Page 8 of Sins of His Wrath (Myth of Omega: Wrath #2)

CHAPTER EIGHT

N aya ran through the corridors of the palace, her heartbeat hammering against her ribs.

She had just made the most significant negotiation of her life—offering herself and her empire in exchange for something she wasn’t even sure she could do. Fifteen days. No. Fourteen. Fourteen days to stop a war.

Her breath came in rough, uneven pants as she wove through the evacuated corridors, her mind racing, heading to the one person who could help her.

She reached the small room and burst in. “Mother Frey?—”

She froze.

The room was empty.

“No,” she breathed, scanning the space, her pulse surging with panic. “Fuck! No!” Her hands slammed against the wall as she fought to control her breathing. How was she going to take on the white fire without help? Frustrated, she unbuckled her cuirass, yanking it free. It hit the ground with a dull thud, and she moved onto her pauldrons, tossing them onto the bed.

Footsteps approached, whirled just as Mama entered, Papa right behind her.

His expression was dark with fury. “What have you done, Naraya?” he growled.

“Where is Mother Freya?” Naya asked, gesturing to the room. “Did you move her?”

“No,” Mama said, frowning. “She’s gone.”

Naya stared at her. “Gone?”

“She’s a powerful Omega, Naya. We couldn’t have held her if we tried. She came at my urgent request, but she wouldn’t have stayed—not with war coming. Why do you need her?”

Naya’s stomach sank. “She’s the only one who can help me.” Her legs felt weak. She dropped onto the edge of the bed, pressing a hand to her forehead. “Where do I find her?”

“In the wastelands, most likely,” Mama said. “At the Omega Compound. But you can’t get there easily. It takes practice.”

Fuck. Naya had never traveled there before. She couldn’t risk going there if she wasn’t sure she’d be back within an hour.

“Wait,” Papa ordered. “Tell us what’s happening. What did you say to that bastard?”

Naya exhaled sharply, then haltingly told them about Akoro’s demands, the deadline, the impossible choice she had made.

When she finished, Papa just stared at her, horrified.

“No.” His voice was low, lethal. “You’re not doing it, Naya. It’s a trick. What happens if you don’t solve it? What happens if he refuses to let you leave? And what happens if you do succeed and he finds a different reason to start a war?”

His hands fisted at his sides. “He has too much power in this arrangement.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Naya said, her voice clipped. “The point is to buy you time. At best, there will be no war, and I’ll return. At worst, you’ll have time to build a stronger defense. You can work with the other rulers, fortify the empire, protect the most vulnerable.” Her eyes flicked to Mama. “Add to the troops. Strengthen the borders. You’ll have a better chance to prepare.”

“But what about magic?” Mama said. “We’re still no closer to?—”

“Find Mother Freya,” Naya said. “Get her to help the Omegas reconnect with their magic. It’ll be something.”

Papa’s voice sharpened. “So you’re sacrificing yourself for the empire?”

Naya inhaled. “This is my way, Papa,” she said quietly. “A prolonged war will destroy us, especially if we don’t have time to prepare. I’m doing what I can to save as many lives as possible. It’s the right thing to do.” She turned back to Mama, who was watching her closely. “Is this what you meant, Mama?”

Mama sighed. “Offering an alliance to help them was a good idea, Naya. But….” She hesitated. “Fourteen days… I don’t see how that’s long enough.”

Papa’s head snapped toward her, his voice thunderous. “You told her to do this?”

Mama met his glare without flinching. “He’s her mate, Drocco.”

Papa scowled. “So? That didn’t stop him from carving up her fucking face.”

Mama’s jaw tightened. “It makes a bigger difference than you think.” She turned back to Naya and placed her hands gently on either side of her face. “You are a born leader, Naya.” Her voice was soft, urgent. “Just don’t overthink this. Stay calm. Keep following your instincts.”

She let her thumbs stroke over Naya’s cheeks. “Discard everything you’ve learned about magic and just follow your instincts. Focus on anything in him that makes him a good Alpha—don’t make it about the empire, make it about helping an ally who doesn’t know they’re an ally yet. He will see the value eventually.”

Naya nodded, but Papa was agitated. He exhaled and started pacing, his fists and his jaw clenching.

