(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
(Elias) I opened my eyes slowly, the dim light filtering through the room causing me to squint. Seraphina’s concerned face hovered above me, her eyes flickering with relief as she noticed I was finally awake. Her expression brightened momentarily before clouding over with something akin to disappointment when she realized I was more lucid. “Where is Iris?” I asked urgently, my voice hoarse from days of battling wolfsbane poisoning and infection. Seraphina’s reaction was not what I expected. She stiffened, her features tightening with suppressed emotion. After a tense moment, she spoke, her voice clipped. “She ran away with Jasper. She chose him over you.” Her words made my stomach drop. Iris, my mate, my love, had chosen another. The pain and confusion welled up inside me, threatening to overwhelm my senses. I struggled to make sense of it all, the betrayal cutting deeper than any physical wound I had endured. Images of Iris flooded my mind - her laughter, her touch, the wa
(Naomi) “Hello, Lucas, or should I call you Elias?” I met Elias’s gaze squarely, my voice laced with a hint of vindictiveness. He lay in the bed, his eyes darkening briefly in response. At that moment, I regretted my choice of words. Elias had changed. I couldn’t afford to provoke him; I had no allies here anymore. “Who told you?” Elias’s voice was calm, but I sensed an undercurrent of tension. I had to tread carefully. My father was imprisoned, Jasper and Iris were still at large, and Alpha Caden’s motives remained murky. Elias glanced over at Caden, who stood by silently with a smirk playing on his lips. They were clearly more than just acquaintances. “A lucky guess is all,” I replied evasively, trying to gauge Elias’s reaction. He didn’t press further, instead dismissing everyone else from the room until only the three of us remained. “Am I under investigation?” I asked, trying to maintain a semblance of composure despite the turmoil swirling within me. “You’re detained
(Iris) “Are you thinking about my brother again?” Jasper’s voice cut through the stillness of the room, dragging me from the edge of sleep. The sight of him made my heart race, a mix of fear and longing. His tone was playful, but the tension in his posture betrayed his anger. I rolled over to face him, my heart sinking at the sight of his piercing green eyes, dark with suspicion. “What if I was?” I asked flippantly. Jasper’s jaw tightened. His playful demeanor shifted instantly. He crossed the room in a few powerful strides and stood at the edge of my bed. His presence was overwhelming, and I felt a familiar, unwelcome heat rising within me. “Iris,” he growled. “You should know better.” Elias, his brother and rightful heir to the pack, had been my boyfriend until his death. He was a kind-hearted soul without a wolf, and that made him easy prey for Jasper, who seized power after their father’s sudden death. In addition to the Alpha position, he took mor