Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 81: A Price ()
All eyes moved to Neveah for a brief moment, meanwhile Neveah’s mind reeled from what she had just heard.
Alessio’s grip also tightened painfully on Neveah’s hand but at this point, Neveah could hardly take notice of Alessio or anyone else for that matter.
A bargain? A price? Who exactly was to be wed to whom? Neveah was not certain she had heard it correctly as the words both her father and King Jian had just said replayed in her mind over and over again.
Neveah could not believe her own ears, she had known being summoned to the Eclipse Fang Pack with such urgency was with a motive attached but she had still not expected anything like this at all.
Just how had her father agreed to trade her off to dragon shifters? When was such a bargain made with her own life and fate as though it was theirs to do with as they pleased?
All this while Neveah had been in the Eclipse Hunt Pack, could this be what her father was planning all along?
Was this why he had so easily let go of the plot to betrothe her to Lucas Varleston? Because he had finally found that highest bidder he was seeking for all along?
And then, just why exactly would the dragon shifters bargain with Neveah as the price? What benefits would they acquire from this? Or could it be that the Black Scaled Dragon had exposed Neveah’s secret?
So many questions ran through Neveah’s mind, yet there was not a single answer to be seen, her questions could not be answered and her life was not even hers to decide.
Neveah’s hand trembled, the goblet had already spilled wine over her white dress and the floor and Neveah loathed herself for displaying such a visible reaction of her troubled emotions to the view of everyone.
Neveah had long vowed that she would never let her detestable family affect her emotions again, that no matter what they threw her way, she would take it with a calm and objective mind.
But when Neveah had said all that, she had not been expecting this was what would be thrown her way... she was to be wed to the dragon king and it was being discussed at dinner,
A bargain over her fate was casually being discussed at dinner, right in Neveah’s presence yet without a care for her opinion.
"Veah? Are you alright?" Alpha King Lothaire asked with a tone of false concern.
Neveah slowly lifted her gaze to her father, just as she expected, though his tone was pretentiously concerned, his eyes were narrowed and the look in his eyes was a warning.
A warning not to behave out of turn... and there he sat asking if she was okay while he haggled over her worth as though she was a piece of clothing.
Rage surged within Neveah’s heart and she felt her wolf pace restlessly, demanding to be let out and see who stilled dared act out of order in her presence.
However Neveah knew letting her wolf out was only seeking death, no matter how much she raged, she could not let her secret be known and she forced herself to calm before her wolf’s presence would be reflected in her eyes.
"I am fine, just a little fatigued from the journey back here. If it is okay with father, I would like to retire to my room first." Neveah said in a false calm tone.
Alpha King Lothaire passed a look to King Jian who nodded his approval for Neveah to leave and Neveah pulled her hand out of Alessio’s hold before she rose to her feet and turned, taking her leave.
Neveah strode out of the hall, her head held high and her composure intact, even if she heard further horrifying words exchanged between her father and King Jian.
"I never mentioned to wed. We dragon shifters wed no one else but our riders. I shall acquire your daughter in exchange for what I have offered, as for what purpose I have for your daughter...it is no concern of yours." King Jian said in a blank tone.
These were the last Neveah heard as she stepped out of the dining hall into the hallway, her hands were clenched into fists as she walked down the hallway till she was out of sight and only then did she let her composure slip, her hand resting against the wall for support.
Neveah’s mind was a mess and she took a deep breath in, taking a moment to collect herself and steady her emotions before she dared move any further.
When Neveah realized her efforts were futile, her hand dropped away from the wall and she headed out into the courtyard of the Eclipse Palace where the cool night breeze brushed against her skin.
It was only then Neveah took notice of the wetness on her cheek and her hand lifted up to rest over her cheek as she realized she was crying and she did not even know she was.
Neveah wiped away the tears, she was not one so weak that she would crumble over something as trivial as this, she had already known all the while that her father intended to marry her off to whoever could give him the most benefits.
This was his ultimate plan, Neveah’s beauty was an excellent tool for a while but her father knew well enough that it would not be of use to him forever and so he knew he would have to settle her betrothal while she was still a young, dazzling flower just revealing it’s bloom.
Though Neveah had expected it, it did not make it any easier to accept, but what was she to do if she did not accept it?
Now that her father had made such plans, he was sure to keep an extremely watchful eye on Neveah, if she wanted to escape at this time, it would be much too dangerous.
Neveah could see she had walked right into a trap, had she known of this before hand, she would never have been willing to leave the Eclipse Hunt Pack.
But at the same time, Neveah still could not entrust her own burdens to the Eclipse Hunt wolves and risk their safety, the peaceful and flourishing era in the Eclipse Hunt Pack was something she did not have the heart to destroy.
Hers was one life and yes, her life was precious but it was not more precious than the lives of all the Eclipse Hunt wolves that would be sacrificed if the Eclipse Hunt challenged her father for her sake.
Neveah had always been a prudent and thorough person, if there was a way she could rely on the Eclipse Hunt Pack without endangering them, she would have done that.
Yet Neveah had thought of all options and they all still ended with Alpha Dane’s death. Defying the will of the Alpha King was a crime punishable by death.
The other Eclipse packs were still deceived by the Alpha King and would not hesitate to rise against the Eclipse Hunt, only one Eclipse Hunt Pack against so many Eclipse packs, how could they escape a massacre?
It would not be the first time in history that an entire Eclipse pack had been massacred by orders of the ruling Alpha King and Neveah did not wish to see the Eclipse Hunt wolves become another example written down in history.
Neveah did not have the means to protect them, how could she accept their sacrifice?
Neveah did not regret her decision to leave the Eclipse Hunt Pack, it had been the right call to make and she was certain of that even now.
It was only that sometimes the right call to make was not always the best choice for oneself, Neveah had chosen to protect the Eclipse Hunt Pack but in the end, she had sacrificed her ownself.
Neveah walked down the path leading from the courtyard to the woods some distance ahead, her steps were slow and one could see her mind was now heavily burdened. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
No matter how Neveah thought of it, there was no way out of this...so did that mean she would have to go with the dragon shifters? Did that mean she had no other escape routes?
’Veah...we can still fight our way out.’ Neveah’s wolf thought in a raging tone but Neveah shook her head.
"To the North of the Eclipse Palace is the territory of the Eclipse Fang Pack and the human settlement, all guarded by the Eclipse Fang warriors."
"Beyond that, there is the Eclipse Fur pack in the east and the Eclipse Heart pack in the south, one must first cross the borders of either one of these packs to reach the unclaimed lands."
"If we are to escape with all attention on us...the Alpha King need only alert these Eclipse packs and they will hunt us down to the ends of the Earth... escaping at this point is a death sentence." Neveah replied in a grim tone.
