Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 870: Caved ()

A hush fell over the guests as Neveah walked up to the elevated dais in the center of the courtyard.

Alessio sat on his throne at the end of the courtyard. Their eyes met briefly and the gleam of pride in his green orbs didn’t escape Neveah.

’Mine.’

He didn’t have to say the words because everything else already did.

He revealed a small smile of approval, one he knew she alone would notice.

Neveah turned her gaze away. She didn’t care for his approval. She didn’t care for him at all.

Something in his eyes haunted her at every glimpse exchanged. Did he know? Or suspect her involvement in Lado’s disappearance?

She’d wondered the same thing each time they’d met, yet she wasn’t any closer to finding the answer. The days had flown by in a flash, and beyond that moment in the bedroom, Alessio had spoken nothing of Lado.

The preparations for the ceremony had gone on without a hitch. Like Lado hadn’t played a major role in making it a possibility.

Like this wasn’t somewhat Lado’s territory.

Like Lado never even existed, truly.

Yet Neveah had heard whispers of the city being flooded with his warriors, and homes raided in the search for Lado and Laila.

To Alessio, everyone else was dispensable. Neveah guessed his rage was centered mostly around the fact that he hadn’t been the one to do it himself.

The gates were heavily guarded and Alessio had tripled security counting down to the event.

With the arrival of all the Eclipse Alphas and representatives, the moon ceremony had officially begun at sun down.

Neveah anticipated the next three days would not go by without some disturbances.

The commencement of the event was marked with an outdoors moon viewing gala. All the Eclipse Alphas and other guests were already seated in the courtyard and the gala had started a short time before Neveah arrived.

She’d spent a little longer than she had planned analyzing how this night would play out. But it was a good thing it had taken just as long for the new attendant assigned to her, to successfully put her hair up into an elegant updo befitting the occasion.

Her scalp still ached with the residual evidence of the styling process. But that was even the least of her discomforts.

Alessio had especially picked out her dress for the occasion, unsurprisingly. Even now, he was still obsessed with control over the little things.

Like what she wore, and how she wore it. Even how her hair was styled had been his recommendation.

Yet he’d told her she looked better wearing her hair down. With him, it was impossible to tell the lies and truths apart.

Neveah was glad she didn’t have to wonder anymore. Now, she simply believed nothing he ever said could be true words.

The dress he’d chosen was a sight to behold. That much, Neveah could admit. It was probably worth enough to renovate the entire human settlement of the Eclipse Claw city to a reasonable extent, and still spare some change.

But like Alessio himself, the pleasant appearance was only outward.

The dress weighed more than anything she’d ever worn before. At least for as far as she could remember.

The collar of it was stiff and coarse against her skin. The high neckline beaded with gems too heavy, it might have served as a noose around her neck.

She’d been horrified to see it. A gift from Alessio, she’d been told.

It was more like a punishment for a crime she still couldn’t remember committing. Neveah had been hesitant, but the new attendant insisted she wore this dress, despite her obvious discomfort.

After a moment, Neveah had realised the dress was especially styled in a way that kept her neck and collarbone hidden.

It was either Alessio became conservative overnight, or he had intentionally made this selection to conceal the fact that despite his public claim, Neveah didn’t carry his mark in the place it mattered.

It was a very minute detail. The kind anyone else might have overlooked, but not Alessio.

If the man had been capable of even a slight measure of empathy, he might have made a good King.

But the only thing Alessio cared about, was his own self.

The beginnings of a soft tune wafted through the courtyard. Neveah let her thoughts fade to the background as the steps to the tune surfaced to the front of her mind.

The Luna dance... she’d expected to master it in the two days she’d been given. But she’d seen it done once, after the breakfast gathering of the Eclipse Lunas and she’d been told afterwards that she didn’t need any further training.

It was ironic how her mind was like a blank slate, fogged up by a cloudy mist of uncertainties, yet there were too many things that came to her with ease.

What her mind had forgotten, her muscles hadn’t. And they certainly hadn’t forgotten the feeling that accompanied it.

