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  “That is true,” Zolt agreed. “But you must know that many tribe members make it their business to know the movements of the shinnos and tribe leaders, and not just tribeswomen. It is important, what you do, because your actions have consequences for us all. What she did was actually not that unusual.”

  “If that was the case, they would all be doing it,” Kardos shot back. “And none of them are, only her. Everyone is working triple shifts—who I fuck shouldn’t be a priority for anyone right now.”

  Zolt thought for a moment. “True,” he admitted. “Did she explain why?”

  “She mentioned Tribe Obari.”

  “Hmm.” Zolt's face was grim. “That is not good at all.”

  “No. I dealt with it, Zolt,” Kardos said, warning tone embracing his words. “But you must lie next time. Roza told me it is important that the Omega does not have a negative opinion of our culture. And I'm beginning to believe that that is what has already happened.”

  “Why? Because of Anata? It was only one incident.”

  “It doesn't matter how,” Kardos scowled. “I just need her existence to remain completely hidden.” He locked eyes with Zolt. “Can you do that or not?”

  Zolt inclined his head. “Of course I can, but I must remind you of what you already know, my shinno; nothing stays secret in a tribe for long.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  SHAYA

  Shaya didn’t like the new cabin. It felt too… grand for her. It was almost as though she was supposed to be somebody who belonged in that kind of environment, somebody who needed polished door handles and intricately decorated furniture. On top of that, items kept appearing in her room—from jewelry to decorate her head and hair, to adornments for her forearms and neck like what the shinno had, to items that could be used in the room to store things, such as little boxes and ornaments. She didn't want any of it.

  The fact that the room was bigger and had two windows were the only things she did like about it. She didn't need to pace as long, or as often, to satisfy the pressure that rose from her from being inside all the time, and of course the shinno was still taking her to see the ocean, accompanied with his attentions that left her sweaty, drowsy, and in an utterly peaceful bliss.

  She found that she actually enjoyed being tested on what she knew about the Southern Isles, but she suspected it was because she liked getting information and facts right.

  Treska would grin and clap whenever she remembered the right words to use and pronounced them correctly. Mayaros was unlike any other language she had learned before. Some of the words did not match up to the way in which she spoke the Common Tongue, they were switched around and seem to also turn back to front, but she didn't know why. All languages she learned had rules, but because Treska couldn't explain things to her fully, she didn't understand the rules of this language, and that was frustrating at times.

  A couple of days after moving into the new cabin, Treska was packing up after their lesson and Shaya stared at a page of her notes, realizing there was something she didn’t understand. “What is Az Eshra?”

  Treska slowed her actions as she thought for a moment, but shook her head when she came up blank. Checking her little notebook, she still couldn’t find anything.

  Shaya watched her become more frustrated. This Az Eshra was mentioned a lot when it came to Southern culture, how could she not be able to explain them?

  Finally, Treska seemed to have an idea. She held up one palm looked pointedly at Shaya. “Man.”

  Shaya nodded her understanding.

  She held up the other palm. “Woman.”

  Shaya nodded.

  Treska wriggled the first hand. “Alpha.” Then wriggled the second. “Omega.” She clasped her hands together. “Az Eshra.”

  Shaya pursed her lips. “They live in the Southern Isles?”

  “They live everywhere.”

  Shaya thought on it for a moment and then nodded. Kyus had told her that some cultures believed in spirits or worshiped nature in some form; she used to always tease Shaya about worshiping her “garden spirits.” Perhaps Az Eshra was an Alpha/Omega spirit that was important to the Southern Lands.

  As she prepared to leave, Treska said, “No learning tomorrow. Rest.”

  Shaya placed down the parchment she was making notes on. “You're not coming tomorrow?”

  Treska shook her head. “Everyone has break tomorrow. You must too.”

  “Oh.” Shaya wasn’t sure what to say about that. She was enjoying having Treska for company, even if it was to learn about Southern Lands culture. “How long is the break for?”

  Treska held up two fingers. Two days.

  “You're not coming for two days?” Shaya was unable to help the note of panic that entered her tone. She would have no real company for two days. Even though she spent a lot of time on her own back home, it was never in an environment like this, a closed cabin with windows.

  Treska made her way back to her and took her hands. “You work hard, Shaya,” she said softly, smiling at her. “You deserve rest.”

  Shaya smiled back at her, but she said nothing, afraid that Treska would feel obliged to spend her own time to rest with Shaya. Because it wasn't Shaya that truly needed the break, it was Treska. She had worked damn hard since the moment Shaya met her, and tried her hardest to make things easier for her. If she wanted a break, Shaya was not going to get in the way of that.

  “Thank you,” she said. “So I will see you in three days?”

  Treska nodded. “My ma will visit.”

  Shaya frowned. “Your mother?”

  Treska nodded. “She is…”

  Shaya waited for her to find a word, but she shook her head. “I don't know the word. She must meet you so she will come. I will be…”

  Once again she could not find the words, and although the look of frustration on her face was almost comical, Shaya felt sorry for her. “I look forward to meeting her,” she said, sincerely. “Thank you.”

