Page 39

For hours after that, Akoro was insatiable—so aroused he kept knotting her without pause, rutting into her like his body didn’t remember how to stop.

It was a claiming unlike any other, and she savored every moment of it.

Eventually she fell asleep, exhausted and content on his knot, his scent smeared across every inch of her skin.

It was almost dark when she woke, drowsy and exhausted. She was wrapped in blankets and cushions, everything around her saturated with his sweat and seed that reeked of them. And it smelled incredible.

Akoro was already up, bare-chested, moving with quiet precision as he arranged plates and cups at the low table across the tent. Like he hadn’t just spent hours knotting her into oblivion.

“You need to eat,” he said without turning around, his voice rough from their time together.

Naya stretched, her muscles protesting in the most delicious way. “I’m not really hungry.”

He turned then, those dark eyes finding hers. “When did you last eat? Actually eat, not just pick at something.”

She tried to remember, her mind still hazy from sleep and satisfaction. “This morning, I think. Porridge.”

“That was hours ago.” He crossed to her in two strides, crouching beside the nest of cushions and blankets. His hand found her chin, tilting her face toward the lamplight. “And you’ve been working with magic all day.” His thumb brushed across her cheekbone. “You’re eating. Now.”

The gentleness beneath his firm insistence made her chest tighten.

She nodded, allowing him to help her sit up properly.

But when she moved to rise, he lifted her easily and settled back against the cushions with her cradled in his lap.

One arm circled her waist while the other reached for the food he’d prepared.

When she looked up at him in confusion, something fierce flickered in his eyes. “I want to watch you eat.”

“Why?”

He held her gaze, his eyes roaming over her face. “You’re my Omega, tmot zia .”

Heat blossomed across her cheeks at being positioned like this—held against his bare chest like something precious that needed tending.

The solid warmth of him, the way his scent enveloped her, made her sink into his embrace.

Her pulse quickened, and she found herself ducking her head slightly, though she couldn’t suppress the small smile that reached her lips.

It dawned on her that since he first took her, she’d always eaten alone. And yet from what she’d seen of his culture, meal times were shared, like in the Ilǐa community, and even when they were traveling from the portal. His people camped and ate together.

Now he was here, eating with her, ensuring she was cared for. It was why he was so pleased when she came for lur ennen . Something warm unfurled in her chest.

“And you were upset when you arrived,” he added. “Tell me what happened.”

She accepted the piece of bread he offered, honey dripping golden from its edges. Between bites, she found herself explaining the morning’s training session, the sophisticated magical theory the former Kheshs had shared, and her attempt.

“I tried using their most powerful magical device,” she said, her voice growing smaller. “The one their leader uses to communicate with the nnin-eellithi .”

“And?”

“Nothing happened.” The words tasted bitter. “I held it, concentrated the way they instructed, did everything they said. But there was no connection, no response. It might as well have been a piece of carved wood.”

“What do you mean nothing happened?”

“Exactly that. No sensation, no awareness of magic, nothing.” She lowered her face, cringing at the memory.

“So many people are relying on me and everything hinges on my being able to understand and use their tools.” She paused, sudden tears, threatening.

“I’ve never had problems with magical ability before, but for nothing at all to happen… .”

Akoro’s hand cupped the back of her head, his touch steady and grounding.

“No, Naya. You are not a failure. Not at this, not at anything.” His words were firm, but not harsh—spoken with the kind of certainty that brooked no argument.

He shifted gently, guiding her face up to his with both hands, thumbs brushing the curve of her cheeks. “Look at me.”

She did reluctantly at first, but the strength in his gaze held her. There was no judgment in those dark eyes. Only fierce, quiet belief.

“If their tool didn’t respond to you,” he said, “then it wasn’t made for someone like you. That’s not your fault. You are a very special Omega. You cannot make yourself smaller to fit someone else’s relationship with magic. You have your own.”

The tears caught in her throat. That simple truth settled deep in her chest, warm and painful all at once.

Something shy and pleased bloomed inside her at his conviction.

Her pulse steadied under his reassuring touch, and she found herself breathing deeper, some of the tension melting from her frame.

“You really believe that?” she asked, barely a whisper.

“I know it.” His hand slid along her jaw, reverent.

“I watched you for a long time in your land, Naya. You don’t even know how long.

I’ve seen the things you can do. I’ve felt your power and watched you control forces that would humble the fiercest armies.

” He paused, his eyes searching hers. “I know this because I’ve felt that strength myself—the force of your will, your refusal to break. ”

Something soft unfolded inside her, vulnerable and comforted.

“You learned what you needed to learn from these Omegas,” he said, “but you don’t need to do it their way.”

Naya pressed her face into the curve of his neck, breathing him in.

For the first time since leaving the canyon that morning, the knot of anxiety in her chest began to loosen.

His scent wrapped around her like armor, and his absolute faith in her abilities filled her with quiet determination for whatever tomorrow might demand.