Page 7 of Sins of His Wrath (Myth of Omega: Wrath #2)

CHAPTER SEVEN

A koro’s face twisted with strain, his muscles flexing as he fought against the magical grip around his arm. But no matter how strong he was, he couldn’t break free. His voice was low, dangerous. “Do you think I can’t eliminate your magic and take you? I’ve done it before.”

Naya’s snarl cut through the air. “Do you think you can grab your little stone before I shatter your arm into a thousand pieces?”

A sharp movement behind him—one of his soldiers stepping forward. “ Zmola !” That one was Nrommo.

Akoro lifted his free hand, stopping the warrior in his tracks without looking away from her. His eyes, dark and unyielding, locked onto hers. “You are the one who requested to speak.” His tone was harsh, threaded with warning. “If you keep me bound, my army will advance.”

Naya didn’t flinch. “If you touch me, so will mine.” Magic still hummed in the air between them, her control unwavering. “I want to speak, yes. But I don’t need your hands on me to do that.”

His voice was a rasping, gritty growl, which reignited the yearning in her lower stomach. “You belong to me. Your displeasure doesn’t change that.”

“I don’t belong to anyone,” Naya thundered. “And yes, I can change that if I want. I was about to before you arrived.”

Akoro’s eyes widened—and then fury erupted from him, a wild, vicious stream of booming foreign words. His features twisted with raw anger, muscles straining as he fought against her magic, his body jerking like a caged beast. He had to be hurting himself with how violently he struggled, but he didn’t care.

Shock slammed into Naya. She’d almost forgotten how delusional he was about being her mate. She shouldn’t have said anything.

Behind her, Lox warriors erupted, their voices rising in a cacophony of threats and insults. Akoro’s soldiers stiffened, hands tightening around their weapons, but he never spared them a glance. His fury was entirely focused on her.

Veins rose along his neck, his face contorted in pure rage—and, of course, he was still the most handsome Alpha in the vicinity. A ridiculous, unproductive thought.

Naya lifted her hand, and the Lox warriors fell silent.

Akoro switched to the Common Tongue, his voice raw and unrelenting. “Show me your neck.”

Her stomach flipped. He wants to see if she bonded with Lonn. She resisted the instinctive pull of her Omega nature to obey. He had no right to demand anything from her.

His eyes darkened, and then he bellowed. “Show me your fucking neck now, Naraya!”

Her emotions yanked her in a dozen directions at once. Defiance. Frustration. A sharp, treacherous flicker of surprise. Had that been the first time he’d called her by her full name?

It didn’t matter. This obsession with Lonn would only derail the negotiations. And if she had any hope of stopping this war, she needed him listening.

Slowly, she lifted her chin and turned her head to each side, baring her throat.

When she lowered her head again, Akoro was breathing hard, his fury still a storm on his face. He lifted his gaze to the gathered Lox warriors. “Where is he? Is he here?”

Naya steadied herself. “I have a proposition that will solve your problem. Are you ready to listen?”

Akoro’s eyes burned into hers. “You intend to surrender your empire and hand me that worthless Alpha? That is the only problem I have.”

She took a measured breath before responding. “This is about our people and our lands. Will you listen?”

He didn’t answer immediately, his breathing quick, his entire body rigid.

Naya slowly released the magic binding him—a show of goodwill—but let it linger in the air, shimmering like a silent warning. It was still there. Still waiting.

The Alpha slowly lowered his arm, but didn’t say a word or move.

“Nayara!” Papa thundered from behind her. “What are you doing?”

Akoro’s gaze flicked past her, to the gathered Lox warriors, then back. “If you don’t intend to surrender, why are you keeping your army back?”

She gestured to the village. “You’ve killed Alphas. If you think you’ll leave here alive?—”

“You killed over a thousand innocent citizens when you drew that magic into the city,” Akoro bellowed. “Women. Children. Hardworking, innocent people.”

Naya stared at him. A thousand? He had to be exaggerating and yet... that magic was completely destructive. But then, she hadn’t exactly thought too hard about it at the time. Swallowing, she tried not to let him see her shock, her words sharp and steely. “You were keeping me against my will. I didn’t intend to harm anyone, but did you think I wouldn’t try to escape?”

“It was fucking reckless.” His voice dropped, still burning with anger but now layered with something else. “Dangerous for everyone. Including you.”

