Chapter Six: The Powerless Omega

MARLIENE

The morning sun bled through my curtains, bringing nothing but cold. I sat at my vanity, staring blankly at the ruby ring on my finger. My mind was stuck on a loop, replaying the sound of shattering ice and the terrifying, magnetic pull of Rune’s skin against mine.

A sharp knock on the door made me flinch.

"Lady Marliene," a maid’s voice called out, entirely lacking the venom from the day before. News of the slap had clearly traveled. "Alpha Lex requests your presence in the grand parlor. The guest of honor has arrived for the morning strategy meeting."

"Hm," I replied, keeping my voice steady. "I'll be down shortly."

I took a deep breath, smoothing down the skirts of a dark blue dress. I needed to play the part of the dutiful, quiet betrothed. If Ariel or Lex caught even a hint of what I had done last night, I may not live to see the banquet.

When I entered the grand parlor, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense. Lex and Ariel sat on the velvet sofa, looking like royalty, while Rune occupied the armchair opposite them. He looked entirely at ease, one long leg crossed over the other, a cup of black coffee resting loosely in his hand. He wore a crisp black suit that made him look less like a banished rogue and more like a king waiting to take his crown.

"Ah, Marliene," Lex said, his voice carrying a forced, prideful cheerfulness. He gestured for me to come closer. "Come sit beside me. We were just discussing the logistics for tonight's banquet."

I walked over, making a conscious effort to keep my eyes on Lex, though I could feel Rune’s gaze tracking my every movement like a predator watching its prey. I sat beside Lex on the sofa, keeping my posture rigid.

"Good morning, Alpha. Lady Ariel," I murmured, completely ignoring Rune.

"Good morning, child," Ariel replied, her smile dripping with sweet poison. "We were just telling Rune how delighted we are to welcome him back to Moorgrave. Family should always stand together, don't you agree?"

"Of course," I replied smoothly, catching the faint, mocking tilt of Rune’s lips out of the corner of my eye.You should also be more welcoming to him, Marliene." Ariel said with a faint smirk lingering on her face. "I understand how sudden change can be, but he is family, and you should try to acknowledge him as one of us, okay?"

Nodding, I turned to Rune whose smirk never left his face. "Good morning, Rune," I mumbled.

"Morning, Marliene," he responded, setting his coffee cup down on the glass table with a soft clink. He leaned back, his brilliant blue eyes locking onto me with an intensity that made my skin prickle with sudden, phantom cold.

"Good," Ariel smiled warmly at the exchange, and to a normal person, that smile would seem normal. But I already knew the intent of her heart.

"Family is a beautiful thing," Rune said, his deep baritone vibrating through the room. "And speaking of family... brother, you haven't told me much about your lovely betrothed. Where did you say she was from again?"

Lex chuckled, a dismissive, arrogant sound as he wrapped an arm tightly around my waist. The contrast between the brothers was sickening. Lex’s touch felt like a heavy weight, while the memory of Rune’s touch still burned like electricity.

"Marliene is an Ashthorn," Lex said casually, as if he were describing a piece of furniture. "Though, not one of the prominent ones, as you can probably tell. She’s a wolfless omega, completely powerless."

"Hopefully when she carries Lex's heir, she could benefit from it," Ariel added with her sugary smile still plastered across her face.

I kept my face entirely expressionless, but my hands tightened into fists beneath the fabric of my dress. I'll show them just how powerless I can be.

Rune tilted his head, his analytical gaze shifting from Lex back to me. His eyes narrowed slightly, a silent demand for answers flashing in those sapphire depths. They seemed to be asking me, "powerless?" I knew exactly why he was thinking that.

A powerless omega shouldn't be able to neutralize a lethal blast of elemental fire in the dead of night.

"Powerless?" Rune repeated, the word rolling off his tongue with a dangerous, slow amusement. "How fascinating. A pack as formidable as Moorgrave, marrying its future Alpha to someone without a wolf. The council must have had quite a few thoughts on that."

Ariel’s sugary smile tightened, a flash of irritation breaking through her perfect mask. "The council understands the importance of political alliances, Rune. Marliene carries the Ashthorn name, and that is enough to satisfy the requirements. Her lack of... abilities... is entirely irrelevant to her duties as a quiet, compliant Luna."

"Quiet and compliant," Rune mused, his voice dropping an octave as his eyes locked onto mine. "Is that what you are, Marliene--oops, I mean lady Marliene?"

"I am whatever the Moorgrave Pack requires me to be, Alpha Rune," I replied, my voice laced with a subtle, dry wit. "But I assure you, I can be full of surprises, if matriarch Ariel permits me of course." I glanced at her as I spoke and I watched her satisfaction return to her face. I intend to keep her that way so that she gets off my back. If she doesn't see me as a potential threat, then I can buy enough time to surprise her.

Lex laughed, completely missing the undercurrent of danger in the room, and patted my hip. "She has a bit of a mouth on her lately, but don't worry about her, Rune. She knows her place. She won't be causing any trouble during your stay."

"I'm certain of it," Rune said softly, though the dark, knowing look he gave me promised the exact opposite. He picked up his coffee cup again, his fingers tapping against the porcelain. "A powerless omega. Truly, the world is full of mysteries."

Ariel cleared her throat, clearly eager to redirect the conversation. "Now, regarding the banquet tomorrow, Rune. We have invited the elders and the neighboring Alphas to witness our truce. It is a new beginning for all of us."

"A new beginning," Rune agreed, his eyes never leaving mine as he took a slow sip of his coffee. "I am very much looking forward to what tonight brings."

The meeting continued, but I barely heard a word. Every time Rune shifted in his chair, every time his dark, feral scent wafted across the table, my heart hammered against my ribs. He knew I wasn't powerless, and I knew they were going to try to kill him tonight. I was worried that he would expose me to them, but I also feared for his safety, because he was my only ticket out of this place alive.