by Zoey Ellis
“Gifford and Ida Betheron,” the man said.
Drocco nodded. "I need to know about your daughter. Anything about her you remember at all, tell me."
"It was a long time ago," Gifford said tersely. "You haven't told me yet why you need this information. Do you believe her to be the Omega you’re looking for? The Omega that has been taken?"
Drocco's gaze hardened. "That isn’t your concern."
"If you are looking for my daughter, it is my concern," the man said, his tone deep and vibrating throughout the kitchen. "You may have been looking for her for a few weeks, but we been searching for her for years."
Once again, Drocco remained silent. He and the Alpha glared at each other, but the longer he observed the older man, the more he recognized the determination in his eyes. He would not speak again this time. Drocco had seen that look before—in his Omega.
"I cannot discuss it with you," Drocco said, harshly. "It is Imperial business."
Desperation entered the man's tone. "Have the courtesy to tell me if my daughter is alive and well."
"I don't know if she is your daughter yet," Drocco said. "I need you to tell me all you know. She was five when she was taken. She should have developed enough features and characteristics for you to tell me if she is the same Omega I had in the Palace."
The man closed his eyes and swallowed, while his wife lowered her eyes. “I will speak if you let my wife leave.”
Ida shot her husband a look. “No, Gifford. It is our history.”
Gifford opened his eyes to serve her a look of warning. “It is mine.”
“Are you forgetting she was my child too?” Ida said, harshly. “I miss her every day.”
“Speak!” Drocco bellowed, causing them both to tense. “I’m about to go to war for this girl. I don’t have time for your marital squabbles!”
The couple turned away from each other, both looking uncomfortable.
"My wife was pregnant with our eldest son when I met Cailyn’s mother,” Gifford said, his voice quiet.
Drocco blinked, surprised.
“I fell very deeply in love with her,” he continued. “In fact, I am still in love with her.”
Ida fixed her gaze straight ahead but her hands clenched into tight fists in her lap.
“I met her at the market and, at first, I just thought she was a pretty girl with a great laugh.”
Drocco resisted from flinching. He hadn’t even heard Cailyn laugh yet.
“Then I began to notice that her scent was… different. She smelled so good, it was difficult for me not to become aroused by her.” The elder Alpha paused for a moment, glancing at his wife before he continued. “I started to do more for her and get to know her. I never went out of my way, but she visited the market a lot. I would deliver her purchases home for her on many occasions, but once, I arrived to find her in a delirious state. She was barely dressed, her eyes were golden, and she was highly aroused. Her scent was just… it caused me to go into a rut. I…” His voice faltered and there was silence.
“She was an Omega,” Drocco confirmed, his voice hard. “You found an Omega and you didn’t report it?”
“How could I?” Gifford returned, just as hard. “I mated with her throughout her Haze, and then she was pregnant. You are aware that Omegas cannot be separated for too long from their Alpha during pregnancy? How could I let that happen?”
Drocco scowled. He was right. The only way he could have ensured the health of both the Omega and the child was to stay with them. If they had been reported to the King of Ashens, it wouldn’t have been guaranteed.
“I moved into her house while she carried the baby to full term,” Gifford said, miserably.
His wife’s jaw clenched, but she continued to stare across the kitchen and remained quiet. Drocco watched her. If she had been pregnant with their son, that must mean she went through the remainder of her own pregnancy without him.
“Once the baby was born, and it was confirmed it was a girl, Nearra stayed to nurse her for a few days and then she told me to take the child back to my wife. She said my wife would accept me back, and she knew the baby would have a good home.”
“Did you know her?” Drocco asked his wife.
“No,” Ida spat, with as much force as she could. “I didn’t know her. She was never once mentioned to me until my husband finally returned, after having begged and pleaded with her to keep him.”
“I already gave you the option to save yourself distress,” Gifford said, his own tone harsh. “You’re still welcome to leave if you wish.”
