Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 866: Meeting Familiar Strangers ()

The network of alleyways led to every nook and cranny of the small city. Laila seemed to know the routes like the back of her hand because she led the way in a brisk walk, taking hidden turns Neveah would not have realized even existed.

Neveah guessed Laila had once planned to escape Lado’s side. Her navigation showed she’d studied the fastest ways to get anywhere in the city.

It was thankful she did know the routes so well. They’d made it out of the pack house, but they only had a short time before they would need to return.

Alessio and Lado were both engaged having drinks with the Eclipse Alphas, but knowing Alessio, Neveah was certain he could show up any time looking for her.

There was a nagging doubt in the back of her head that Alessio would entertain the Eclipse Alphas all night long as he had previously said.

If he did or not didn’t matter. What mattered was that she was back in bed before he thought to search for her. Or there would be more trouble than she was prepared to deal with.

Neveah followed in silence, but she took note of her surroundings, just in case. This was after all a risk that could very easily go sideways. For Laila and her both.

It wasn’t long before they emerged from the alleyways into a very remote part of the city.

The houses in these parts were run down, and weathered. Broken windows boarded up with cheap wood, paint dyed brown by mould, and more than a few roofs were missing some tiles.

The streets were littered with dirt, garbage and murky pools of an unknown liquid Neveah had no interest in examining. The stench of a nearby sewer was overwhelmingly strong. Neveah scrunched up her nose, but it didn’t do much to help.

At this hour, the streets were completely deserted save for a few homeless folks huddled around in the alleyways.

Humans, mostly. She could tell from the nature of their homes, built for warmth and practicality compared to shifters who didn’t require so much caution to temperatures and settled for luxury instead.

The Eclipse Claw patrol didn’t seem to frequent these parts. Neveah guessed that was precisely why it had been chosen as the meeting location.

The smell of the sewer didn’t seem to fade no matter how much, or how far they walked. Instead, it grew stronger and Neveah’s gut churned, unsettled by the influx of external stimuli affecting her senses.

She could hardly believe people lived in these parts. But then again, humans had less sensitivity compared to shifters. And over a long period of time, the senses did adjust to the depressing situation.

Regardless, the sight stirred a strong sense of displeasure in her. The Eclipse Claw Pack House and Alessio’s palace were both so luxurious, they drove carriages decorated with gold and precious gems and they didn’t even need carriages, seeing as their wolf side could get them anywhere even faster.

Yet they didn’t spare any expenses to make certain they had the best of everything. The resources available to the Eclipse Alphas were sufficient. Commerce was thriving and the land was fertile.

What was this mess? Why was the human settlement of a major pack in such a pathetic state?

Neveah’s brows furrowed into a frown, but she forced away the thoughts plaguing her mind as they arrived at a dingy looking inn.

Laila glanced over at Neveah, her expression apologetic. "This was the best we could do, given the circumstance. Lado has eyes everywhere."

Neveah nodded once. "I understand."

Laila glanced around once more before she pushed the door open and stepped aside for Neveah to go in.

Neveah didn’t hesitate. She was already out here, it was too late to begin having second thoughts. And the sooner they got it over with, the better it would be.

She crossed the threshold, resisting the urge to clip her nose as the strong smell of cooking spices and stale ale blended with the residual stench of the sewer.

It was nauseating. But Neveah maintained her composure.

There were a few lone patrons seated around. Neveah adjusted the hood over her head, grateful she had thought to bring a cloak.

The innkeeper, a burly woman with graying hair sighted them first, but she seemed to recognise Laila because she didn’t make any attempts to come over.

Laila grabbed Neveah’s hand, pulling her along to the stairs that led up to the boarding rooms.

The wood creaked as they went up, but the patrons must have been accustomed to it because they didn’t seem to pay any mind.

The upper floor was only slightly better in state than the ground floor, but it was still the worst out of all the inns Neveah had been to so far. And this was in the city itself, not the outskirts where such conditions could have been understandable.

They walked down the dark hallway until they arrived at the second door from the end of the hall. Laila once again checked their surroundings.

Neveah didn’t bother. If they were caught at this point, it could only mean they had been trailed and there was already no getting out of it.

Laila knocked once. And then twice. And finally once more.

Neveah quirked a brow. They had prepared a code for identification as well?

It was good to be cautious, she knew. But Neveah had to wonder if a spontaneously arranged meeting could really be this well thought out.

For how long had Laila been in contact with the Eclipse Hunt and for how long had they planned to meet with her? It couldn’t have been a decision made in the moment. They had to have known she was accompanying Alessio and that itself was not the original plan.

Neveah was never meant to have joined Alessio on this trip had she not severed the fragile trust they’d shared by looking into her past behind his back.

Not that she regretted any of it. But if there was one thing she’d realised in her time here, Eclipse wolves were not to be trusted.

If that applied to the Eclipse Hunt and Laila also, Neveah guessed she was about to find out.

The door creaked open by just a fraction and Laila nodded to Neveah. "Go in. I’ll wait out here, but you must be hasty. We shouldn’t be out too long."

Her tone still trembled and her shifty eyes revealed her fear. She knew exactly what her fate would be if she was caught, yet timid as she appeared to be, she was taking the risk.

Neveah pursed her lips, but she reached for the knob, pulling the door open further before she stepped in.

The door went shut behind her, but Neveah was already taking stock of her surroundings. There were three people in the room, she noted first. One was armed with a blade, she could hear it swishing against the fabric of his tunic as he kept it hidden.

’A surprise attack?’ She wondered,

Or was it just caution in case someone unexpected came through those doors? Neveah couldn’t say, but she knew one thing...if they attacked her, they would be sorry.

The room was small and dimly lit and it took a moment for Neveah’s eyes to adjust to the lighting.

That moment was more than enough chance. No one moved and so Neveah relaxed just a measure.

There was a bed, but it had been pushed to the side of the room and at the center, sitting at a small wooden table was a man in his late thirties.

Across from him was a young woman around the same age in a simple gray dress.

They both stared at Neveah, eyes wide and for a moment, they seemed to be in stunned silence. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Finally, the woman spoke first, "Neveah..." Her voice was barely audible, dazed even and there was an underlying tinge of emotions to it.

She was beautiful, Neveah noted. Not in an overpowering way, but in a softer, motherly manner.

And she held some emotional attachment to Neveah. That was another apparent thing.

At first glance, Neveah could see in the eyes of both strangers a mix of three strong emotions. Surprise, relief, and above all... guilt.

"Creator’s Fur!" The man finally broke out of his own daze with a sharp exclamation of surprise. "Neveah, you’re alive! I could hardly believe it when I heard!"

He jumped to his feet and closed the distance between them in powerful strides, pulling Neveah into a hug before she could protest.

Neveah stiffened, her eyes wide with alarm.

He clapped her back fondly, chuckling in a deep baritone that struck her with a unique sense of familiarity and a small trace of warmth.

"You’re really alive! It’s been what? Three years?!" He shook his head. "Creator knows I never believed a word Lothaire said when he claimed dragons had taken you... I thought the damned bastard finally harmed you like he’d wanted all along,"

"Dane, stop now..." The woman cautioned softly, also getting up to her feet. "You’re scaring the poor child."