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Kassandra stretched and rolled onto her back. Goosebumps rose along her arms, and she made a small murmur of annoyance, then shifted, seeking Lodan’s warmth. Her eyes flew open.

No Lodan.

Sitting up, she pushed her hair out of her face. She was on his bed, the sleeping skins she’d nicely put together now a tangle, but he wasn’t in bed, and he wasn’t in the tent. A small pang throbbed in her chest.

She shook her head. No, it didn’t matter if he was here or not. Why would he spend the night with her simply because he’d been inside her? They weren’t mates. Him leaving her alone shouldn’t make her feel cold inside.

She squared her shoulders and slid out of bed. The Beta Carl entered the tent, his hand over his eyes. “Are you decent? I’m here to bring your bath. Just the small tub, I’m afraid. We haven’t much time before we get moving. We’re going to push hard today.”

Kassandra wrapped one of the blankets around her. “Yes, I’m decent. How’s Greta? I need to look in on her.” She should have stayed with Greta last night instead of … instead of enjoying unbelievable pleasure.

Carl turned and shouted, and another Beta, whose name she didn’t remember, entered carrying a small copper tub about knee height and two feet in diameter. A third brought a large urn of hot water and dumped it in. Steam rose into a fine mist.

“She’s sitting up and eating. Her speech is a little slow, but her memory seems fine. If you get washed and dressed quickly, you may have enough time to check in with her before the wagons leave.”

Still wrapped in her blanket, she walked to the copper tub.

Carl’s face turned red, and he handed her a small, fist-sized pewter container. “Greta said you might need this.”

Kassandra opened it. The scent of yarrow with a hint of mint floated into the air from the container of cream. It was a mixture to help with muscle strain. Like the kind she might have sustained during a vigorous mating.

Maybe she was a little tender, but otherwise, she felt fine. Better than fine. Like she’d been given something she hadn’t realized she needed. “Did you see Lo—the Warlord?”

Carl nodded. “Yes. I had to wake him a few minutes ago because the Commander needed him.” Carl’s face turned red again. “I never have to wake him. He never sleeps.”

Warmth spread in her chest—he hadn’t left her voluntarily. “How did he seem?” How pathetic was she, asking Carl about Lodan like some love-addled teenager.

Carl shot her a quick smile. “He put his shirt on backward, and he lingered. I think he wanted to wake you to say goodbye but decided not to.”

She ducked her head, hiding her smile. “Thanks, Carl.”

The tent swooshed as he exited, and as quickly as possible, she washed, then used the cream along her legs and hips, where smudges of purple bruising showed. Carl had left her simple linen trousers and a shirt, and she tugged them on.

Outside, most of the camp had already been disassembled, and no trace of the setup for last night’s feast remained. Clouds hung low in the sky, keeping the landscape a dull gray except for the spikes of dark pines.

Greta’s tent was still up, though, and she walked inside. Greta sat in a chair, her hair freshly washed and tied back at the nape of her neck, revealing the nasty slice along her temple and the bruises on her face, which had darkened further, but her eyes were clear, and she looked stronger as she studied Kassandra. “You didn’t do a bad job healing me, girl.”

Girl, not Sardi. At least, that was something. She remembered how Lodan said her name for the first time last night, too. A small smile tugged at her lips. “I recognized most of the tinctures and creams in your kit. You’re well stocked.”

They eyed each other a long moment, then Greta smiled slyly. “Did you need to use the cream I sent you? Did you decide to bed him?”

Kassandra’s face heated. “That’s none of your business.”

Greta cackled. “In a camp like this, everyone knows everything about everyone. Remember that. But I’ll let you think you can keep your secrets.”

Over the next hour, Kassandra helped get Greta comfortable in a caravan then helped break down the healer’s tent. While she did, a few of the warriors approached her, praising her playing and asking if she’d play again. It was the first time she wasn’t immediately met with glares and grim expressions. Even her guards seemed more relaxed.

