Page 12

Orin

MY ENCOUNTER WITH OLIVIA at the palace earlier filled me with regret. I had the perfect opportunity to tell her everything when I bumped into her. Instead, all I managed to do was irritate her. Further proof that I didn’t have the skills needed, to be with her.

There was no question in my mind that she was my K’sha once I felt the touch of her skin. The searing energy that arced between us, combined with the flare of my mating marks showed me it was true. Feeling her skin against my palm intensified my longing to make her mine.

Unfortunately, knowing she was my K’sha didn’t put me any further ahead. I still hadn’t told her how I felt. My job as her mate was to protect her from harm and that’s what I was attempting to do regardless of how she saw it.

Perhaps she was right and I should not have spoken to Clor. It would have been better if I had warned her myself about the problems in Struna. Regardless, Clor did the right thing in backing off. It wasn’t appropriate that another male was sniffing around her.

When I returned to the palace in a couple of days, I would make a point of checking in on my mate to make sure she was okay. Somehow, I would break through my fears and confess my feelings for her. Not taking action was leading to unbearable suffering.

I had never come across a female quite like her.

The intensity of my longing for her caused me physical pain from being apart.

The sight of my gorgeous K’sha never failed to elicit a physical response from me as well as an emotional one.

Even before I realized she could be my fated mate, there was something about Olivia that drew me to her.

There had always been a special connection between us. One that I foolishly ignored.

Standing amidst the crowd, I felt a sudden rumble in my chest and a surge of emotions just thinking about her. I longed to hold her close, feeling the softness of her brown curls as they entwined around my fingers, while I tenderly kissed her rosy lips.

I had not tried to get close to her because I was unsure of whether she would welcome me into her life.

Fearful that my inexperience with females would lead to her disappointment, leaving her unsatisfied.

It was a major factor in my decision to disregard our bond, and I didn’t know how to repair it.

I MADE A CONSCIOUS effort to stay focused on my work for the rest of the day.

Once again, the troublesome males appeared in the middle of the day.

Even before I saw the bullies, I'd been filled with a sense of dread that enveloped me. King Trex made the right decision by assigning me to protect the marketplace. I was glad I’d enlisted Drad who was more than willing to help when I told him about Commander Tinuk.

The males disrupted the pleasant mood of the crowd as they pushed through to harass citizens. It was the very same males that we had arrested days earlier. I noticed vendors and customers giving the males disapproving glances and avoiding any interaction.

For a moment, I was sidetracked by an itch in my biceps, but I made the choice to ignore it and resume my observation of the crowd.

Hearing a voice I recognized, I looked to see Latza approaching with a container in her hand. “Why are you here alone?” I accused with annoyance.

She gave me a mocking glare. “Why am I not allowed to visit my little brother at work?”

The corners of my mouth drooped. “It's not safe here right now without your mate with you. You must leave.”

As if to validate my statement, the conflict I'd been anticipating broke out, and it was turning violent. I turned my head toward the loud voices, startled, and then turned my focus back to my sister.

“You need to leave.”

She let out a sigh as she handed me the lunch box. “Fine. See you tonight.” She leaned towards me, planting a quick kiss on my cheek before rushing away.

I joined the other guards in their effort to halt the fight, redirecting my attention to the crowd.

It was a bit of a process, but we caught the troublemakers and other guards moved them to our facility for holding. The crowd dispersed and vendors started packing up to go home as things quieted down.

With Drad on one side and me on the other, we strolled through the marketplace, observing as it cleared of the crowd. Moving from stall to stall, I felt the intensity of the burning sensation in my mating marks increase.

A mysterious unease settled upon me, leaving me unable to pinpoint its origin.

My attention was caught by whimpering sounds. It was impossible for me to disregard the female who was crying. Her distress made my ears tingle and my stomach churned with bile. I moved towards where the sounds were coming from.

It was then that I spotted her, huddled under a cart. I recognized Olivia by her messy brown curls, and my chest seized up.

Flutz, why is she here?

