Chapter Eighteen
Serenya
I had dragged myself from the bed, finding a crate of my clothing waiting on the bench along the wall. It hadn’t been there when I went to sleep, so Kael had to have gotten out of bed at some point during the night to get it for me.
My heart clenched, tears pricking my eyes even as I told myself it was ridiculous to get emotional over a simple considerate action.
I had made myself presentable by the time the door chimed, and I took a deep breath to steady myself before pressing my hand to the scanner as Kael had told me to.
I startled when the door opened with a rush, three sets of eyes blinking back at me from the other side, slit pupils flexing as they took in my appearance before bowing their heads.
Two of them seemed older than Kael, their skin a bit more wrinkled and weathered looking, while the third seemed closer to his age. All three had their hair intricately braided, with crystals scattered throughout that clicked softly as their heads moved.
“We are Karzhari, Keepers of the Bond, the Shaevrin, and Witnesses of the Zha’Khorr Valryn.”
My kethra pulsed with my nerves even though I tried to control them. It felt as if they were waiting for a response, but Kael hadn’t told me if there was a certain greeting to welcome them, so I had to go with what I knew.
“I am Serenya. Welcome to my… meyr’kal. I appreciate you coming.”
I stepped back to clear the way for them, but their heads were still bowed, and they didn’t move to enter. Wetting my lips, I opened and closed my mouth, not sure what else to say.
“Please, come in and have a seat. Would you like something to drink?”
I didn’t know if Kael had anything besides water to offer, and I hoped I wouldn’t be forced to admit that, but at least it got them to straighten and step through the doorway.
“We are grateful for the offer of veysha, but we decline. We shall explain the Zha’Khorr Valryn and then answer your questions.”
One of the older Karzhari strode to the couch and took a seat, while the other two knelt at the edge of what I could only call a rug in front of it.
Unsure where I was meant to sit, I lowered myself to the opposite end of the L-shaped couch, watching for any sign that I was committing an insult of some kind.
The one on the couch tucked her hands into the loose sleeves of the smoky grey robe she wore, staring straight ahead instead of at me.
“The Zha’Khorr Valryn dates back to the times of the caves, when the Morrak had yet to walk the surface. It is not a spectacle, nor proof of conquest. It is a sacred rite, where two souls are joined as one flame beneath the light of Vorrashan.”
I sucked in a breath, the air feeling heavy with the weight of her words.
“When an omega’s trehvyr begins, the Karzhari escort them to the bathing pools in the River Caverns beneath Korvashan. There, we manage the omega’s pain, bathe them, and prepare them for the joining.”
Clasping my hands to keep from fidgeting, I tried to keep track of the questions already bouncing around my head. Interrupting before she finished would be rude, and I didn’t want to offend anyone.
“When the time is right, the omega is taken to the Bonding Hall. There, the omega builds their nessha. This is a sacred act, a personal act, that can only be completed by the omega ready to accept an alpha. They are not to be touched or disturbed until the nessha is complete and they offer their submission.”
I swallowed, wishing I had something to take notes on. It was clear she wasn’t done yet, and I was starting to worry this would go on longer than I’d expected.
“Once the omega is ready, the Horns of Claiming sound, and then the alpha they have chosen may approach, but they may not reach the nessha unchallenged. A healthy omega’s scent will call to many alphas, and any stirred by her pheromones may make a bid to claim her.
The chosen alpha must triumph over them and reach her first to make his claim. ”
At my gasp, she turned her head and finally focused on me. I noticed the shine of my kethra from the corners of my eyes and knew I was broadcasting my shock and distress, but there was no way to remain calm when she was explaining something that was going to happen to me.
“The alpha must lock his knot within the omega to signal her body that she is desired. He must pierce her flesh with his teeth and taste her blood to show her body and all who see that she is claimed, and that he carries a part of her inside him. And if she is moved to, she will return his claim, willingly taking his life’s essence into her body. ”
Forcing my lungs to inflate until it felt like they were squeezing my pounding heart, I focused on blowing the air back out in a slow stream to allow my brain a moment to process. I understood what she was saying, but it was a lot to take in.
