Chapter 90
Sophia‘s POV:
"Don't let her intimidate you!" Grace shouted to the gathering crowd, her voice cracking with desperation. "She's just bluffing! Look at her—she's nothing but a rejected omega trying to act tough. There are more of us than her!"
The other servants murmured amongst themselves, their initial fear beginning to fade as Grace's words took hold. I could see the shift in their expressions, the way their eyes hardened with renewed malice.
"Grace is right," one of them called out. "What can one pathetic omega do against all of us?"
"She got lucky with that slap," another added. "But she can't fight all of us at once!"
Grace stepped forward, emboldened by the support. " Fine. Let's see how tough you really are when you're outnumbered."
More omegas continued to arrive, until I found myself facing nearly a dozen hostile faces. They had formed a loose circle around me, their postures aggressive and threatening, like a pack of hyenas closing in on what they believed was easy prey.
Lucy stepped forward, her lips curled into a sneer. "Look at this pathetic sight," she taunted, her voice dripping with contempt. "The great rejected omega thinks she can intimidate us? You're nothing without Lucas's protection, Sophia."
The others laughed, emboldened by Lucy's words. One of them, a blonde omega I recognized from the kitchen staff, chimed in with cruel glee. "She's not even Luna anymore! Why should we bow to some discarded trash?"
I remained perfectly still, crossing my arms over my chest as a cold smile played at the corners of my lips.
Lucy mistook my silence for fear and took another step closer. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? Or are you finally realizing that your little fantasy of still being Starlight Pack's Luna is just that—a fantasy?"
"You know," I said softly, my voice carrying an undertone that made several of the omegas instinctively step back, "it's fascinating how quickly you all forget your place."
Then the air around us suddenly thickened with aggressive pheromones as all twelve omegas simultaneously released their scents in an attempt to overwhelm me.
But instead of cowering, I felt Amy surge within me like a tide of molten silver.
They attacked as one, coming at me from multiple directions with claws extended and teeth bared. What they hadn't expected was the fluid grace with which I moved, my body seeming to dance between their clumsy attempts to grab me.
The first omega lunged at my right side, and I simply stepped aside, using her own momentum to send her crashing into the omega behind me.
My mind flashed back to countless hours spent in the royal training grounds. The Lycan had insisted on teaching me personally, knowing that his daughter would need to be more than just a pretty face in a world full of predators.
"A true royal never relies solely on their bloodline," his voice echoed in my memory. "Power without skill is worthless. Grace without strength is meaningless."
My eyes began to glow with that telltale silver light as I caught one attacker's wrist, twisting it just enough to make her cry out and release her grip. Another came at me from behind, but I spun away, my heel connecting with her solar plexus and sending her stumbling backward, gasping for air.
"Impossible," Lucy and Grace breathed, her earlier confidence evaporating as she watched her companions fall one by one. "You're just an omega!"
I paused in my movements, fixing her with a stare that made her blood run cold. "So what？"
When the last omega fell, clutching her bruised ribs and looking up at me with newfound fear, I stood in the center of the circle, barely breathing hard. My clothes were slightly disheveled, but otherwise, I appeared completely unharmed.
The silence that followed was deafening.
I turned my attention to Grace, who had been cowering behind the others during the fight, her face pale with shock. "You," I said, pointing directly at her. "Come here."
Grace shook her head frantically, but when my eyes flashed silver again, she found herself moving forward against her will.
"You're going to apologize to Ruth," I said firmly. "In front of everyone."
"I... I won't..." Grace started to protest, but her voice died in her throat when I took a single step toward her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, so quietly that I could barely hear her.
"Louder," I commanded. "And with conviction."
"I'm sorry!" Grace said, her voice cracking with emotion. "I'm sorry for hurting Ruth! I'm sorry for... for everything!"
I nodded slowly, then looked around at the other omegas, who were still kneeling in submission. "Let this be a lesson to all of you. I may be a rejected mate, but I am far from powerless. And I will not tolerate any further harassment of those loyal to me."
As I prepared to leave the scene, walking away from the defeated group, Lucy's voice rang out behind us, filled with venom and desperation.
She snarled. "Alpha Lucas and Luna Nora will hear about this! They'll make you pay for what you've done today!"
I didn't pause in my stride, didn't even turn around to acknowledge her threat.
My footsteps remained steady and purposeful as I made my way back to my quarters, the cool night air helping to clear my head after the adrenaline rush of battle.
---
The moment I stepped through the door of my quarters, Ruth was there, her face etched with worry as she rushed toward me. Her eyes quickly scanned my appearance, taking in my slightly disheveled clothes and the faint scent of conflict that still clung to me.
"Sophia!" she exclaimed, her hands fluttering nervously as she reached out to check me over. "Are you hurt? " She paused, her nose twitching as she caught the mixed scents from the other omegas on my clothes. "Did they attack you?"
"I'm fine, Ruth," I assured her, though I could see the concern in her eyes wasn't easily dismissed.
"Grace and her friends decided to test me," I said simply, moving to sit on the edge of my bed. "They learned that was a mistake."
Ruth's eyes widened with understanding, and a mixture of pride and worry crossed her features. "You fought them? All of them?" She moved closer, her maternal instincts taking over as she began fussing over me again. "Sophia, you could have been seriously hurt! And in your condition..."
Her words brought me back to reality with a sharp jolt. My hand instinctively moved to my stomach, the same protective gesture that was becoming second nature.
"Sit still," Ruth commanded gently, her hands moving to check my pulse and examine me more thoroughly. "Tell me exactly what happened. Did anyone land a hit? Any pain or cramping?"