Page 148 of Omega for the Pack

“Why do you hate Vanessa so much?” asked Voss out of the blue.

“How would you like it if someone broke apart your family?” I said.

A dark look came over his face, but he shook his head and covered it with a big smile.

“I understand one hundred percent.”

“Come on. You can tell me,” I said, chewing on the remaining piece of my croissant. “You looked like you remembered something.”

“My entire family was killed,” said Voss. “I would be grateful even to have one family member remaining.”

“What happened?” I asked, shocked. I wasn't prepared for this type of revelation from this jolly alpha.

“Your family, the Royal Pack, killed my family,” he said.

“That’s impossible. Why would they do that?” I wasn’t sure whether he was kidding, but his face had all kinds of seriousness written all over it. He wasn’t joking in the slightest, but I didn’t understand.

“It was during the Great Moon Revolt. When these villagers went under attack for supporting a sigma, they were badly attacked by the government,” said Voss. “My family was part of it. Even my little brother was killed.”

His voice choked up on the last sentence as he looked away from me.

“I just don’t believe my family would do that stuff on purpose,” I said. “It’s just…unbelievable.”

“So you’re telling me you didn’t know,” said Voss, turning to me.

“I didn’t know,” I said in a low voice.

“Well, it’s too late now,” he whispered, stopping suddenly. I looked around to see why he had stopped. We were standing in front of the narrow stone path that led directly to the Shadow Wolf’s cave.

“What do you mean? Why did you bring me here?”

Even as I asked the question, a sinking dread dropped like a boulder in my stomach. His resentful attitude toward my familyand the full moon above us all came together. He was going to put me up for the omega sacrifice.

Ducking under the umbrella, I turned to run, but the villagers surrounded me in a small circle, pushing me toward the cave. I screamed for Luke, but I did not see him anywhere.

“Luke isn’t here, my dear,” said Voss evilly. And he was smiling as he gazed upon the cave.

“What did you do to him?!”

“Oh, Princess Lyra,” said Voss, sticking his hand out for me to take, which I didn’t. “You should be honored to be the next omega sacrifice. The Shadow Wolf is waiting eagerly for you.”

“What’s the point of sacrificing me?” I shouted, looking around frantically for help, holding my arms straight out and trying to block any of the Wild Wolfmen from touching me. My heart was beating wildly as I backed away slowly.

My back was to the cave, but I could see I was getting closer and closer to its entrance.

A loud howl sounded from the cave, and I froze. The howl was as chilling and paralyzing as the first day I was here.

“You will appease the Shadow Wolf,” said Voss, clapping, and the people cheered. The crowd was barking and howling at my demise. “And the villagers will love me forever after this, and we will take over the kingdom.”

“My family will come after you. Kodan will come after you,” I threatened as they crowded me closer to the cave entrance. I turned towards the cave, horrified to see an endless dark cavern. I couldn’t see anything inside it.

Where was Kodan? Did he know about this?

Voss shoved me inside when I turned my back to him. I screamed as I fell forward onto the damp cave floor, falling forward on my face. I scrambled to right myself, but my hands slipped over the slick surface.

Harsh breathing sounded to my right, and I screamed, holding onto the rock walls to stand up.

My heart pounded in my chest.

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