IRIS: The Blessed Wolf

A Gift After Denial

TWO WEEKS AFTER

Aiden Jordan POV

The great hall was filled up by our pack wolves, from the elderlies to the young pups, everyone was in attendance.

No one would want to miss the declaration of the next Alpha of our pack.

My father, the infamous Alpha Fred was seated on his royal chair looking down at the floor, completely lost in his thoughts. Beside him was Natasha, our Luna and my stepmother.

Adorned with so many jeweleries and beads, she looked befitting for the position she held in the pack.

‘A heart of gold’ and ‘the sweetest of all souls’, I hear the regular folks call her yet only I knew how dark and cold her heart was.

I was kneeling at the front of my father and his Luna, waiting for my father to make his choice and pick between I and Liam, my stepbrother.

Liam was also on his knees, a few meters to my right. His eyes were fixed on the beads of honor which my father held in his hands and was going to hand over to whosoever he chose.

His right leg shook as he knelt and so did his hands. I could bet on anything that Liam would literally kill me when—or if—my Dad chose me. He was all about competition. Ever since he was old enough to breathe, he had always seen me as a rival and not as his brother.

It all started with who was more goodlooking—a feature which I had always overlooked— to who was the better fighter to who had the stronger wolf to… every single thing he could think of.

After waiting for an additional five minutes, my father rose from his chair and so did the crowd. The hall was so silent that it suddenly became eerie.

“Before I take this decision, I just want to make known that I love my two sons…”

Natasha frowned as she glared at me with so much hatred. I had never known any wolf half as envious as Natasha.

My hands vibrated on my raised knee and I suddenly began to sweat.

My father looked at me and I looked away immediately. Sometimes I felt like I had the ability to read people’s thoughts with just looking into their eyes and I didn’t want to read his mind. I wanted to hear him say the words.

“Rise my sons,” He said. “You have both made me proud.”

Liam jumped to his feet, flexing his muscles in a sick attempt to show off his strength and athleticism.

Rising up to my feet, I could feel the blood draining from my face. The next few words my father would say would determine if all the work I’d put in since I was a little boy was worth it or not.

Who wouldn’t be tensed when your destiny and dreams were at arms reach yet you had no power to get them and could only depend on the right judgment of one’s father?

“As Alpha of the Midnight Cove pack, I hereby declare that the next Alpha of this pack would be…”

I could hear most of the people chanting my name while others jeered in anticipation.

I looked sideways and saw Liam with a stern scowl on his face.

He detested me and he had reasons to. I despised him and I had several reasons to. So I think our relationship was clearly understood by both parties and none of us tried to conceal how we felt.

“Liam Jordan!!” My father declared.

The whole hall fell quiet and so did my pounding heart.

For a moment, it felt like I was in a trance or I was stuck in a nightmare where my brother finally stole my birthrights and my whole world came crumbling on top of me. But the sharp pain in my chest made me realize that this was no dream. This was only the harshest reality ever.

Natasha jumped to her feet and began applauding her son, not minding that she was the only excited person in the hall.

I wouldn’t say I was too surprised as I knew that Natasha must have found a way to delude my father. He was in love with her and I knew he’d do anything to make her happy. Anything including ripping off my birthright and giving it to her undeserving son.

Like I said earlier, I wasn’t too surprised but I was angry and deeply offended.

Murmurings arose from the crowd as people began to protest.

“No, not that one!”

“Hell no, a drunk as our Alpha?”

“We want Aiden!!”

“Aiden! Aiden! Aiden!!” They chanted on in a vain attempt to change my father’s decision.

Liam was obviously annoyed to see how much the people disapproved of him but it really didn’t matter as he had gotten the approval that mattered.

Natasha walked to me elegantly and leaned forward to whisper in my ears. “I’m sure your dead mother would be rolling in her shallow grave.”

“Snap her neck!” Kylian, my wolf hissed at me. “Snap those frail bones and we’d never have to hear her speak again.”

I thought against it. “Doing that would make me just like her, Kyl.”

I looked up into her cherry nut brown eyes and I faked a smile. “Congrats to your son, Natasha.”

