Chapter 867: eting Familiar Strangers 2 (Ch.868)
The man, Dane pulled away, holding Neveah at arms length. "Let
take a better look at you. You’ve lost a good asure of that paleness, Princess."
"And you look sharper around the edges. Not in a bad way though, I’m sure you fight better now..." He was saying.
"Let go all the way, Dane." The woman cautioned again. "And stop talking."
Neveah’s lips twitched slightly despite herself.
"Oh right." Dane’s hands dropped to his side. His right hand went up to scratch the back of his head, chuckling awkwardly. "Forgive . I tend to get a little carried away."
Neveah smiled hesitantly. "I... Laila told you already, didn’t she?"
The two exchanged a glance before their gazes returned to Neveah, now sympathetic.
"She did." The woman stepped forward, taking Neveah’s hand in hers. "You’ve not had it easy, Neveah."
"My na is Colleen, and this is my husband, Dane. And that’s Vincent..." She gestured to the quiet, brooding man at the side.
"Once, a long ti ago, you saved ." She paused, "Us really..."
"Us?" Neveah asked with a raised brow.
Colleen nodded, her smile warm. "Our children are back ho. These are trying tis and nowhere is truly safe...we couldn’t risk it."
"But without your help, I wouldn’t have them at all."
Neveah let the words sink in, hoping it could perhaps trigger sothing. But other than the familiarity she felt, there was nothing else. "I... I’m sorry. I don’t rember."
Colleen exchanged another look with Dane, and then she sighed heavily. "It’s fine. What matters is that you are alive and well."
"We needed to see for ourselves to make sure... the rumors were difficult to believe."
Neveah nodded in understanding. "But that isn’t the only reason, is it?"
Dane’s expression turned grim. "I’m sorry. If there was another way, I would never want to get you involved in this."
Neveah shrugged slightly. She’d co knowing they needed sothing from her beyond just exchanging pleasantries and she didn’t feel any particular way about it.
She wasn’t reluctant either. If it was sothing she could do without complicating her situation any further, she would. If only for the familiarity she felt to the couple.
"Please, sit." Colleen gestured for Neveah to take a seat and she did, settling into the wooden stool by the table.
The couple exchanged another look, hesitant.
"I don’t have much ti." Neveah reminded them.
Dane nodded quickly, clearing his throat. "As you’ve heard, the domain is not in a good situation..." He trailed off,
"No, it’s in the worst situation it’s ever been since Lothaire seized the throne." He adjusted, his tone was grim, his gaze faraway as he continued. "Lothaire was a terrible ruler, but he understood the workings of politics and the need to maintain cordiality with influential major Alphas, but Alessio..."
"He’s different." Dane’s words were dark and hateful.
"Even Varleston, my good friend and the most influential of us was murdered without a second thought." He paused, like the words were too heavy on his tongue to be completed.
"Now, there’s not many like Varleston who dares muster the opposition against Alessio’s tyranny. And there’s not many of us left either, staying true to our beliefs."
"Varleston’s death did sothing irrecoverable to the opposition. Everything is crumbling and everyone is seemingly adjusting to the new rule they previously swore against." Colleen explained in her husband’s stead.
"This ti, every Alpha was summoned to the moon ceremony. Any Alpha who fails to show up risks Alessio’s wrath turning to their territory." Dane continued.
"We’ve already lost so much influence with many Alphas being killed or imprisoned and their packs taken over, I couldn’t afford to give Alessio a reason to overtake my pack. And so even I’m left with no choice but to obey his summons."
He sounded guilty. Like it was a shaful thing that he’d bent to Alessio’s rule when Varleston sacrificed his life for their cause.
Neveah didn’t think so. She believed in strategy, rather than hard-headed defiance.
There were tis when one had to take a step back or even bend, or risk being broken and crushed like Varleston was.
And now, he achieved nothing. And even his pack had been ruined to this extent.
"You made the right decision." Neveah murmured. "I might not be in the best position to comnt on these matters, but I would make the sa decision."
"The safety of your pack and your children is a priority. You can bide your ti for the future."
