Chapter 32IrisThe next morning came with a different kind of energy, one that drove the gloominess from last night to the farthest part of my mind.I yawned loudly, silently appreciating the moon goddess for bringing me to a new day. Then I got up only to find Gradel's side empty with the rumpled bedsheet as proof that he'd left without caring about how I fared.Last night had been an eye-opener, putting it mildly, it served as a reminder that his father would never accept me, and so would Gradel. Once again, my reality slapped hard me in the face. I was alone. I shoved the depressing discovery aside and freshened up, eager to start my day. Then I left the room and turned to the guard who was continually by the door. He bowed immediately he got a whiff of my presence. "Greetings, my lady." He said plainly. I muttered a response and folded my arms. "Where can I find the prince?"His expression cracked and lines of nervousness slipped through. "I don't know where he is." He force
Chapter 33GradelThe woman made it hard for me to stand by my decision. It was becoming difficult to avoid her when she was everywhere, her scent seemed to linger around me even when I was far away from her.Now she wanted me to train her. Why couldn't she understand that I was avoiding the proximity that would lead me to catching some stupid feelings and in turn make my annoying father feel important? Unfortunately, I still agreed to train her, a typical example of digging your grave. Though my wolf was happy with the development, especially when she convinced me to teach her some fighting skills, I didn't feel the same."The prince is here," The excited screams of the little children disrupted my thoughts as I rubbed my forehead in frustration.Before I could get a grip on what was going on, they had already gathered me, the toddlers raising their hands so I could lift them.I cocked my head to the side, pondering on how to escape them when I caught the sight of their parents sta
Chapter 34IrisMy hand stretched subconsciously to the other part of the bed and found it empty, and cold. The sleep I'd earlier enjoyed cleared from my eyes as I stretched and glanced at the window.It was still dark but the day was close to breaking and I wondered why Gradel left the bed so early.I took it as a reminder that he didn't want to be with me and I was trying my best not to care. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, I headed to the bathroom and washed my face.The training session would begin this morning and if I guessed correctly, Gradel would be at the training ground waiting for me.After relieving myself in the toilet, I selected a two-piece set that would offer me some flexibility while throwing kicks and punches. A giggle erupted from my chest while imagined myself throwing a punch.Satisfied with my outfit, I raced through the hallway and ended up at the training ground, pumped and excited."Good morning, teacher," I greeted enthusiastically, gri
Chapter 35IrisChoosing an outfit was a hassle since I was oblivious to the occasion, but then I opted for a pink flair dress that could pass for both a casual and formal one. I really hoped that I wasn't underdressed as I'd subconsciously become more aware of my looks. After what the Alpha told me that night, I didn't want to look like a total flop just because I came from a humble background.My lips widened with a satisfactory smile when I gazed at my reflection in the wall mirror. Today, I decided to be different, styling my red hair into a messy bun with some curly strands falling to the sides of my face. Enveloped with confidence, I smeared my lips with a lip gloss that erased the chapped state of my lips. Everything was set aside from my footwear and then the door swiveled open.His familiar woody scent hit me but I refused to spare a glance at him as I contemplated on what reaction would be the best to a man who had been away from his mate all day.His nonchalance was eatin
Chapter 36Gradel"Thank you," I muttered after we left Mr Hanlow's house.Staying there for more than two hours while dining and conversing like we were a family further uplifted my already buoyant mood. The warmness that their house exuded made me want to stay back, but then I couldn't run away from my responsibility, and neither could I disown my father even if I wanted to."Hmm?" Iris replied like she had been caught unaware and then she tilted her head to the side, her face a mask of confusion. "Why are you thanking me?" She asked innocently."I've been thinking a lot and I realized that my life has been moving in circles. It seems like I've made some progress, but deep down I'm a complete mess," I admitted.Her hand came upon my back and then she turned around to face me so we could stop walking."I don't think your life is a mess, though I can agree that it used to be when you arrested me for stealing your bracelet." She blurted with her lashes lowered so she wouldn't notice my
Chapter 37Iris"Let's go on a race," He said.My eyes lit up in surprise. "Huh?""Are you interested in joining me on a race or not?" He threw the question casually but when our eyes met, I saw his silent plea to agree.So I shrugged off the surprise while an annoying blush gradually crept to my cheeks. "I'm interested, it's just that I don't have a wolf as you know so how do we go about it?" I explained gibberishly like he wasn't aware of that fact."We'll do it like the other time, just watch me shift and then you hop onto my back. Make sure you hang on tightly, I don't want you falling over and breaking your neck.""Let's do this then," I clapped like a child in excitement.Today had been filled with several twists and turns that left me breathlessly happy. Strangely, I'd been able to get Gradel out of his shell and now he had gifted me a house that I wasn't looking forward to moving into even though I liked it.I preferred lying down on his bed every night to waking up with the k