Shouts rang through the air, demanding it was time to move, and Kassandra headed toward her caravan. Lodan rounded the corner, and both of them froze. The rest of camp faded away, and even with the dwindling smoke and scent of horses filling the air, she still smelled his distinct scent.

They stared, and Kassandra had to remember to breathe.

An arm slung around her shoulder, and she jolted. It ripped her away from whatever weird moment she and Lodan were having. “My, my, don’t we have a lot to talk about,” Cian said, drawing her closer and guiding her toward their caravan.

When she looked back, Lodan was gone.

Cian helped her up and guided her to the crate in the back. Briseis already sat inside, her lips thinly pressed together. She glared at Kassandra. “He only wants you because he wants to show he’s mastered a Sardi. He should come take a real Omega.”

Kassandra’s fingers turned to claws, but she didn’t say anything. Briseis might be right.

Cian laughed. “Don’t be such a salty herring, darling. An Alpha doesn’t sweep an Omega into his arms and march her into his bed like that if he’s only trying to master her.” He put a hand to his heart. “That was one of the most romantic things I’ve ever seen.”

Briseis snorted. “Alpha lust, that’s all.”

Again, Kassandra agreed with her.

Cian sidled closer and asked under his breath, “How did it go? A good Alpha dick can be downright hypnotic.” His words made her picture Lodan naked. And the pleasure when he pushed inside her. The sense of being complete. Between her legs throbbed, wanting more. Wanting him.

She rubbed her thighs together. Dick hypnosis indeed. “I can understand why.”

“No bonding, right?” He glanced at her neck. “The strobile worked?”

She nodded, and a mixture of feelings churned in her stomach. The one that kept rising to the surface was discontent. Kassandra glanced at Briseis, who turned her head to look out the back window. “No bonding, and also, no romance between us. It’s just lust, like Briseis said.”

“If you’d seen his face while you played, you’d think differently. He looked almost like a real person and not a scary warlord.”

She bristled. “He’s not that scary.” Cian grinned at her. “What?”

“You like him.”

She shook her head. “Absolutely not. It’s like you said, he’s an Alpha to play with.”

He studied her, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Yes I said that, but I’m not sure that’s really you.”

Briseis harrumphed. “Of course, it’s her. The Sardi love toying with others.”

Cian rolled his eyes. “When did you ever meet a Sardi Omega?”

Briseis whirled back to face them, her mouth open. She paused a moment and closed it.

“Exactly,” Cian said. “We keep saying ‘Sardi’ this and ‘Sardi’ that, but we mean many of the Alpha Sardis.” He tilted his head. “Maybe not all the Sardi are the same.”

Now it was Kassandra’s turn for her mouth to hang open.

“I mean, she’s wrong about a lot of things, but she’s nothing like any of the other Sardi I’ve met,” Cian said.

“You mean that?” Kassandra asked.

He nodded. “And I think the Myrdinians are beginning to feel the same way. Even the grizzly old cook paid you a compliment when you weren’t around to hear it.”

“He did? What did he say?”

“He said no one who played a song that prettily could be rotten on the inside.”

A warm flush washed over her. She could count on one hand the number of times she’d ever received a compliment. “I’m beginning to rethink a lot of things, too.”

It was true. All the things she’d been told growing up in the palace didn’t seem to make any sense, while some of the things—a lot of the things—Lodan said did.

She kept thinking about Chiron and how he agreed to tutor Lodan after he’d sworn he’d never take another pupil again. Chiron wouldn’t have done that if he hadn’t believed in Lodan.

Lodan was an intelligent scholar who loved poetry and a formidable warrior. Both of those things strayed far from what he was supposed to be according to Sardi creed.

Maybe it was impossible to predetermine someone’s destiny. Maybe the Sardi Blood Laws were wrong.