Olivia’s unexpected image, curled up in a ball with tears streaming down her face, evoked my deepest fears. “Olivia?” I reached out my hand, trying to steady my voice. “Are you able to move?”

Nodding, she shifted her position to look up at me. Her eyes brimmed with tears and she grimaced. I took stock of where she might be injured, searching for any traces of blood.

“Which part of your body is in pain or injured?” I asked when she didn’t speak. Anguish twisted my heart. I extended my hand once more, urging, “Take it.”

She disregarded me and moved onto all fours to escape from under the table by crawling. Not once did she utter a single word to me.

Once Olivia had emerged from under the table, I made another effort to offer her my hand. This time, she accepted it, and I helped her stand up. Both her dress and arms were coated in dirt. It was evident from the muddy footprints on her dress that someone had stepped on her.

My stomach twisted into knots and I swallowed bile that rose in my throat.

Someone hurt my mate, and I had not been there to protect her.

Without warning, my mate pulled her hand away from mine and bent over in excruciating pain, letting out cries as her body spasmed.

“Drad. Call me a viko. Now!”

His response was prompt and my attention returned to Olivia, who was grasping her abdomen. Wrapped in agony, she seemed oblivious to my presence.

I quickly caught her arms to prevent her from falling.

In a split second, a strong electric shock shot through my hands and up my arms, causing my mating marks to burst into a dazzling display of colors. Swallowing hard, I closed my eyes for a moment. This was not how I wanted to acknowledge our connection.

I saw her body enduring continuous tremors of excruciating pain.

“You’ve been injured.” I stated the obvious and grimaced. My hands trembled with uncertainty about what might happen to her. I could not bear to lose her.

Olivia’s eyes snapped to mine, then drifted downward. I wanted her to talk to me. I needed to hear her soft voice.

Beneath the pain, I could sense her anger toward me, even though I couldn’t understand why.

Trying to maintain composure, she straightened herself and brushed away the tears from her face, then returned her hands to her stomach.

Her voice croaked as she spoke. “I fell...Then someone kicked me. I don’t think they knew I was on the ground...I have cramps...the baby...something feels wrong.” She sniffled, and her eyes became glossy once again.

“You need to see a medic.” Extending my arm, I promised, “I'll bring you to the closest medical center.”

“No. I refuse to see anyone except Rekna,” she cried out, shoving me away.

I withdrew my hands and ran them through my hair, sighing.

Another wave of pain washed over her, causing her to release a long moan, and when the pain subsided, she cast a quick glance in my direction.

“I’ll accompany you to the palace,” I said more firmly this time.

With a hint of frustration, she half-heartedly remarked, “You don’t need to do that.”

Ignoring her, I scooped her up and settled her onto a seat in the viko , joining her moments later. We went on our way without talking, yet I couldn't help but watch her, wishing I could offer more support.

If only I hadn’t spent so much time disregarding my feelings for her. She might not have come alone to the marketplace.

My fists clenched. I had failed to keep her safe.

My eyes were shut as I prayed to Tenage and Veshar, asking for their protection over her and her offspring.

During my younger years, I was taught about Tenage and Veshar. Gods who were said to have created the grand tapestry of the Universe. Doubts lingered regarding the truth behind the story, that said we were born with destined mates.

The virus, which took the lives of many over thirty tenri ago, made many doubt there were any Gods, let alone fated mates. Still, the faint mating marks on all Alaran males hinted at the truth behind the stories.

Latza didn’t reveal the truth about our parents being fated mates until I got older. This could have been the reason behind his dire grief and ultimate abandonment of his only children.

But only now could I relate to how he might have felt.

The sheer intensity of encountering my own fated mate was unimaginable. Until Olivia appeared, the dormant markings on my body remained inactive. When we first crossed paths, I had no clue about the immense impact she would have on my life.

As we neared the palace, my gaze fell upon my K’sha, and my mating marks seared my skin like fire. I shifted closer to her. “I am going to carry you inside.”

She didn’t respond when I picked her up, cradling her.

With her nestled in my arms, our connection became even more undeniable. Olivia was my destiny. She was my K'sha.