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IRIS’ POV
A butterfly birthmark?
Coincidentally, I had one too.
And it rested on the nape of my neck. It has red patterns resembling delicate butterfly wings. But I’ve never paid much attention to it. Unlike the hideous birthmark that had once covered half my face and sealed my powers, I’ve always thought this one was nothing out of ordinary.
"The reason behind his search remains unknown," Aunt Vespera continued. "But according to our intels, it began about five years ago. Whoever this woman is, the Alpha King has been looking for her ever since."
Five years?
The number echoed in my mind.
I had never met Kael Draven.
At least, not properly.
Everything I knew about him came from reports and rumors circulating through the Northern Territories. The closest I'd ever come to him was during the Summit at the Moonshadow Pack years ago.
Even then, it had lasted only a moment.
I remembered the ballroom falling silent when he entered. Remembered glancing up and finding a pair of silver eyes staring back at me from across the crowd.
Just one brief look.
Nothing more.
But remembering his silver eyes…
A thought struck me like a lightning—sharp and sudden and gone before I could catch it.
That night was also the night I got drugged, and I remember… that stranger also had silver eyes.
My hand trembled slightly before I clenched it into a fist. No. It was impossible.
The Alpha King and the man from that night couldn't be the same person. A shared eye color meant nothing. Hundreds of wolves had attended that Summit. Any one of them could have been the stranger. Silver eyes could not be that unique to one person alone.
Aunt Vespera must have noticed my silence. I could feel her eyes studying me, and something shifted in her expression.
"Iris," she said carefully. "I remember you also have a butterfly birthmark too. And in the same place at that—"
“It’s probably just a coincidence.” I shook my head at her, forcing myself to stay calm.
“A butterfly mark isn't that rare. There are probably countless women with the same birthmark."
I let out a small breath and looked away.
"Besides, I don't even know the Alpha King. We've never met. Why would he be searching for me?"
The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them.
I sounded far too defensive.
Aunt Vespera’s brows shot up, quite surprised at my sudden words.
"I never said you were the woman he's looking for," she said.
Heat crept up my neck. I opened my mouth to speak, about to say something when she spoke again, shrugging.
"Either way, the Alpha King's personal search is none of our business. We have no reason to involve ourselves in it."
Vespera straightened, her expression turning serious.
"Putting that aside, we have a more urgent matter to discuss. Aldric called for a meeting.”
I nodded. But the lingering feeling in my chest wouldn't settle.
---
The council was already gathered when we entered the conference hall.
Darius stood near one of the pillars, arms crossed. Lyra and Caelum sat at the round table, while several council members occupied the remaining seats.
At the head of the room stood Aldric, the leader of the Lunaris Council and also Darius's father.
I sat across Lyra, both of us nodding at each other.
Once everyone had settled, Aunt Vespera stepped forward and began speaking.
"Three Alphas have fallen in the Eastern Territories."
The room immediately grew tense.
"They weren't killed by rival packs," she continued. "Their own warriors turned on them. Reports indicate increasing cases of pack members losing control, attacking allies without reason or provocation. So far, no one has identified the cause."
A murmur spread through the room.
"We've received a formal request for assistance from the Alpha King of the Northern Territories," She continued.
"The question is whether we respond."
"We don't meet with Alpha Kings," one councilor said flatly. "We only operate in the shadows. We've never formally worked with anyone face to face."
Across from me, Lyra frowned.
"While we stay hidden, what if the situation worsens? If this chaos spreads, it won't remain the Eastern packs' problem."
"I believe we can still deal with it anyway—"
"We may not have that luxury," Caelum interrupted, his voice calm. "I've been sensing disturbances for weeks. Something is very wrong in the East."
The discussion quickly escalated. Voices rose across the table until a single word silenced them all.
"Enough."
Aldric's voice wasn't loud, yet every person in the room fell silent.
“We’re going.” He announced in a firm tone.
"This is no longer a distant problem. If the Eastern packs collapse, the corruption will spread to neighboring territories. Waiting will only make the threat harder to contain."
Aunt Vespera nodded in agreement.
"It is our duty to maintain balance," she said. "We cannot do that by hiding while the continent falls into chaos."
Aldric's gaze swept across the room.
"We need someone to investigate the situation firsthand. Someone capable of working alongside the North Alpha King's forces and determining the true nature of this corruption."
His eyes then suddenly settled on me.
"Iris."
I straightened.
"You're the best candidate for this mission. Your abilities give you the best chance of uncovering whatever waits in the East. And your insight is unmatched."
His tone left no room for argument. "You should go."
My heart skipped a beat as it sank in, realizing that accepting this mission meant I would come face to face with Kael Draven.
And meeting him meant there was a risk he might notice I have the same mark as the woman he had been searching for.
I immediately pushed the thought aside. His search for that woman had nothing to do with me. It couldn’t.
And I couldn’t afford even a moment of distraction.
This was a mission. A serious one. And my duty came before anything else.
"I accept," I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me.
"Then I'm going with her."
Behind me, I heard Darius speak.
I turned to him. "You—"
"Don't argue." His jaw was set. "You're not walking into that territory alone."
I looked at him for a moment, before nodding.
Aldric looked at both of us in approval.
"Then you two should leave at dawn."
---
Later that evening, I knelt beside Lucian's bed.
He was sitting cross-legged, a small silver flame dancing between his palms. The moment I walked in, he extinguished it and looked up at me with those silver eyes.
"Mom, are you going somewhere again?"
I nodded, smoothening his hair gently. "I have a mission, honey. So, I need to leave for a while."
His brow furrowed. "Like last time? When you were gone for a whole week?"
“I'll be back before you know it." I cupped his face. "So, I need you to stay here and keep training. Get stronger for me. Can you do that?"
He nodded slowly, but his expression was troubled. "Will you be safe?"
"Of course." I pulled him into my arms and held him tight. "I'll come back as soon as I can. I promise."
I held him until his breathing slowed, until his small body relaxed against mine, until his silver eyes fluttered shut. I laid him gently on the pillow and pulled the blanket up to his chin.
For a long time, I stood there, watching him sleep. Memorizing the curve of his cheek, the way his dark lashes fell against his skin, the way his tiny fingers curled around the edge of the blanket.
I pressed a kiss to his forehead before I stood up.
---
I stepped out onto the balcony, the twilight of Silvermoon Valley washing over me. The cool air brushed against my skin, but I barely felt it.
My thoughts drifted at first—to the chaos in the Eastern Packs, to the mission ahead.
But then, without warning, they shifted.
To Kael Draven. To the woman he had been searching for.
The question returned, unwelcome and persistent.
What could be the reason behind his search?
- Writer