Dane heaved a quiet sigh, nodding gratefully. "You don’t know how much it ans to
to hear you say that, Neveah."
"But I fear biding my ti is an even graver risk." Dane asserted. "I’m not naive enough to believe Alessio will let
go unpunished. So far, the Eclipse Hunt territory has been too far out of reach, at the very borders of the domain, with a strong geographic advantage, hence his hesitation."
"But..." Dane trailed off again.
Neveah already understood his implication. "You believe Alessio invited you here to solve that problem. And that he won’t let you go back alive." She surmised.
Dane nodded slowly.
Neveah wished she could assure him that wasn’t the case, and that he had nothing to worry about and Alessio simply wanted a smooth moon ceremony.
But she knew better. Alessio was cruel and decisive. It would be more strange if he didn’t take care of the Eclipse Hunt with this opportunity.
"He won’t." Neveah confird. There was no use beating around the bush when they already knew what was coming.
They were caught between a rock and a hard place. They knew showing up for the moon ceremony ant they would likely be unable to return alive. But not showing up ant open rebellion which was all the justification Alessio needed to rally the support of the other Alphas and crush the Eclipse Hunt Pack.
Colleen exhaled shakily, reaching for her husband’s hand. It was an unconscious action between them both, but it didn’t escape Neveah’s notice.
A hollow ache pulsed in her heart, and Neveah brushed it aside before it could distract her from the current situation.
"I don’t think you’d ask
to co here if you didn’t have a way around it." Neveah stated directly.
Dane nodded. "First, I must ask you..." He hesitated, "Do you think it’s possible for us to get rid of Alessio before he can get to us?"
She wasn’t surprised by the question. She’d been asked it enough tis already to see it coming. She was after all bound to the most hated man in the domain.
"You will fail." Neveah stated blankly, "Many have already tried. No one can get close enough to kill him."
Dane sighed in frustration. "Is there really no way out of this?"
"Why not?! You can get close to him, can’t you?! Why don’t you do it?!" This ti, it was the only other person in the room who hadn’t said a word.
Vincent, the young man who’d been quiet all along.
"Vincent!" Colleen reprimanded, her tone horrified. She glanced over at Neveah warily, "Don’t pay him any attention. He’s only frustrated."
"Did I say anything wrong?!" Vincent snapped, "Why are we walking on eggshells? It’s Veah for fur’s sake!"
"Vincent, that’s enough!" Dane snarled.
anwhile Neveah stared at Vincent for a long mont. His brows were furrowed and his eyes flashed with rage.
"You...did you yell at
soti in the past?" Neveah asked out of the blue.
No one seed to have expected that reaction because all three eyes turned to Neveah.
"Did you?" Neveah asked again,
Vincent blinked in confusion, his gaze shifting between Dane and Colleen before moving back to Neveah.
"I..." He trailed off, "I’m not certain."
"You must have... when we were in danger..." Neveah murmured thoughtfully,.
"What do you an stay?! What exactly can you do if you stay here?!"
She mumbled the words that had surfaced in her mind, echoing in a tone perfectly similar to Vincent’s.
Vincent’s eyes widened slightly. "That was...when we were attacked by rogues and Leen refused to leave Dane and escape, and you encouraged her to stay..."
It did happen. It wasn’t just her mind ssing with her. Neveah couldn’t believe it!
Colleen leaned closer to Neveah eagerly. "Did you just...recall a mory?"
Neveah shook her head slowly. "Not exactly a mory...but just his words, I... I seem to rember them..."
"And how I felt...at that mont..."
"That ans, your mories...are coming back?" Dane asked slowly,
Neveah didn’t reply imdiately. But after a mont of silence, she said "I don’t know about that. But I’ve found the answer I needed."
"All along, everything struck
as familiar but didn’t trigger a mory. I see why now..."
"It’s because everyone is walking on eggshells around
and not behaving as they used to."
"Alessio must have not been this tender before. Lado must not have been this respectful, Laila wasn’t so timid...you two weren’t this careful with your words and intentions,"
"Vincent... You’re the only one who spoke as you always did." Neveah murmured, a ghost of a smile on her lips.
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