Alpha's Omega War Goddess Wife

Chapter 9: Hidden Malice

Elder Kael's enigmatic words rippled through Lyra's thoughts like stones dropped into a still lake, causing brief ripples of confusion and unease. But soon, harsh reality, like the lake's icy depths, swallowed those ripples whole. She had no time to ponder the mysterious Elder's intentions, because more direct, more malicious trouble had already arrived, creeping up on silent feet.

Ever since being startled by Lyra's momentary cold glare on the path, Selena clearly viewed her as a thorn in her side, an eyesore. The redhead perhaps held some standing or family influence within the Pack, for she didn't reappear herself, but instead began using what little power she had to make Lyra and Ella's lives increasingly difficult.

Early the next morning, the Beta steward in charge of assigning tasks to the lowest servants—a fawning, middle-aged man named Bolin, who always seemed eager to please Selena—gave them a virtually impossible task: cleaning out the long-abandoned ice cellar beneath the fortress.

The cellar was dark and damp, rumored to be filled with years of accumulated refuse and rot, possibly infested with snakes or rats, and the stench was said to be nauseating. Forget cleaning it; simply staying inside was unbearable. And Bolin gave them only one day to do it.

"'It must be finished by sunset, or else... Hmph, you know the Pack's rules!'" Bolin sneered, malice glinting in his narrow eyes, before stalking off.

Ella stared at the pitch-black entrance leading down, her face paling. "'Lyra, this… this is impossible! And inside…'"

Lyra's heart plummeted. She knew this was Selena's revenge, using Bolin's hand to torment them. But what could she do? Refuse? That would only give them a direct excuse for punishment.

"'Don't talk, Ella. Let's work,'" Lyra said, taking a deep breath to suppress her anger and helplessness. She picked up the crude cleaning tools and walked into the darkness that reeked of decay.

The conditions inside the ice cellar were even worse than they'd imagined. Thick layers of dust and grime coated everything. The air was thick with the suffocating stench of mold and rot. Piles of refuse littered the corners, and occasionally, rustling sounds hinted at the presence of rats or other vermin.

Swallowing their nausea and fear, Lyra and Ella began to clean. They wiped the grimy walls and floors with rags, stuffed heaps of trash into burlap sacks, and laboriously dragged them outside. The workload was immense, the conditions atrocious. Before long, both were gasping for breath, covered in filth, sweat mingling with grime on their faces.

What drove them deeper into despair was the realization that their work kept encountering 'problems'. An area they'd just cleared would inexplicably have new trash appear. The sacks they used to haul garbage would mysteriously tear at the bottom, spilling waste everywhere. Even one of their two precious oil lamps suddenly sputtered out, though the oil was still full.

Lyra knew immediately this was no accident. Selena must have sent someone to sabotage them, ensuring they couldn't possibly finish the task on time!

Other servants watched their struggles in the ice cellar from afar, but none dared to help. They all knew Selena's vindictiveness and Bolin's bias; no one wanted to get involved. Some eyes held pity, but most held only numbness and relief—relief that it wasn't them suffering.

Time slipped away; the sun began its descent towards the horizon. Despite Lyra and Ella pushing themselves to their absolute limits, the piles of refuse and grime in the cellar seemed barely diminished. The goal of 'cleaning completed' was nowhere in sight.

"'It's no use… Lyra… we can't finish…'" Ella finally broke down, sobbing with despair. "'Steward Bolin will… he'll punish us…'"

In the Iron Blood Howl Pack, punishment for Omegas who failed tasks was severe and brutal. Whipping was common, carried out with a special whip lined with barbs designed to tear skin and leave permanent scars. Ella's thin body trembled violently at the thought of the horrific consequences.

Lyra's own heart clenched tight. She wasn't afraid of hard work, but she feared the agonizing, dignity-stripping punishment. More importantly, she couldn't let Ella suffer because of her!

Just then, footsteps echoed at the cellar entrance, followed by Bolin's grating voice. "'Time's up! Come on out, let me see your results!'" His tone dripped with malicious satisfaction.

Lyra took a deep breath, wiped the grime from her face, and pulled the still-crying Ella out of the ice cellar.

The glare of the setting sun made her squint, and it illuminated the scene waiting for them. Bolin stood with his arms crossed, a smug sneer on his face. Behind him, as if 'just passing by,' stood Selena and her two followers, smirks of triumph on their faces, ready for the show.

Bolin glanced into the cellar and immediately exclaimed dramatically, "'Oh, by the Goddess! Look at this! Still a garbage dump! You useless Omega trash, is this all you've done all day?!'"

"'No, Steward Bolin!' Ella pleaded desperately. 'We tried, really hard, but… but…'" She trailed off, knowing she had no proof of sabotage.

"'But nothing!' Bolin snarled. 'Failure is failure! According to Pack Rule Seventeen, servants, especially Omegas, who fail their assigned tasks are subject to twenty lashes!'"

