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Naya had clapped her hands together, squeezing them in excitement. “You have a gift for me?”
“Of course,” Gramma had said, her face solemn.
“Why didn’t you give it to me at the celebration?”
Gramma was quiet for a moment. “It wouldn’t have been appropriate.”
Naya opened her mouth and closed it again, unsure what appropriate meant.
“My gift is probably more important than all the other gifts given today.” Gramma added, “I wanted to give it to you privately.”
Naya nodded, curiosity drawing her in. “What is it?” she’d whispered.
“Knowledge,” Grandma had said. “Specifically knowledge about being an Omega.”
Naya nodded again. This must have been something she hadn’t been told at her celebration.
Gramma twisted on the bed to face Naya as squarely as she could. “I spent my life with a man who could never love me the way he loved the woman who gave birth to your mother.”
Naya had frowned, already confused, but didn’t speak. Something in Gramma’s tone told her not to interrupt.
“He loved me in his own way. But in many ways, I wish he hadn’t come back after finding her. I could have moved on and not been reminded of the pain of it every day. You’re definitely an Omega now, Naya. You have the chance to find a special kind of love.” She paused.
Naya watched her eyes shift under her lids as they closed for a moment.
“Don’t waste that,” she said finally, opening her eyes to meet Naya’s. “If you find your mate, claim him as soon as you can. Protect yourself and prevent the ongoing heartbreak of anyone else attached to him. I know you’re only twelve and your instincts will develop over time. But once you reach womanhood, take steps to find him.”
She reached out and ran her finger along the charm bracelet on Naya’s wrist that blocked her Omega instincts, her scent, and her use of magic. “Don’t allow this to stay on your wrist forever. Make yourself strong so you don’t have to wear it. You can’t be blocked if you are to detect your mate.”
Naya’s brows drew closer as thoughts crowded in on her. Though she had learned what a mate was, there hadn’t been much mention of them at her celebration. “Are mates important?”
“True mates? Yes. Especially for Omegas.”
“Why?”
“For many reasons. You will learn all about them over time, but I will say that your true mate is born for you and you alone. They will feel pride and joy to protect and care for you. They will give you children more easily.” Gramma’s voice became strained. “They are attracted to you in a way that can’t be the same with anyone else.”
“But…” Something still didn’t make sense to Naya. Gramma was a Beta. How did she know all this?
“Think of it like this,” Gramma said. “Have you noticed how Mama and Papa are with each other?”
Naya blinked at her. “How they are?”
“Yes. They are always close, always touching. Your papa is very protective of your mama and your mama soothes your papa. Yes?”
Naya nodded, bewildered that she was even pointing it out. Wasn’t every couple like that?
“They are the clearest example of what it means to be with your true mate,” Gramma said. “Just watch them and you’ll see.” She smoothed her hand over the blanket as Naya yawned and she leaned in to whisper, “Just watch them and see.”
Gramma died a year later. But Naya had always remembered the conversation, as well as how serious Gramma had been when she’d said it. She’d always doted on Naya and took pleasure in spoiling her, while being gentle with any reprimand. But that night, she’d been serious, almost hard in her tone. So Naya watched her parents, maybe obsessively so. And maybe that had made her glorify the idea of them.
So as much as she wanted to, Naya couldn’t ignore their opinions, especially since that’s not how she’d be raised. In the book, The Hidden Chronicles of the East, it stated, “A good ruler had to take opposing opinions and information into account before making a decision that would impact their people.” Naya had to consider her parents’ points. It stood to reason if her parents had set up a pairing meeting between her and Lonn, they’d been thinking about arranging a marriage. They weren’t ones to make rushed decisions, so regardless of her gramma’s wishes, maybe she needed to consider all the facts.
If she married someone of their choosing, and not her true mate, what were the possible outcomes?
With Lonn, she’d be with someone who understood Lox culture and was a good warrior with ambition. But she didn’t know anything about his political opinions or even which country in the empire he was from, so she’d need to spend some time getting to know him. There was also the question of attraction. He was certainly a good-looking man, but what did he think of her? Even though she wasn’t known for her beauty, she’d prefer a man who was more attracted to her than her status—but that was most likely impossible without her true mate.
When she started attending pairing meetings, she’d discovered that most men were intimidated by her, in awe of her status in the empire or only saw her as a route to the ruling seat. Lonn hadn’t reacted to her in any of those ways, but he’d known who he was meeting. She hadn’t spoken to him long enough to sense his opinion of her.