  Treska shot her a stern look.

  “Yettsyrm,” Shaya corrected herself, repeating thank you in Mayaros.

  Treska grinned and headed to the door, chuckling as she did.

  The next day, Shaya found herself restless. She normally was in the morning, which was when she paced, but now that she knew that Treska was not coming, the day ahead seemed as though it would be an extraordinarily long one, an utterly boring one too. Looking at the information about the Southern Isles was not as interesting as when she studied it with Treska, who would tell her all the little bits of knowledge that she knew that were not on the parchment. Studying on her own meant that she had no idea if she got something right or if she was doing it completely wrong.

  Within an hour of picking up the parchment to try to study, she realized it was pointless. So she simply waited for the shinno to arrive, hoping that her restlessness would fade once she had some time with the ocean, and time with him. With each visit, she found herself more inclined to soften her distance from him. He still treated her the same, he still touched her gently and bought her to orgasm and spoke to her. “There is nothing more as beautiful as you, little bird.” The tingles in her stomach when he said that made her weak, and not just physically. She wanted to tell him he was beautiful too, that she could see he loved the ocean like she did, that she liked his hands on her, his kisses on every part of her. She shouldn’t want to tell him all that. She was supposed to remain firm, and not easily swayed, even by his attentions. But each time he looked at her with his ocean eyes, when his lips curled like he was seeing something amazing that no one else could see, when he told her she was beautiful… she could feel a piece of her resolve breaking.

  What she found unusual about his attention, was that he did not try to have sex with her again. It was almost as though the first time he did it was too unsatisfactory for him to try again, but that couldn't be true because she always felt his arousal underneath her bottom or against her hip, his thickness pressed against her when she cuddled into him. Th
e first time she felt it, she was fearful, wondering if he was going to take her again, but it was as though it didn't exist for him. She eventually realized that he was probably seeing the other angry woman whenever he got that aroused. Strangely, the idea saddened her, but she was glad that she wasn't having to experience what she had the first time. That kind of sex just wasn’t for her.

  She paced, tried to read, greeted Treska when she popped by with her lunch though did not stay, and tried to keep her mind busy. But before she knew it, the sky was already darkening. She straightened abruptly—the shinno had not arrived. Maybe he wasn't coming today at all.

  A slow panic descended on her as she realized what that may mean. She wouldn't be leaving this room at all for the whole day. She shot off the bed and went to look out of one of the small round windows, hoping that it would calm her, but there was no breeze, no salty scent, no expansive view. It did nothing but remind her that she was still in a box. It wasn't as dark or as small and horrible as the one that caused her to panic, but it was still a box nonetheless.

  As her breathing began to quicken, she looked around the room for something that might help, but there was nothing. Even the treatment for her shoulder and the potion she took that made her drowsy, and dull the pain, wasn't in the room anymore because her shoulder didn’t need it—it had largely healed.

  As she wandered around the room, becoming more frantic, her eyes landed on the door.

  What if she just stood outside for a moment? What if, just being out of the room would help? After hesitating for only a moment, she headed toward the door.

  Thankfully it wasn't locked. Shaya wasn't sure what she would have done if it had been. She peeked her head out and saw that the corridors were empty. Good. She slipped out and stood outside the door, breathing deeply, hoping that her pounding heart would calm. But the corridor was more oppressive than the room. It was small, narrow, and there weren’t any windows to let in any natural light. She looked down both ends of the corridor wondering if there was a way to get to any of the decks that had a balcony.

  Slowly, she picked a direction and walked down the corridor, keeping as close to the wall as she could and memorizing every part of where she was going so that she could make her way back, hopefully before anyone realized that she was gone. Treska wasn't coming before the next day, and she now doubted the shinno would either.

  As she reached the end of the corridor, she felt a slight breeze coming from one flight of stairs that would take her up a deck. She followed it, eager for fresh air, but when she reached the top of the stairs, she heard music coming from somewhere along the other end of the deck.

  She paused, wondering what to do. It must be very late into the evening by now, why would anybody be playing music?

  Before she had time to think about it, two women turned the corner, giggling and chatting, causing Shaya to jump. They talked animatedly between them until they saw her, and then they both grinned, and greeted her, and luckily, she was able to greet them back. They then said something she didn't understand and beckoned her to follow along.

  Shaya stared after them shocked. So people could be friendly here. If that was the case, why was the shinno keeping her locked away? She could understand if she came across as a threat to some of the tribeswomen, but the two that passed hadn’t known her at all, and they seem to be inviting her to follow them.

  Shaya looked around the deck, it was mostly empty, with a couple of tribespeople heading in one way or another, but most were heading toward the sound of the music. She wondered if she should ask someone where the nearest balcony was, but she didn't know the words in Mayaros. It wouldn't be a smart thing to do to draw attention to herself.

  As she stood there, three more groups of people walked past her, greeting her, and gesturing for her to come along toward the music. She found herself stepping in that direction, wondering where they were all going, and why they all seem so excited to go there. She had to admit, even just being out of the room and on the deck had lessened her panic somewhat, maybe she should just stay out of the room for a little longer before heading back. What would be the harm?

