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  Emric nodded. "Yes, she told me that friends can sometimes make situations more bearable."

  Malloron thought on that for a moment. "Friends are for those that trust."

  "True," Emric agreed. "I thought her to be a little naive to make that statement. But when I thought about it deeper, everything I went through on my home island was more bearable because I had my mother."

  Malloron stacked up a pile of ripped books as he thought. Emric didn’t see his mother as being selfish because of the value she provided to him. "What else did Amara say?"

  "She said friendship is about both people, and not just one." Emric carefully picked up broken shards of glass. "And that when you can share something unique with a friend, it makes the connection between you unique. She suggested that my loyalty to you may be why I didn't have any friends—because it was difficult for me to find anyone else who had that same kind of dedication."

  Malloron had to chuckle. That certainly sounded like his Omega—she couldn't see how anyone could not hate him. When he glanced at Emric, the Gamma had a strange look on his face. "What is it?"

  Emric’s eyes slid to his. "Since she said that, I have been trying to see if that is true. And there is one person who makes his life about you almost as much as I do."

  “Who?"

  Emric frowned in thought, his voice low. "Banon."

  "Why do you bother to deny him, then?" Malloron asked, irritation entering his tone. "If you are truly mates, there is no point in denying it." It was something Amara had to learn as well.

  Emric lifted his shoulders. "He surrounds himself with… He likes to revel in the kind of activities…"

  Malloron grunted his understanding and moved on to another part of the room to clean it up. Banon had been consumed with sex when Malloron met him. He reveled in it; watching it, participating in it, encouraging it, talking about it. His position as the overseer of Malloron’s most popular pleasure chamber was not decided lightly—clients enjoyed his enthusiasm for what they did there and they kept returning partly because of him. Malloron hadn't realized that had changed until Banon admitted how he felt about Emric, but with Emric’s past, that must have been off-putting to the Gamma.

  As he lifted the cabinets that were not damaged too much, he wondered about Amara’s past. Immediately his annoyance over her lack of disclosure about her past lover came rushing back. The woman had been persistently unwilling to tell him anything that he really wanted to know, but maybe something in her past could help him.

  Once his mind returned to her, the memories of her beautiful scent and her luscious body filled his mind and the urge to get back to her eclipsed over him. He stood abruptly. "I need to get back."

  "I will continue on here, Your Majesty," Emric said. "Please alert the guards I will be here."

  Malloron was already out of the door before he finished speaking, but he told the guards that Emric now had unlimited access to the temple and then stormed back to Amara.

  As he climbed on top of her, encircling her with his arms and pressing his weight down on her, he breathed a sigh of relief. But it was short-lived.

  Not only was she still limp and unresponsive, but her body had cooled beyond normal. It was almost as though she was turning into a corpse! This was worse than he thought.

  "Amara!” The desperate nature in which he called her was clear in his tone, even in his mind, but it could not be helped. "Amara, wake up!”

  He focused his mind and tried to connect with her, but she was not present. And it suddenly dawned on him; she had purposely turned away. This was not a natural occurrence of the tenebris or her injuries or anything else. She had decided to no longer give him her attention, after all the time they spent together—after all the attention he had lavished her with—and that burned him deeply.

  He roared in anger and frustration, knowing that she could not even hear him. She would never come back to him unless he found a way to tempt her back. He had to make her believe that it was worth it, otherwise he would lose her. There was no telling how the tenebris might respond to her withdrawing from the world—she was effectively cutting herself off from the world of magic around her and if he didn't find a way to bring her back, he could lose her forever.

  ***

  “This is a surprise, King Malloron.” Emperor Drocco stood on the other side of the portal between them, his wide stature filling the center of it, his thick arms crossed against his chest. He looked as he always had. Equal in size to Malloron, the Eastern Lands Alpha held a bulkier form as a result of his warrior training. His skin was slightly lighter than Malloron’s, more of a sandy tan, and his black hair and eyes were both wild, a true sign of his savage nature. Malloron had initially despised him, seeing him as an easy target to infiltrate the Eastern Lands with his own magical goods, but Drocco proved himself to be smarter than he looked.

