Page 28

Oshrun met her gaze directly. "Oppo was allowed to come into the community to be with me during the pregnancy."

Shock jolted through Naya, her eyes widening. "He was allowed to come here? Into the canyon?" The revelation was staggering, especially considering the fear and hostility she'd seen here. "After all the distrust and secrecy, you're telling me an Alpha was permitted to enter this sanctuary?"

"I told the community I either had the baby outside of the community or he comes in." Oshrun's voice was steady, but a hint of irritation flashed in her eyes. “No Omega has had her child out of the community before, so they agreed.”

“I’m sure they didn’t like that,” Naya said wryly.

“No,” Oshrun agreed. “But while Omegas are skeptical of Alphas finding our true mates is something no one here can even dream of.

So, most were sympathetic and argued on my behalf.

Of course, it caused a lot of angry debates, and many demanded I should step down as Khesh.

But in the end, it was fine. Oppo and I lived in a secluded section of the canyon.

He saw no other Omegas, but he knew what this community was and why it existed.

" Her gaze grew distant. "He agreed that he would leave after the child was born.

If it was a boy, he would take him back to Onn Kkulma, but if it was a girl, he would leave her with me. "

Naya stared at her, astonishment rippling through her body. "I cannot believe an Alpha would leave his true mate and child."

A scoff escaped Oshrun's lips, though her eyes remained somber.

"He almost didn’t. It was incredibly difficult for him.

He went through stages—denial, anger, bargaining.

.. He insisted he needed to stay, or that I needed to go with him.

" Her voice softened. "Eventually, he came to understand the importance of what we do here, especially given his family's role in making this community necessary. "

She paused, gazing unseeingly across the room.

"In the end, he said he would do it if it meant I remained safe. But he required that I wouldn't go out into the region anymore. Only then would he accept being separated from me and his child. But…" Oshrun’s eye gleamed, tears gathering. “I couldn’t bare it when he had to leave. He’s only ever held Nnimi once. I—” Oshrun swallowed. “I miss him every day.”

"Does Akoro know? About the community, about his niece? Did Oppo tell him?"

The Khesh took a few moments to compose herself.

"No. Oppo vowed never to reveal the community to anyone, not even his brother.

" She adjusted her position, her shoulder dipping slightly as though under an invisible weight.

"I don't know what he told King Sy about the time he spent away, but no one has ever come here or suspected anything different. "

Naya was stunned. All this time, Oppo had known that Omegas existed in a beautiful, abundant place in his land, and he had withheld that knowledge from everyone—even his brother, even his king.

Her mind raced, connecting fragments of memory and conversation.

Oppo's protectiveness towards her when she first arrived, his insistence on blocking her heat, his concern for her health and well-being.

The way he had argued with Akoro when she had withdrawn after her heat cycle.

She hadn't thought much about it at the time, assuming it was simply his nature as a healer.

But now, viewed through the lens of this new knowledge, his actions took on deeper meaning.

All those weeks of quiet sadness she'd witnessed in Oppo, the haunted look that never quite left his eyes.

She'd thought it strange for an Alpha, especially a Sy Alpha, considering how domineering Akoro could be.

After Akoro had told her about his family's history, she'd assumed Oppo had been affected by that trauma.

But it wasn't family shame that had caused that bone-deep sorrow. It was this. He was separated from his true mate and child, carrying that secret like a stone in his chest.

The thoughts pressed against Naya’s chest until breathing became difficult, until something cracked open inside her that she'd been trying to keep sealed shut.

When she'd told Akoro that maybe her mate had died, she'd meant it.

She'd walked away from him with the conviction that some betrayals were too deep to forgive, some wounds too severe to heal.

The clean break had felt like survival, like the only way to preserve what remained of herself.

But this put that into perspective.

The man who had shown her nothing but kindness was suffering the same separation she was choosing for herself. The difference was that his had been forced by circumstances beyond his control, while hers was born of hurt and betrayal.

