Chapter 4

Iridessa's POV:

“Iridessa!” A loud desperate voice called from outside. In shock, I peeled my swollen eyes open, wrapped my bodice around me and ran to the door. As soon as I pried the door open, one of our maids whose name I never knew rushed inside and shut the door behind her with a speed that signified that something was wrong.

“What’s wro—” I was about to voice my confusion but she cut me off abruptly.

“Iridessa, you have to come out right now! The luna said you should go through the secret tunnel right now; there is no time to explain, just follow me please.” She rushed out. I knew something was absolutely wrong because she just called me by my name, and also due to the fact that my mother wanted us to meet at the secret tunnel because it was never used.

“What about what I’m wearing?” I asked, pointing at the lacy nightie that I was forbidden from wearing out of my chambers.

The maid eyed my clothes quickly, then answered with a wave of her hands, “just forget about it, let’s go!” The urgency in her voice urged me to start moving; I wasn’t sure what it was that caused her attitude but there was no time to ask her. She opened the door stealthily, looked around and signified that I took the lead.

“Run my princess, and do not stop no matter what!” She shrieked fearfully as soon as I stepped out; and following her instructions, I fled.

The first thing I noticed when I started running was the state of chaos in my pack house, everyone was running in different directions, mothers were screaming and wild fires were flaring in different places. Even a few dead bodies laid haphazardly on the floor. It was too gruesome to look at.

“What’s happening?!” I screamed at the maid over the noise coming from different angles.

“It’s Alpha Adrian, princess.” The maid answered from behind me, her voice sounding so teary and scared. I hadn’t had enough time to fully decipher what she said when I heard her take in a sharp intake of breath. And who was Alpha Adrian??

“Run!” She screamed again, but this time she sounded strange, like she was choking on something. Curiosity got the better part of me and I stopped to check, only to find her choking on her blood, with a huge spear jutting out of her chest and her clothes were drenched in her own blood.

“Oh my goodness—!” I screamed in shock but was abruptly cut off by her sharp voice.

“Just go, before they get to you,” she whispered, pushing me away as if in a bid to get me to start running. “Go!”

“I can’t!” I yelled back, “I can’t leave you here, I have to take you to safety!” I cried with hot tears beginning to blur my vision.

She smiled, a sad smile, as she fell to her knees, “can’t you smell it? It’s laced with silver, I wouldn’t make it.” I crouched beside her and let her hold my face with her bloodied hands, “go Iridessa!, avenge me,” I wanted to try to reassure her, maybe tell her everything would be okay, but as soon as I opened my mouth to speak, her hands fell limply from my face.

No! No! No!

“Wait!” I screamed, “Wait please!” I cried, shaking her open eyed lifeless form with tears pouring out of my eyes. “Don’t die on me!” I yelled at her but no reply came forth. She was dead!

Feeling a surge of anger suddenly fill my veins at her death, I passed the palm of my hands quickly down her face, took in her pretty face that smiled in even death; and ran, ignoring the loud shouts and the arrows flying here and there…

***

“Iridessa!” I heard my mother scream as soon as I got to the tunnel. The place was in total chaos, I could hear the frantic voices of mothers screaming out their children’s names and that of  children who were looking for their parents.

“Mother!” I screamed back, running to her. As soon as she got into arms length, I engulfed her in a warm embrace and cried out. “She’s dead! The maid you sent to me, she’s dead!”

As if sensing my frantic state, she cupped my face in her hands, smiled sadly and whispered, “I know, I know, but you need to calm down,” cleaning off the tear droplets that had fallen from my eyes with her fingers, she continued;

“I want you to run from here. They would not stop until everyone is dead—"

"Who mother?? Who?"

  "Alpha Adrian. He is here for revenge but that's not important right now, I want you run far far away from here."

I shook my head in negation but she ignored me and continued to speak;

“Listen to me, Iridessa you have to survive, you hear me?” She cupped my face in her palms.

“What about you mom?” I asked, feeling surges of fear course through my veins. I was visibly shaking.

She smiled again, but this time it looked less reassuring than the last, “I’ll be right behind you”

“No!” I whispered so only she could hear, “I can’t let you do that, come with me now!” I wanted to drill some senses into her, to try talk her out of this madness; but instead of listening to me, she simply stared at me for the longest of time, shook her head, "I can't lead them to you,"

and pushed me into the arms of one of our guards.

“Alex, lead her to safety, make sure you do not return to this kingdom until I send out a word,” she commanded the bulky bodyguard who pressed me against his chest with a kind of aggressive force. “And baby…” she turned to face me with her signature smile plastered across her porcelain face “…never forget how much I love you.”

“But mom, why can't you come with me? And where's father? Come with me!” I yelled, tears beginning to blur my vision.

“I will be fine.” She said with that reassuring smile still plastered across her face, “now tell me you love me, just as I love you.” I was about to tell her how much I loved her too when I noticed a bodyguard stealthily creeping up behind her.

“Mom! Mom!” I shrieked, fighting against the hard grip of the bodyguard behind me.

“Run, Iridessa, Run!” She shouted back.

“Look behind y—” I yelled, but as soon as the words left my mouth, I saw the jagged end of a sword appear suddenly in front of her chest, with her blood dripping down it.

“Let go of me! My mom’s dying!” I screamed at Alex who stood unmoving behind me. “Let go of me!” I shouted again but he wouldn’t even bulge; and then it came to me. He was one of them!

“You psychotic son of a bitch! I said let go of—” my sentence hadn’t even finished when I felt him press a white handkerchief against my nose. I pushed against him hard and then jabbed an elbow into his side, weakening him for a moment. It was when I got out of his grip that I saw that this wasn't Alex at all and that wasn't our coat of arms on his uniform…

I didn't even think about it and began to run. I didn't look back either, my feet carried me faster than it ever had and soon I was heading for the woods where I was so sure that no one will get me there.

My feet splashed mud on my dress as I ran through the trees. I clawed and felt my way through the trees and vines until my hands turned bruised and dirty but I kept on running,my blonde hair flying with the wind as my heart kept beating hard.

Heavens! I was being followed, I could hear the growls and the barks behind me.

   Occasionally, I would stumble for a few seconds and in that moment, turn my head and look behind me only to run faster as she saw the faces of pursuers.

An arrow passed over my head, the swooping sound startling me as I watched it hit the tree right in front of her and in shock, I fell backwards.

This time, I didn't get up fast enough and I felt myself being pulled up by men, soldiers that did not belong to my pack.

  "Let me go!" I struggled as I screamed but the men held on tight, dragging me back there. What even is going on??

 "I said, let me go!" I don't know why it's always hard for me to shift wolf. If I had done that, I would have escaped already. They dragged me, ignoring my pleas and saying nothing.

The sight that met me inside was enough to turn my blood cold.

Sweet heavens. Everyone…. Every single person was..dead.

There was blood everywhere and limbs…heads.

It was so gruesome that I felt a wave of nausea overwhelming me. Who…what kind of monster would do this??

  "Why are you doing this??" I said to the men that kept their hold on me.

Poor innocent people just murdered. We headed for the throne room and the first thing I saw when I stepped in was….no,no. It can't be. No…. heavens please, no.