Something inside her softened at the idea that he might have been worried. She tensed and shoved the ridiculous feeling away. These fucking instincts always latched onto the wrong things. “I have a proposal,” she pressed on, “one that will help you and your people. Let’s talk. If you agree, you’ll gain far more than you would by attacking us.”

His jaw clenched. “And if I don’t agree?”

“Then we go to war, and many of us will die.” She met his gaze head on, unwavering. “I notice you didn’t bring your whole army.”

Akoro’s dark expression didn’t change. “Is that why you think anything you say will make a difference?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she slowly turned to face the Lox, her eyes flicking along the row of furious and bewildered faced. Even with that, they stood tall, ready to do as she commanded. Papa was the most annoyed, his chest heaving with fury.

Reaching out, Naya released the wall of magic, holding them back, dispersing it back into the air.

The Lox did not move. They watched her for their next command—still, ready. But the important reaction, the one she was worried about, was Papa’s. Thankfully, the moment the magic disappeared, he straightened, his eyes locked onto her, a hand on the hilt of his sword. But he was still. He didn’t charge forward in anger or direct the army or yell out at her. He was waiting for her instruction too, as much as it had to be difficult for him.

He held her eye and nodded in support and understanding. She was the one in charge, and he would follow her direction.

Naya drew on the swirling magic in the air around them, shaping it into a glistening cocoon of golden magic that dampened their voices. This was a negotiation between two rulers, and she didn’t need Nrommo, or anyone else interfering.

She lifted her chin, steeling herself for what she was about to say. The safety of her family and the fate of the entire empire rested on this conversation. “I can solve your wild magic problem,” she said evenly. “I’ll neutralize it and eliminate it entirely so your people never have to suffer or fear it again. You’ll be able to live in peace.”

Akoro’s stare was unrelenting. “You drew that magic directly into our city. People have already died.”

“That wasn’t intentional. And you’re not blameless for what happened.” She took a step forward. “What did you think would happen when you kidnapped and tortured a ruler from another land?”

His mouth tightened. “This all started with an attack by your empire. None of this was instigated by us.”

Naya inhaled slowly. “I’m still investigating that. But I’m offering help. You’ll be able to give your people a life that?—”

“You have no idea what my people need.” His voice was tight and determined. “I promised them a new, green land, and that is what they’re going to get.”

Near glared at him, battling the sharp spike of irritation. His belligerent attitude wasn’t going to help them come to any kind of arrangement, but he was angry. She had to get him past that. “If you refuse to listen, we can begin our war, but without the strength of your full army, you won’t hold an advantage. Eventually, you will be decimated—so will I. There is no true victory in a war like this.”

His jaw remained locked, but he was listening.

Naya pushed forward. “It could last for decades, long past our deaths. Your people will keep transporting soldiers here and we will keep drafting many young Alphas into the Lox from our allies. In the meantime, our cities, our people, our societies will both suffer; economically, culturally, and politically.” She arched a brow. “I’m sure you have adversaries who would love to exploit your weakened city while you’re bleeding soldiers here. Eventually, the reasons we’re fighting will be become a rumor—pointless and insignificant to the survivors except for how hard their lives are because of it. That will be both of our legacies.”

Akoro’s expression was unreadable, but his gaze shifted—not to her, not to her warriors, but to something distant. Something in her words had gotten through his barriers.

“So instead,” she continued, “I’m offering to come to your land and fix the magic problem myself. I’ll ensure your people never suffer from wild magic attacks again. No more instability. No more fear. Are you saying you don’t want that?”

Akoro’s brows inched down and she expected the next word he spat out to be a resounding no. “You’re offering to come to my land again?”

“Yes.”

To her surprise, Akoro didn’t lash out, didn’t throw back an immediate refusal. He just stared at her, his expression unreadable.

Naya waited, hoping he could see the logic in her argument. By every measure, she had every right to fight—to defend her empire after he had taken her without cause. Her people had never harmed his. She hadn’t even known he existed. But revenge wasn’t in her people’s best interest. They could fight just as fiercely as his warriors, but a war of this scale would cause the empire severe harm. It would leave them vulnerable, their strength shattered. And she had already failed her people before when they begged for her help and she had refused. She wouldn’t fail them again with the hardship of an ongoing war.

Finally, Akoro lowered his gaze back to hers. His fury had ebbed, but his expression was still unreadable. “What makes you think you can neutralize the magic?”

