Chapter 11: Oath Of Faith

Diana stared at her torn palms.

Though her wolf was whimpering the entire time Sally vented her fury, the bubbling raw anger inside her was so close to erupting.

 In most cases, the wolf counterparts were usually the stronger ones. They were the ones who would become the pillar of support for the human at the end of the day. But for Diana, especially ever since she turned back time, it was always her who would act as the pillar of stability for her wolf.

In fact, since she came back to the time when she was still eighteen years old, Diana was yet to shift. It was either she was too busy plotting the future or too busy playing as the ‘omega Diana’.

Right now was the perfect example. Diana had the urge to snap Sally’s neck while the latter was hitting her palms. But the fleeting instinct to protect herself immediately vanished after thinking of her unborn child. If she wanted to make this revenge become successful against those powerful people, she needed to at least endure this.

Sally poked Diana’s temples. “Never ever forget, you are an omega. Always have and always will, understand?”

“Yes, Madam Sally.” Diana was used to this ‘brainwashing’ session held at the back of the annex of the pack house. Diana admitted that Sally knew how to cover her tracks, making her want to observe Sally more. She wanted to know how long Sally could last these theatrics and how would Sally save herself when her end was about to come.

Diana had no plans of opposing Sally. After all, she had reserved the best seat for a great show that would soon unfold.

“The Blood Claws Pack only has two omegas, you and me. They hated the sight of the weaklings like us. But unlike you, I have the power over the pack house. You? You are nothing but a rejected second-chance mate candidate to the alpha. Without Alpha Dylan’s acceptance, you are a mere omega.” Sally’s eyes gleamed at her own words. The sight of Diana’s head hanging low was enough to make her relish the power she had acquired ever since the arrival of the poor Diana.

“I understand, Madam Sally.”

Sally rolled her eyes before she turned around. On her tenth step, she stopped as if she remembered something vital. Turning around, she gave Diana a warning glare. “Don’t forget to clean your hands in the annex comfort room and ask the pack doctor to bandage them.”

The words Diana was waiting for finally came out from Sally’s lips. Bowing her head, Diana expressed her gratitude by openly submitting to someone who had the same rank as her. This earned Diana a low growl from her wolf curled at the deepest corner of her mind.

The moment Sally vanished from her line of sight, Diana immediately entered the comfort room to wash her palms. The least she wanted to do was to have a hounding alpha behind her just because he did not want to sully his pack’s name.

Following the same path she had gotten used to taking, Diana was led to the docks.

Since it was broad daylight, Diana did not forget to act as an omega who was injured on her palms. Shoulders hunched, head reluctantly looking around, and an air of fear around her—these were the starter pack for an omega.

From the moment she pulled the bells to announce her presence to the exact time she entered the clinic, the change in her countenance was enough to make Shinro shake his head. “You never fail to amaze me whenever you strip yourself off with your rank.”

“What are you talking about? I am an omega.” Taking the coffee placed before her, she hid her knowing smile as she sipped, waiting for Shinro to do the talking.

“Coming here in daylight… You underestimate my friend, Diana. He will know this façade of yours one of these days.”

Diana stretched out her palms toward Shinro. “But I am really here to bandage my wounds.”

A knot lodged in between Shinro’s fine brows. “You hurt yourself again to have a reason to come here to my clinic? You are the first woman whom I know who doesn’t even care about your body!”

Leaving Diana alone at the table, Shinro took his medical supplies. With a thud, a box for first aid was placed between them. “Hands.”

Diana immediately held out her palms. “I did not hurt myself, just so you know. I was punished.”

She flinched when Shinro’s grip around her hand tightened.

“Forgive me, but Dylan did this? Why?”

Shaking her head vehemently, Diana clarified the misunderstanding immediately. “No. No. Your alpha is so busy with your problems that he has no time to deal with me.”

“It’s that girl who was with you when you first came here.”

Diana’s silence was akin to confirmation. It was now Shinro’s turn to shake his head. Eyes still transfixed with Diana’s wounded palms, he shifted the conversation to the bigger reason why she was here in his clinic. “Alpha Dylan is doubting about the existence of an external hope, AKA, you.”

“I know. But he won’t find out, as long you won’t tell a soul about it. It is our trade secret, right, Doctor Shinro?” She placed her index finger on her lips with a teasing smile etched on her lips.

A comfortable silence ensued between them. Shinro was bandaging her other hand while Diana was quietly sipping her coffee.”

“Oh, come on! Won’t you ask me at all?” Frustration laced Shinro’s face when after Diana had her hands bandaged, she just sipped her coffee luxuriously in front of him.

“Aren’t you telling it to me right now?”

At the face of such a sweet smile, Shinro could only shake his head in resignation. “Sometimes, I really can’t figure you out. No, scratch that. I really can’t figure you out at all.”

