(Iris)The big pack meeting was around the corner, and I had been given the mundane task of taking out the garbage. It was, at least, a welcome distraction from the tension that had been hanging over me since my encounter with the Lycan King. As I dumped the garbage out the back of the kitchen, I sighed, wiping my hands on my jeans. When I turned to go back inside, I found the door had been locked. Panic set in as I realized I was trapped outside. Before I could process my situation, I noticed several men approaching me. They were strangers, men I had never seen around the pack house before. Given the recent influx of visitors for the meeting, it wasn’t unusual to see new faces, but there was something sinister in the way they moved, their intentions clear in their leering eyes. One of them stepped forward, a cruel smile spreading across his face. “Looks like you’re all alone, sweetheart,” he said. I took a quick step back, my heart racing. “What do you want?” I demanded.

(Iris)When I reached my room, I collapsed onto my bed, utterly exhausted. The day’s events had left me drained both physically and emotionally. The weight of secrets I carried threatened to crush me, and the doubts gnawed at my resolve like relentless predators. My wolf, Molly, echoed my unease, her voice a constant whisper in my mind. “Iris, people are starting to suspect something is up with you and the Lycan King,” Molly murmured, her tone laced with concern. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to steady myself. “I know,” I admitted quietly. “I can feel their eyes on me all the time.” I opened my eyes, noticing that I had a few stray tears on my cheeks. I sat up, and rubbed my face with my hand. “I don’t think I can keep this up for much longer,” I confessed. “You have to,” Molly replied, “Iris! Though I am not going to lie, you are in a pretty dangerous situation. And I suspect Naomi has something to do with the men that just attacked us. She looked really nervous w

(Jasper) Sitting in the Alpha’s chair, I stared at the polished wood of my desk, lost in thought. A whole year in this seat, and it still didn’t feel like mine. My father allowed my useless, wolfless brother to sit here when he was out fighting, but never me. The son of an omega slave wasn’t worthy of this chair. It was a constant reminder of my place, or lack thereof. I stood up and began pacing the room. The walls seemed to close in on me as my thoughts raced. The window offered a view of the pack’s territory, bathed in the eerie glow of the moon. Somewhere out there, Elias was plotting. And Iris, whether she realized it or not, was at the center of it all. The chair, the desk, the office… it all felt like a facade. A carefully constructed image of power and control. But beneath it all, the insecurities gnawed at me. I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the memories of my childhood. The beatings, the humiliation, the constant reminder that I was nothing more than the son of

(Iris)It was cold that night. The chill in the air seemed to seep into my bones, making me shiver despite my thick cloak. The path to the waterfall was familiar, but the darkness made it seem more ominous than usual. The sound of the water cascading down the rocks filled the night, its roar both soothing and intimidating. Molly was uneasy. “I don’t like this, Iris,” she said anxiously. “We should leave. After what happened in the kitchen? What if it happens again?” “I know,” I replied silently. “But I need answers. Whoever left that note might have some.” The waterfall was beautiful in the moonlight, the silver glow illuminating the mist that rose from the crashing water. The moon’s reflection danced on the surface of the water, creating an ethereal glow that bathed the surrounding area in mystical light. I wrapped my cloak tighter around me, my breath visible in the frosty air. I wrapped my cloak tighter around me, my breath visible in the frosty air. I was early, but I didn’t m

(Iris)I couldn’t sleep after talking to the Lycan King. I tossed and turned my mind racing with the implication of our conversation. Jasper’s face haunted my thoughts, his dark eyes filled with malice and deceit. I already knew Jasper was responsible for the death of Elias and my parents, and I had come to believe he was capable of another murder. “Help me, Iris,” The Lycan King had said yesterday. His voice was a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine. “How?” I had asked, my heart pounding. “Get close to him and I will let you know. Well, you are pretty close already…” he had replied, a hint of amusement in his tone. I had blushed, feeling the heat rising to my cheeks at the implication. The memory of his words made my stomach churn. How could I be close to someone like Jasper? How could I pretend to be on his side, knowing what he had done?I stared at the ceiling, my mind drifting back to the conversation. Jasper and Naomi probably would be exiled or worse if the Lyc