Twenty lashes!

Ella's legs gave out, and she nearly collapsed. Lyra caught her, her own face draining of color. Twenty lashes with those barbed whips could kill them, or at least cripple them!

"'Steward Bolin!' Lyra forced herself to remain calm, lifting her head to meet his gaze. 'The workload itself was unreasonable, and our tools…'"

"'Silence!' Bolin cut her off brutally. 'I only care about results! The task isn't done, so you face the punishment! Guards!'" He yelled, and two burly Beta servants immediately stepped forward, holding a long, thick, oily black whip! Faint barbs glinted menacingly along its length in the sunset's glare.

"'Seize them!'" Bolin ordered with a vicious grin.

The two Betas advanced with cruel smiles. Ella screamed in terror. "'No! Don't hit me! Lyra! Help me!'"

Selena and her lackeys laughed openly, savoring the moment.

Lyra stared at the gleaming whip, at the approaching sneering faces, at Ella's terrified, tear-streaked face. An unprecedented surge of icy fury shot through her! Why?! Just because they were Omegas, did they deserve to be trampled and tortured like this?! No! She wouldn't accept it!

In that split second, Lyra shoved Ella behind her, her mind racing faster than ever before. Fighting back directly was suicide. She needed a loophole in the rules, or… someone who could overrule Bolin!

Her eyes darted around. Selena gloating, servants silent, guards closing in… Wait! A figure was approaching in the distance! It was a Beta in a patrol captain's uniform, tall, with a stern expression. Lyra vaguely recalled him from her observations—he seemed relatively strict but fair, responsible for patrolling this area.

Opportunity!

Just as the Betas’ hands were about to grab their arms, Lyra suddenly yelled with all her might towards the approaching captain:

"'Captain Karl! Wait! I have crucial information regarding last night's warehouse theft! It might concern Pack security!'"

Her voice was clear and urgent, carrying an undeniable note of desperation that successfully caught the attention of the patrol captain named Karl.

Captain Karl paused, frowning in their direction. The warehouse theft had happened just last night; though minor items were taken, it was still a security matter under his purview.

Bolin and the two whip-wielding Betas froze mid-action. In front of a patrol captain, especially when Pack security was mentioned, they wouldn't dare carry out a private flogging so brazenly.

"'What… what nonsense are you talking?!'" Bolin blustered, his earlier confidence wavering slightly. "'What clue? Don't try any tricks to delay your punishment!'"

Ignoring Bolin, Lyra looked directly at the approaching Captain Karl, her voice sincere but firm. "'Captain Karl, I'm not talking nonsense. While cleaning the ice cellar just now, Ella and I found some suspicious marks that might be related to last night's theft. But before I could examine them closely, Steward Bolin summoned us out to punish us for not finishing our task. Since it concerns Pack security, I believed I should report it to you first!'"

Her words were a calculated half-truth—the cellar was a mess, who knew what 'suspicious marks' might be there? But she cleverly linked the punishment to Pack security, placing the decision squarely in Captain Karl's hands.

Captain Karl's frown deepened. He looked at Lyra, filthy but with surprisingly clear eyes, then at the unpleasant expression on Bolin's face and Selena watching with obvious amusement nearby. He grasped the situation quickly enough. He'd never approved of Bolin's bullying of lower ranks, though he usually stayed out of it due to Bolin's likely connection with Selena.

But now that Lyra had invoked Pack security, he couldn't ignore it.

"'Bolin,'" Captain Karl said, his tone leaving no room for argument, "'put the punishment on hold. If there's a potential clue regarding the warehouse theft, I need to investigate. You,' he pointed at Lyra, 'come with me.'"

Relief flooded Lyra; she was safe, for now! "'Yes, Captain!'" she replied respectfully, shooting a fierce glare at the livid Bolin and the furious Selena before quickly following Captain Karl. Ella quickly followed, clinging to Lyra's tunic, still shaken.

Bolin trembled with rage but didn't dare defy the patrol captain's order.

Selena's face was thunderous. Her carefully orchestrated scene, ruined by this lowly Omega's quick thinking! Her venomous gaze followed Lyra's seemingly fragile but stubbornly unbent back. You were lucky this time! Next time, I won't give you any chance at all!

Lyra followed Captain Karl, only relaxing slightly when they were out of sight of Bolin and Selena. Her back was drenched in cold sweat. That was too close! A moment longer, and she and Ella would have…

She glanced gratefully at Captain Karl walking ahead, but her mind was already racing. This escape had undoubtedly deepened the feud with Selena and Bolin.

Selena would never let this go. What crueler methods would she devise next? Could she really keep surviving on endurance and momentary cleverness alone?

For the first time, a thought arose with absolute clarity in Lyra's mind—she needed power. Real power! Power enough to protect herself and Ella, power enough to fight back against this malice!