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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

T he morning air carried the familiar scent of brewing kkermo as Naya settled onto the stone ledge overlooking the canyon.

She arrived early, savoring the quiet moments before the others joined her for training.

The ceramic cup warmed her palms as she sipped the bitter, aromatic drink, each taste bringing back memories of yesterday’s eye-opening conversation with Akoro.

Satisfaction hummed through her veins and her muscles ached in delicious ways that reminded her of every moment spent tangled with him—the way he’d let her control, let her touch, how his restraint had finally shattered under her ministrations.

The memory of his growl when she’d straddled him sent heat spiraling through her core even now.

She’d almost stayed too long last night.

After their coupling, they’d shared a meal in comfortable silence, then talked quietly about inconsequential things—the desert stars, the strange beauty of the Isshiran Sands, small details about which foods she liked here.

It had felt dangerously intimate, more threatening to her boundaries than even their most passionate encounters.

When she’d finally realized how late it had gotten, Akoro said he had assumed she would stay until morning.

The suggestion had tempted her more than she cared to admit, but she’d insisted on returning to the canyon.

If she woke in his arms, surrounded by his scent and the memory of his touch, there would be no guarantee when she’d be able to leave and start training on time.

Their attraction was much too consuming to chance it.

Of course, Akoro hadn’t been pleased. For a moment, she’d thought he might simply refuse to let her go.

That familiar possessive tension had gathered in his shoulders, his jaw tightening with barely restrained protest. But ultimately, he’d carried her back to their usual meeting spot, standing like a watchman as she walked toward the hidden canyon entrance.

She’d kept glancing back despite her insistence that he return to camp for safety, watching his silhouette against the shifting sands until she could no longer see him. The image of him standing there, motionless and waiting, had followed her through the winding passages to her chambers.

Their connection had shifted, she realized.

When he’d comforted her about the failed attempt with the staff, there had been something different in his approach.

He’d even acknowledged, indirectly, the harshness in his earlier treatment of her.

It should have been reassuring, yet it also made maintaining emotional distance more challenging.

These glimpses of the man he could be, the Alpha who supported rather than dominated, threatened her resolve in ways his possessiveness never could.

“Good morning, princess.” Yshara’s calming voice pulled Naya from her thoughts, the former Khesh approaching with her usual graceful stride.

“Good morning,” Naya replied, setting down her cup as Ttela and Oshrun joined them on the training plateau.

Once they’d settled into their circle, Naya drew a steadying breath. “I’ve been thinking about yesterday’s session,” she said. “About why the staff didn’t work for me.”

Yshara brightened with interest. “And what conclusions have you reached?”

“I don’t think the problem is my magical ability,” Naya said, looking at each of them in turn. “I think the issue is that your tools and my magic work fundamentally differently.”

Ttela’s brow furrowed. “Explain.”

“In my land, I don’t use tools at all. I work directly with magical energy through what we call awareness—a way of sensing and connecting with magic that exists everywhere.

” Naya paused, organizing her thoughts. “It’s like having an extra sense that feels vibrations, moods, even the personality of different magical forces. At least, that’s how it is for me.”

The two former kheshs exchanged glances, their faces stretching in amazement as Naya continued, “Before I came here, I’d learned to extend my awareness across vast distances—sensing magic throughout my entire empire, even guiding wild magical energy from one region to another.

” She gestured toward the distant horizon.

“During a journey through the Sands, I could feel the nnin-eellithi moving around us. Not just their presence, but their behavior and intentions. They circled our camp like curious animals, testing boundaries, sometimes retreating for hours before returning.”

Oshrun leaned forward, amber eyes wide. “You could sense them directly? Without any tools?”

“Yes. They felt alive to me—not mindless forces, but entities with purpose and personality.” Naya’s excitement built as she spoke. “If that’s true, then perhaps I don’t need your staff to communicate with them. Maybe I can connect directly.”

“Impossible,” Ttela said sharply. “No one has ever managed such a connection without proper tools and years of training.”

“But how else do you explain what I experienced?” Naya challenged gently. “How could I track their movements, sense their moods, if there wasn’t already some form of connection?”

Yshara nodded slowly, her eyes squinted in thought. “It does align with what you’ve described about your magical abilities. If you can sense energy across an entire empire...” She trailed off, the implications settling over the group.