Naya shook her head. “I can’t use it if I’m going to abide by what he said.” Her voice lowered. “Besides, with the charm bracelet on, I can’t access magic either.”

Mama nodded, worry in her eyes. “Then take it as a precaution. Be careful, Naya.”

“Why did you tell him to remove my wound, Mama? You interfered with?—”

“I know, I know. I had to take the risk. Listen to me.” Mama’s thumbs stroked her cheeks again, her brown eyes serious, filled with urgency. “If all else fails, he will keep you. If he was kind during your heat, he will want you as his Omega. Stay alive and look for opportunities to get back.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Don’t do anything that will get you killed.”

Naya’s throat tightened.

She knew what Mama was referring to—their conversation yesterday about her wanting to kill Akoro. If Naya killed him, there was no way she’d get out of his land alive. Mama was telling her to bide her time.

Naya wanted to tell her she couldn’t live like that—with him—but the look in Mama’s eyes silenced her. She exhaled slowly. Nodded.

Papa was still pacing like a caged beast. “We were ready for battle, Naya,” he growled. “You said you were ready! And then you make this offer, and the bastard spits in your face by not agreeing to it.” Papa stopped pacing, a murderous look in his eyes. “I never agreed to anything. If you don’t return in a reasonable time, I’ll come there and fucking destroy them all.”

Naya rose slowly and calmly. “No, you won’t, Papa.” Her voice was quiet and unshaken. “You gave me the reins to the Lox and the empire, and this is what I’ve decided. You have to honor that.”

“The throne isn’t yours yet!” Papa bellowed. Mama moved to stand next to him, her presence a quiet counterweight to his storm. “I will not allow you to risk your life,” Papa continued, voice cutting. “We did not agree to this.”

“I know what we agreed,” Naya insisted. “I know what our plan was. But everything changed once they took the village hostage.” She held his gaze. “What was your plan to prevent them from killing all the Omegas, Papa?”

A sharp silence fell between them.

“You know we couldn’t afford that,” she said. “Not after everything you and Mama went through for them.”

Papa’s scowl deepened. “That doesn’t mean you have to do this.”

“It does. Can you imagine having to tell the empire that most of our Omegas are gone? Killed by the enemy about to raid their homes?”

Papa fell silent. The weight of her words sank deep. While the Lox were revered, and even seen as an extension of the throne, the return of Omegas after over a hundred years of their disappearance had cemented the empire’s pride. No other land could claim such an achievement, and it was the main reason most of the Lox’s dissenters fell silent. If the Lox Omegas were wiped out all at once, faith in the throne would crumble. At such a crucial time, the empire couldn’t afford it.

“We could have evacuated them if we’d known.” Papa’s voice was lower now, gritty. “Transported them to another part of the empire. We could’ve even sent them to Kardos or Malloron to keep them out of harm’s way.”

“I know.” Naya’s throat felt tight. “It’s my fault they’re at risk.” Her chest ached with the admission. “I’m trying to fix it now. Once the Omegas are free, you can relocate them and their families.”

“This isn’t fixing it, Naya,” Papa said. “You agreed to hand over the empire if you fail.”

Naya tilted her head, watching him closely. “Do truly you believe I will fail, Papa? Be honest.”

“Of course you won’t,” he snapped back without thinking.

Papa stilled, his own words hitting him. His shoulders easing slightly and his gaze softened, though the worry still lurked in his eyes. “You are an Andaus,” he said, quieter now. “The most resourceful person I know. Everything you do is for the empire. I trust you with my life, with the lives of your family and our people.” He sighed. “But I hate that you’re choosing to go back there.”

Mama stepped forward, her eyes shining.

“Be safe, Nayara,” she whispered. Then she pulled her into a fierce hug. Naya gripped her tightly, inhaling the warmth and comfort of her mother’s presence and guidance, the quiet strength she always carried. And then, Papa’s arms enveloped them both, his huge arms strong, unyielding, protective.

“You will do what is needed and come back to us,” Mama murmured, her voice filled with certainty. She pulled back just enough to meet Naya’s gaze. “I know you will.”