Sweat trickled down my spine and I stared down at my clenched hands. Public sex was one thing, and I could accept being bitten during the display, but I still wasn’t sure I understood what a knot was, and I hadn’t realized I might have to bite him too.
The other Karzhari who I thought was older than Kael leaned forward, catching my attention.
“The Morrak and Shaevrin must bear witness to the claim. Not to judge or ridicule, but to honor the bond. For safety.”
“A bond formed unseen can be forced. It is a flame untested, and a claim unprotected.”
I swung my head back to the one seated on the couch, trying to understand what she meant, but my brain was jumbling everything. I opened my mouth, but no words came.
The younger Karzhari rose from her place and knelt in front of me, reaching out and grasping my wrists.
Staring into my eyes, she pulled in a deep breath, holding it before letting it back out in a slow stream.
I mimicked her on the next breath, catching the scent of something warm and soothing, and when she let her breath out again, she purred like a cat.
The muscles in my shoulders loosened, the band around my lungs easing, and my heart dropped out of my throat.
“Omegas are ruled by emotion and instinct. When trehvyr begins, you will not know who it is who joins you in your nest, only that they are alpha. The choice of korravai was taken from many omegas, stolen away and claimed in darkness. The Zha’Khorr Valryn assures the omega has a choice, and that the bond is not forced on the unwilling. ”
She gave my hands a gentle squeeze then sat back on her heels, looking up at me.
“The survival of the clan depends on all. Each member is important, and secrets can eat a clan from within. Having the clan there to witness and support a new bond is how we share strength. They are there to provide protection and offer their own prayers to the Shaevrin for fertility and happiness.”
The room was silent for a moment as I let her words sink in. I had understood the ceremony was sacred and would be required, but it was her explanation that lifted the weight from my shoulders and allowed me to see past the fears it caused.
“I’m not like you. I wasn’t born an omega. I’m still not sure I understand what it means to be one, and I don’t know how to build a… nest.”
I caught the two older Karzhari exchanging a glance, and then the one on the couch spoke again.
“Instincts will guide you. None of us know what trehvyr is like until it comes. But you are omega now, and the Shaevrin will guide you if you let it.”
I tried to believe her, but it was hard to accept that I would magically know what to do when the time came. Humans were adept at ignoring their bodies and instincts. Would I even know when it was time?
I shook my head and stared at my hands again.
“Humans are taught not to expose ourselves from the time we are born. Being naked, having… sex, in front of others… It is shameful. I don’t know how to stop it from feeling wrong.”
The Karzhari kneeling in front of me grasped one of my hands again, her kethra brightening the slightest bit before she dimmed the glow.
“I do not know Humans, I only know the Morrak. We see the body as a tool, a vessel. An omega is meant to be soft and feminine. She is meant to love and be cherished. She is meant to be a mother, and a caretaker, and is far stronger than her appearance.”
Tears burned the back of my eyes, and I had to blink to keep her in focus as she continued.
“They will not see a Human. They will not see the flaws we convince ourselves we carry. The female they will see is the chosen omega of Torvakai Kael Draevahn of the Draevahn clan. She will be soft, and open, and willing. She will be following our sacred traditions, and seen as stronger because they are new to her. She is everything that is desired in an omega, because that’s what she is. ”
I tried not to cry but it was impossible to keep the tears back. She reached out with her other hand to wipe them away as I clung to her, her soft smile reassuring.
“You will not be alone. The Karzhari will not leave your side. Torvakai Kael is a strong alpha who will not be defeated in his moment of triumph. He will claim you, and you will feel his soul alongside yours, and when the bond completes, you will know that you are trusted, and accepted, and desired.”
I didn’t know how, but she knew exactly what I needed to hear, and while fear still clung to the edges of my mind, I already knew I wasn’t going to leave.
Even if there had been a way to become Human again, I didn’t think I could turn away from the chance to know without a doubt that someone cared for me.
Even if it wasn’t love yet, just the chance that it might come was enough to lure me into acceptance.
“I have to bite him?”
She smiled and shook her head.
“It is not required, only if instincts lead you to.”
I breathed out a sigh and nodded.
“Thank you.”
My whisper was broken, but all three of the Karzhari bowed their heads. After a moment they rose, moving as one towards the door.