Chapter 38Iris.Waking up with beautiful memories of a magical intimate moment with the man your heart yearns for, to having aromas from different dishes wafting into my nose felt divine.My body warmed up when I remembered the intensity of last night's kiss and then a strange feeling of nudity struck me. I quickly lifted the duvet and gasped.Simultaneously the door opened and Gradel appeared. He was without a smile but he looked content and fulfilled."Good morning, pretend mate." He greeted warmly.Still tongue-tied from the discovery, I nodded in response and glanced at my naked body. I cleared my throat after collecting myself."Did you... Did anything happen from last night?" I stammered, feeling slightly embarrassed.I didn't want to believe that I was so high from the passionate kiss we shared that I couldn't remember what happened afterward. It wasn't a good tale to tell at all.He sank onto the bed, wearing a bemused expression. "Were you expecting anything to happen?"I gu
Chapter 39IrisI could swear that I saw him shiver slightly, but he collected himself immediately and took a step backward."Tell this bitch to be careful of how she runs her—"A punch landed on his lips, causing him to stumble over the chair and then he landed on the ground with a loud thud. I quickly ran to Gradel and stood in front of him.No matter how much I despised his younger brother, I wouldn't watch him get beaten up badly and get accused of causing a fight between two brothers."Please, Grade. Ignore him," I said softly.I lifted my hand to touch his chest but stopped midway since I didn't know what his reaction would be, but seeing how his chest rose and fell in anger I took the risk and began to draw circles around it.He took a deep breath with his eyes closed, and by the time he opened them, the anger had receded."Get out!" He ordered with a tone of finality and his brother scampered away, muttering curses at us.His eyes returned to my face which he palmed tenderly.
Chapter 107IrisONE YEAR LATER"Maria, are the sweets ready?" I shouted, standing before the edge of the baluster.Gradel and I had planned a family reunion and I couldn't wait for everyone we considered family to start trooping in. Devin had gotten a mate about three months back and I kept wondering how he got her pregnant in less than two months. I'd so tease him about it once he comes around. Hazel and Hegar had been on sabbatical leave for a while so I had to plead with Hegar to release her since I was nearing at the time of delivery. I was both excited and filled with panic and I honestly couldn't understand how I managed both extreme emotions. Gradel kept reassuring me that I wouldn't encounter any issues, but after hearing stories of women who faced several complications, his words would just fall on deaf ears."Watch it, princess," A firm grip stopped me from tripping over when I swirled around without looking.I smiled and fiddled with his stubble. "Thank you for always be
Chapter 106IrisONE MONTH LATERThe sky was quite gloomy, the dark clouds threatening to turn the day into a rainy one. We should have stayed back in the house and cuddled all day, but there was something important to be done, and that was visiting the late Alpha Cronus's grave.I stood beside Gradel, whose shoulders were squared, taut, showing how uneasy it was for him to be present here. If it was possible, I'd have suggested that we return home and come back when he was more comfortable, but he was as stubborn as a mule so I let him. We stood in silence for a while and then he cleared his throat. I touched his shoulder lightly and some of the tension dissipated. "I guess I'll have to leave you alone with him. Call on me when you're done," I informed him and turned around to leave. But he grabbed my wrist swiftly and tenderly, prohibiting me from taking any other step. With a low tone, he said. "Stay with me. I want you to be here with me while I reconcile with my father," He s
Chapter 105HazelMy heart throbbed in pain as I hugged my pillow tightly, genuinely wishing that it could be exchanged with the competent arms of Hegar. I was beginning to get offended. Why hadn't he checked on me, yet? What could have kept him so busy that he didn't bother to ask after me to know if I was doing well or not? Iris kept assuring me that he still loved me and he'd come for me soon, but was it too early to lose hope?A knock sounded on the door, jolting me from my reverie and an irritated sigh exited my lips. Hunger pangs gnawed in my stomach and the last thing I wanted was for anyone to drag me out of the room unnecessarily.Sluggishly, I twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open and immediately, I froze. My breathing paused for a moment and I could tell that the world had stopped rotating.Hegar stood before gracefully me, smelling like an edible flower. His lips spread into a wide grin and he splayed his arms, urging me to come closer to him. Several emotions ra