  “I thought we agreed that our partnership would be kept at a distance?” The Emperor’s expression was one of both annoyance and boredom. “I have no desire to speak to you. At any time.”

  Malloron didn't waste time responding with a cutting remark. Drocco did not play with his words and he wouldn't either. “I need your help.”

  Drocco’s expression peaked with interest, then his eyes narrowed. “What kind of help could I possibly give you?”

  “I have an Omega.”

  Drocco’s brows rose but Malloron continued before he could respond.

  “She is mine. I know it. But she is… withdrawn. I need to know how you made your Omega stay with you.” His throat actually burned at having to ask Drocco for advice, but Amara was growing colder with each moment that passed.

  Drocco was frozen for a moment, and then, of course, the bastard smiled. “You are sure she is yours?”

  “Yes,” Malloron muttered, agitated by his grin.

  “So if I were to sweep in and steal her from you,” Drocco said, his face darkening and his voice deepening, “and bring her across the White Ocean—”

  Malloron exhaled a rumble deep in his throat, his fists clenched as his anger spiked.

  “—and then poison her and tell her she will be my Empress—”

  “You have made your fucking point!” Malloron roared. “Time is of the essence, I am not interested in wasting it with your gloating.”

  Drocco squared his shoulders, his expression smug. “You need my help, don't you? I think an apology would be a fitting payment.”

  The rage that embraced Malloron could not be contained. He strode in a sweeping circle away from the portal, as he drew on wispy threads of magic, the cloak around his shoulders whipping around and billowing out as he turned back to face Drocco. The threads knitted together to create numerous orbs that hovered in the air around him, spinning and convulsing in brilliant shades of silver, indigo, and azure. “I will not be apologizing to you,” he bit out as Drocco’s eyes widened on the orbs. “Did I not assist you in getting your Omega back? Did I not support that endeavor to the very end? Did I not pay my dues for those actions you so easily throw in my fucking face?” Malloron roared and the orbs pulsed wilder. “Where is your honor now? We are allies and I am asking for help. But if I have to breach your Lands and tear down every single thing I come across until I find what I’m looking for to help my Omega, make no mistake—I will do it. It will not be that different from when you came here and did the same to me.”

  Drocco’s eyes met his, and something strange entered them. “She is your true mate,” he murmured.

  Malloron held still for a moment. “What does that mean?” He had heard of being attracted to a mate, but not the term “true mate.”

  Drocco’s jaw clenched and he turned away and paced in thought. Malloron watched him, his anger calming a little, but keeping the orbs intact. Drocco seemed to make his decision abruptly. He strode back to the portal, his expression serious. “If she is your true mate, I will help. Be specific and quick.”

  Malloron took a breath and calmed the lingering rage that still bounde
d through him. He had to think properly and get the right kind of information. He dispersed the orbs, and the room darkened slightly as they faded away.

  “Firstly, how do you happen to have the detailed knowledge you have about Omegas?” he asked. “Where does it come from?”

  “Research.” The Emperor didn't elaborate, but it made sense. He had always been looking for the Omegas.

  “Your own?”

  Drocco nodded. “And the Records Keep in Ashens. I’m sure you are aware it holds some general information and research, nothing spectacular.”

  “What is a true mate?” Malloron asked.

  “The Omega you are highly compatible with. No other will ever meet your needs the way she will. She is made for you and you for her. The connection between a true mate pairing is superior to any other. It is a purer and more satisfying connection. True mates will also live longer than other mated couples.”

  Malloron nodded, both relieved and satisfied that Amara was that for him—without a doubt. He had known it even without knowing the term. “How did you get your Omega to trust you—to stay with you?”

  “You are asking me to share with you the deeply personal aspects of our relationship, Malloron,” Drocco said, his voice rough. “I cannot do that.”

