Fall
1205 Words
CHAPTER 13
IRIS’ POV
"What happened to you?"
The sun was almost rising when I came back to the room assigned to me in the fortress.
Darius was on his feet before I even closed the door. His eyes swept over me—the tears on my clothes, the gash on my flank, the bruises in my body, and the pale, exhausted face staring back at him.
I leaned against the wall, catching my breath. "It's not as bad as it looks."
"You look like you've been through hell."
I pressed my lips, shaking my head at him before sitting on a chair.
He crossed the room in two strides, examining me further. His hands were steady but his jaw was tight.
"The entire capital is on lockdown," he said quietly. "Kael Draven found an intruder last night near a lake, and that person escaped. He's been patrolling the borders since midnight. Every wolf in this territory is on high alert."
I said nothing.
"No one knows who the intruder was. But I heard he's furious." Darius glanced up at me. "He's not letting anyone leave until he finds that intruder."
I didn't respond yet.
"How did you get injured like this?"
I paused for a moment, sighing before I met his eyes.
"I was the intruder."
"I know you were the intruder, Iris.” He stared at me with a knowing look. “I'm asking what exactly happened."
I paused, then exhaled slowly. "He caught me at the lake last night. He probably caught my scent that’s why he tracked me. Then we fought."
"You fought with him?"
"Briefly.” I answered. “He tried to command me. I resisted. We fought. He caught my flank with his claws."
I paused, recalling the events last night, sighing.
"He would've caught me if I hadn't dove into a river. The current was violent, it pulled me downstream and threw me over a waterfall."
Darius's eyes widened. "A waterfall?"
I touched the gash and bruises on my side. "Most of these are from the rocks. After the fall, I found a cave behind the waterfall. There was a pool inside. I stayed there until dawn—letting the water mask my scent until the full moon set and my shields stabilized."
"Gods above, Iris." He pressed a hand over his face. "That was such a risky move."
“The fall was a blessing in disguise.” I smiled faintly.
Darius stared at me, his face tight with concern. "You spent the entire night in a cave, injured, in enemy territory, while the Alpha King was hunting you."
“At least, I managed to escape.”
"Did he see your face?" Darius asked, his voice dropping.
I sighed, nodding slightly. "Yes."
His jaw tightened. "What if he recognizes you?"
"He won't." I shook my head firmly. "We'll be wearing our masks and disguise the entire time we're in this territory. We won't be exposing our appearances to anyone as long as we can."
"And your scent?"
"The full moon won't return for another month. I can suppress it now." I met his eyes. "My shields are stable. As long as I don't let them c***k again, he won't catch my scent."
Darius didn't look convinced. His brow was furrowed, his hands still tense at his sides.
Just as he was about to say more, a knock on the door cut him off.
"Veilwalkers," a guard's voice announced from the other side. "I’m here to inform you that the delegation will depart for the Eastern Territories in ten minutes."
I looked up at the sky; it was still too early in the morning to depart. The urgency in the Eastern Packs must have forced an early schedule. Fortunately, I managed to return just in time.
Darius looked at me—taking in my torn clothes, the dried blood, the bruises still visible on my arms and neck.
"You're going in a state like this?"
I stood, rolling my shoulders. "These are only superficial wounds."
He didn't look happy about it. But he didn't argue.
I changed into another set of clothes before putting the cloak and my mask on. I adjusted my hood, making sure every inch of my face was hidden before we stepped out of our quarters.
The hallways were thick with tension—guards at every corner, wolves on edge, the air heavy with their Alpha King's lingering fury from the night before.
I kept my head high. Every step measured. Every breath controlled.
We reached the main gate and soon saw warriors and scouts already assembled.
But before we could join them, a figure stepped into our path.
He was wearing an armor, probably a high-ranking warrior. His stance was firm, his expression unreadable, but his eyes settled on me with a calculating sharpness.
"Veilwalkers," he said curtly. "I request you to remove your masks."
Darius and I both paused.
"More specifically," the warrior continued, his gaze fixed on me, "you."
The air between us went cold.
"On whose authority?" Darius question, his face turning grim.
"The Alpha King's," the warrior replied. "An intruder was spotted on our territory last night. A woman. Protocol requires anyone whose identity cannot be verified to be inspected before leaving the capital."
Darius stepped forward, his aura flaring. "Are you suspecting my companion?"
The warrior's jaw tightened—Darius's presence was enough to make most wolves instinctively submit—but the warrior held his ground.
"This is protocol. I don't make the rules. I only follow them."
Before Darius could respond, I spoke.
My voice came out cold and sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade.
"We came here willingly to lend a hand to your territory's crisis, not to be treated as subjects of suspicion." I stepped forward, meeting the warrior's gaze through my mask.
"I will not be removing my mask. If that's a problem, you can take it up with the Alpha King himself."
The warrior's expression hardened. He opened his mouth to respond—
"That's enough."
The voice cut through the courtyard like a blade.
Cold. Commanding. Absolute.
Everyone went still.
I turned.
Kael Draven was walking toward us.
He still looked imposing as ever—tall, broad, radiating the kind of authority that made every wolf in the vicinity straighten instinctively. But there was something different about him today. A darkness clinging to his presence, heavy and restless. The kind that probably came from a sleepless night spent chasing prey that had slipped through his fingers.
His silver eyes swept the scene—the warrior, Darius, and finally me.
They lingered on me, and I pushed myself to keep calm, maintaining my composure.
“They’re here at my request,” Kael said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “No need to inspect them.”
The warrior lowered his head at once. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Kael’s gaze returned to me. Our eyes met. For a brief moment, his attention lingered, pressing against my mask as if he were trying to see beyond it. My heartbeat betrayed me, quickening under his stare.
Only when he turned away did I allow myself a quiet breath of relief.
“Let’s go.”
- Writer