Chapter 104 Gradel Inhaling the floral fragrance of my mate and enjoying the warmth of being in her arms was very tempting, but until I took my pound of flesh and ensured that the monster Elda wouldn't be a threat to anyone in the pack again, I wouldn't be at rest. Gently, I slithered from her embrace, feeling cold almost immediately and then I pushed the covers over her body and gazed lovingly at her beautiful lips that were pouted as if she was aware of my plans to be absent for a while. My heart skipped a beat when she stirred and calmed when she turned to the other side. I giggled lightly and put on a black vest and a pair of black sweatpants. After ascertaining that she was still deep asleep, I crept out of the room and shut the door quietly behind me, veering toward the same pack cell he had locked me in. He grinned cynically the moment I stepped in though I could see the faint marks of the strokes he had received from Hegar. After the fiasco last night, I'd asked the sent
Chapter 103Iris"Not today," I murmured through gritted teeth.Tonight, I didn't need saving; not from Gradel whom I knew was seconds away from bursting through that door to fight for me or Hegar who I guessed was around.My wolf was around growling, desiring to be freed from the cage it was in and right now, I'd have to do as she wanted."Tell him to let her go right now," Gradel demanded authoritatively.Elda snorted and spat some blood on the ground. "Sure, but we have to do some trade by barter kind of business before that. First, you'll let me out of here without unharmed. Secondly, I stink and I can't walk around, oozing animal blood so your dear mate will have to clean me up,""That isn't going to happen," Gradel disagreed in the shadows.He laughed briefly and glanced at the man behind me. "Alright then. Watch her die,""Wait—"My claws had already stretched out and before Gradel could complete his statement, I'd dug them into his skin. The knife fell off his hands and I quic
Chapter 102IrisFear took a strong hold over me after he muttered those words and I instinctively clutched onto my neck, intentionally avoiding his gaze.I drew in a very deep breath and exhaled. "That's a huge accusation to lay on me tonight, Elda. We are supposed to be celebrating," I replied with a surprisingly calm tone.That was a good thing because I planned to deny every claim he'd lay against me until I found a way to reach Eliana."I thought the same until I removed the mask from that girl's face and realized that you weren't the one who seduced me. So what did you promise her? That she and her family will be safe? Come on, Iris, what power do you have without me?" He asked with a derisive tone.A deep feeling of dread stirred in my stomach, my knees weakening. No matter what happened, I couldn't allow her family to be caught up in this plan."You can't hurt her family, Elda. What fun do you have in hurting innocent people?" I asked through gritted teeth.He chuckled lightly
Chapter 101Author's POVHer eyes widened, nearly falling out of their sockets and she clamped her lips shut, her heart pounding hard against her chest in trepidation while he violently snatched the knife from her and got up. She gasped, wondering how she messed it up just at the point of achieving her goal and a tear slid down her cheek because she knew she wouldn't be getting out of this alive.Elda burst into a heavy peal of laughter that was filled with intense mockery and threw her effortlessly over him. Then he rose, zipping his slacks and turning on the light."You aren't Iris, are you?" He asked but she didn't respond.Enraged, he crossed over to her and yanked the mask off her face, her hair falling out of the messy bun she packed it in. A deep scowl formed on Elda's face and he clenched his jaw, balling his fingers into a tight fist."Eliana, you're that girl I banged a few weeks ago, right?" He barked."I wish I was fast enough in killing you," She retorted spitefully. "At
Chapter 100Author's POV She lay on the bed, still and scared, her heart racing faster than sports cars in a race but she had made her choice and that was to end the man who had wrecked her life with her hands, even if her life was on the line.Iris had told her to disarm him but she had other plans as she didn't want him to continue creating havoc in the pack.Her mask was still on her face and she wore a wig that was exactly like Iris' hair to confuse him, and the turned-off light was to her advantage. The door was pushed open and the light from the hallway shone into the room, showing Elda's drunk figure. The feast wasn't in full session yet and he had already filled his system with alcohol. It would make things easier for her, she thought. Elda squinted his eyes and his lips stretched into a cynical smirk when he caught the sight of a seductively dressed woman whom he thought to be Iris lying on the bed. "Hey, woman. I thought you wanted to tear me into pieces several hours a
Chapter 99GradelWe wandered into the forest, my body smeared with blood. Thankfully, I sustained no injuries from convincing Elda's men to defect to my camp.Along the line, my eyes caught the sight of a figure walking toward us and I paused to make out who the person was. Though I had no direction, I wasn't expecting anyone else to be there.As the person drew close, I realized that it was a man and he looked familiar."Hold your horses," I said to them and they halted behind me.I squinted my eyes, waiting patiently for him to get closer and happiness coursed through me when I noticed that it was no one else but Hegar."Hegar?" I called out his name and he peered at me, his eyes widening in surprise.He also froze on his steps and after a brief scrutiny, he broke into a run and bumped into me for a hug. We stayed glued to each other until I remembered that weren't alone."Gradel, is this really you? How were you able to leave that cell without risking your life?" He questioned wit