Taking off his gloves, he continued. “You will have to take care of yourself. I won’t be here to tend to your wounds next week…” He paused and looked straight at Diana. “I will be taking back the Black Ridge Pack. The Werewolf Committee finished their review and with the pieces of evidence I presented, it was a sure win. Now, it is time to take back what was stolen from me—my honor and my innocence.”

“Good for you.”

“That’s it? After the help you had given me, that’s the best you can come up with?”

“Uhm… I am glad for you? Justice has prevailed, yey?”

Shinro sported a face as if he did not know whether to laugh or cry. “I really can’t figure you out.”

Diana grinned at Shinro. She knew fully well what he wanted to convey. “You want me to ask something of you as repayment. I get it. If I tell you, I want you to be mine. Will you dedicate yourself to me?”

“I was waiting for you to say that, Benefactor.” Shinro stood abruptly, making Diana raise her brows.

Diana watched as Shinro knelt before her. “Hey, I did not say you kneel. You are an alpha and I am an—” She was about to pull him up when his next words cut her off and caught her off guard.

“Accept my oath, my life, and my choice to serve you and honor you until I draw the last of my breath. I, Shinro Ridge, will accompany Diana Ritchell in tranquil rivers and storm’s end, in every allegiance earned and betrayal sowed, in victory and defeat, and in life and death.”

A gasp escaped from her lips. The Oath of Faith was not a light promise. Next to the mate bond, the strongest connection in the Werewolf Community was the Oath of Faith. In the history of werewolves, only great alphas received this kind of oath. And as time passed, people grew greedy and they started to betray each other for more power—the existence of the Oath of Faith was lost forever… until today.

Whoever crossed the Oath of Faith would suffer pain worse than death. This was the reason why werewolves did not often use this, for the people were ever-changing. To swear an Oath of Faith—especially to someone as ambiguous as her—was both stupid and valiant.

For Diana, the only way she could keep such valiance was to keep Shinro’s honor—a fate much different than his original future when he was reduced to the alpha of the rogues.

Ever so slowly, Diana inched her bandaged right hand toward Shinro. “I accept your oath with every breath and blood in me. Until the sun sets to the east and the moon splits into two, I, Diana Ritchell, will keep a space for Shinro Ridge in my first line of allegiance. May faith binds our fate.”

Accepting Diana’s hand and kissing the back of her palm before placing it on his forehead, he whispered. “May faith binds our fate.”

STANDING BEHIND THE BUSHES, A BLINDSPOT FOR EVERYONE WHO WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE PACK house, Diana watched as the people of the Blood Claws Pack bid their final farewell to Shinro Ridge, Alpha of the Black Ridge Pack.

The moment Shinro turned around to enter the car, he smiled in her direction for a fleeting moment—it was so quick that no one noticed aside from Alpha Dylan.

On instinct, Alpha Dylan looked at the bushes but found nothing.

Unbeknownst to him, Diana had already left the area with her cleaning tools in her hands.

She head straight to the top floor of the pack house while everyone was still enjoying their lunch in the kitchen. This was the reason why Sally punished her the other day. It was because Alpha Dylan designated her in the top floor’s comfort room. In fact, she was not only assigned to the comfort room but the entire floor.

Diana did not know what to make of this change. Since it did not affect her plans and she could gain some chance for more information, she had no qualms but to accept Sally’s jealousy.

Diana immediately started with the comfort room with the hope that Alpha Dylan and his strategist, Beta Seymor, would come back and exchange a few words in the office—this way, Diana could hear something new, and maybe, something useful.

Sally scent’s wafted inside the comfort room.

Splash!

The basin beside Diana was kicked out by the newly arrived ‘boss’. Diana hurriedly stood and bowed at Sally. “W-What brought you here, Madam Sally?”

‘You are that jealous, huh?’ Diana mocked at the back of her mind while stopping herself to show any hint of emotion rather than cowardice.

Slap!

A crimson hue appeared on Diana’s right cheek.

“Did I tell you to speak?” Sally crossed her arms, scoffed, and poked Diana’s head repeatedly. “You are so eager to impress Alpha that is why you are so early, huh? Huh?”

With her hair disheveled to the point that it almost covered her entire face, Diana whispered. “I can go back, Madam Sally. But I can’t promise that I won’t meet them in the hallway. By now, I think they are done with their lunch.”

Diana picked up her cleaning tools and head straight to the door with her head hanging low.

Realizing the implications of Diana’s action, Sally immediately pulled Diana by her wrist. Her adrenaline pumped her strength, throwing Diana to the nearest open cubicle. With a loud thud, Diana slumped on the floor right after hitting her forehead on the tiled wall.

“Th-That is not my fault!” Sally stammered, pushing the blame on the groaning Diana. “It is your fault for pushing me to push you!”

‘What? Are you crazily stupid?’ Diana pondered after listening to Sally’s nonsensical words. Inch by inch, Diana was losing her will to make Sally her people. Instead, Diana wanted to have Sally as a disposable puppet who would dance on her palm as she willed.

“What is this commotion all about?”