IRIS: The Blessed Wolf

IRIS POV ‘Dear Diary, I write with so much worry in my heart due to the recent dreams I’ve been having. Dreams of a man, slender and muscular with eyes like that of the ocean and his hair as black as a raven’s. Over the past few weeks, I’ve dreamt of being bounded in chains, crying for help and that’s when I see him. He comes to save me. To free me from my chains. And whenever I try to touch him, to feel his skin, I wake up. I haven’t told anyone about these dreams because I don’t want my pack to get worried. After all, I am the blessed one and everything I dream of is a not just a dream but also a vision.’ The door to my room swung open and I quickly shut my diary and turned around. “What are you hiding?”Lyta, my elder sister asked. I sighed. “Nothing... and why do always barge in without knocking?” She shrugged her shoulders. “Nothing.” I rolled my eyes in frustration. Lyta was older than me with about a year and yet most times she acted like a younger sister. She sat on the bed next to me and took my hand in hers’. “Don’t tell me my baby sister is worried about getting her mate, is she?” I withdrew my hands and objected. “Number one, I’m not a baby and number two, I’m not worried about getting a mate.” She smiled. “Well you should be. Remember you’re clocking eighteen in a week and the worst thing is to get fated to an Omega.” I rolled my eyes again. “I don’t care if he happens to be an alpha or a gamma, all I want is a good wolf who would be truthful and genuine.” A faint smile appeared on her face. “I agree but… I still hope he’s not an omega.” She grimaced. “The blessed one fated to an unknown Omega. Eww!” I shook my head and let out a quiet laugh. “The more I think of how he’d look like, what position he’d hold, the more nervous I become. Would he be an omega? Or a beta? A zeta? Or maybe even an Alpha from another pack, I don’t know… and I don’t want to think about it.” Her smile broadened. “There is nothing to worry about. Fate is always perfect and considerate.” She nudged my belly. “Just take a look at me, see how lucky I was last year.” She giggled delightfully. “I was finally fated to Castor, who is not just my childhood lover but is also a Gamma. Tell me what could be better?” I forced a smile as I didn’t want to tell her the truth about Castor. It was true that Lyta and Castor were childhood lovers and everyone believed they were a perfect match but the bitter hidden truth was that Castor was in love with me. He was more or less obsessed about me and he had revealed to me countlessly that the only reason he was with Lyta was to have access to me at the temple. But how could I tell Lyta the truth? How could I tell her that the man she was crazy about was crazy about me? One particular night, Castor had tried to force himself on me but he hadn’t been successful as my wolf had struggled with his and I had managed to escape him. The next day he had come to me to apologize, claiming that he had been under the influence of alcohol. I never told anyone about it because I didn’t want to break Lyta’s heart. Hopefully when I finally find my mate, Castor would forget about me and fall in love with Lyta. I didn’t expect it to be hard as Lyta was the most adorable person I knew. The temple bells rung three times and Lyta rose to her feet. “It’s time for us to pray.” I stood up and followed Lyta out of my room and down to the prayer room which was lit with red candles surrounding the tall statue of the moon goddess. Lyta knelt down before the statue, lifted her hands and joined her palms together to pray. “Make sure you pray about your mate.” She said to me before shutting her eyes. “Believe me you don’t want an Omega as your mate.” She added in a whisper. I chuckled and was about kneeling to pray when I felt a sudden coldness in my chest. The air became thin and I found it difficult to breathe. Something was wrong. Something was really wrong. Goosebumps appeared all over my skin and my teeth clattered as I grew an instant fever. What was happening to me? The only time something like this had happened was about ten years ago, moments before there had been a massive earthquake which had taken the lives of over a hundred wolves. That was the most dreadful thing that had ever happened in the history of the GreyBones pack. Now, I couldn’t help but wonder what was coming next. I patted Lyta’s shoulder nervously. “What is it?” She looked up at me and was stunned to see how pale I was. “Are you okay?” “Something is not right.” I said, shivering. “I can feel it.” She rose to her feet and held my shoulders. “Take a deep breath.” “But…” I began to protest. “No, just take a deep breath,” she advised. I did what she said and there was no difference as my heart raced further. “I know you’re worried about the whole mate thing but…” “It’s not about that!!” I snapped. “Something is really wrong, you have to believe me. Call it a hunch or whatever but there’s danger approaching.” She rolled her eyes and was about saying something to ridicule me when we heard the town warning bells ring from afar. It was then she took me serious. “What just happened?” “I told you, Lyta!” I said, vibrating in anxiety. “I can feel it.” Lyta’s face turned red as she became worried. She knelt on one knee and drew out her dagger which she normally tied around her thighs and then she began walking away. “Where are you going?” I asked, baffled by her reaction. She turned around. “If what you are saying is true then I can’t stay here anymore. Castor is a Gamma, I have to fight next to my mate.” “But…” I began to protest. She cut in. “I made a vow, Iris. If he falls in battle, I’d have to fall next to him.” Her loyalty to Castor knew no bounds and sometimes I worried that Castor wasn’t as loyal to her as she was to him. Lyta was strong. She had the body of a warrior and the strength of two wolves combined but even with that, I feared that the danger ahead might be too much for her. “So are you going to leave me here alone?” She turned around. “This temple is quite far from our pack, I doubt they’d come here.” “And what if the attackers do?” She hesitated. “You are strong… probably stronger than I am.” I scoffed. “I know you can defend yourself.” She said encouragingly before she deserted me and fled the temple. Unfortunately, the