Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 79: Embers and Ash ()

Neveah arrived in her quarters to find Laila, her attendant already seated and awaiting her arrival.

"Princess! You’re back!" Laila exclaimed and Neveah frowned slightly at her excited words, she herself would rather be anywhere but in the Eclipse Palace but here was someone who was elated to see her back to this place.

"Why are you here?" Neveah asked with a raised brow as she stepped into her room fully and closed the door behind her.

"His Lordship ordered me to wait here and prepare you to head to the dining hall as soon as you arrive." Laila relayed as she got up and walked over to take Neveah’s coat.

Neveah hummed as she headed into her washroom, knowing there would already be water prepared for her bath since her father wanted her to join him for dinner.

Although Neveah was not certain a bath would do much for her digestion, after half a year, her stomach churned at the mere thought of eating at the same table with her father.

"What is this grim atmosphere? There are hardly any palace staff moving about and the patrol guards seem to be in a panicked rush." Neveah said as she checked the temperature of her bath water.

Neveah knew if there was one thing Laila was good for, it was spreading gossip. If there was something happening within the Eclipse Palace, she would know it.

"I hear there are to be honored guests on pack territory, His Lordship has expected their arrival for days and they are to arrive tonight." Laila informed,

"Honored guests?" Neveah asked with a raised brow as she stripped off her clothing and stepped into the bath.

"I am not certain exactly who they are, but everyone seems so terrified and the higher ups are keeping it down." Laila said.

Neveah raised a brow, she could not imagine just what kind of guests could have the Eclipse Palace in such an uneasy state and she wondered just why her father would want her back in the palace at this time.

"You may take your leave." Neveah dismissed Laila as she leaned back against her bath tub.

"But Princess, His Lordship says you are to come to the dining hall as soon as you arrive and change your clothing. All the high ranked wolves of the pack are already there." Laila said in urgency.

"Then they can all wait... leave, Laila." Neveah said in a blank tone, her eyes fluttering closed.

Whatever was happening, she would still get to meet it eventually, and she certainly would not miss her father’s anger regardless of when she went, why would she need to hurry?

It took a half hour and a lot of urging from Laila before Neveah finally stepped out of her bath tub and let Laila dress her.

"Why such extravagance?" Neveah asked with a frown as she stared at the white dress her father had prepared for dinner.

"His Lordship especially declared Princess is to look your best for this event." Laila said with a smile.

"I do not like the sound of that." Neveah murmured as she took a seat and let Laila fix her hair.

"You trimmed your hair shorter than you usually carry it." Laila noted, Neveah’s hair usually stretched beneath her waist but now it was just waist length, and she would have cut it even shorter had Luna Colleen not opposed strongly.

"His Lordship warned to be especially cautious with your hair when I was first assigned to you, I do not think he would approve of it’s new length." Laila said with a quiet giggle.

Neveah shrugged casually, she did not care what her father thought of her hair, she was more concerned with what this dinner was all about that would require such luxurious clothing.

Laila braided Neveah’s hair to be wrapped around itself but the bulk of it still cascaded down her back, after which she helped Neveah put on the dress and her crown.

"I have to wear the crown too..." Neveah trailed off, she was beginning to feel extremely unsettled about this dinner...a regular dinner with the pack did not call for such extravagance.

Especially since the entire pack already knew how Neveah was treated.

When Laila was done, Neveah rose to her feet and pulled on her shoes before stepping out only to find Lado waiting outside her door.

"What are you doing here?" Neveah asked,

"You should have already been to see your father by now. I was sent to bring you over." Lado said in a tight tone.

"We shared such close contact for four days and now you act this unfamiliar? You wound me." Neveah said sarcastically as she strode past Lado.

They both headed to the main palace and Neveah stepped in, walking down the familiar hallways of this pack house left her feeling a deep sense of unease, especially with how everyone that passed by stared at her

"Lado...you came for me with such urgency, is there a reason to it?" Neveah asked as they neared the dining hall.

"I am not aware and I do not ask for reasons, I only obey orders." Lado replied blankly.

Neveah did not actually expect Lado would give her an answer and so she was not even surprised by his response.

They soon arrived at the dining hall and the warriors standing guard pulled open the doors to let Neveah and Lado in.

The dining hall of the Eclipse Palace was an exquisitely decorated hall with golden tapestries and paintings depicting various beautiful scenery.

There was a long table set in the hall that could seat at least fifty wolves and there were dozens of smaller round tables all around, and this hall could seat at least a thousand wolves.

Other than the long table that seated all the high ranked wolves of the Eclipse Fang Pack including the Alpha King, Queen, the other tables were unoccupied.

Neveah noticed Alessio was absent from this table, Neveah also noticed the fact that the high ranked wolves were only seated on one end of the long table while the other end was unoccupied and Neveah assumed it was reserved for the honored guests.

"Veah..." Alpha King Lothaire’s voice drew Neveah out of her thoughts and her eyes narrowed slightly, a cold look flashing through them.

It only took Neveah a moment to regain composure and a blank look settled on her face as she forced her feet to move, walking over to her place on the table.

"Greetings father, greetings mother." Neveah greeted perfunctorily.

"Veah, you have been gone for so long, father was worried for you. It is good you are back now, how do the Hunts fare?" Alpha King Lothaire asked.

The fact that her father bothered keeping up his act in the presence of the Eclipse Fang wolves who already knew the truth was suspicious to Neveah but even if it was suspicious, there was nothing she could do but wait and see.

"With father’s blessings, they fare well." Neveah replied and she took her seat with her father’s permission.

Before any further words could be said, the doors to the dining room open and in walked a group of seven men... however of these seven, there was one who brought with him a familiar, mouthwatering scent.

"Mate..." Neveah’s wolf murmured half-heartedly and Neveah shook her head slightly as she kept her gaze fixed on the table, not daring to lift her eyes up to the new arrivals knowing she would find Alessio there.

Alessio still believed she was human afterall, Neveah knew her only option now was to act as though she did not know they were mates.

"Veah!" Alpha King Lothaire hissed in a whisper and it was only then Neveah realized every other person stood up on their feet to greet the new presence.

It was only then Neveah lifted her gaze up to the new arrivals as the strong scent of ash and embers hit her.

"Dragon Shifter!" Neveah’s wolf thought in her head and Neveah’s eyes widened slightly as she got up to her feet, her gaze settling on a pair of familiar pitch black orbs.

Those eyes also seemed to be staring back at her and for a moment, Neveah just stood in a daze, staring at the Black Scaled Dragon Shifter who she had thought she would never see again.

Neveah could feel Alessio’s gaze on her but she could not be bothered with it, she had eyes only for the Black Scaled Dragon donning a pitch black leather coat and the rest of his ensemble was also a pitch black color.

"King Jian of the Dragon Shifters and Lord Xenon. On behalf of the Eclipse Domain, I bid my greetings." Alpha King Lothaire greeted.

Neveah had never thought she would meet the day her father would speak so politely to anyone but it seemed that day had come but even that was still not enough to take Neveah’s gaze away from the Black Scaled Dragon Shifter.