The road had widened and they’d passed through a few small villages by dusk. She’d overheard some of the men mention they would reach Argos tomorrow.

Argos.

Lodan hadn’t kept maps in his tent after catching her looking at his on the second night, but she’d figured out they were headed to the northeast and Argos. Had they remained loyal to the Sardi and fought against Lodan?

The caravan pulled into a clearing next to the road and assembled the wagons for camp. Kassandra stepped down and stretched her arms above her, loosening her back.

Her guards were no longer right on her heels but stood several paces away, watching camp. She studied the forest from the corner of her eye. It was about a half mile away, dark and foreboding. Too far to run for it, but several horses remained saddled near her. She could make it to one of them.

A horse bearing a rider with golden armor came into view. Seeing her, Lodan reined his horse toward her.

Her heart thumped painfully in her chest, and her stomach fluttered. She glanced at the forest again. Now wasn’t the time to escape.

Lodan stopped in front of her and dismounted.

She reached out to pat his horse, then snatched her hand back, remembering she was supposed to be afraid of horses. “How did your nameless horse treat you today?”

He slipped his helmet off, then ruffled his hair. Uncinching the girth, he took the saddle off and laid it on the ground. “I gave him a name,” he muttered under his breath.

Her brows shot up. “You did?”

He pet his horse, not looking at her. “I saw a rock that looked like a horse.” He shrugged. “So I named him Stone.”

She bit back a smile. “I was going to guess you named him Horse, but I see you have a tiny bit more creativity than I expected. Only a little, though.”

He turned, and his eyes crinkled in the corners. “You really want me to punish you, don’t you?”

The rush flowing through her limbs wasn’t fear. It was anticipation. She wasn’t afraid of anything he’d do to her. Somewhere along the way, she’d started leaning into his hands. Wanting them. “Are you going to make me read while you touch me again? This time, I think I can win.”

He snaked an arm around her waist, hauling her toward him. This close, she could see his eyes clearly, and the desire blazing in them made her gasp. His lips curled, but it wasn’t his cruel smile. This was something different. True. “No. Your punishment would be you writhing under my tongue for hours. Days.” He trailed his fingers up her neck, cupping her chin and tilting her head back. His thumb whispered over her lips. “Pleasure. Lots and lots of pleasure, with no release. Not until I allow it.”

She ran her hand up his chest. “I think it will be worse for you. Imagine me under you. Sweaty. Panting. Aren’t Alphas programmed to want to give Omegas what we need?” She’d never spoken this boldly to anyone. Ever. She was flirting with him. Where was this coming from?

His eyes widened, and his lips twitched. The hand on her chin moved to the back of her neck, and he tilted her head up. “Tell me you hate me.”

“I do hate you.”

“Good.” His mouth claimed hers. She forgot she was surrounded by Myrdinian warriors and flung her arms around him. He tasted of pine air and smoky, rich wine. Her chest felt fizzy, like she might float away, except, she wanted him to keep kissing her.

One hand wrapped in her hair, and his other arm tightened around her. His lips were demanding. Hungry. They claimed hers, and when her lips parted, he took even more. A small purr rumbled from his chest, and she murmured low in her throat.

He was kissing her. Really kissing her.

This wasn’t a game or a demand in his tent. He was kissing her in the open in front of everyone.

She hugged him tighter while her own lips became bolder and they fed off each other, Kassandra feeling like she’d been starved of this her entire life. Maybe she had.

He drew back, and his eyes were pure black. “I’m going to tell someone to drop whatever in Hades they’re doing and set up my tent. Now. Then I want you naked, on all fours, presenting for me when I enter.”

Lust punched through her so strongly her knees actually wobbled. “I might obey that order.”

Swearing, he took her lips again.

She lost all track of time. She even lost track of the ground, not sure if she stood or hovered above it. Breathing hard, he parted from her. “If I don’t stop, I’ll rut you right here.” He cupped her cheek. “Go get ready for your Alpha.”