Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 849: No Playing Safe ()

A muted knock roused Neveah from a fitful sleep. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she squinted, grunting lowly.

The rays of sunlight seeped in through the partly opened blinds. She had been so distracted the night before, she hadn’t remembered to shut them herself.

And while the domestic activity was usually handled by others, sometimes Alessio, she had made it clear she didn’t want him or anyone else near her quarters while she was in it.

Considering there already was an unwanted visitor at the door, it seemed she had not made herself clear enough.

The knock came again, gentle yet insistent, and a muted grumble sounded on the other end of the door.

Neveah’s brows furrowed slightly. She swung her legs off the bed, wincing as her bare feet came in contact with something wet and sticky.

She glanced down, not surprised to see a pool of dried blood.

Alessio had sat by her bed for a long while. It was no surprise his blood soaked robes dripped onto the polished wood. And it was no wonder her dreams were haunted by that metallic stench, by death, and a host of other unpleasant things.

Her mind was foggy, not with sleep because she had barely gotten any. It was just clouded in the way it always was when she awakened from a night plagued by terrors, only to realize she could hardly recall anything she had dreamt off in the first place.

Her mind was as blank as her memories and the only thing that convinced her she had dreamt at all was the residues of terror crawling through her veins, and the bitter taste of despair in the back of her throat.

Waking up like this...each morning more uncertain than the last, she had begun to tire of it. She was mortal, and this rehearsed routine was unbecoming and distasteful.

"Alpha Queen." A voice called from the door, drawing her attention back to the present moment.

It was a familiar voice, Karan the unusual physician.

Of course Alessio would send someone else to keep an eye on her when he couldn’t. She was certain the patrol guards from last night had all been replaced and doubled.

The palace, despite being mostly deserted, was well guarded. After her escape last night, Alessio would make sure it was fortified.

Somehow, she knew that wouldn’t stop her.

Neveah headed to the door, unlocking it. She pulled it open, her brows furrowed into a frown.

"It’s time for your tonic." Karan relayed, lifting his medicine box to her view.

As usual, he didn’t meet her gaze. His eyes darted everywhere else but her.

She sighed, stepping away from the door, she headed back to the bed. "You can just leave it on the table over there."

"That won’t do." He shook his head slightly. "I will need to examine the child as well."

She sat on the bed, glancing over at Karan. "The child? Or me?"

The physician looked taken aback by the question and for a brief moment, his eyes met hers.

It was only for a beat longer than a few seconds before he averted them.

"It’s just that most physicians would not make reference to examining an unborn child, when your skills only afford you the ability to ascertain the child’s condition through me." She stared at him unblinkingly. "Examine the child? How do you plan on doing that?"

Neveah had realized whenever she grew doubtful, there was suddenly more emphasis laid on the child she carried. And Karan would show up more frequently with one diagnosis or the next.

It was too much of a coincidence to be anything but intentional. But she wasn’t the first woman to be with child, was she? Was all this fuss truly necessary?

On each occasion, she never felt much different than she had the last time. The only thing that would change was Karan’s prescription.

The tonic at this point was twice as potent as it had been when she first regained consciousness.

Was it really for the child? Or for her all along?

Karan chuckled lowly, his hands trembled ever so slightly. He made a good attempt to hide it but it did not escape Neveah’s notice.

He was nervous. That in itself spoke volumes.

"Do what you will." Neveah lay back, her eyes going closed.

Karan performed his usual examination and after he was finished, he stepped away.

"You may leave." Neveah dismissed. "Leave the tonic behind."

Her tone was cold and firm, leaving no room for contention.

Karan hesitated for only a moment, finally he inclined his head and was gone in a few strides.

As the door went closed, Neveah got off the bed, heading over to the table. She picked up the steaming bowl of dark green liquid, lifting it closer.

The herbal stench stirred a choking sensation in the back of her throat and her nose scrunched up in disgust.

It smelled terrible. It always did, but this time it smelled even worse.

"This is stronger than the last..." She murmured, scoffing beneath her breath. "What exactly is in it?"

She wasn’t certain she even wanted to know. She had consumed this tonic daily for the past month, not skipping a day.

Not because she trusted Alessio but because she didn’t want to trigger his caution until she was certain she wasn’t overthinking things.

She had always known, deep down, that Alessio was a man to be wary of. And while she initially was certain, whatever the truth was, he wouldn’t hurt her... she didn’t know anymore.

Not after last night.

She headed to the washroom, dumping the tonic into the washbasin. The thick liquid went down the drain, and she watched with a frown until it was all gone.

Alessio hadn’t left the palace since she regained consciousness. The moon ceremony in a few days would be the first...

And while Neveah knew he was having second thoughts after last night, she could tell the ceremony was of too great a significance that he ever considered leaving in the first place.

She couldn’t keep taking the tonic. She couldn’t play it safe.

This was perhaps the only chance she would get...to figure out the truth.