She was taken aback by my unworried demeanour and she decided to attack me further.. “I know how much you wanted it,” She began. “I have watched you closely from when you were just a boy and I would be lying if I said that you don’t deserve to be the one holding the beads of honor, but then…” she shrugged her shoulders and let out a malicious sneer. “...When has an illegitimate son ever become the Alpha?”

I chewed on my bottom lip so hard that it drew out blood. Anger flowed through my veins like lava and I was scared that I’d lose control of myself and strangle the life out of her.

She smiled lopsidedly as she had successfully gotten the reaction she wanted from me. “Don’t take it too hard on yourself or you might just end up dead… like your mother.”

Feeling accomplished, she walked back to my father and embraced him and Liam. A perfect family hug worthy of being in a picture, some would say.

In shame, I rose from my knees, turned around and began walking away.

Two meters covered, I heard my father’s thundering voice behind me. ”Stop right there!!”

“You have no right to walk out until I tell you so!” He scolded.

I turned around and stared into his cold grey eyes which burned with anger. He was mad at me because I had disrespected him but I was also mad at him because he had disrespected and shamed me in front of everyone.

“I have a gift for you,” He said with a gentler tone. “To reward you for being a defender of this pack and for your unending loyalty and obedience.”

I could tell that he wasn’t happy with his choice and he had only been trying to please his Luna at the expense of my dreams and hopes.

He moved to me with powerful steps which echoed in the hall. A giant of a man, standing seven foot above the ground.

As he drew closer to me, I saw the sadness and pain in his eyes but it did little in calming the sparks of fury flying in my heart.

Much to my surprise, he drew me towards him and wrapped his large muscular arms around me.

His large body vibrated as he bent himself and whispered in my ears. “I’m sorry, son. I’m truly sorry.”

Normally, his words of apology would have calmed me down but not this time. I was still enraged and his presence only irritated me.

I withdrew from his arms and took a step backwards.

He was obviously pained by my reaction but he said nothing and walked back to his chair where he motioned to some guards. “Bring the gift out. I’m sure he’d love it.”

The guards hurriedly left the hall.

My father smiled as he addressed us. “In our last raid of the packs at the south-eastern parts of the realm, I found a treasure hidden and locked up in a temple.”

The whole crowd gasped in delight.

“And what may this treasure be?” Natasha asked, suddenly feeling jealous that it would be gifted to me and not her or Liam.

My father looked at her briefly and returned his gaze to us, his eyes crinkling with excitement. “This treasure is something we’ve all read in books and we’ve all heard tales about.”

Now everybody was silent and waiting to hear and see what it was.

“It is…” He said slowly while everyone listened with rapt attention. “...The blessed wolf.”

The whole hall gasped out in shock and disbelief.

Even I, myself was in doubt. The blessed wolf was nothing but an old folklore told to little children.

But the delight in my father’s eyes was unusual. He was really excited and fascinated by whatever he had seen and I knew my father wasn’t one to be easily deceived by anyone.

“We have heard the story of the wolf who has the powers of the goddess and who brings fortune and luck to whosoever owns her.” He said, grinning broadly. “Well here she is…”

The guards carried a large box which had little openings by the side. But they were too small and no one could see what was within.

In envy, Natasha rose from her seat and walked up to my father, wrapping her hands around his waist. “But my Alpha, don’t you think that the blessed wolf is only befitting for Liam,” She planted a kiss on his bare back. “After all as Alpha he’d need a blessed one like her who’d bring fortune and luck to his reign…” she looked at me and sneered. “I’m sure Aiden understands.”

A fresh swell of rage rose in me and it took me a lot of willpower to resist the urge of walking up to Natasha to shut her mouth for good. A brutal act which would please Kylian more than anything but I was determined not to fly off the handle.

My father gripped her hands and pushed them away from him.

He looked irritated as he turned around and whispered something to her which reddened her face and made her quiet.

“Open the box.” He ordered with a grin plastered on his face.

The guards unbolted the iron box and one of them hit the box with his stick. “Come out now!!”

Slowly, the upper lid of the box creaked open and a young she-wolf in white garment came into sight.

She seemed like an angel but the angry look of contempt in her cold blue eyes contradicted her innocent appearance. Nonetheless, she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

She looked around until her dazzling eyes met mine and she didn’t look away.

Like ice, she cooled off the heat and fire in my heart and I was left immobile and breathless.