  “You agreed to help,” Malloron pointed out.

  “Not at the cost of revealing what is private between me and my Omega,” Drocco snapped.

  The two Alphas glared at each other for a long moment.

  “Tell me something that will help me,” Malloron said through gritted teeth. “What did you learn that would be most beneficial to me?”

  Drocco broke the stare between them and his black eyes roved the wall behind Malloron as he thought. “Get her to understand the importance of what you have. She is made to be a pleasure to you, just as you are to her. You are already compatible. You just need to find out what is making her lack that connection with you.”

  Malloron exhaled in frustration. He already knew what that was. This wasn't helping.

  “My Omega had been taught to think a certain way about Alphas that prevented her from connecting with me as she should. And I…” He struggled to find words for a moment and then settled Malloron with a look that suggested he wasn't going to continue.

  Malloron thought for a moment. Could that be true of Amara? No. Everything she hated about him was based on her actual experiences and accurate knowledge of him. She was not mistaken or misguided and he never once tried to be anything he wasn't.

  “I am busy, Malloron,” Drocco snapped. “I do not have time to stand here while you think.”

  “It wasn't just that, though, was it?” Malloron said slowly, ignoring him. “Did you never have disagreements with your Omega about how you treated her? I seem to remember—”

  Drocco’s shoulders jerked. “Be careful what you say next, Malloron,” he growled. “I’m trying to fucking help you!”

  “I need to know exactly how to get Amara to come to terms with what I have done,” Malloron shot back. “You are not helping.”

  Drocco froze. “What is her name?”

  Malloron tensed slightly. “Amara.”

  Drocco’s arms loosened and fell to his sides as he took a breath. He turned away from the portal. “Fuck.” The word was uttered under his breath and he shook his head as he clenched his fists a number of times.

  Malloron watched him closely, a hot agitation twisting in him. He asked the next question slowly, willing himself not to attack if he heard the wrong answer. “Do you know her?”

  Drocco turned back to him. “She is Cailyn’s friend. They are as close as sisters. In fact, they do consider themselves sisters.”

  Malloron frowned. He hadn't considered that Amara might have family. She always spoke of her team as her highest concern, but he knew nothing about her beyond what he had witnessed when he watched her in those first few weeks.

  “What have you done to her?” Drocco demanded.

  Malloron shook his head, his jaw hard. He would not be discussing Amara’s condition or the tenebris with Drocco or anyone else. “That is not your concern, Drocco.”

  “Cailyn has been worried about Amara since I told her you knew about Omegas in your castle,” Drocco snapped. “She wanted to warn her or get her out. I was honor-bound to our agreement so I have refused her, but we have fought over it many, many times. Whatever you have done to her sister will now impact her and our relationship. I want to know what you have done.”

  “Do you think I will allow you to interfere? She is still my Omega.”

  Drocco clenched his fists and snarled but before he could say anything, Malloron held up a hand, thoughts crowding him as an idea formed.

  “There is a way you can help. It might help things between you and Cailyn, and it would help me and Amara immensely.” He spoke smoothly, the negotiator back in charge. But, in truth, he desperately needed his newly formed plan to work. “I will need you to tell me everything you know about Omegas, and I also need any information you have, anything in any of your research or in your keep, that mentions Gammas.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  AMARA

  Something strange penetrated her weightless nothingness. Her mind had slowed considerably, and thinking was a chore, but the disturbance intrigued her. It wasn't anything she recalled experiencing in this form before and yet it was mildly familiar.

  Engaging her mind was surprisingly difficult. She held onto her focus and pushed her sluggish attention toward the subtle vibrations. They were coming from beyond her and seeping into the depths of where she had found peace.

  She drew her mind closer to the vibrations and slowly noticed they were patterned ripples that came in threes, with the third ripple delayed. Why was that familiar?

  She watched the ripples as they floated in, gently rocking her whole body, but as she did, she became aware of thick arms around her waist and muscled legs under her bottom. No! She didn't want to become aware of him again. But before she could retreat, the ripples became stronger, and they were indeed familiar. They were part of a game she played at the Omega Compound.

