(Iris) Jasper left me in the cold, dark cell with nothing but my thoughts swirling around the events that had landed me here. The air was damp and heavy, the stone walls casting eerie shadows across the floor. I leaned against the wall, trying to make sense of the chaos that had become my life. Putting two and two together, I couldn’t help but ponder Naomi’s motive. It seemed absurd to think she believed the Lycan King and I would end up together. He and Seraphina, however, would make a good pair. They would be a power couple destined for greatness in the pack hierarchy. The idea of me and Lucas being involved romantically was crazy, and Molly found it so amusing that she couldn’t contain her laughter. “Are you insane? You’re in a cell for a murder investigation! Everyone’s trying to get rid of you! What are you even thinking about right now?” Molly chided, her voice echoing in my mind. I rolled my eyes, a habit I’d picked up from years of banter with Molly. “I have to find e
(Naomi) Jasper has been very cold to me since I woke up. The way he avoids my eyes, the sharpness in his tone… it’s like a knife twisting in my gut. I couldn’t help but feel very anxious, a constant gnawing in my stomach that won’t go away. He was never like this with me. When he was the unwanted son, the outcast, I was the only one that gave me the time of day. It was my voice that pulled him out of the shadows, my hand that reached out when no one else would. Elias and Iris never bothered to spend time with him. They were too caught up in their own world, their own destinies. Back then, it was simpler. We hung out together on occasion when we were younger, sneaking off to the woods or finding hidden corners in the pack house to share secrets. But those moments became rarer as Elias was being groomed for Alpha. The responsibilities, the expectations, created a chasm between us. Jasper and I drifted apart, and the bond we once had started to fray. Yet, even then, there was a
(Iris) Naomi was pacing around my cell in silence. It was so unlike her. She was always talking, her voice filling any void with chatter. Even Molly seemed to agree. I leaned against the rough stone wall, studying Naomi with a mixture of curiosity and concern. This wasn’t like her at all. She always had something to say, but now she was lost in her own thoughts, her movements restless and agitated. “Molly, do you see her?” I whispered in my mind to my wolf, my eyes never leaving Naomi. Molly huffs softly in response, a sound that seems to echo my own unease. “I’ve never seen her like this.”“You should say something,” Molly suggested. I took her advice. “I didn’t poison you,” I began, breaking the silence. “I know that,” Naomi replied, her voice calm, almost indifferent. I raised an eyebrow, surprised. “What? You know who did it then?” “Sure,” she replied, as if the question was absurd. “Care to elaborate?” I asked, flabbergasted. “No,” she said simply. “Okay…”
(Iris) In the dimly lit confines of the room, tension hung thick between Naomi and me, the weight of her words reverberating off the rough stone walls. She stood near the door, her figure silhouetted against the faint light filtering through the barred window. Her shoulders were tense. Her gaze was distant as she seemed lost in her own thoughts. “That’s not true,” I insisted, my voice shaky but filled with a conviction born of years of shared memories. “He always loved you. Remember? When we were kids, he’d give you anything to cheer you up, and he never had much!” Naomi’s lips twitched briefly, a shadow of a smile crossing her face before fading. “Well, a brother does that too,” she replied softly, her voice betraying a hint of bitterness that didn’t quite mask the pain beneath. I swallowed, unsure of how to bridge the growing gap between us. Words felt insufficient, inadequate to convey the depth of my feelings. I wanted to reach out, to comfort her, but the walls she’d bu
(Iris) I stood there, shaking, as the weight of my choices settled heavily on my shoulders. “You promised me more information, not this!” I yelled, frustration bubbling to the surface. “What is this anyways? You said you are Lucas’s friend! Oh no, he is going to know…” Panic surged through me, realizing the gravity of what I had done. The man in front of me met my gaze with a calm demeanor that only infuriated me more. “He is still unconscious, and he is very generous,” he replied smoothly. “No, he is not!” I shot back, my voice rising. “Right, he is not.” His nonchalant agreement only added fuel to my anger. I clenched my fists, feeling helpless and betrayed. “I hate him,” I muttered under my breath, my eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape. “However,” he continued, ignoring my outburst, “this is not the only reason I got you out. I have told the guards to inform Jasper that you escaped. I think they are searching for you right now.” “What?!” My h
(Jasper) My heart pounded as Iris and I sprinted through the dense forest, branches whipping against our faces. I tried to ask questions, but Iris’s urgent grip on my arm silenced my protests. Her breath was ragged, matching the rhythm of our hurried steps over uneven ground. “What are you doing?” I finally managed to tell over the cacophony of our flight. “Shut up! Just run! He wants you dead!” Iris shot back, her voice strained with fear. We pushed on until the trees thinned, revealing the yawning mouth of a cave hidden beneath an overhang of rocks. Without hesitation, Iris pulled me inside, her urgency echoing in her grip and eyes. Inside, the cave exuded a musty, earthy scent that mingled with the dampness of the walls. The faint glow of twilight filtered through the entrance, casting long shadows that danced eerily across the uneven floor. Small, delicate stalactites hung from the ceiling like teeth waiting to bite. “We can’t stay here for long. They will catch up to
(Iris) I didn’t say anything, just kept looking at the walls of the cave. The jagged edges of the rocks seemed to mirror the turmoil in my mind. The musty scent of the cave filled my nostrils, grounding me in the present, even as my thoughts raced. “I am sorry, you know that, right? I didn’t know you were pregnant at the time, I really didn’t. I would never otherwise…” Jasper trailed off, his voice breaking. His words hung in the air, heavy and painful. I didn’t want to acknowledge them, didn’t want to open that old wound. In the darkness, I felt him move closer to me, his presence a warm and familiar intrusion. He reached out and touched my hair. The gesture was gentle, almost tender, but it made my skin crawl. I pushed him away, the movement sharp and final. “Don’t,” I said, my voice a low warning. Jasper pulled back, and I could see him looking at me intensely under the faint moonlight that filtered through the cave entrance. His eyes were searching, trying to read the
(Iris) The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the dense forest, dappling the ground with specks of light that barely penetrated the thick canopy above. I crept forward cautiously, my breath shallow and heart racing. Jasper moved silently beside me, his eyes darting nervously at every rustle of leaves. The forest was eerily silent, as if holding its breath. Suddenly a voice cut through the stillness, deep and commanding. “Spread out! They couldn't have gotten far!” My blood ran cold as I recognized the man leading the search party: Xander. He was a tall, imposing figure with sharp features and a reputation for being relentless. Panic surged through me and I grabbed Jasper’s arm, pulling him towards a bush nearby. The bush had very smelly berries and the pungent odor made my nose wrinkle, but it was our best chance to hide from the keen noses of the search dogs. We crouched low, the foliage barely concealing us as Xander’s voice grew louder. My heart pounded in my ears, an