To ruin an Omega novel Chapter 209

Chapter 209: Lily Of the Valley

FIA

I stared at the approaching vehicles, my breath catching in my throat. Even from this distance, I could make out the emblem on the lead car’s hood. A delicate white flower against black metal.

The Lily of the Valley pack.

Only one pack carried themselves with that kind of arrogance. That level of pristine coordination. The cars moved like a military convoy, each one positioned with exact precision. This wasn’t a delegation. This was a show of force.

"Oh goddess." The words slipped out.

The lead car pulled to a stop at the main entrance.

Then another.

And another.

There were six vehicles in total. And then the doors opened in near-perfect synchronization.

Armed guards emerged first. They didn’t looke like the ceremonial kind. These were real soldiers. Their weapons weren’t just for show. They fanned out with practiced efficiency, securing the perimeter like they were entering hostile territory.

Then came the officials. High-ranking wolves dressed in formal attire that screamed overt wealth and too much power. They moved with the confidence of people who had never been told no in their entire lives.

Behind me, I heard the heavy oak doors of the elder circle building swing open.

I turned. The lead elder stood at the threshold with the other council members crowding behind him. Their faces had lost all color.

"I told you." My voice came out sharp. "I told you this would happen."

The lead elder’s jaw worked. He stared at the delegation, at the armed guards, at the unmistakable message of power on display. "This is preposterous."

"Is it?" I took a step toward him. "Is it really so surprising? I warned you. I told you exactly what they were planning and you threw me out."

The silver-haired woman clutched at her papers. The calculating elder had gone very still. They all looked like they’d been slapped.

"I’ll go speak with Alpha Joseph." The lead elder straightened his robes. His hands shook slightly but he kept his voice firm. "This can be handled diplomatically."

Two other elders moved to follow him. They walked with stiff backs and tight expressions toward the main estate building. The Lily of the Valley delegation was already heading in that direction.

I moved to follow.

"Luna Fia." Garrett caught my arm. "Where are you going?"

"Where do you think?" I pulled free and strode after the elders.

The main hall. Of course they’d use the main hall. It was the most impressive space in the estate. With high ceilings and ornate decorations. The only place that Silver Creek had to intimidate visitors and remind them that Silver Creek too had supposed grandeur.

Problem was it wasn’t that big. It was why the open field was used when Cian came to wed Hazel.

We reached the entrance just as the elders filed through the tall doors. I caught a glimpse of the interior. My father stood near the center of the room. My stepmother beside him, her face arranged in that practiced pleasant expression she wore for important guests. It was a far cry from the rejection she had when I was hitting her daughter back to back in the trial. And there, off to the side, was Pauline.

Of course she was there. The architect of it all.

I stepped forward to enter and that was when two sentinels moved to block my path. Their bulk filled the doorway.

"This is Silver Creek business." The taller one spoke without looking at me. "You may not enter."

"I’m a daughter of this house." My voice rose. "This concerns my family."

"Step back, Luna Fia."

"What does that even mean?" I gestured at the closed doors. "Silver Creek business? My sister is being discussed and my father is in there. This affects me directly."

They didn’t respond. They didn’t even acknowledge I’d spoken. They just stood there like stone statues, completely unmoved by my protests.

I opened my mouth to argue further and that was when Baruch’s hand touched my shoulder.

"Luna Fia." He kept his voice low. "Talking to them is a waste of time. They must have been warned to keep you out. There are however secret passages all over this estate. Surely a place such as this room where enemies have dined together has one."

I turned to look at him.

"Yes." The word came out slowly. "Yes, you’re right."

I spun on my heel and headed back through the corridors. Garrett and Baruch followed without question. My feet carried me through familiar passages, up stairs I’d climbed countless times as a child.

My old room stood at the end of a dim hallway. The door hung slightly crooked on its hinges. No one had maintained this space in years. Why would they? I was the unwanted daughter. The embarrassment.

It was funny how much you could see without the rose filter.

I pushed the door open and dust mites immediately danced in the weak light filtering through the grimy windows. The furniture sat covered in sheets. The air tasted stale.

But I wasn’t here for nostalgia.

"Help me with this." I moved to the far wall where an ornate mirror hung. It looked decorative. Most people would assume it was the only piece of expensive decor that I was spared.

It wasn’t. In fact, the only the reason, it was still there was because it was necessary that it be there.

Garrett and Baruch positioned themselves on either side. We gripped the frame and pulled. The mirror resisted at first. Years of disuse had settled it firmly in place. Then something clicked. The whole thing swung outward on hidden hinges.

Darkness yawned beyond.

I pulled out my phone and activated the flashlight. The beam cut through the blackness, revealing a narrow space behind the wall. Wooden and stone beams. As well as cobwebs thick enough to be curtains.

"The audacity." The representative’s voice dropped to something dangerous. "An accusation like that against a member of Lily of the Valley, even if she is not completely ours yet is not taken lightly. Such a stain cannot be dismissed."

My father stepped forward, hands raised in a placating gesture. "Of course not. We don’t want conflict. But due process must be followed."

"We cannot send the message that lower rank lives don’t matter." The lead elder found his voice. "They absolutely matter. The victim deserves justice if he was indeed murdered in cold blood."

"Of course." The younger man spoke for the first time.

My entire body went cold.

That voice... I knew that voice.

"Murder is a serious charge," he continued. "Especially for a woman now connected to us. I’m all for justice. But the pride of my people comes first."

He moved slightly and stepped forward into better light.

"We can either settle this amicably," he said, "or we can go to war. See how Silver Creek fares against us."

His tone remained conversational. Almost pleasant. But the threat underneath was unmistakable.

"I’ll tell you how it ends." He took another step forward. "We win. You lose. But we don’t want it to come to that. So a compromise must be reached."

The lead elder’s hands clenched at his sides. "Are you threatening us to reduce her sentence?"

The young man turned slightly. I caught his profile then. The strong line of his jaw. That distinctive Greek nose. And his eyes.

Green... No.

They were as green as the lush moss even in the muted light. Just green wasn’t enough to describe them.

"No." He spoke with measured patience. "I want justice. But not something as barbaric as a beheading. You can choose to follow through with your sentence. We won’t stop you. It is the law after all."

He paused. Let the silence stretch.

"But pack law also allows us to declare war if we feel we’ve been gravely offended. Beheading my would-be bride definitely counts as an offence, don’t you think?"

He turned fully toward the lead elder then. His face came into complete view.

My hand flew to my mouth. I had to physically stop myself from making a sound.

I knew him. I knew that face. Those eyes. That voice.

The boy from the meadows.