Ida turned to him. “She is my daughter. You and your whore’s sins are not my Cailyn’s. I named her, I raised her, and I love her. I know more about her than you ever will. If she is the Emperor’s Omega, I will not leave!”
A long silence hung in the air before Ida turned back to the Emperor.
“What did she look like?” Drocco asked her.
“She has curly hair, it was a light brown at the time she was taken, and she has beautiful brown eyes,” Ida said, her face softening. “She loved to sing and dance and run wild in the yard. She was so strong-willed… never gave up when she wanted something.” A small smile appeared on the woman’s lips. “She once stayed out in the yard for hours in a tantrum because her brother refused to walk her down to the pigs’ pen to collect a toy she left there. By the time I got her in, she was muddy and hysterical. Only her mulled fruit and honey drink calmed her.” Ida’s smile deepened. “And of course, cuddles and kisses and a story.” Ida looked down at her hands as she wrung them in her lap, her face sobering. “I felt sure she was a Beta,” she whispered.
“Does she have a small birthfreckle on her left shoulder blade?” Drocco asked.
“Yes!” Ida gasped. She rose to her feet, her eyes widening to frightening proportions. “Does your Omega have that too?”
Drocco hesitated to answer. It would not be a good idea to encourage them that they could be parents to Cailyn.
“Tell me!” the woman urged, almost breathless.
“Sit down, Ida,” Gifford snapped, before Drocco could answer. “He doesn’t have to tell us anything.” He served his wife with a vicious glare. “I know you’re feeling your emotions deeply, but I would remind you that you are speaking to our Emperor. Your outbursts are not appropriate and will be dealt with later if the Emperor chooses not to punish you himself.”
Ida’s face dropped. She lowered back to her seat, her eyes glued to the floor. “I apologize for being disrespectful, your Imperial Majesty. I can assure you, I’m not usually so bold. I feel… strongly about my daughter.”
Another silence grew as Drocco watched them both. “You have no other daughters?” he asked.
“No, your Imperial Majesty,” Ida replied.
“What happened to the Omega once you came back to your wife?” Drocco asked Gifford.
“I never saw her again. I never inquired after her or sought her out.”
“I did,” Ida whispered.
Gifford started, turning to gape at her. “What?”
“I went to the market to ask about her,” Ida said, her eyes still on the floor.
“Why?” Gifford barked. “After everything—”
“I thought I saw her,” Ida said, raising her eyes to Drocco’s. “I thought I saw her once in Ricsford.”
“Tell me,” Drocco ordered.
Ida took a deep breath. “We used to have land in Ricsford. It was small and we mainly used it to grow fruit—the land there is different than the land here, we could grow more kinds of fruit there to sell. Anyway, I used to visit regularly to check on the crops, and would take Jayen and Cailyn with me. They were only little and would spend most of the time playing or sleeping. Once, as I loaded the carriage, I thought I saw a woman on the neighboring land that I hadn’t seen before. I didn’t pay much notice until I went to get the children and Cailyn wasn’t there.” She paused, pressing her lips together. “I found her standing at the gate that separated the lands talki
ng to the woman. When I approached, the woman quickly walked away before I got there.”
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me this?” Gifford growled.
“I took the children home and went back to the neighboring land, but the family there didn’t know the woman or recognize her description,” Ida said, her voice wavering. “As I continued thinking about it, I realized the woman had Cailyn’s hair—curly, rich, coppery.”
Gifford groaned and closed his eyes.
“So I went to look for her at the market,” Ida continued, as though Gifford didn’t exist.
“And?” Drocco asked.
“No one knew her, or recognized any description of her,” Ida said. “One of the older Betas said he thought he knew who I was talking about but that she hadn’t been seen in a long time. When I worked it out, she had disappeared after Cailyn had been born.”
“Why did you try to find her, Ida?” Gifford grabbed her arm and shook her a little. “Why the hell would you seek her out?”
“I wanted to tell her not to come near my family,” Ida said, her green eyes filling with tears.
