Then, she caught a flicker of movement from the corner of her eye.
Jodhar.
He lounged against a wagon wheel, arms crossed, his stancedeceptively relaxed. But it was his smirk—small, knowing—that sent ice down her spine.
He’d been watching her. For how long? Was it for amusement, or something else?
But she knew, in that instant, that heknew.
He’d known what she was from the moment they met—before she’d even taken the herbalist’s remedy. The realization sent a fresh wave of panic twisting through her stomach.
She quickened her pace, slipping into the area in the back where the horses and cattle were kept, her breath coming faster as the thick scent of hay and damp earth swallowed her whole.
Would the herbalist’s remedy be enough to mask her Omega presence?
She crouched by the water trough, fingers plunging into the muck, smearing filth over her arms, her throat, her face—anywhere her scent might escape. The cool grit clung to her skin, but her heart pounded so hard it drowned out the sounds of the camp.
Outside, voices carried on the morning air. Gruff orders. The shuffle of boots. The clatter of wagons being searched.
She grabbed a handful of hay, scattering it in steady, deliberate motions. She had to look like she belonged here.
Like she was no one at all.
Suddenly, the crunch of gravel sounded behind her. Panic spiked, but she kept her movements calm. Xian Jun appeared, nearly stumbling into her, his expression tightening as he took in her mud-smeared face. Relief flickered briefly—then vanished when a mercenary loomed behind him.
She spun sharply, pretending to focus on a sheep nosing at her arm, but the weight of the mercenary’s gaze burned against her back. Then—too fast to stop—he lunged, yanking the scarf from her head.
Reiya gasped, whipping around as golden hair tumbled free, catching the sunlight in a cascading spill. The man’s nostrils flared, his chest rising with a slow, deliberate inhale—like a wolf scenting its prey.
Xian Jun’s low, measured voice broke the silence in Isseric. “May I help you?”
She kept her expression neutral, lifting her chin as though she hadnothing to hide. The mercenary scrutinized her, eyes raking over her from head to toe, lips curling slightly in distaste at the sight of muck-covered skin and tangled hair.
“Is she yours?”
Xian Jun bent casually to retrieve the scarf and passed it back to her.
“Yes,” he said with a shrug, as if the question meant nothing. He grabbed a bale of hay from a nearby stack, pulling it free with a slight grunt.
“Her role?”
Xian Jun didn’t hesitate. “A servant.”
Without breaking eye contact with the man, he passed her the hay bale. “She tends the livestock.”
The mercenary’s eyes flickered. “She doesn’t look like one of you.”
Xian Jun let out an easy laugh. “The Talharen have spread across the nine kingdoms. We come in all shapes and colours.”
The man arched a brow but said nothing. The tense silence stretched. Reiya lowered her head and scattered the hay for the animals, hands moving methodically while her insides twisted.
She peered up just in time to see the mercenary’s hand drifting to the hilt of his sword. “We’re searching for a runaway Omega—golden hair, blue eyes, fair skin.” He paused, staring at Reiya, his brow furrowing. “Same colouring as this girl here.”
Xian Jun stepped forward. “I’m telling you, she’s part of our household.”
The man’s frown deepened, but he didn’t advance. “She’s rumoured to have washed ashore somewhere between Verosa Bay and Bashkor.”
“Verosa Bay?” Xian Jun sounded mildly surprised. “We took the eastern route along the Veilstrom Crest and avoided the coast. Too many pirates.”