“We have less than two weeks,” Naya pressed. “Learning to use your methods properly could take months, if it’s even possible for me. But if I can work with my own abilities...”

Ttela’s resistance wavered. After a long moment, she sighed.

“I still believe it’s dangerous to abandon proven methods.

But you’re right about the time constraints.

” She studied Naya with keen eyes. “And I cannot explain how you’ve already accomplished things that should be impossible without training. ”

“Why haven’t you experimented with your awareness here?” Yshara asked. “Tested these abilities in our environment?”

Naya glanced at Oshrun. “I’ve been cautious. When I first arrived, the Khesh warned me against accessing magic here because of your crystals. And before that, in the palace, I was concerned about drawing magic into the city again if I experimented too much.”

“But here in the canyon, you should be safe to try,” Oshrun said, finishing the logic thought process. “The protective crystals and the staff should help shield any magical disturbances from detection outside our borders.”

Relief flooded through Naya’s chest. “Then you’ll support me trying my own methods?”

“We can careful experiment over the next few days to make sure the crystals are not adversely affected,” Oshrun said. “We’ll monitor your attempts and provide whatever support we can.”

For the first time since arriving in the hidden community, Naya’s confidence about their chances of success soared.

She hadn’t been able to see a safe way forward, but this was promising.

And she couldn’t deny that Akoro’s unwavering belief in her abilities had planted seeds of self-assurance that were finally beginning to bloom.

She wasn’t a failure—she was simply different and that could be a good thing, for this community and her own belief in her abilities.

Hours later, Naya made her way through the Isshiran Sands, anticipation quickening her steps.

The afternoon training session had gone well—her first careful attempts at extending awareness within the canyon’s protective boundaries had yielded promising results.

The magical energy here felt different from her homeland, denser and more volatile, but not beyond her ability to sense and understand.

Through the wavering heat, Akoro’s silhouette emerged—tall, broad, unmistakably Alpha.

Just the sight of him sent a flicker of heat down her spine, her scent shifting in response before she could try to tamp it down.

He strode toward her with his usual predatory ease, all raw strength and silent purpose.

A strange elation bubbled up in Naya’s chest. This time, instead of waiting for him to reach her, she ran toward him.

“Akoro!” His name burst from her lips as she launched herself into his arms.

He caught her easily, closing around her like a cage. “Someone had a good day,” his voice a low vibration against her chest.

“The best day,” she said, sighing. “We’re making real progress. They’ve agreed to me using my own magical methods instead of theirs, and I think it’s going to work.”

He pulled back just enough to meet her gaze. The pride there was so fierce it nearly winded her. “Of course it will work, Naya. I told you—you cannot fail. You won’t.”

The conviction in his voice landed deeper than praise—it struck something instinctive, curling pleasure and purpose together in her core.

He turned and carried her the rest of the way, her legs wrapped around his waist, one hand cradling the back of her head.

His scent flooded her senses, thickened with the sharp spice of rising arousal.

The closer they got to the tent, the harder it was to pretend she wasn’t already wet, already ready.

By the time they arrived, the air between them vibrated with tension—breathless, heavy, inevitable.

He put her down, looking at her with an intensity that made her throb. “Is there anything you need from my end?” he asked. “I can get a message to the city if you need documents or to speak to my council… if it helps you find the Solution, it’s yours.”

Naya raised a brow. “I thought you didn’t believable in the Solution?”

Akoro’s eyes softened on her. “I don’t. But if anyone is going to figure it out, it’s going to be you. So if you need anything, you can have it.”

Instead of answering, Naya reached for the hem of her tunic and dragged it up over her head, letting the fabric fall away. She was showing him she’d worn no underwear at his request. All she had was skin and slick.

Her scent reached him and his eyes darkened, as he realized how prepared she was. How ready for him.

Akoro growled, desire rippling through his body.

She didn’t need to say anything, but she pressed her fingers against her folds, and scooped up her glistening slick, showing him just how drenched she was, how prepared and swollen she was. “Your tongue,” she whispered.

In the next breath, she was off her feet, his hands gripping her thighs as he lifted her and pinned her against the nearest wall.

His mouth was already on her, hungry, ravenous, tongue delving into her folds with Alpha desperation.

She cried out, head falling back, fingers threading through his hair.

He lapped and sucked like he was starving, devouring her slick as though it were his only purpose. And she knew they wouldn’t be speaking coherently again for a very long time.