“He misses you too, Oshrun,” Naya murmured finally. “Anyone who sees him can tell he is suffering, even without knowing why.”

Oshrun just nodded, tears finally falling, unable to speak. The silence stretched between them, heavy with sorrow and heartache. Naya's mind churned. Akoro had to have known his brother disappeared for months. What did Oppo tell him?

Oshrun shifted on the cushions, settling Nnimi more securely in her lap as the little girl dozed against her chest. When she spoke again, her voice held a different quality—decisive, resolved.

"I made a decision during the night," she said, her damp amber eyes meeting Naya's directly. "After our conversation, after listening to the assembly's debates."

Naya's pulse quickened, her hands tensing against the soft fabric of her tunic. Whatever Oshrun was about to say would change everything—she could feel it in the air between them.

"In the past," Oshrun continued, her fingers absently stroking Nnimi's braids, "any attempt I've made to convince the Omegas that we might need Alphas, or that we should consider letting the region know about our community, has been met with three main objections."

She inhaled deeply, as though reviewing years of frustrated conversations and blocked initiatives.

"First, most people believe I've been compromised by finding my true mate.

They think my judgment is clouded by personal feelings rather than community welfare.

" A bitter smile ghosted across her lips.

"This has been the main problem with many suggestions I've made to the community over the years.

My relationship with Oppo colors everything in their eyes. "

Understanding bloomed in Naya's chest. "That's why you didn’t say anything at dinner."

"Exactly. You offered valid reasons that had nothing to do with romantic attachment. You spoke from a place of knowledge and experience they couldn't dismiss as emotional bias."

Naya frowned, studying Oshrun's composed features. "Has this affected your role as Khesh? Your ability to lead effectively?"

“Yes. My reputation has been damaged somewhat.” Oshrun shrugged, the gesture casual though her eyes remained serious.

"I don’t care. My experiences with Oppo and this little one are worth it a thousand times over.

But also, I'm from the Vos line, and as much as the Omegas claim to hate the dynasties, all of our Kheshs have come from one of the three established families.

They keep voting us in." Her mouth curved in wry amusement.

"I suspect that if it came to another vote tomorrow, I would still remain Khesh.

They trust bloodline, even when they claim not to. "

The irony wasn't lost on Naya—a community built on rejecting dynastic power, yet unable to fully escape its influence. Some patterns ran deeper than conscious choice.

"The second objection," Oshrun continued, "is that most Omegas are extremely wary of King Sy. His family's history, his law banning Omegas—there's deep distrust there."

Naya nodded slowly. "That's understandable. But if Omegas can help protect the region against the oncoming storm, and if Akoro becomes aware that Omegas control all the magical tools, your standing in the region would be completely different.”

The words felt strange on her tongue. Part of her wanted to argue that Akoro wasn't like his family, that he was capable of change and growth.

But wasn't that exactly what she'd accused him of—repeating his ancestors' mistakes? Could she guarantee he would make it safe for Omegas, based on everything she knew about him? Especially when she’d rejected him?

The contradiction coiled in her chest like a serpent.

"The third objection," Oshrun said, her voice softening as she glanced down at her sleeping daughter, "concerns our daughters. Many Omegas wonder whether the fathers would want or expect access to their children. Some wouldn't mind that arrangement, but others find the idea terrifying."

Naya considered this carefully, remembering the conversation about children being placed with Beta families, the careful monitoring system they'd developed.

"It should be each individual mother's choice," she said finally.

"And it should be the choice of each Omega whether they want to leave the canyon or not.

I don't see any reason why this place can't remain the Omegas' home for those who prefer it.

You can decide whether men are allowed in or not. "

Oshrun nodded thoughtfully, her fingers tracing patterns on the cushion beside her. The morning light filtering through the canyon had grown stronger, casting warmer shadows across the chamber walls.

"I want you to speak to the king about an alliance," she said, the words dropping into the space between them.

Shock jolted through Naya's system. "Are you sure? We only just talked about it last night. Don't you want to think about it further, discuss it more thoroughly with the assembly?"