Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 868: The Fate Of The Hunting Dog ()

"You can let the dagger go now, I guess." Neveah pointed out.

All three eyes widened and Vincent looked like he’d been caught with his hand in a cookie jar.

"It’s fine. I already knew you were armed." Neveah admitted, "I wouldn’t have walked in if I minded, and I would only have minded if it was turned on me."

Vincent heaved a sigh of relief at Neveah’s words. He’d probably harboured some reservations since Dane and Colleen did as well. But he had not let that stop him from speaking his mind.

Somehow, Neveah wasn’t at all surprised. Searching her mind, she realised she even found it amusing instead.

Like it was something typical of him.

"Everyone kept saying you must have changed in these three years. And with Alessio being after our pack, we’ve had to be cautious with everything and everyone." Vincent explained, taking a seat at the table.

"Many friends have already turned enemies. And traitors within the pack have tried to stir trouble." He sighed quietly,

"You don’t know how glad I am...that you’re still you." Vincent expressed earnestly, his eyes shining with his sincerity.

Neveah revealed a small smile and Vincent returned it with a wide, almost goofy grin.

"I truly do not have much time," Neveah drew the conversation back to the order of business. "As I have said, plotting to assassinate Alessio at this point is a vain dream."

"And I won’t kill him." Neveah clarified. "I don’t have my wolf for one."

All three Eclipse Hunt wolves looked horrified at that.

"Did he..." Dane trailed off, like he didn’t dare say the words.

"To be honest, I’m not sure what exactly he did." Neveah said truthfully, "But I’m cut off from my wolf side and I’ve been this way since I can remember."

A hollow ache blossomed in her heart again. It’d always been there, reminding her that she was missing something.

That she’d lost something... and the space that once belonged to that thing now felt empty.

"That hateful bastard!" Vincent snarled, "He deserves to die a slow, painful death."

Neveah shrugged casually. She’d come to terms with her situation. She lived, ate and sometimes shared a bed with a man like Alessio.

The more she got to know about him, the more she understood that she was already lucky enough to have ever been able to free herself from his web.

Alessio was a clever man. Maybe too clever. She wasn’t certain why, but in many ways, they thought alike. Most of the decisions he made, Neveah admitted were not too far off from her own approach.

And so, she understood him better than she would like to admit. Better than she wanted to. She also understood that he could figure her out almost as well as she did him.

It was a weird and unpleasant dynamic they shared. Knowing each other so well.

Maybe he was right about her all along.

"I also can’t kill him, for personal reasons." Neveah continued, suppressing her thoughts. "For the same reasons, if he is threatened, I might even protect him."

Dane and Vincent looked completely taken aback. But Colleen’s eyes revealed her understanding.

"You must have something to protect." She guessed.

Neveah nodded slowly. "So, I cannot help you kill Alessio..." She trailed off.

Dane sighed heavily. "It is alright, Veah. We came prepared for the worst. We will do whatever it takes to defend our lives,"

His eyes changed, his expression turning grim. "But if we are unable to..."

"We hoped you would keep the pack safe." Colleen completed, "And our children..." She trailed off, exhaling shakily.

"It’s better to die here than take the war home where they will be endangered."

Dane nodded in grim agreement. "Alessio listens to no one, but he might to you. I hope you will put a word in for our children when the time comes."

Neveah didn’t respond immediately. The sorrow and acceptance in their tone was haunting. They’d come here knowing what could happen, but they were willing to make the sacrifice if it meant everyone else would be unharmed.

It was in this way that Neveah was different and more like Alessio. She could never accept losing to just anyone. "I might not be able to help you kill Alessio, but I can help you return home alive." Neveah finished her statement.

Dane perked up, his eyes wide and hopeful. "Do you have a way?"

Neveah nodded slowly. "Shift the attention away from you."

"But how?" Vincent asked in confusion.

"Kill Lado." She stated simply.

Dane and Vincent exchanged a look.

"Lado?" Dane asked, "Why Lado?"

Neveah hesitated for a moment. There was a measure of selfish interest in it. She truly found the man unsettling. But that was not all.

