. Your nation is much smaller, but rich in resources.”

The more the Admiral talked, the more I wondered if this was a good move for Ember Island. The Rannois Empire was massive. It had a bad habit of magnanimously taking in smaller nations. Then, years later, the Empire would have ensured that the smaller nations were totally dependent on it, separate in name only.

“Also strategically placed in the Broken Sea,” Stefan added. “Many naval fleets have tried to conquer Ember Island only to fail.”

“Exactly.” The Admiral held up a finger. “A union between our two great nations will usher in a new era of prosperity.”

He lifted the lid on the teapot and inhaled the steam. “The tea is ready. I have selected a blend of assai black tea mixed with citrus and rose hips. It is quite aromatic. Shall we?”

“Please.” Stefan gestured at our empty teacups. The Admiral poured steaming hot liquid, the tea dark and fragrant. It smelled earthy and floral, with a medicinal undertone.

I didn’t like tea that much, much to the dismay of the Sisters at the Omega Sanctuary, but I could be polite. I accepted my cup and added sugar.

“Is there milk?”

“Ah, but this tea should be enjoyed without milk.” The Admiral smiled.

“Very well.” I almost wrinkled my nose at the smell.

Only the long lessons in etiquette stopped me. I didn’t like his tone either. Every time he spoke to me, it was like an adult condescending to a small child. I took a sip, the earthy taste of the tea sitting like grit in my mouth, but I managed to swallow it.

“Tell me, Admiral, how do you envision this arrangement? You will be pack in name only?” I gestured between us.

“I have many ships to oversee.” He sat back after taking a sip of his own cup. “I will be away for large portions of the year, but if you wish, I shall endeavor to visit.”

He made it sound like he was doing us a favor. Maybe I was just feeling sensitive after my heat, but everything about this pompous man rubbed me the wrong way.

Even if I wasn’t planning on telling the Ember King where he could stick his outdated ideas of packs, this man’s attitude would have done it for me.

I flipped through the contract, my fingertips tingling at the feeling of the rough paper. “And you expect bedrights when?”

“Whenever my lady allows, of course.” He added a small pastry to my plate. “I know omegas can be fickle in nature. Ask me for whatever gold or silks from far away nations you would like, and they will be yours.”

I took another sip of tea. “How generous.”

Stefan made a show of flipping through the contracts. “I see you will provide a hundred ships filled with luxuries straight away.”

“All part of the relief effort, of course.” Admiral steepled his hands together. “When the Shrine released spirit magic, your smaller islands were not spared its wrath.”

“There isn’t another way we can come to a similar agreement?” I pretended to look through the contract, but the legal language was so dense it would take an hour for me to sit and focus. A headache was brewing between my temples, and I wanted to get this over with so I could lay down in a dark room.

Admiral Xilas snorted. “Not if you can’t offer anything as ironclad as a packbond, my lady, no.”

I bit my lip. There had to be a way to wiggle out of this. I would stall for time and come up with a plan when we were back on the ship. I hadn’t expected to sit down to a contract.

But the headache grew steadily worse, and my thoughts were becoming muddled. Stefan was frowning at the paper.

“Something amiss? I assure you, it’s all fair and even. You may have whomever you wish check the contract.”

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