Page 37 of Storms of His Wrath

Her voice echoed off the stone walls with startling force.

“Alphas and Omegas have been given a connection that’s beautiful and profound—something Betas cannot know, something that not even every Alpha and Omega gets to experience. We’re supposed to be together in a harmony that is unmatched. Whether it’s Alphas or some other groupdoing the abusing or Omegas separating themselves completely, the dynamics cannot thrive properly when either extreme is happening.”

The chamber fell silent except for the soft hiss of oil lamps and the familiar distant echo of water. Twelve pairs of eyes watched her with varying expressions of shock, consideration, and lingering anger.

“You’re asking me to pretend that isolation is as fulfilling as connection,” Naya continued finally, her voice quieter now but no less intense. “To agree that fearful choices are the same as wisdom, that survival is the same as living. I won’t do that. Not when I’ve seen what’s possible when Omegas are valued and protected and free to choose their own paths, including the path that leads toward partnership.”

In the silence that followed her words, some of the rigid anger drained from her shoulders. She looked around the circle of faces—some still resistant, others thoughtful, all of them women who had survived unimaginable loss and built something meaningful from the ashes.

“I understand having to hide away for safety,” she said, her voice soft now. “When survival is at stake, isolation is sometimes the only option. But it shouldn’t be permanent. If circumstances change, if the world evolves, then Omegas should be finding ways to carefully reintroduce themselves rather than remaining hidden indefinitely.”

An Omega near the back of the circle, one who had remained silent through most of the evening’s discussions, leaned forward. “What happened to the First Mother? To Kaharine?”

Naya blinked, surprised by the sudden change of topic. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I didn’t even know she existed until I came here. Her story isn’t part of our recorded history in the Known Lands.”

Around the circle, faces fell. The dejection was visible—shoulders slumping, eyes dropping to study the stone floor, the idea of lost connection deflating.

Another woman, younger than most, spoke up, confusion on her face. “Why didn’t you mention any of this when we met earlier? About your land, about the changes in Omega society?”

“I wasn’t asked for my opinion other than about the storm,” Naya said simply. “I didn’t know if I could speak freely in this setting, or if sharing my perspectives would be welcome.”

Ttela, the silver-haired elder, straightened in her carved seat. “Then what is your opinion? About our situation specifically?”

Naya considered her words carefully, aware that everything she said now could influence the fate of this hidden community. “Thessukkurianpeople have been very successful in the past with their Alpha and Omega couples. I cannot see how they benefit from that ongoing loss.” She paused, meeting eyes around the circle. “You should be working toward an alliance with King Sy to reintegrate, especially since you have a shared problem—thennin-eellithistorm—and especially since you have an advantage because you essentially maintain all the magical tools in the region.”

“Why would the king want that?” the elder asked, skepticism sharp in her tone.

Naya paused, her mind turning to Akoro, the burden he carried constantly, the guilt that had driven him to destroy his own family. She remembered the reverence in his people’s eyes during the Day of Voices ceremony, how they looked at him as their divinely chosen leader. And beneath that adoration was a fragile foundation it all rested on—his constant need to prove himself worthy of their trust, to distance himself from the sins that stained his bloodline.

“It would help him redeem his family’s treatment of Omegas in the eyes of his people,” she said finally. “That matters to him more than you might think.”

Her own words struck her with unexpected force. Akoro had spent his entire adult life trying to erase the shame of what his ancestors had done, building his rule on the promise that he was different, better. But that promise would always ring hollow as long as the Omega community remained hidden, their suffering unacknowledged, their contributions unrecognized.

If he could broker peace with the Omegas, if he could publicly honor what they’d endured and celebrate their return to society—the political and personal vindication would be transformative. His people would see him not just as the king who destroyed his own corrupt dynasty, but as the one who healed the deepest wound in their history.

For the first time since the emergency session began, Oshrun spoke. “Does it? Does he even want that after the law he made?”

Naya nodded without hesitation, remembering the raw pain in his voice when he’d spoken of Jhonaal’s daughter, the way his jaw had clenched when he’d described the whispers that followed him through his childhood. “He definitely does. The law he made was a bigger political decision. And he kept looking for Omegas to help set you up somewhere safe until he received a message, I assume from Ilia, to stop.”

Oshrun lifted her head in sudden understanding and leaned back in her seat.

Silence stretched through the chamber, thick with consideration. Oil lamps flickered against the walls, casting shifting shadows across thoughtful faces as each woman processed the implications of what Naya had shared.

Finally, a quiet voice from one of the youngest Omegas broke through the contemplation. “Earlier, at the table with Zhera, you said you found your mate. Are you with him?”

Naya swallowed, nerves suddenly jangling. “No.”

“Why?”

The question pierced through Naya’s carefully maintained composure like a blade finding the gap in armor. Her throat tightened, and for a moment she couldn’t find words.

“My mate treated me terribly,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “He kidnapped me from my home, held me prisoner, tortured me when I tried to resist.” The words came faster now, spilling out like water through a broken dam. “He threatened to conquer my empire, to enslave my people. And when I tried to escape, he gave me thennol ttaehh maelto ensure I could never leave him without risking my own life.”

Gasps echoed around the chamber. Several women pressed hands to their throats. The Omega with the soothing voice leaned forward, horror in her eyes, utter disbelief in her voice. “King Sy is your true mate?”

Naya couldn’t speak past the emotion clogging her throat. She nodded, tears threatening.

“And you’re rejecting him for the things he did?” another voice asked softly.

---