temple was a sacred place and there were no weapons of any sort. So all I could do was wait. Wait for something to happen. I remained in the temple for about three hours, praying for peace before I heard the down gates open. I rushed upstairs and hid in one of the statues—a perfect hiding spot where I knew that no one could find me in. The footsteps drew closer and closer. I could tell that it was just one person. All I had to do was stay put, don’t make a sound and then I was assured of my safety. But then I heard my mother’s voice. “Iris!” She called out. “Iris!!” I was about to run out immediately and embrace her but Azara—my wolf—cautioned me. “What if this is a trap?” “But it’s my mom’s voice!” I said to her. “You have to be careful Lyta, it could still be a trap” She warned. “So what do I do?” I queried. “Nothing! Just keep hiding.” Azara advised. “What if she needs my help?” Azara grumbled. “Fine… but come out first and look around before talking to her.” I nodded and adhered to her advice. I came out quietly and looked around. It was just my mother, searching for me, there was no other person in sight. “Mum,” I said to her as I stepped out of my hiding spot completely. “Oh dear!!” She exclaimed. I ran to her and held her bruised hands. “What is going on? I heard the warning bells and…” Mum was teary eyed and that was a rare sight to see. “We have been attacked!” “By who?” I asked, curiously. She didn’t respond and rather she embraced me tightly and began to sob. It was then that i noticed that I had been surrounded and it was all a trap. “Mum, what’s going on?” I asked, quavering. “Who are these people?” She withdrew from me, shaking as she wept. “I’m sorry darling. There’s nothing I can do. Almost everyone is dead and…” My gaze shifted to the group of menacing men who surrounded me with vicious looks and killer weapons. From behind them came a giant bulky man with a barrel chest. Wrapped in his mighty tattooed arms was Lyta. She was badly wounded and could barely walk. “Lyta!” I cried out. The giant man simpered. “Is this the blessed wolf?” My mother turned around and nodded. “Just leave my pack alone, please.” He sneered. “How am I sure that this isn’t some silly sham?” My mother quivered as she turned to me. “Listen to me, Iris.” “No!” I retorted, shaking my head in disbelief as I couldn’t believe my own mother could sell me out after everything Dad and his betas had done to protect me from the outside world. After all the years I had remained in the temple in order to be protected, it finally happened. I was being sold out to these rabid monstrous men. “How could you?” I fumed. She took a step forward and I simultaneously took a step backwards. “Stay away from me!” Her eyes glowed red, signifying one thing—My father was dead and my mother was the Alpha now. “Dad?” I couldn’t believe my eyes. “Where is Dad?” Mum’s watery eyes glittered as she shook her head slowly. “He’s gone, honey,” “No!” I cried out in grief. She tried to reach out to me but I pushed her hands away. “Stay away,” “I am your Alpha and you‘ll listen to me!” She growled. I looked into her glowing red eyes and I bowed reluctantly due to the compelling force of my new Alpha. Tears forced its way out of my eyes as I struggled to speak. “Yes, my Alpha.” She took some steps towards me and lifted my head until we were looking eye to eye. The flare in her eyes died down and a compassionate and sorrowful look surfaced.“I know how horrible this may seem and believe me it is. We have been attacked by the powerful and ruthless Midnight Cove pack from the northern part of the realm. I can’t help you because I am weak. Nobody can do anything to stop them. Only you can save us.” “How am I supposed to do that?” I asked In bafflement. “If Dad couldn’t…” “He wasn’t the blessed one!” I wanted to say something but I took back in my words and allowed the fact that my father was actually dead to sink in. “Why?” I said, breaking into tears. “Why me?” Mum placed her finger on my lips and smiled. “You are the blessed one. Who else can we rely on?” She gripped my shoulders tightly. “You are stronger than you think, Iris.” Tears fell down my face like rain. She drew me closer and embraced me. “You have a mission, Iris. The Midnight Cove pack must be destroyed for the safety and peace of the realm and only you can do that. I don’t know how but I know that you can. You are our only hope.”Her arms wrapped around me tightened, almost like she didn’t want to let go. “The whole realm is relying on you.” I nodded my head in acknowledgment although I was horror-struck and I had no idea of what to do. “Now shift!” She ordered. “I will bring you back home someday. Someday soon. I believe in you and our pack believes in you.” She held my face and kissed my forehead. “May the goddess guide you.” “May the goddess guide you too.” I said in tears. “That’s enough!” The giant man barked. “Prove to us that you are indeed the blessed one or I won’t hesitate to burn this place down with y’all in it.” “Azara, it’s time.” I said to her. “Are you sure you want to do this?”. I wiped away my tears. “The whole realm is relying on us. We don’t have a choice but to take responsibility.” I groaned in pain as my bones popped and twisted and in a minute Azara was standing magnificently and the others watched in awe. No one needed any more proof that she was the blessed wolf as she proudly stood four feet high with large paws and mighty legs. Her furs were sparkling white and one would think there were crystals glittering within. Unlike other wolves which had either red, blue or amber eyes, the eyes of the blessed wolf glowed white signifying divinity. For a moment, I thought about attacking them but I considered the rest of my pack outside being killed by the Midnight Cove. Even if Azara had a chance of killing the men here, fighting a whole mercenary outside would be suicidal. And as the blessed one, the one who carried hope, If I happened to die in battle then hope would be gone forever. The giant man grinned and nodded in satisfaction. “I believe you.” I changed back and was tied by the men and carried along. They placed a fabric over my mouth and slowly I lost consciousness. The last thing I heard was the crying of my name by Lyta. “I’d find you! I promise.” She cried.