It's not a request. I glance at Kaia, who's watching us through half-closed eyes, then at Alessia, who gives me a small nod that might be reassurance. I force myself to move away from the bed, every step feeling like I'm walking through deep water. My hand wants to stay on my sword hilt but I drop it to my side, trying to project that I'm not a threat even though we both know I could be.
Zara pulls me to the far corner of the room, near the window where the afternoon light streams in. Up close, she's even more intimidating than she was from a distance. Tall and powerful, with an Alpha presence that makes my Beta instincts scream at me to submit. But I'm not her Beta. I'm Kaia's. So I hold my ground and meet her eyes, even though it takes every ounce of courage I have.
"Why would you travel through the Shadowlands?" she asks. Her voice is low enough that Alessia probably can't hear from across the room, but there's steel in it. "Do you have any ideahow many have died trying to cross that territory? How many bodies we've found of those foolish enough to attempt it?"
"Promise me you won't hurt my Omega," I say instead of answering. The words come out fierce despite my fear, despite knowing I'm in no position to make demands. "Promise me safe passage home for her when this is over, whatever this is. That's all I need to know before I answer anything."
Zara's eyebrows rise slightly. "You're not in a position to negotiate."
"I'm not negotiating." I keep my voice steady through sheer force of will. "I'm begging. Promise me."
Something shifts in her expression, a slight softening around her eyes. "I won't hurt her. You have my word."
"Swear on your life," I press, knowing I'm pushing my luck but unable to stop. "I need more than just words."
Zara studies me for a long moment, and I can see her weighing whether to be offended or impressed by my audacity. Finally, she nods. "I swear on my life that I won't hurt your Omega. Is that sufficient?"
"Swear on the magic," I hear myself say, and I don't even know where the words come from. They just feel right, necessary even. "Whatever magic brought us here, swear on that."
Her eyes widen slightly, surprise flickering across her features. Then slowly, she places her hand over her heart. "I swear on the magic that binds us, on the prophecy that brought you here, that I won't hurt Kaia. I swear it on my own magic and my crown and everything I hold sacred. Is that enough?"
The sincerity in her voice, the weight of whatever oath she just spoke, settles something in my chest. I nod, some of the tension finally draining from my shoulders. "Thank you."
"Now answer my question," she says, but there's less edge to it now. "Why did you come through the Shadowlands? What were you looking for?"
"We came to find the dragons," I admit, the truth spilling out now that I've got her oath. "That was the original plan, anyway. But it quickly turned into something else. Kaia felt the magic first and then I did. Things that shouldn't be possible are happening and I..." My voice trails off as my eyes move across the royal chamber, taking in details I somehow already know. The placement of the windows, the color of the curtains, the pattern in the rug beneath my feet. I frown, confusion making my head swim. "Why do I feel like I've been here before?"
"Because for a moment, you were in our bed," Zara says calmly, as if this is a perfectly normal thing to say. "It seems the magic has been working overtime to bring us together. You and Kaia appeared in our castle and left your scents on our sheets. We've been searching for you without even knowing who you were."
The casual way she says it, like it's fact rather than impossible fantasy, makes my stomach flip. "That's not possible."
"And yet here you are." She tilts her head slightly, studying me. "The magic doesn't lie, Solace. It brought you here for a reason."
"Kaia just didn't want to be a pawn anymore," I say, trying to ground this conversation in something concrete, something I understand. "That's why we left. She was done waiting for someone else to decide her fate."
"Explain," Zara commands, though there's curiosity in her tone now rather than suspicion.
I take a breath, organizing my thoughts. "Her father, King Frederik, promised her hand in marriage to anyone who could slay a dragon. It's been the challenge for years. Alphas from all over Valoria have been attempting it, trekking across the country to try to kill one of you and win her as a prize. None of them have succeeded, obviously. Kaia got tired of being offered up like a trophy to whoever could commit murder. So she decided to takematters into her own hands. Come here herself, face the dragons herself, take control of her own destiny instead of letting her father dictate it."
Zara's expression shifts through several emotions before landing on something that looks almost like amusement. She laughs, the sound low and incredulous. "So your kingdom is the reason Embrath has suffered all these attacks. I shouldn't be surprised that our prophecy has chosen your princess. The magic does love its irony."
I frown, not understanding. "What prophecy?"
"The one that's been foretold for centuries," Zara says, her eyes distant for a moment before focusing back on me. "The prophecy spoke of a golden Omega who would come to complete our bond, to bring prosperity to Embrath and unite what has been divided. I never thought she'd come through the Shadowlands, nor did I think she would be a wolf. I certainly didn't expect her to be the daughter of the king who's been sending warriors to kill us."
"She's not one," I say automatically, then catch myself. "A wolf, I mean. She can't shift. Most of our Omegas can't, though they have other magic to compensate." I almost explain the magic but I don’t want to show my whole hand just yet.
Zara hums thoughtfully, her gaze sharpening. "I can see in your eyes that you still seek the dragons, even if it's just out of curiosity now. That part of your mission hasn't completely died."
"I know that they exist, and that is enough," I say firmly, meeting her eyes. "I'm not here to hurt anyone. I just wanted to keep Kaia safe. That's all I've ever wanted."
She laughs again, the sound warmer this time. "I suppose I'll take that for now. But answer me this, why would you push forward with your Omega in that state? Surely you knew traveling during pre-heat was dangerous, let alone through the Shadowlands."
"We followed the magic, as foolish as that was," I admit, feeling heat creep up my neck. "The pull was so strong that Kaia couldn't resist it, and I couldn't let her go alone. We tried to be careful, tried to time it right, but the magic had other plans. It wanted us here now, consequences be damned."
Zara studies me for another long moment, and I can see her reassessing, recalculating whatever assumptions she made about us. "You're nothing like I thought you or Kaia would be," she finally says. Then she nods toward the bed where Alessia is still standing over Kaia, looking down at her with an expression of such open longing that it makes my chest tight. "Go hold your Omega before my wife steals her."
The words are teasing but there's truth underneath them. I chuckle nervously, the sound coming out strained, and move back toward the bed. My legs feel unsteady, adrenaline finally starting to drain now that the immediate threat seems to have passed. Alessia glances up as I approach, and the smile she gives me is soft and welcoming.
