Chapter Six

Kavan

I walked back to the table where Jason was waiting for me in anticipation with my heart pounding in my chest. As soon as I took a seat, Jason leaned in, eager to hear about my encounter with my mate.

"So, did you find her?" he inquired, his voice laced with curiosity.

I had expected him to be curious, seeing as he was the one that had found a way to distract Murad and give Kazia and me a chance to meet.

I could sense the excitement building inside him, and I knew I couldn't keep him waiting any longer. "Yeah, I did," I replied, my voice full of pride.

A smile crept over my face, and I could see Jason's eyes lighting up with excitement. "What's her name?" he asked eagerly.

"Kazia," I replied and the sound of her name sent shivers down my spine.

As soon as I mentioned her name, memories of our encounter flooded my mind. The way her eyes had lit up when she saw me, the way she had stood on her toes to kiss me, the way she had felt when I had held her. It was almost too much to bear.

Jason's eyebrows shot up in surprise and he let out a low whistle. "Man, you look really happy," he commented.

And I was. Happier than I had imagined I could be. But there was still a nagging feeling of worry in the back of my mind.

Jason noticed my expression, his face scrunching up in concern. "What's wrong?" he asked.

I took a deep breath, feeling a sense of doubt and unease welling up within me. "She's a pet, Jason. I don't know if I'll ever see her again after today. And I promised her we would meet again."

"You should have seen her Jason. She was just so beautiful, gentle, and gracious. She was perfect. Better than I would have ever thought," I continued, unable to mask my feelings.

 "I can't imagine never seeing her again, Jason but the fact that she is Murad's pet makes the situation complicated,

"Despite my doubt, I couldn't help but talk about Kazia. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever laid eyes on and the way she had looked up at me with such adoration and wonder, I couldn't forget it.

But Jason couldn't resist teasing me. "You've fallen for her, haven't you?" he said with a chuckle.

I opened my mouth to deny it, but the words wouldn't come. I knew it was pointless to try to hide my feelings. "Yeah, I have," I admitted, feeling a warmth spread through me.

 "How couldn’t I? She was absolutely beautiful, bro, and her eyes, my god her eyes!"

Jason raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He knew how strong the bond between mates could be, even if the situation wasn't ideal.

Suddenly, his expression turned serious. "But how do you plan on seeing her again? She's a pet, Kavan. She's packs away in enemy territory and she belongs to Murad. We both know that he's not going to let her go easily, especially not to you of all people," Jason reminded him.

That was the problem. I knew the situation was complicated, but I couldn't give up on her just like that. "I don't know yet," I admitted. "But I'll figure something out. I have to,"

I knew it was going to be hard, that it would take a great deal of effort and sacrifice. But I was willing to do whatever it took to be with her, my mate.

As long as it was something she wanted, I would do whatever it took.

****

Kazia

I tried my best to keep a blank expression on my face as I made my way to the table. Although my heart was racing with excitement, I didn't want Murad to suspect anything out of the ordinary so I knew I had to keep a straight face to avoid looking suspicious.

As I got closer to the table, my heart was beating so hard in my chest that I thought it might leap out. I tried my best to hide my smile, but I was too ecstatic, and pretending like I wasn’t was harder than I expected.

I had met my mate, Kavan, and he was everything I could have ever asked for. Everything I would have imagined if I had ever taught of ever finding him.

 My happiness was short-lived as I spotted Murad reaching the table before me. Fear gripped my heart, and my stomach twisted into knots. I knew I was in deep trouble and there was nothing I could say or do to get me out of this one

 Murad had warned me that I must arrive back at the table before him, or else I'd be punished for not keeping to his time, and knowing him, he wasn’t going to pardon me for not keeping to his instruction.

I prepared myself for the worst as I went to sit down. But before I could even take my seat, Murad grabbed my wrist and yanked me down onto the chair with brute force that left me shaken. I knew what came next, the questions, the threats, the punishments.

I already felt tears forming at the corner of my eyes, but I held them back, refusing to give Murad the satisfaction.

"Where were you?" he demanded, his voice like ice.

"In the bathroom," I said softly, trying to keep my voice steady.

My heart raced as I waited for Murad's answer. It's not that I feared him; it was more like an instinctual reaction that had kept me alive so far and could end my life at any given time if he so pleased.

"You're lying," he spat. "You've been gone far too long. What were you really doing?"

"I got lost," I said quickly. I could feel my cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "I took the wrong turn, and it took me a while to find my way back."

Murad's eyes narrowed, and I knew my response had only made things worse. "You expect me to believe that?" he asked incredulously.

I nodded, keeping my eyes down. "Yes," I whispered.

Murad didn't seem to believe me. "You must think that I'm stupid, Kazia," he hissed, his voice rising.

 "I know when you're lying to me and I promise you, when we get back home, I will punish you appropriately for this. You will have only yourself to blame," he added and my entire being shuddered in fear.

My heart sank as his words washed over me. I knew he meant every word and my fear turned into a sense of hopelessness. No matter what, I was trapped in this life with no way out.

And as much as I feared that I could end up living my entire life as one of Murad’s pets, I couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, Kavan would find a way to rescue me from this life. Just maybe.