The Cursed Omega queen

Playing Hide and Seek

Chapter Three

Playing Hide and Seek

Tatsumi’s Pov

I jolted back to reality with a loud ring in my head.

“What the….” I said looking around. I was standing in front of the sink, my face reflected in the mirror. Was that real? Or….

“I need to get out of here.”

I dashed out of the bathroom, my head still had a ring in it but I sucked it up. I needed to be focused if I was going to avoid Storm and Liora. This was the biggest hide and seek I had ever done but I would have to do it if I wanted to survive.

Outside the bathroom, I forced myself into the flow of bustling attendants rushing about the grand hall of the Ashfang Pack estate.

The summit was in full swing, and the state capital of Astrid had never seen so many packs gathered under one roof.

The air reeked of dominance, tension, and fake smiles.

Everywhere I looked, I saw Alphas’ huge forms, Betas trailing close, warriors standing tall with pride. I was like a shadow among them, dressed in the plain garb of a servant.

That was good…..that was what I wanted……to disappear.

But my heart refused to settle because I knew he was here.

Storm Thorne.

The Alpha of Bloodfang Pack. My executioner, my fated mate. The man who had watched me die without lifting a finger.

He had many names, none of which made me happy to hear.

I pressed the tray of goblets tighter to my chest, praying no one saw how badly my hands shook.

“Steady,” I whispered to myself, slipping into the banquet hall. The chandeliers above sparkled like frozen fire, casting a golden glow on velvet drapes and marble floors. The loud laughter and voices blended in a constant hum, dignitaries exchanging pleasantries as though the weight of power didn’t crush everyone else.

Then I saw him.

He stood at the far end of the hall. His broad shoulders cloaked in black, his aura unmistakable even in this sea of Alphas. My lungs squeezed tight and I could feel

My knees are going weak.

For a second, all I could see was the memory of his cold eyes as he turned his back on me that night.

I spun around, trying to blend back into the line of servants, but that's when I noticed that his gaze was on me.

It was brief at first, the kind of idle glance an Alpha gives to anyone in his field of view but instead of moving past me like always, his eyes lingered.

My blood ran cold.

Why was he staring? Did he recognize me? Did he know who I was?

I ducked my head, hair falling over my face as I hurried to serve wine to the guests. Every step was agony, my mind screaming at me to run but servants couldn’t run.

Servants were meant to stay invisible. I couldn't cause a scene but every time I looked back, every time I risked a glance back, Storm’s eyes were still on me.

His expression was unreadable, but his attention was as sharp as a predator watching prey.

Confusion swirled in my chest.

The memory of how he had ignored me when I begged him to save me, how he had let me die, flooded my mind.

He doesn't know me yet so why could I feel his gaze burning into my skin?

He doesn’t know, I reminded myself. He doesn’t know about our bond, not for another six months.

Until then, I was safe. I didn't want to make the mistake I made in my past life. If I were planning on making it past the day I die, I should avoid him.

So that’s what I did.

*******************************

For the next three days of the summit, I became a ghost.

I learnt the patterns of the halls, the times the Alphas met, the moments I could slip away. I carried trays, I fetched scrolls, I scrubbed floors.

Anything to keep me hidden.

Whenever Storm entered a room, I found the nearest exit. Whenever Liora’s laughter rang out, I pressed myself deeper into the walls.

But his gaze… I had felt it more than once. Following me as I disappeared into the crowd. It was like my very existence was a magnet to him, even though he didn’t even know why.

By the final day, my nerves were stretched to breaking.

The summit ended with the full moon ceremony, a tradition where packs gathered under the open night sky to honor the goddess.

The great courtyard of Ashfang’s estate was bathed in silver light, banners of every pack waving through the air. Wolves howled into the heavens, their voices like a beautiful hymn.

I stood at the very edge, among the servants with my head bowed. My heart prayed this night would pass quickly.

So that it would all go back to normal but the goddess had other plans.

It began as a spark.

A tiny burning sensation beneath my left shoulder. At first, I thought it was nerves and my body betraying me but then it grew. It was hotter, sharper, until it felt like molten larva burning me from the inside out.

“Ahhh!”

The scream tore out of me before I could stop it. My knees gave out, and the tray I carried shattered to the ground.

Goblets flew around, wine spilling like blood across the stones.

I screamed louder as the burning intensified, spreading through my chest, my veins, my bones.

I clawed at my shoulder, but there was nothing there, just unbearable pain.

“Please…….help……!” I gasped, collapsing onto the ground. The world spun, faces blurred above me. I heard gasps, whispers, the shuffle of feet. No one touched me or tried to help me.

“Not here,” someone hissed. “She’s cursed.”

“Get her out before the Alphas notice.”

Their voices drifted away as darkness pulled me under.

And then in my dark state, I could feel it. A pair of arms, strong arms lifting me. I was pulled against a chest that radiated warmth and power.

“Don’t worry,” a deep voice rumbled above me. “I’ve got you.”

My eyes fluttered open for only a second, just enough to see the face of the man carrying me. His hair was dark, his jaw sharp, his eyes a striking steel-grey that seemed to pierce right through me.

Who was he?

“Oh my goodness that Alpha Lucien Vale, the Alpha of the Rogue Pack.” someone squealed

The last thing I heard before darkness claimed me was his voice,

“You’re safe now.”