“I could have—”
“No,” Ida said, bitterly. “I couldn’t trust you to do anything, Gifford. All she would have to do is open her legs and you would fall between them like a desperate fool.”
Gifford tensed, releasing her arm as she fell into quiet sobs.
“I was scared she wanted Cailyn back,” Ida said, between her sobs. “I just wanted her to say away from us. And then within a few weeks, Cailyn was gone.”
“Do you think she took her?” Drocco asked.
Ida lifted her shoulders. “I don’t know. Her mother was an Omega—it was always likely she would be one too, even though I hoped not. We had none of her family history to know for certain, but Gifford’s family has been strong with Alphas and Omegas. I couldn’t tell if her disappearance was just another Omega disappearance or if it was her… mother.”
“Ida,” Gifford rasped. He took her into his arms and pressed her against him, his face pained as he comforted her. “You should have told me.”
Drocco watched him tend to his wife. Clearly, the Alpha cared about his Beta wife and felt remorse for his actions, even though his connection to the Omega was most likely far more superior than the one to his wife. It was a strange complication—one he hadn’t fully considered. He pulled out a chair from the table and sat opposite them, waiting until the wife calmed.
“Tell me everything you remember about her,” he said, leaning forward on his knees. “Everything. Start from birth.”
***
When Drocco returned to the Palace, Torin awaited his arrival.
“Ready?” Drocco asked as he brushed past him at the Palace entrance.
“Yes. We have acquired numerous Western Lands trader ships plus we have the ships of the other traders we imprisoned. It will be a formidable fleet.” He fell into step with Drocco. “I decided that we will use their captains and crew rather than try to manage the ships ourselves.”
Drocco shot Torin a somber look, but nodded. It made sense. “They will need to be watched constantly.”
Torin nodded. “Of course.”
“How many will stay to secure the Palace and the Empire?” Drocco knew that going to war so soon after securing the Empire threatened his rule, but he had no choice. The best he could do was collect Cailyn as quickly as possible and return to ensure his Empire still stood.
“Three thousand.”
Drocco glanced at him again. “That seems low, Torin.”
“The entire Empire is behind you, Drocco. They are outraged that their Omega Empress has been stolen. Every territory has sent goods to support our travel and offered young men to join the Lox, which of course I declined. But they will use their people to try to uphold Lox principles.”
Drocco slowed, a frown on his face. “Do you think they are simply trying to pacify us until we leave?”
“No,” Torin replied. “Drocco, I don’t think you understand the effect of the announcement about having an Omega had on the citizens. Your people loved the idea of her, even though they never saw her. To them, you achieved the impossible.”
“But the casualties during the search… they weren’t happy about that.”
Torin inclined his head. “There is still some disgruntlement amount that,” he admitted. “But most citizens now see it was all to search for your Omega. They understand that, if not completely forgiven it. The families of those that died have been compensated by the rulers of their territories without me having to get involved.”
Drocco stopped outside his bedroom in deep thought. Cailyn’s mere existence had begun to unite the Empire in a way that would have taken him years, possibly decades, to do.
“We will be ready to leave as soon as you rest, Drocco,” Torin said, interrupting his thoughts.
“I need no rest,” Drocco said, resting his hand on the doorknob. “Give me a few minutes and we sail to Eiros.”
Torin dipped his head in a sharp nod and headed back down the corridor.
Drocco let himself into his bedroom and stood, observing it. He had refused anyone else from entering and, apart from the removal of stale food, it hadn’t been cleaned or tidied since the day Cailyn escaped. It was still a mess, but it smelled faintly of her.
Drocco made his way to the middle of the room and looked at the wall he had been pinned to. The blood stain could barely be seen among the rich patterning, but for Drocco, it was a stark mark of shame. Part of him was proud that Cailyn had been able to wound him so fearlessly and escape, but he hadn’t been expecting it. He turned to look at the window, his fists clenched. She had managed to stay out of his reach as soon as she was able to use the Talent again, but there was nowhere in the entire known Lands that she could go where he wouldn’t find her. Not the Western Lands, the Southern Lands, or the Deserts. He would always find her. He would always bring her back to him.