Neveah glided across the wooden platform, her heart weighed down by an invisible weight of despair...

Like a bird locked up in a cage, watching the skies and knowing it was meant to be anywhere else... everywhere else, but behind those bars.

Neveah didn’t have the time to dwell on the thought.

The wooden platform creaked beneath her feet, mid twirl.

’It’s going to cave’, she realised.

Before she needed to react, a hand snuck around her waist, and she was pulled off the platform just as the entire dais caved in with a terrible crashing sound.

A wave of dust and debris rose up all around them, accompanying the beginnings of a pandemonium,

And just as Neveah found her footing, she picked up on a whooshing sound.

She was again pulled out of the way, as a wave of arrows whipped past where they had just stood.

Neveah glanced up at Alessio. His jaw was tightly clenched, his eyes narrowed in displeasure and his grip around her waist was painfully firm.

His eyes sought out the enemy hidden in the wave of dust. Meanwhile, chaos had ensued in the courtyard as guests left their seating arrangements, standing battle ready.

An assassination...it wasn’t out of Neveah’s expectation.

She had lost count of just how many times they’d attempted this. When would they learn this was not the way?

"Go sit." Alessio said as a group of wolves leaped into the courtyard. "I’ll be with you shortly."

Alessio’s warriors immediately surrounded him, a few Alphas from amongst the guests joining in.

"Go, Veah." Alessio said again.

Neveah nodded, her lips pursed. She turned away from the chaos and headed to the dais Alessio and her seats had been arranged.

Behind her, the two parties clashed. Guests screamed in terror. The sound of tearing flesh, snapping bones, and the metallic stench of blood, trailed Neveah up till the dais and when she finally turned around again, Alessio stood in the midst of about a dozen dismembered wolves, his claws dripping blood.

Another day, another assassination, another needless death.

They had known they didn’t stand a chance. Was bravado ever enough?

Neveah’s eyes quickly scanned the guests, settling on the Eclipse Hunt wolves.

Like they’d felt her stare, Dane and Colleen’s eyes turned to her. She hadn’t crossed paths with them since they arrived at the pack house.

Neveah guessed that was all thanks to Alessio’s arrangements. Nothing with him was ever a coincidence, and he knew better than she did what ties she shared with the Eclipse Hunt wolves.

It only made sense he was wary about her meeting them.

Neveah felt some measure of relief that it wasn’t them behind this foolhardy attempt. But the look in their eyes was enough to tell Neveah that there was something she hadn’t accounted for about to play out.

She returned her attention to Alessio just as the surviving assassins were dragged before him.

One in particular stood out. A young woman was shoved at Alessio’s feet, forced to her knees by two of Alessio’s warriors.

Still, she glared up at him. Her eyes shining with unwavering defiance.

"You’ll die one day or the next you shameless bastard!" She snarled, her tone dripping with hate, "The people will rise up to reclaim what’s theirs, and then, you will be cornered!"

"I’m here to remind you that you will never know a peaceful day!" She hissed. Her eyes blazed brightly...not an ounce of fear in her eyes.

In that moment, Neveah thought ’This woman...it would be a pity if she died today.’

Alessio was silent for a short moment, before he said, "Who might you be again?"

Neveah grimaced. He didn’t even care enough to remember his victims and he had no qualms letting it show.

"Meira Varleston!" She growled, "The true Luna of Eclipse Claw! And you stand on my husband’s territory, you bloodthirsty monster!"

Meira Varleston...

Before she could contemplate on the name, Alessio did.

"Meira Varleston...you are Lucas Varleston’s mate, then?" Alessio asked slowly,

His eyes turned on the Eclipse Hunt wolves and Neveah felt a sense of foreboding churn in her gut.

"Then your father must be the head warrior of Eclipse Hunt?"

The murderous intent in his tone was unmistakable.

Neveah’s heart dropped. She’d done so much to keep the Eclipse Hunt out of his mind, and right before her eyes....her plans caved as surely as the wooden platform had.