  Confusion flooded her for a moment. How could the Alpha know about that? The ripples were so familiar and reminded her of such a simpler, happier time, that tears sprung to her eyes.

  Tentatively, she focused her mind, and the room began to materialize before her. But it didn't materialize as easily as it had before. The magic in the room struggled to show itself, and some parts of the room remained blank in her mind’s eye. A strange pressure embraced her body, and she tentatively held the view for a long moment to see if it would increase, but it didn't.

  It was obvious she was back in Eiros Castle. She could have guessed that without "seeing” the room, but she hadn't ever been in this specific room before. It had the same feel as the rooms allocated to her when she had first been caught, except it was larger and better furnished. She sat on the lap of the Alpha, facing away from him, as he sat on the edge of the bed holding her around her waist. But she wasn't able to truly examine her surroundings, because she saw a face she hadn't seen in years.

  Cailyn.

  Even made up of magic Cailyn looked beautiful. She knelt on the floor by the bed looking up at Amara, her curly hair tumbled over her shoulders and appeared longer and bushier than Amara had ever seen it before, and she was… relaxed. Amara reached out to her. Cailyn rose up on her knees and reached back, drawing her into an embrace.

  The smell of Cailyn reminded her of home and so many memories flashed through her mind; rolling in dusty sand trying to look as worn as the older spies that came back from the Lands, running between the huts chasing her sisters and being chased, trying to capture the sickly sweet sap of the feven tree leaf for Granny Grethen’s cooking lessons, standing in her first training lesson as a spy with Cailyn and Victoya grinning like a madwoman… She didn't know when she began sobbing. She only knew they tore out of her, wracking her body with shudders so deep, the Alpha’s arms tightened aro
und her to steady her. She buried her face into Cailyn’s neck, barely registering the shudders coming from Cailyn’s body, and cried until no more tears would come. By that time, Cailyn’s shaking had stopped and she rubbed her palm in small circles on Amara’s back.

  A strange calm descended on Amara. Her head lolled on Cailyn’s shoulder and she breathed out a sigh, realizing a heavy weight had lifted from her.

  Slowly, Cailyn pulled away until she faced Amara again. Cailyn cupped Amara’s jaw and wiped her face, and Amara suddenly realized she was talking. Her mouth moved, and a vibration seemed to be coming from her chest, but Amara couldn't hear her. Amara took both of Cailyn’s hands and rested them over her ears and shook her head. Cailyn spoke again.

  "She said it doesn't matter.”

  Amara almost jumped at the Alpha’s voice in her mind. She had almost forgotten he was there, watching and listening to everything. She had become comfortable sitting with his arms around her and hadn't noticed. Why hadn't he left? Why couldn't he let her have time with her sister alone? Annoyed, she tried to disentangle herself from him, but he tightened his grip.

  Cailyn grabbed her hands to get her attention and then shook her head.

  Amara exhaled in frustration. Cailyn didn't understand. She took Cailyn’s hands again and placed them over her eyes and then her ears, but Cailyn moved her hands to Amara’s chest.

  They sat for a long moment, watching each other, then Cailyn created a small wave of pale peach magic and pushed it toward her. Amara smiled. She took hold of the magic, and wove it into a ball and pushed it back at Cailyn. Cailyn took hold of the ball and twist it into a diamond shape, and pushed it back to Amara. They continued the game, transmuting the same threads of magic, getting faster and faster, until Amara took hold of it too roughly, and accidentally dispersed it in an explosion of sorts that sparked a warmth across their faces.

  They both gasped in shock and fell about laughing.

  The Alpha grabbed the back of her head and turned her to face him as she giggled. Amara quickly closed her eyes so she wouldn't see him—she didn't want to—and her laugh faded quickly. An agitated growl that she could feel within her body and hear in her mind rumbled out of him, but she didn't care.