“I used it to escape, and I’m still alive.”

Akoro didn’t look convinced.

“I’ve learned more since then,” she added. “I can connect with the magic in a way I couldn’t before—a more powerful way. There are things I can try.”

His arms folded across his broad chest, skepticism carved into every line of his face. “That’s not a guarantee.”

“It’s not,” Naya admitted. She took a breath. “Which is why I propose we form an agreement—an alliance. We work together to solve this problem.”

Akoro’s eyes hardened. “An alliance?”

“The way we do it here is as a contract. My administrator will write up the terms we agree on—along with any additional conditions we both require. Then she’ll sign it as a witness and one of your people does the same. Any demand set in the contract must be upheld or the agreement is void. For example, one of my requests is that I’m not harmed while I’m there. I also don’t want to be touched, and my Omega signals will be blocked at all times.”

Akoro’s nose flared, and his jaw hardened. His dark eyes lowered down her body. “Are you blocked now?”

A shiver skated over her skin, her nipples hardened and the flutter in her stomach flared out of control, but she spoke calmly. “Yes.”

When he said nothing more, she continued. “While I’m in your land, I will be a guest,” she said. “No imprisonment, no torture. I will be treated as your most valued and treasured ally. I may need help understanding your land and how magic functions there. And I’ll require your full cooperation. Any attempt to hinder my progress will void the contract.” She paused in thought. “I’ll need at least three months to do this, and I’ll need to come back here periodically to consult with those who understand the magic.”

Displeasure bled into his expression. “There is no reason for me to agree to this.”

Naya steeled herself. It was always obvious this would come down to one question; what would she be willing to give up if she failed? And what would he? She took a slow, steady breath. “If I don’t solve the problem your land is having with magic… then you can have the Lox Empire. No one will challenge you for it, not the Lox, not my father, not me.”

Even as the words came out of her mouth, dread spread in her stomach. She was the Lox Princess, the next ruler of the empire. She and Papa had agreed that she was in charge of the defense against this enemy. Her word on this overruled his, Mama’s, everyone’s. It couldn’t be taken back. If she failed to do what she promised, the empire—her home, her people—would be lost to the cruelest man she’d ever encountered.

For a long moment, Akoro said nothing. Then, slowly, he uncrossed his arms. “Let us call our witnesses.”

Naya hesitated, surprised. He watched her intently—a slow, measured stare—and a flurry of nerves jangled in her stomach. Why hadn’t he pushed back? Something about the way he looked at her—too intent, too still—made her nervous.

But getting this agreement done would be a huge step forward.

She drew in a quiet breath and unraveled the magic around them, sweeping it back up into the air.

Akoro turned, calling to his warriors. “ Ral Prillu o?. ”

Naya turned to the Lox. “Drocan?” Farther down the line, her brother stepped forward, his stance tense, his face carved in stone. “Get Auntie Victoya,” she called. “Quickly.”

Drocan glanced at Akoro, his fury sharp and unhidden, but he didn’t hesitate. He turned and threaded through the ranks of the Lox, heading back toward the palace.

“Nayara,” Papa bellowed. “What are you doing?”

Naya turned to him, meeting his eyes, but it was Mama’s reaction that caught her attention. She stood at his side with a small smile and nodded. Naya smiled back, the warmth of it settling deep inside her. In her core, she knew she was doing the right thing, and she was the only one who could do it.

When she turned back to Akoro, her gaze drifted upward, locking onto his eyes. And that was a mistake. Deep within them was a fierce blend of determination, resolve, and… need. Raw, powerful and undeniable, she recognized it. It was the same way he looked at her during her heat.

The delicious heat that had gripped her during her dream flared up her spine, but she shoved the memory away, ignoring the tingling pull, and glared at him. Akoro might think he could still have her, but he couldn’t touch her. And as long as he was bound by this agreement, it didn’t matter what he wanted.

Auntie Victoya arrived first, and she positioned herself to Naya’s left, facing them. She looked calm and measured, dressed in formal Lox attire with parchment tucked under her arm, but Naya could tell she was nervous by the way she kept blinking and twitching her shoulders.

Within a few minutes, the magical structure in the forest fluctuated, and shortly after, Prillu emerged through the barrier of soldiers.

