To ruin an Omega

Chapter 216: The Kids are fine

CAMILLE’S POV

There it was again. That Cheshire cat smile. I ran a hand through my hair and fixed my masks.

I watched Dimitri’s eyes squint with scrutiny. “The mask is a part of you, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” I managed to respond, making my way to where Sophia was sitting. Sophia looked at me puzzled. Collins also did the same and I didn’t need to be a telepath to know why.

The mask was new for them. I only hid my identity when I was using my gifts and now was one of those times. If the situation were different, I would have considered it. But I sat with three people who knew me from my past.

My eyes danced across the table. Eva was present, sipping a glass of orange juice as she dissected her food like it was the worst thing she had laid her eyes on.

Neal was at the other end of the table. He was busy with his phone and his food was barely touched.

Dimitri on the other hand was playing the role of dutiful father. It made me uncomfortable to see it happen in real time because it made me feel like a villain. Was I doing the right thing keeping it a secret? How was I even supposed to go through with it? Collins and Sophia were a result of a drunk one-night stand that he probably didn’t remember. Probably was mild. He had laid eyes on me once. He didn’t remember it. So, there was no point shackling him with the burden of responsibility. Keeping the kids had been my choice.

One of the servants approached with an empty plate and a glass. The glass was filled first with orange juice. Without much thought, I reached for the glass to drink, momentarily forgetting about the mask covering my mouth. As the glass brushed against the protective clothing, I instinctively put it down in embarrassment. That’s when a voice whispered in the back of my head, “But our mate would make a wonderful father, wouldn’t he?”

A cold shiver ran down my spine, and to my surprise, the glass I was about to drop on the table slipped from my hand. It tipped over, spilling orange juice across the pristine white tablecloth. Eva, seated opposite me, bore the brunt of the spill.

“Fuck!” She swore, shooting me a death glare. “Are you clumsy or just retarded?!”

The whole room fell into silence as everyone stared down at me and then Eva.

“Eva, that is rude.” The woman from yesterday broke the silence. “She is a guest of the kingdom just as you are. Courtesy demands that you treat her with respect.”

“Oh, Milana, spare me that. Can’t you see what she did?”

“I apologize,” I cut in, my eyes fixated on Sophia who was appalled by what Eva had said.

“What?” Eva snickered. “your apology isn’t going to miraculously fix–”

“I am not done talking,” I cut her off.

Eva’s eyes shot wide like she couldn’t believe I would dare clap back.

“It was an accident,” I continued. “But it is fine by me if you don’t want to believe that. All I ask is that you watch your language when you are around my kids.”

My statement hung in the air, and the room was wrapped in tense silence. Eva’s pride seemed wounded so of course she wouldn’t back down without receiving her pound of flesh.

“Aren’t you a single mother? Language is the least you should be worried about when it comes to your kids. You should have seen how they acted like god-damned ani–”

“Eva, that is enough.” Dimitri cut in, slamming the spoon in his hand on his plate. “I will not accept you disrespecting my guests.”

I acknowledged Dimitri’s defence with an awkward smile.

Eva glared at me, clearly displeased with being silenced. But she did keep her mouth shut. Almost like she respected Dimitri.

I seized the opportunity to maintain my composure and redirect the focus to something else.

My wolf rarely spoke. The first time I heard it speak was when I was on the brink of death. The accident vividly flashed at the back of my hand as I attempted to black it out. But it was doing it again.

“Are you there?” I sent back, hoping the mental link would be sustained.

I had so many questions. But it seems just like it was before, my wolf did as it pleased. There was no response to my call. Just silence.

The maid who had served the juice I poured in Eva’s direction stalked back to me after she was done cleaning my mess with the orange-stained towel in her hands.

“Miss, would you like more juice?” She asked.

Knowing there was no way I would be able to enjoy it. I refused her. She nodded in understanding and attempted to serve me a plate instead.

“There is no need,” I told her. “I am not hungry.”

It was an obvious lie. My stomach was growling but I was much too embarrassed to do anything about it. I would have settled for breakfast in bed like it was afforded to us yesterday. But my children wouldn’t just sit still. So here I was, starving and frustrated.

Dimitri must have noticed the discontent in my soul because he peered up at me and spoke. “You should eat something.”

“I am not hungry,” I chuckled like the nervous wreck that I was. “Really.”

He didn’t buy it but he let me be. I kept my eyes on Collins. Dimitri had somehow managed to feed him his entire plate in mere minutes which was surprising. Collins did like food but he was a restless child. He burned out his food as he ate.

Sophia on the other hand was focused on the finer things of life. Last night, she had been all about finding me the perfect boyfriend/husband but today, she was fixated on the beautiful woman seated next to us. I could almost laugh as she imitated the way the woman ate and her demeanour. Most would find it insulting but Milana seemed to have no problem with it.

Just then, two men rushed in. They were burly and in armor pieces telling me that they were sentinels. The one with a hardened face looked worried so it told the whole room that something was wrong.

“Your Majesty,” the fierce one spoke. “Forgive my intrusion. But the prisoner that was healed yesterday is…” The man then paused, his eyes darted around and it looked as if he was physically in pain.

“Is what?” Dimitri’s tone turned serious.

The man bowed. “Hector Menard is having another outbreak of the disease.”

Those words left like a sucker punch in the guts. Dimitri’s word from the pool told me he had a lot of faith in my gift and I knew first-hand how hard he was trying to rid himself of the disease, he had scouted me five years ago when I lived as Camille, the newly discovered daughter of Bo De’crescent and the granddaughter of the greatest healer to ever live.

I felt somehow guilty.

“But how?!” Dimitri’s voice was cracking. The new world he had probably built for himself was crashing down on him before he even got a chance to enjoy it. “He was fine yesterday.”

“He was fine this morning too. It started some minutes ago.” The sentinel responded. “He just started screaming and when we went to check him out. His entire flesh had turned black. It’s even worse than before.”

“No.” Dimitri shook his head. “I have to see this myself.”

, too, couldn’t shake the feeling of responsibility, knowing that Hector’s condition might have worsened because of my gift.

“I’m going with you,” I asserted, my voice firm, although a pang of guilt lingered within me.

Everyone on the table stood up. Neal instructed one of the guards to stay with the children and keep watch while we all followed the other to where Hector was imprisoned.

I could barely keep up with the pace of everyone. I kept wondering what I had done wrong. Did I not finish the job? Was the strange disease stronger than my abilities could take?

“Thinking?” A voice interrupted my thoughts, and I looked up to find Neal beside me, his expression a blend of concern and curiosity.

“I…” I hesitated, not sure how to express my frustration. “I thought I had cured Hector completely. I don’t understand why the disease is back and worse than before.”

Neal placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “You’ve done everything you can, Cameryn. Sometimes, things are beyond our control.”

He was right. But why did it hurt so much? I didn’t even want to be here in the first place. I was forced back into this world against my will. But here I was pressed that Dimitri’s hopes were shattered.

It was a sentiment I didn’t want to admit that I understood.