Chapter 8 8

_Leah's POV_

Once we had finished eating, Tariq turned to me, his expression thoughtful. "Did you sleep well last night?" he asked.

"I did," I said, nodding. "Better than I have in a long time. Thank you, Tariq. And thank you, Susan, for your hospitality."

Susan smiled warmly at me, but I noticed Tariq's eyes lingered on me, as if he was trying to figure something out. Finally, I couldn't hold back the question that had been nagging at me since last night.

"Tariq," I began hesitantly, "last night, you said something about me being... a queen. What did you mean by that?"

Tariq's expression shifted, growing more serious. He cleared his throat, glancing at his mother before turning back to me. "Leah, there is something that you need to know. You are the last descendant of a powerful bloodline. A royal bloodline, in fact."

I stared at him, my heart skipping a beat. "What? No, that can't be right. I'm... I'm an omega. My mother was an omega, and my father-"

"Your mother was royalty," Tariq interrupted gently. "She was the rightful heir to a throne, but she chose to walk away from it. She gave up her crown when she mated with your father, an ordinary man."

I shook my head, unable to process what he was saying. "No, that's impossible. My mother never told me any of this."

"She couldn't," Susan interjected softly. "Your mother went to great lengths to protect you. You see, there's an ancient curse on your bloodline, placed by a rival Alpha long ago. Your mother hid your identity to keep you safe. She even sealed your powers with the help of a witch."

I blinked at her, feeling completely overwhelmed. "Sealed my powers? What are you talking about?"

"Your mother was powerful, Leah, and so are you. But she used magic to suppress your wolf, to make you appear weaker. She did it to protect you from those who might seek to harm you because of the curse."

My mind was spinning. "But... if she sealed my powers, how will they come back? How do you know all of this?"

Tariq and Susan exchanged a glance, and it was Tariq who spoke first. "My mother is a seer, Leah. She has psychic gifts. She foresaw this long ago."

Susan nodded. "And the seal on your powers has already started to break. When Kayden rejected you, it triggered the return of your abilities. They will come back gradually, and when they do, you will be stronger than you have ever imagined."

I sat there, stunned, trying to wrap my mind around everything they were telling me. I was supposed to be... royalty? Me? An omega who had spent her entire life being told she was worthless?

"I... I don't understand," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Why are you helping me? Why do you care?"

Susan's eyes softened, and she reached across the table to take my hand. "Your mother saved our lives once, Leah. When the Alpha of the Emerald Pack accused my husband, we were all going to be executed. But your mother used her royal status to lighten our sentence. Thanks to her, we were only banished. We owe her everything." She looked me in the eyes, her gaze full of warmth and sincerity. "Now, I will do whatever it takes to protect her daughter. You."

My chest tightened. This was all so much to take in. My mother... a royal? And me, too? I felt like I was caught in a whirlwind. How could this be possible? All my life, I had been treated as nothing more than an omega. The lowest of the low. And now, they were telling me I was of royal blood?

I glanced between Susan and Tariq, my mind reeling. "This has to be a joke. There is no way this is true. I can't be... I am just..." I struggled to find the words. I was feeling utterly overwhelmed. "I am just an omega. I can't accept this."

Tariq's eyes were gentle as he looked at me. "Leah, I know that this is hard to believe. But you don't have to take our word for it. Wait a few more days. Your powers are returning, and when they do, you'll feel it. Then, you'll know we're telling the truth."

Could it really be true? I shook my head, trying to push away the doubt creeping in. It didn't feel real. It felt impossible. But deep down, there was a small part of me that wondered... What if they were right?

We finished breakfast in relative silence. My thoughts were a chaotic storm of confusion, disbelief, and a strange sense of hope. When Susan stood to clear the dishes, I felt guilty just sitting there.

"Let me help," I offered. I stood up quickly. "I can wash the dishes."

Susan gave me a kind smile and shook her head. "No, dear. You have been through enough. You rest. Let me take care of it."

I hesitated, feeling useless, but I finally nodded and sat back down. I was still too sore to argue much, anyway.

Tariq stood up as well. "I need to check your wounds," he said. "Let me help you change the bandages and see if they are healing properly."

I felt a strange flutter in my stomach at his words, but I nodded. "Okay."

He led me back upstairs to the small room where I had slept. The air felt cooler here, the light softer, but my heart was racing. I sat on the bed, pulling up my shirt to expose the bandages on my back. Tariq's touch was gentle as he began unwrapping the fabric.

"Does it hurt much?" he asked quietly.

"Not as much as before," I admitted. "You did a good job."

His lips curved into a small smile, but his focus remained on my wounds. I watched him as he worked, noticing the way his brow furrowed slightly in concentration. His hands were so careful, treating me as if I were something fragile. I wasn't used to this kind of care. Not from anyone.

The bandages finally came off, revealing the gashes that ran down my back.

"They're healing," Tariq said softly, his fingers brushing lightly over the edges of the wound. "But you will need to rest for a few more days."

I nodded, unable to find the words. There was something about being this close to him, with his hands on me, that made my heart race. He was so calm, so focused. And it made me feel safe. Maybe, I was romantically attracted to Tariq.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He glanced up at me, his eyes locking onto mine. "You don't have to thank me, Leah."

But I did. I felt like I owed him everything. He had saved me when I had no one else. And as much as I wanted to deny it, a part of me wanted to believe him. To believe that I wasn't just the broken omega I had always thought I was.

Maybe... just maybe... I was something more.