Shock hit Naya at her appearance. Prillu’s large expressive eyes were dull, her face a lifeless mask, as though she’d seen horrors she hadn’t recovered from. She looked as formal as she always did, in her fitted tunic, leathers and daggers, but her rich, thick hair hung stiff and brittle, and she moved cautiously and rigidly, without her usual grace.

The diplomat carried one of the writing slabs from her homeland, and positioned herself opposite Auntie Victoya on Naya’s right, so the four of them stood in a diamond formation; Naya and Akoro faced each other, the opposing rulers. Auntie Victoya and Prillu flanked them on either side, the official witnesses.

Naya recreated the magical shield around them all before she began speaking. “We’ve made an agreement to stop the war,” she told the women. “We’ll lay out our terms and requests. You are our witnesses to what we have agreed and the voices who will ensure each side upholds its promises.”

Auntie Vic remained carefully blank. Prillu’s face was grim, hard.

“I will return to the Sy Dynasty’s land as a guest,” Naya continued, “to neutralize the wild magic so it no longer harms the people.”

A sharp, visible jolt passed through Prillu. Her eyes snapped to Akoro. “The Solution?”

Akoro didn’t even look at her. “Yes.”

Naya looked between them. “What? What’s that?”

Prillu slowly turned to her. “What you are offering to do, we call it the Solution—the answer to ending the wild magic from destroying our land, a way to stop its destruction for good.” Her voice was flat, empty. “It is the only thing our people have ever desperately wanted from the beginning. A permanent fix. A way to tame the chaos.” She swallowed. “But while it is a sacred cause, it is a myth. It can’t be done. No one has succeeded. All who have tried… have died.”

Beside her, Auntie Vic tensed, but Naya didn’t react. If people had tried it before, it didn’t mean it would be impossible for her. Still, it did make her think twice. She met Akoro’s gaze again. It wasn’t surprising he hadn’t mentioned it.

“Then, yes.” Her voice remained steady. “I will find the Solution. If I fail, I will offer my empire freely and without condition or challenge.”

Auntie Vic visibly stiffened beside her, her blank expression fracturing as she shot an alarmed look at Naya.

Akoro stepped forward. “No.”

Naya tensed, startled. “What do you mean? This is what we agreed.”

Akoro stepped closer, so close she had to tilt her head slightly to meet his gaze.

Her eyes flickered—to his mouth. That mouth. The one that had been all over her body. Her breath hitched before she forced her gaze back up.

“I agreed to nothing,” he said, his voice gritty. “I let you talk. That was your request.”

Naya frowned. “So why?—”

His voice dropped, sharp and dangerous. “Arrogance is an affliction among you and your people. What makes you think I will accept this offer when thousands of my soldiers are willing to die to secure your land? Do you think we have no honor? Do you think we will simply retreat to our ruined cities and live among the ashes once you swoop in to ‘save’ us by fixing our magic?” His voice rose to a bellow. “We lost entire dynasties because of what your people did. We lost beautiful cities. We lost cultural rituals, sacred temples, languages, and ancestral stories passed down for generations. Important healers, scholars, elders—gone. And now you have killed over a thousand more of my people with your own hands.

“You and your people never pay for what you do to us.” His eyes burned, full of raw, untamed fury. “All the suffering you cause, and we’re just supposed to forget?”

Naya’s chest tightened. “I’m offering to?—”

“There is no guarantee you can do any of what you promise,” he cut in. “You plan to come and learn about us for three months, and in the meantime, you’ll return here, bring everything you learn, and use it against us later.”

Naya shook her head. “No. That’s not?—”

“If you are truly offering to neutralize our magic,” Akoro said, voice thundering, “then I will set the terms.”

Naya stared at him, horror creeping into her chest.

“There will be no contract.” His tone was final. “No negotiations. No conditions. If you want to attempt this, I’m willing to pause the war. But you come at your own risk.” He stepped forward, making her tilt her head up further, crowding her space. “You will come knowing you have committed a crime that needs answering for. You will come knowing I am your mate and you will do nothing to interfere with that fact.”

Naya’s breath caught, her chest tightening.

“You will come, knowing you cannot return here until it’s over.” He let the words settle, watching her reaction, his voice steady and unyielding as he delivered the final blow. “And you will have fifteen days to solve the problem of magic in my land. If you fail, you will hand over your empire.”

