She tilted a brow at his rudeness. ‘I apologize for my tardiness, Uncle. Some matters required my attention at the lodge.’
He glanced around her with a searching, almost sneering gaze. ‘Where is your husband?’
Saba met his eyes with a cool look and went for the jugular. ‘He had other pressing matters to attend to.’
A collective gasp rose from the group in front of her.
Uncle Tewa gulped like a fish until he composed himself with a sneer.
‘What of your machinations?’ he hissed. ‘And Shiloh’s. Our family’s honor was on the precipice after the nonsense you attempted. We nigh lost our lives at the ceremony.’
‘Hardly. But Shiloh and I pulled it off, didn’t we?’
He studied her for a moment prior to grunting in acknowledgment. Then he leaned in further. ‘Where is she anyway?’
She’d long gone, eloped, leaving no trace behind except for the whispers of her defiance that lingered in the air like a ghost.
Saba met her uncle’s eyes with a steely gaze, refusing to betray the tumult of emotions within her. ‘Shiloh chose her path,’ she answered. ‘She made her decision, as have I.’
His expression darkened at her words, a storm brewing in the back of his eyes. ‘You would do well not to follow in her footsteps, Saba, and don’t even contemplate abandoning your husband or your vows,’ he warned, his voice laced with a thinly veiled threat. ‘The consequences of such defiance are severe, andI will be most displeased. While we’ve secured the diamonds as bride price, the synth steel and hydrogen supply deals have not yet been agreed between our clan and his. Until then, do nothing to rile him.’
Saba didn’t give afokkwhat he thought or how he felt.
She held his gaze as a silent challenge passed between them. ‘I’m aware of the risks, Uncle, and I have no plans to leave theŠar,’ she clipped. ‘However, I will not be cowed into submission by you or anyone. I’m also not the naive girl you once controlled anymore.’
He leaned in and hissed, his double chin waggling. ‘I am the kinsman redeemer who rescued you and your sisters from a life in poverty after your parents died. You owe me.’
‘We owe you nothing. You took our family’s money and have profited from it since our father’s death. You may have sheltered us when we were orphaned, but you’ve used that wealth to further your interests and cement your power within the Akkadian community.’
The words hung heavy in the air, a declaration of independence and defiance unheard of within their tight-knit community.
Her uncle’s face contorted with rage, his mask of composure slipping to reveal the true extent of his fury. ‘You dare to speak to me in such a manner after all that I have done for you?’ he snarled, his voice rising in pitch. ‘I am your guardian, your protector, and you repay me with insolence and disrespect?’
Saba stood her ground, refusing to back down in the face of his wrath. ‘You may have been our savior once, but that does not grant you the right to dictate the course of my life,’ she retorted.
She meant everything she uttered, each word a dagger aimed at his wounded pride. ‘I will never again be a pawn in your games, Uncle. I will forge my path, even if it means standing against you.’
A murmur rippled through the clusters of nearby family members, some outraged, others smirking at her bold declaration.
The tension was thick enough to be cut with a knife.
Her aunt shot her a disapproving glare, clucking under her breath, but Saba ignored her.
Her uncle’s face darkened with anger; his jaw clenched in frustration as he processed her words.
‘You will pay for this,’ he spat out, his tone laced with venom. ‘You have disgraced our lineage with your deceit and treachery.’
Saba huffed with sardonic humor. ‘I did what needed to be done, Uncle,’ she murmured despite the storm brewing. ‘Shiloh made her choice, and I have decided mine. I am now a SauvageŠarim, and as you know, it is the most powerful family in the Akkadian community. So rein in your next utterance to me.’
His eyes narrowed as he studied her, searching for any sign of weakness or regret. But all he found was defiance blazing in her gaze, a reflection of the fire coursing through her veins.
He also knew that to defy her now would bring down the wrath of theŠar.
His jaw tightened, a muscle ticking in his temple as he regarded her with frustration and resignation.
‘You always were the stubborn one,’ he muttered.
Saba glared back at him.