"The moon ceremony is meant to be a peaceful event, and Alessio knows he’s already spilled enough blood, the Eclipse Alphas are all on the edge and distrustful of him." Neveah explained,

"He knows everyone harbours a deep seated fear that their death might come someday even if they submit now. The state of the domain is fragile...if he pushes too hard, and all the Eclipse Packs unite against him, he’ll be overpowered."

"But it’s unlikely all the packs will unite against him." Dane asserted. "Most are too scared, and his warriors have taken over a good number of major packs."

"You’re right. But fear is a double edged sword. Alessio knows it." Neveah nodded slowly, "He has given many kill orders, but he didn’t actually execute them himself. One can even argue it was under advice from his war council..." She paused briefly.

"This is where Lado comes in. For Alessio, Lado is a shield and a contrast." She explained. "More than half of Alessio’s brutality was carried out by Lado."

"Meanwhile Lado himself is nothing more than a brute, with little to no brains on him. The more victories he wins for Alessio, the more out of control he becomes."

"He’s even begun to pit himself against Alessio, in the presence of other Alphas." Neveah thought back to the dinner earlier where Lado rallied the Alphas to make her perform the Luna dance, whereas Alessio already said it wasn’t necessary.

Any other Alpha would have backed down immediately. But Lado...he believed he had more leverage than others with Alessio because of the things he’d done for him, and he didn’t hesitate to push Alessio to show favouritism to him.

In Lado’s eyes, it looked like Alessio was acknowledging his feats by being more lenient and ignoring his excesses. But in truth, the other Alphas had begun to speculate that Lado was in fact the bigger threat compared to Alessio.

Alessio was not a man that tolerated disrespect. Lado should have known that by now, but he wasn’t as strategic as Alessio was. Alessio allowed Lado to run rampant only because with the public sentiment split between them two, it would be difficult for the Eclipse Alphas to unite against him.

"What you’re saying is... killing Lado will take away Alessio’s shield?" Dane asked in understanding.

"Without Lado, whatever he does reflects solely on him." Neveah agreed. "He would think twice to desecrate the moon ceremony by killing a major Alpha."

"In fact, Alessio wouldn’t have come at you himself. I believe his plan is to incite Lado to take the fall."

"Lado’s death means he loses his hunting dog. And equally, with one death during the moon ceremony, all of Alessio’s warriors now ruling major packs will become wary. Of each other... and of Alessio." Neveah murmured.

"Why? Because Lado may be too blind to see that the hunting dog will be the first to die when the hunt is done. But the rest of Alessio’s warriors have never been as close to Alessio as Lado is, so they have no such delusions."

"And if not Alessio, they’re equally aware that there are many of them currently envious of Lado racking in greater benefits while they all share equal risks."

"Once Lado is out of the picture, Alessio and his inner circle will fall into an unspoken suspicion. They are all selfish and self serving men. The crack formed from this will spread naturally, and swiftly."

"All Eclipse Alphas are arriving at Eclipse Claw, and the newly appointed Alpha of Eclipse Claw is murdered. Who can be trusted? Is it the opposition? Or an inside job? Or the Eclipse King himself?"

"Who killed Lado? The mystery of this is your way out." Neveah finished.

While the Eclipse Hunt wolves still processed her words, she got up to her feet and walked over to the door, pulling it open to reveal Laila leaned against it.

Laila jumped, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Come in. I’m sure you’ve heard enough and have a lot to say." Neveah stepped aside, a knowing look in her eyes.

Laila hesitated before stepping in. Just as Neveah shut the door, she dropped to her knees, sobbing quietly. "Kill him, Your Grace... please. I can’t live like this anymore..."

"You will have to make some sacrifices." Neveah stated directly.

"Anything..." She nodded quickly, "I’ll do anything..."

Dane and Vincent glanced over at Neveah while Colleen quickly went over to comfort Laila.

"I’ve already made the arrangements for you." Neveah pointed out.

"Lado will be here soon."

"You..." Dane trailed off. "You lured him already?"

Neveah shrugged casually. "I didn’t. Laila did."