Papa exhaled, stepping away, the warmth finally reaching his gaze—but not easing the weight in his voice. “Everything rests with you now, Naya.” His tone was weighted with both pride and sorrow, a reluctant acceptance of the path she had chosen. “You fought for this choice. Now it’s yours to see through.”

His lips pressed into a hard line, his jaw tightening briefly, as if holding back something else he wanted to say. Then—his voice dropped lower. “One way or another, my brave daughter, our empire’s future is in your hands.”

Naya returned to the village, determination and dread tugging for dominance inside her.

The sky stretched vast and cloudless, a sharp, pale blue tinged with streaks of gold where the sun climbed higher. The light was bright, yet the air was still thick with the remnants of tension, as if the empire itself held its breath.

Akoro’s soldiers had cleared out, leaving only the men restraining the Omegas behind, and the Lox warriors stood watching, still motionless, their presence heavy, unmoving.

Naya ignored their silent scrutiny and walked toward where Akoro stood waiting. A group of soldiers gathered around them, and wordlessly they began walking.

As they passed the captured Omegas, Naya’s gaze sought theirs, catching their wide, fearful eyes. She whispered soft reassurances, and most of them calmed, clinging to her words.

The soldiers hauled them forward, dragging them along as they followed Akoro and Naya through the village. Around them, the village bore the scars of invasion—doors left hanging from broken hinges, shattered wood littering the ground, the occasional smear of blood drying in the sun. The bodies of fallen Alphas had been pushed aside, and the scent of trampled earth and steel lingered.

They walked through the length of the village, as Naya had done many times to visit her forest. Yet, it was jarring—this violence, this ruin—in the one village of the Lox Empire created to be free from violence. A place built as a sanctuary, a refuge for those who were meant to be protected, shielded from cruelty.

Dismay curdled in Naya’s stomach at the sight of her forest. Massive trunks had been felled, their remains strewn across the ground like the bodies of the fallen Alphas. Branches hacked away, their raw stumps bleeding sap onto the dark soil. The thick canopy that once allowed very little light down to the soil was now gaping, to create space for Akoro’s army. It was disheartening to see the place that had given her refuge for so long was now raw, exposed, and broken.

They made their way through the destruction,

Akoro stayed close by her side, his warmth brushing against her, as if she might slip away into the trees and disappear. Naya ignored him, keeping her focus ahead.

She’d have to learn to endure his attention if she had any hope of finding the Solution—or at the very least, giving her parents time to prepare for war. There was no doubt he would make this unbearable, but that was the agreement she had made. And she would see it through.

They reached the deepest part of the forest, where the path of destruction abruptly ended. The magic she’d sensed before was stronger here, thrumming across the area, vibrating into her skin. While she couldn’t see it, she could sense its presence—a structure the size of a massive portal, its form woven with complex, pulsing patterns.

One soldier pulled out a stone, no larger than a fist, its surface fractured with cracks of glowing blue light. It looked exactly like the same stone Akoro had when he’d kidnapped her. The soldier turned it over in his hands and the forest shuddered.

In front of them, the air rippled and the portal fluctuated, creating circular waves in the space ahead.

Akoro called out something to his troops, and the nearest soldiers holding the Omegas released them before walking toward the vibration. One by one, they stepped into the portal and vanished.

The moment they were free, the Omegas ran back the way they came, through the broken path of the forest and back to their village. Naya watched them, relief easing her chest. This had been the right thing to do.

When everyone but the small group around Akoro and Naya had entered, a thunderous roar erupted into the air from the village.

Akoro pulled her to face him, his expression hard. “What is that?”

“The Lox,” Naya said, her heart dropping in her chest. “They are mourning.”

His chin nudged toward the roar of voices. “Will they try to follow us and take you back?”

Naya blinked rapidly. “No,” she said, swallowing. “No, they won’t. Papa… understands.”

Akoro’s eyes narrowed slightly, then he turned. Suddenly, the magical structure moved, the very air folding inward, the portal pulling toward them.

Naya froze. “What is that? Why is?—”

The solid ground crumbled beneath her feet, shifting into fine, weightless powder that swallowed her steps. A strange light unfolded around her, soft yet endless, casting an eerie glow through the thickening air. The heat pressed against her skin, humid and suffocating, as the world around her blurred, stretched, and twisted.

And then it was over.