  Fortunately, she was dressed in one of the new outfits that Treska had brought for her, so she didn't look out of place among the other tribespeople, who were all dressed neatly, with ornaments in their hair, around their waists, their wrists, and neck. In fact, some of them looked utterly beautiful.

  She turned to face the stairs again, and thought through how she managed to get to where she was. If she could find her way back when she needed to, then she could pretty much go wherever she wanted.

  Making a decision, she headed toward the music, the thumping of a deep instrument pounding through her chest the closer she got. She followed with the others heading in that direction, through a couple of corridors and then under an archway, and she found their excitement almost rubbing off on her about what she would find.

  Suddenly, she realized she was back in the hall where the shinno had first spoken to the tribe when they set sail so many weeks ago. It was an enormous hall, with a decorated arched ceiling, but although the hall had been full the last time she had been in it, now it was almost bursting to the brim.

  The entire ship looked to be in attendance.

  Bodies jumped, writhed, and gyrated around her and she bumped into many as they sang along with the music and cheered. The deep heavy thud she had heard from down the deck was coming from the other side of the room, and entwined within it, rhythmic, strange sounds and melodies floated into the air, some deep and heavy that vibrated in her chest, others light and sharp.

  Shaya found herself jostled and bumped halfway across the space, and every time she tried to get out of someone's way, another person swept past her, spinning her around into another direction. There were even women who grabbed her and danced with her, laughing and grinning, before moving on. And suddenly, she found herself completely disorientated. Where had she come in from? She headed to the nearest wall, and stood against it, watching everybody dancing and laughing.

  She moved along the wall and came across a group of women dancing provocatively. Shaya had never seen anything like it and couldn't help but stare at them. They moved so uniquely, some of them so amazing. She would never be able to dance like that. Some of the women who were dressed in fewer clothes than the rest, swayed their hips, twirled, and put themselves on display. A heat rushed to her face as she saw the movements mirrored those that she did when Shinno Kardos was building her to an orgasm.

  She glanced away, her face hot, only to be drawn back again. She pushed off the wall, watching the women dance, becoming almost entranced by their movements. Had Kyus ever danced this way? She had seen her dance in some of the balls they had been to when she was younger, but nothing like this. The women here seemed so passionate, so bold, so honest. There was no embarrassment, no shyness, no trying to hide. They were proudly displaying their skills, and both men and women around them clearly appreciated it and encouraged them on.

  And as she stepped closer to the dancers, watching them all, she suddenly saw the shinno, recognizing his stature.

  He sat at one end of the hall leaning back in a thick, wide chair that looked similar to the one he sat on with her on the empty deck. In other, less impressive chairs around him, sat tribesmen, but directly in front of the shinno, a woman was contorting and spinning and twisting. She moved almost as though the music was playing for her, as though she was the expert at this dance, far outshining the others. Shaya could barely take her eyes off her. The dancer had an elegance about her the other women didn’t and she wondered if it was something she could learn, but even if she did, she could never dance that way and certainly not in front of anyone. The woman became bolder, touching parts of her body and brushing her arms and legs. Suddenly she was bent over, looking at the shinno through her legs as she displayed herself to him. Surely he must be able to see between her legs at that angle—she was barely wearing any clothes.

  Shaya's eye
s flicked up to the shinno and was shocked to find that he was looking directly at her!

  She gasped, held her breath in and took a few steps back, causing her to bump into a hard wall… a moving hard wall, in the middle of the space. When she turned, an Alpha was peering down at her.

  “I'm sorry,” she began, but then pressed her mouth shut. She couldn't speak the Common Tongue in here, and there was no word for sorry from what she’d come to understand.

  The Alpha suddenly broke out into a grin, and she recognized him. He was the one who tried to speak to her when she was tied up on the deck with the boulders.

  “Hallyzan,” he said. “Assh leyatte hevfra eshek.” Hello. I (something) look for you.

  Shaya smiled back at him politely, about to excuse herself, but suddenly he lunged forward and picked her up. He spoke again, but this time she was too distracted to figure out what he was saying, and he was speaking too quickly anyway. As she tried to tell him to put her down, a roar came from further down the hall, and with horror, she turned her head to see the shinno thundering toward them, the crowd parting as he made his way over.

  The fear that twisted in her was too intense for her to do anything except stare, and only when he was almost upon them did she realize that she was still being held by this Alpha. She wouldn't be able to get away!

  “Put me down,” she urged. “Put me down, please.”

  But the Alpha ignored her, watching the shinno. There was a wary look in his eyes as though he was both annoyed and confused by the shinno's anger, but Shaya did not want to be around when the shinno reached them. She hit the Alpha’s arm, trying to get him to release her, but he simply pulled her against him as he waited for the shinno's approach, as though to quieten her. She didn’t like it—it wasn’t the same as being against the shinno—and it annoyed her that he wasn't listening to her.