Naya breathed shallowly. Fifteen days? There was no way she could do it in that limited time. She hadn’t even been sure she could do it in three months.

“I won’t agree to any conditions,” he added. “Except one—you will not be harmed.”

Naya’s mind spun, trying to knit together the implications of what he was saying. “I won’t be harmed?”

“No.”

“But I must answer for… the deaths?”

“Yes.”

Her brow furrowed. That meant—what, exactly? He wouldn’t kill her? Wouldn’t torture her? “Will that interfere with my fifteen days?”

“Your fifteen days will be solely yours to work on the magic. Anything else will happen outside of that.”

Naya’s horror twisted into a biting anger. He wasn’t giving her much reassurance that she’d be able to solve it in time—but maybe that was the point. He wasn’t being fair. “If I’m hindered in my attempts?—”

“You won’t be,” Prillu said, her voice firm and quiet. “You will have everything you need and the full support of the Sy Dynasty on those fifteen days.”

Naya kept her gaze locked on Akoro, her mind whirring. She had thought she was going into a tense agreement that would provide her and her people with some kind of safety. But this was simply putting her back into a dangerous situation. Still, her connection to magic was much more powerful now. What if she could do it? “And what if I succeed?”

He inclined his head slightly. “Then, on my word, we will enter real discussions.”

Naya clenched her fists. She hadn’t expected a fair negotiation, but this wasn’t any negotiation at all. “And if I don’t agree?”

Akoro’s eyes drifted back to the Lox. “Then the war will begin now.”

Naya glared at him. He didn’t care. Everything she said about the cost of war, the suffering it would bring—it meant nothing to him. He cared only about conquering her empire.

And her.

He expected her to accept their bond, to stop resisting, to stop fighting. Because in his mind, being true mates meant she belonged to him. That he could do whatever he wanted with her.

She wanted to scream. To call on magic and destroy him and every one of his invading assholes. And yet, she couldn’t ignore the chance in front of her. If she succeeded, she could stop the war. End it before it began. And even if she failed, at least the fifteen days—however long the war was paused—would give Papa time to mount a proper defense. A delay was better than the war starting now. And if she was going to be a responsible ruler and protect the Omegas, she couldn’t ignore that.

She forced her voice to remain level. “Will the fifteen days be together?”

“That will be at the z mola’s discretion,” Prillu said.

Naya made a face. “How am I supposed to make any progress if the days are split up? Why not put them together?”

“Because the zmola’s discretion is the zmola’s discretion.” Prillu’s eyes slid to her and Naya was shocked to see a flicker of anger on her face.

She blinked, startled. Prillu had never revealed strong emotion before. Something had definitely happened. “You will get days together if he allows it,” the diplomat added.

Before she could respond, Akoro’s voice cut through the space between them, low and unrelenting.

“Let me be clear,” he said. “If you come back to my land, you will be mine. You will be held. You will be fucked, and you will do as you’re fucking told. Any deviation from that, and we will invade.” The words tightened around her throat like iron chains. “But you will have your fifteen days.”

Naya’s glare sharpened, fury seething in her chest. That’s what this was. Not diplomacy. Not war. But her being back at his mercy.

He was clarifying that if she agreed to this, she would return to where she had been before—his captive, his possession—but this time with a countdown looming over her head.

Her voice was low, sharp as a blade. “You have no fucking grace.”

Akoro stilled.

Naya stepped forward, her words carrying the grit and fire that churned in her gut. “I stand here after everything you did to me. You violated me. You tortured me. And yet, I am still willing to stand before my people and offer to bring peace between our lands.

“You are barely owed my presence, let alone my consideration. And even now, when I offer you something that will save your people, you have no humility, no recognition of the rage and retribution I’m keeping from you to make this possible for the good for your land, in recognition that maybe the Known Lands may shoulder blame. Instead, you dismiss it and demand I return to be your Omega fuck! What kind of leader cares so little about his own people that he would make this as difficult as possible?”

Akoro’s eyes flashed. “You’re the one who wants to do this.” His voice was sharp, ringing with unshaken certainty. “I am more than willing to fight every Alpha here, including your magic and claim you now.”

He was so sure. So determined and willing to spill blood to get what he wanted. Even at the cost of his own people. But he also wanted to treat her like his mate while she was there to prevent war. So the question remained: What was she willing to do to save her people? To save Omegas? She already knew the answer.