He took a deep breath, trying to capture what remained of her faded scent. Firming his mind, he headed out of the door.
It was time to collect his Omega.
CHAPTER FOUR
CAILYN
“Are you ready?"
Cailyn nodded, almost too eagerly. Anticipation jittered throughout her whole body. "I feel like I’ve been stuck in here for years. I can’t bear it a moment longer."
Emric chuckled. "It’s only been two and a half months, Cailyn," he said, smiling. "And we made good time. Surely being allowed to walk around the ship helped the time to pass quicker?”
Cailyn relaxed into a small smile. "Yes, thank you for that, but I still felt like I was in here for decades."
Emric muttered something about being dramatic and escorted her out of her cabin.
It had been a difficult journey. Cailyn did indeed suffer from seasickness for the first half of it, and the endless frothy landscape outside of her window didn't help. Helyna, who turned out to be a quiet, watchful woman, brought her mint tea to help calm her stomach and also a few books to read to pass the time. However, the cabin became so unbearable, she found herself too distressed to eat.
The only thing that calmed her at first were thoughts of her nest. She curled up on the bed and pretended she was cocooned in its safe, warm blankets and sheets. Then she pretended she could feel Drocco’s purr; that his arms were wrapped around her with her cheek flush against his chest. And then… the unbidden memories of him sliding inside her, holding her down, claiming her mouth shuddered through her mind—she produced slick whenever she thought too much about those times, which had never happened before. She never produced slick when she was blocked. She had no idea if her true scent had filled the room, but Helyna, who visited every day, and Emric, who visited sporadically, never mentioned it. She made sure she washed thoroughly and tried not to think about Drocco at all, but without the comfort of those memories, a sharp anxiousness at her captivity persisted.
Emric arranged small walks around the ship for her periodically, wh
ich she suspected was at the insistence of Helyna. She hadn't been allowed to go to the top deck, but the sharp ocean air whipped through the lower decks of the ship and helped to calm and improve her mood. Emric escorted her on all of her walks insisting that they both had to be vigilant, even though the slaves had all been confined to their rooms during that time. For Cailyn, it was the most interesting time on the ship, even though she never ended up seeing any slaves. The ship itself felt like a beast, creaking and groaning as it lurched through the ocean while heavy footsteps, unintelligible voices, and strange clanging echoed throughout it.
After they began walking together, Emric came more frequently to chat with her. She had been wary of his company at first, but he seemed interested to talk mostly about himself and the Western Lands. She found herself intrigued by his depictions of the Talent and the drastic differences between the many cultures of the Western Lands. It seemed like an entirely different world from the Eastern Lands.
An urge to inquire about Drocco grew steadily. She knew he would have survived her attack, but she had no idea what steps he would take next. The Mothers believed he would not stop chasing her until he found her, but he wouldn’t have known that she had been taken to the Western Lands. He would have no way of finding her. She remembered him asking whether she was connected to Malloron, but she couldn't quite figure out what their relationship was. It was unlikely that the two Alphas would be friendly—Drocco hated the Talent and Malloron’s family was steeped deeply in Talent-lore. Regardless, Malloron didn’t seem to want to treat her badly so far, she would just have to wait and see what his intentions were. It was unlikely he had made her travel across the White Ocean only to then give her back to Drocco.
As she followed Emric through the ship, she noticed it was much quieter than the previous times she had walked along the decks.
"Are the slaves still in their cabins?" she asked, tentatively.
"No," Emric said over his shoulder to her. "They have been taken off."
Cailyn nodded. She knew that the Western Lands were very keen on slavery. It was an actual job that many chose to do and had so many different variations of roles. But the kind of slavery she felt most uncomfortable about were the forced slaves—usually criminals ended up as those kind of slaves, but it was rumored that many territories in the Western Lands engaged in forced slavery for whomever they could get.
