Machna ii’loam.The words repeated in her mind on an endless cycle.
By the time she was able to regain her thoughts, the basket was entirely full. She sighed down at its contents and trudged back towards the camp, her eyes fixed upon each step she took until a group of males and females surrounded her, taking the basket from her. Kaya was prepared to sit on one of the logs surrounding the fire, but she was suddenly being whisked away by females dressed in gauzy, shimmering garments—their arms painted in streaks of black and gold. She relented to their tugging, unsure of what they were saying as they led her towards one of the larger tents in the camp.
Chapter 5
It was at least two hours later that he and the other males returned to the camp.
Ilias searched for her amongst the throng of Drikierans, but couldn’t see her. He sighed, shrugging his game higher onto his shoulders before he followed the hunters over to a cleaning station. He plopped his deer onto the mound, eyes catching the gleam of a sword strapped to an obnoxiously broad back.
He’d recognize that stature anywhere. With large muscled arms folded across a chest that threatened to rip through the fabric of his shirt and legs the size of tree trunks, the male turned.
“Brother.” Ilias tipped his head forward in greeting, his stride slow as he approached the male who was now combing back thick, brown hair into a knot at the top of his head. Hazel eyes twinkled in the firelight, his tan face stretching into a smile when they landed on Ilias’s face.
“Brother.” The warrior greeted, pulling Ilias into a bone-crushing hug to snuffed the air from his lungs.
They pulled apart, both beaming with affection until Ilias glanced down at the scroll in Keegan’s hand. “What’s this?” He asked.
Keegan sighed, his own smile dulling as he handed his brother the parchment. Ilias took it, stomach falling slightly as he read over each sloppily written word, as if the author were in a rush. And based upon the letter’s contents, he could see why.
They were going back to Holiadon. The Credulans were impatient and demanded to see Kaya immediately or there would be war.
“You tracked us here?” Ilias asked.
Keegan let out a sigh, eyes narrowed and roving over his brother’s face—hovering on the sad look in his eyes that told too much. “Ilias, what in Cadaith’s name are you doing?”
Ilias looked up from the parchment, brow drawing together. “What are you talking about?” He asked
“We arebrothers,Ilias. Though we don’t share the same mother, we have enough of our father in us for our faces to look the same. And I’d know that face anywhere.” Keegan signaled for him to walk with him and Ilias followed, the muscle in his jaw jumping and the letter crumpling in his tightened fist. “This is very unlike you. You are to be teaching her, not trying to fuck her.”
“I am not—that isdefinitelynot what is happening here. It isn’t like that.” Ilias snapped.
“Then what is it, Ilias? Why don’t you want to take her back home?”
“I can take her back home. I’ll follow any order her father gives me, but I will not agree to the last part of this letter.” He was growing frantic, his pulse quickening as his fingers curled and uncurled around the paper, the last haunting line of that letter repeating in his head—stealing the breath from his lungs.
“What do you mean,you don’t agree?”
Curl. Uncurl.
His chest hurt. Fingers starting to tremble.
“Ilias.”
Curl. Uncurl.
“Ilias, are you going to answer me?”
The Credulans and I have come to an agreement that their prince and Ailikaya will be wed to unite our nations and bring peace between Driikona and Credula.
Curl. Uncurl.
“Because.” Ilias finally spoke, his voice a desperate rasp, throat squeezed under the weight of his fear. “I… I think she’s my mate.” He didn’t need to look at his brother to know what kind of expression he’d find there. Bewildered. Perplexed.Disgusted, maybe. But Ilias couldn’t help it. None of this was under his control. It was the work of the gods, the very Mother that promised toprotect them, but laughed at their greatest tragedies.
And this was his.
He’d never been worthy enough to keep love once he found it. It only made sense that Kaya, hismate, would be no exception.
As much as he forced himself to remain in denial about the primal urges that haunted him every second of the day, it took an arranged marriage for him to realize that he was not just imagining what he felt. It was real. Too fucking real.
