Rio's POV
"Daniella, where is the stupid omega she's been hiding away for far too long?" I demanded, anger lacing my voice. Daniella's eyes widened in surprise at my harsh tone.
"I wish I knew," she admitted, shaking her head. "She has responsibilities to the pack, yet she dares to hide away after all we have done for her?"
I scoffed in disgust. We had been kind enough to allow an unmated omega to stay in our prestigious pack. When Daniella and I took over as Alpha leaders, I wasn't sure that generosity would continue.
"How does she repay the kindness and protection of this pack?" Daniella asked rhetorically, her expression twisting in disgust. "By disrespecting our authority like this?"
I clenched my fists, feeling my wolf growling just beneath the surface. The audacity of this omega, thinking she could forget her duties without consequence. Didn't she realise how lucky she was to be part of our powerful bloodline?
"When I find her, she will be disciplined," I stated firmly, meeting Daniella's eyes. "Severely disciplined to remind her of her place."
Daniella gave a satisfied nod. Good, she understood what needed to be done to keep this omega in line. I would make her submit, one way or another. We had ensured Eliza was fed and had a safe place within our pack. She was an omega and knew the rules of Creek. My mother and father had been far too lenient with her all of these years, and to think that she could dare to hide away was highly disrespectful in my eyes.
Just then, I spotted my mother walking through the doors and towards the stairwell with my brother Rylan in tow. After finding out the wolf he was talking about was part of the silver moon pack, our father had ordered him to cease going after her. We didn't want a war with Alpha Theornnof Silver Moon Pack.
Mother, is everything ok?” I called out to her, and my gaze met my brothers. He glared back at me and Daniella before turning away. He had shoved me out, so I couldn't connect to him through our shared mind-link.
“Everything is fine. Rylan needs some rest, so I would appreciate it if he is left to rest; Rio ensure that happens.” my mother said as she led my brother away. I was surprised but nodded in agreement. “What was that all about?” Daniella asked curiously, but I shrugged my shoulders, unaware.
“Enzo, Edward, keep an eye on Mother and Rylan. I need some fresh air out of this place.” I suddenly turned to my brothers, who were kicking a football about with our younger brother, Grayson.
“Sure thing, bro.” Enzo and Edward called out in unison while Grayson concentrated on the football. I chuckled at the sight of the three.
"A drive sounds perfect to clear our heads," Daniella said, tossing me the car keys. "Let's get out of the pack house for a bit."
I caught the keys with a nod. Some distance from the simmering tensions would do us good. We slid into my sleek black sports car, the engine rumbling to life beneath us. Peeling out of the compound, I took us west towards the secluded lakes beyond our territory borders.
The winding mountain roads helped me focus, the potential crisis with Rylan temporarily fading into the background noise of the engine's growl. Daniella was similarly pensive beside me as we left Creek Valley behind.
After an hour's drive, we reached the first of the glacier-fed lakes, its waters a brilliant turquoise even on this overcast day. Parking off the gravel road, we stretched our legs along the deserted shoreline.
"A swim might be nice to cool off," Daniella suggested, kicking off her shoes.
I eyed the crisp, clear water and nodded. "Alright, race you in?"
She grinned, and we quickly stripped down before plunging into the shockingly cold depths. The icy liquid helped further clear my head as we surfaced, gasping.
That's when the scent hit me - sweet and mouthwatering. My wolf stirred, instincts sharpening as I searched for the source.
There, on the opposite bank amid the tree line, a shockingly familiar figure emerged - Eliza. And she wasn't alone. The massive silver-furred form of Alpha Theornn himself accompanied her.
I froze in the water, feeling Daniella tense beside me as she, too, caught sight of her. What in the seven hells was our unmated omega doing alone with the Silver Moon's imposing leader?
Theron leaned down, whispering something to Eliza that made her giggle and blush deeply. With a possessive rumble, he pulled her into a searing kiss, his large hand spanning her lower back.
My wolf was snarling, instincts screaming at the sight of an omega in our pack being claimed by a rival alpha. But I forced it down, remaining deathly still to avoid detection.
Daniella's hand clenched my arm hard enough to bruise. "So that's where she is. How the hell did she get away without being caught? Rio...we need to get out of here, now," she hissed urgently.
Nodding tightly, I turned, and we slipped silently from the lake, hurriedly dressing before racing back to the car at a crouch. We peeled out, putting miles between us and that shocking scene.
It wasn't until we hit the main highway that Daniella finally spoke again, her voice shaking with fury.
"That treacherous little omega! Cavorting with Theron himself! She'll have betrayed us to our greatest rivals!"
"We don't know that for certain," I forced out through a clenched jaw, struggling to understand what we'd witnessed. "But you're right, this is a disaster if word gets out."
Daniella's eyes bored into me from the passenger seat. "Rio, we cannot let our parents or anyone else learn of this, not until we uncover the truth. Promise me you'll stay silent."
Her gaze was intense, imploring me to understand the catastrophic implications if this got out. Swallowing hard, I gave a tight nod. "I promise. Not a word until we know more."
Upon returning to the pack house, we were immediately pulled into an emergency gathering with the entire family council in attendance. Daniella shot me a loaded look - our silence would be tested immediately.
Father stood at the head of the table, his expression grave. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice. We have a delicate situation to address."
My heart pounded, wondering if somehow our troubling discovery at the lake had already been uncovered. But Father continued in a measured tone.
"It has come to my attention that the King himself has heard the rumors of a rare white wolf roaming our territory." His piercing gaze landed on Rylan, who stiffened. "Rumors my son has been most insistent about."
A leaden silence fell over the room as the implications sank in.
"The King and his son, the Crown Prince, will be paying us an official visit to assess the situation for themselves," Father stated grimly. "They will arrive within the fortnight."
A low murmur went around the table. A royal visit was a highest honor, but also brought intense scrutiny we could ill afford with the Eliza situation unresolved.
"We must present a united front," Father's voice brooked no argument. "There will be no mentions of the white wolf unless I deem it appropriate. And absolutely no word about any...indiscretions that could insult our guests."
His penetrating stare landed on Rylan again before sweeping over to Daniella and I. My throat went dry - did he somehow know about Eliza and Theornn?
"The Creek legacy and our family's honor are at stake," Father declared. "I expect full obedience from everyone until the King's party has departed. Are we clear?"
A tense chorus of "Yes, Alpha" went around the table. Daniella and I joined in, our words hollow. Obedience was one thing, but outright deception was another beast entirely.
As the council disbanded, I felt a sinking feeling in my gut. Keeping the Eliza situation under wraps just became exponentially more difficult with the King's eyes on us. One misstep and we risked bringing ruination down on our entire pack.