Naya stepped forward, this time being the one to advance and close the gap between them. His fury met hers. She held his gaze, her next words spoken deliberately, slowly. “You think I won’t whore myself out for my empire?”

Akoro’s face dropped, his jaw hardening.

“History is littered with queens and princesses who have done exactly that—through arranged marriages, through kidnappings. You could fuck me until I’m a shell of an Omega who doesn’t know my own name. I’ll never really be yours, I’ll never accept you, and I’ll never be your mate, no matter what hormones draw us together.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw.

“I just want your word that when I permanently disperse the magic and find your Solution, you will negotiate in good faith.”

Akoro’s fury had returned, burning even stronger than at the start of their discussion. For a long moment, he didn’t move or even blink. Then he nodded—slow, deliberate, precise. “I give my word.”

Naya’s throat felt tight. “Release the Omegas,” she said, voice steady, “ then I’ll agree.”

She stepped back, her stomach twisting as she dispersed the magical barrier around them. Quickly, she sucked in a measured breath, hoping he couldn’t see how shaken she was.

Akoro said something to Prillu in their language, his tone clipped. She nodded and turned, making her way back toward the wall of warriors.

Auntie Vic cleared her throat. “I have a message from the empress.”

Naya turned to her, but she was addressing Akoro.

He didn’t even glance at her. “What is it?”

Auntie Vic’s voice remained measured, but Naya knew her well enough to hear the carefully placed weight in her words. “Empress Cailyn wishes to point out that you have given the princess a way to kill herself with the wound you carved into her face.”

Akoro’s eyes slid to her, his jaw clenching.

“All she has to do is get far enough away from you and let herself bleed out,” Auntie Vic said. “She requests that you consider removing it.”

Naya’s spine went rigid. She resisted the urge to turn and at glare at Mama. She would never do something like that! Mama was treating her like every other Omega who had lost themselves at the hands of their mate—the ones who had reached the edge of what they could bear could only see one way out. And while Naya had felt that slow, numbing disinterest in everything after her heat, the suffocating weight of her captivity—this was different. This time, she had a purpose. This time, she had an empire to protect.

She understood Mama’s intention. As cold and tragic as it was, history had proven it—suicide was sometimes the only escape from the most sadistic Alphas. And as much as it made her sick to acknowledge, if things ever became unbearable, it was an option for every Omega to consider.

Mama knew what she was doing. She wasn’t just trying to protect her. She was planting the thought in Akoro’s head to make sure her daughter didn’t make a rash decision. No Alpha wanted to hear that his mate would rather die than belong to him.

But she shouldn’t be interfering. The situation was already unstable, and this wasn’t worth derailing the progress they’d made for her face wound.

“The empress doesn’t have a voice in this discussion, Administrator,” Naya said stiffly.

Auntie Vic lowered her head slightly. “I understand, your highness.” Her voice softened, but she remained formal. “And I offer my sincere apologies. The entire empire trusts your judgment and abilities. But the Empress had this small concern and wished for it to be mentioned.”

She turned her attention back to Akoro. A tense silence stretched between them.

“I will consider it,” Akoro said. He looked between them and then glanced behind Naya at the Lox warriors. “Did the emperor have nothing to say?”

Swallowing, Auntie Vic lifted her chin and blinked. “Nothing that I can repeat.” With a respectful dip of her head, she turned and walked back toward the Lox.

Prillu returned, speaking in low tones to Akoro.

He turned to Naya. “We will release the Omegas once you are in the forest with us.”

Naya nodded. “There’s something else. I need to speak to someone here before I go.”

His expression twisted, suspicion flashing through his eyes. “You will not see this fake mate?—”

“No, not him… an Omega elder. I don’t know when or if I’ll see her again.”

He exhaled, his face still rigid with irritation. So she was surprised when he spoke. “It will cost you one of your days.”

Naya pressed her lips together, forcing herself to swallow the curses clawing at her throat. If that’s what it took to get a head start from Mother Freya, it was worth it. “Fine.”

For a long moment, his gaze roamed her face, his expression unreadable, and Naya held still under the weight of it.

The moment stretched too long, his dark eyes holding her in place. Then—his voice came slow and deliberate. “If the Lox charge my men or if you see this fake mate of yours, the war will start. Do you understand? Be back here within the hour.” Something dangerous flickered behind his gaze. “And then you are mine.”