Iris’s POV
Their laughing cheers increased as I tried to steady myself. Dust swirled in the air, caused by the frantic movents of the low-ranking wolves sparring under Torin’s watchful eye as they enjoyed the scene before them. My heart pounded in my chest as I forced myself up and stood in the ring, my knees still stinging from where I’d stumbled after soone shoved .
The crowd’s mocking laughter didn’t fade, their voices slicing through my sanity as my vision blurred. Sienna stood a few feet away, her braid swinging as she cracked her knuckles again, her lips curled into a smirk that oozed confidence.
I clenched my fists, my cheek throbbing, where Sienna’s fist had landed monts ago as blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. The crowd’s jeers grew louder, their words now a relentless assault as always.
"She’s got no wolf and experience! What’s she doing in the ring?" soone shouted.
"Thinks she can stand Sienna, huh? She can’t even stand the most powerless oga. Wolfless murderer!" another voice sneered, followed by a chorus of laughter.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stand strong even though my legs felt weak. I wasn’t here to prove them right. I wasn’t here to be their punching bag. I was here because I had to be, because I needed to train, to grow stronger, to protect myself. To stop making them see as weak, to stop being discriminated. Most importantly, to prepare myself for the future. To show whoever tries to bully that they’ve made a greater mistake.
Suddenly, the mory of my past life ca filling my head. In my past life, the triplets, Zane, Cade, and Kael had made my existence a living hell. I could still feel the cold stone of the dungeon floor where they’d dragged as they took turns shoving , kicking for fighting Liora who tried to bully . I’d begged them, tears streaming down my face. "Why do you hate ? What did I do? I only tried to defend myself from Liora. Why so much hate?" I sobbed.
Zane had crouched down, his face inches from mine, eyes cold as he replied.
"Because the alpha position was ant for our father, not yours," he’d spat. "Your father stole it, and you’re nothing but a reminder of that theft."
His words had cut deeper, always reminding of the sins of my father between theirs. But it wasn’t true. My father had told the real story, and my mother had confird it, as had Elara, Alia’s mother. Darius, the triplets’ father, had been a rogue when my father found him, a broken, feral thing on the brink of losing himself to his wolf. My father had taken him in, given him a ho, a purpose, and eventually the beta position.
He’d trusted Darius, believed in him. And yet, while my parents were still alive? I’d overheard Darius and Alpha Trent once conspiring.
"Make sure your sons know the story," Alpha Trent had said. "Remind them that Iris’s father stole the alpha throne from you. They need to hate her for it."
Darius had nodded, his face unreadable and the betrayal in that mont had seared itself into my mory now. I couldn’t tell my parents about what I had overheard. I was just a kid and no one would take my words seriously. My father hadn’t stolen anything.
He’d earned his place, built this pack with his own hands. And yet, the lie had taken root, poisoning the triplets against .
Suddenly, Sienna’s voice snapped back to the present. "Ready to go down again, Iris?" she taunted, circling . The crowd didn’t stop roaring her na.
"Maybe I could send you to your parents." Sienna added.
I barely had ti to brace myself before Sienna’s fist ca at again, a blur of motion. I raised my arms to block, but I was too slow. Her knuckles crashed into my ribs, the impact stealing my breath. I staggered, pain exploding in my side, and before I could recover, her foot forcefully and swiftly hooked behind my ankle, sending sprawling to the ground as I gasped for air.
The crowd erupted in laughter even more, their voices a cacophony of mockery. "Look at her! Thinks she’s a warrior!" one shouted. "Pathetic!" another added. Their words stung, but I gritted my teeth, pushing myself to my knees.
Sienna lood over , her smirk widening.
"Stay down, Iris. You’re embarrassing yourself." One of them yelled.
My hands curled into fists as Lyra’s voice echoed in my mind. "Get up, Iris. You’re not weak." I staggered to my feet, my vision blurring, my body screaming in protest to collapse. Sienna’s smirk disappeared, her amusent fading into irritation as she saw not giving up. She ca on again, but this ti I ducked, my instincts kicking in. The crowd gasped, surprised, but Sienna was faster. Her knee drove into my stomach, and I doubled over, the air rushing out of in a pained wheeze. Another punch followed, catching my jaw, and I hit the ground hard.
The laughter grew louder, the crowd’s jeers blending into a single, suffocating roar. "She thought she could stand Sienna!" soone hooted. "Know your place, wolfless!"
I lay there, my cheek pressed against the ground in the pool of my blood, my body aching. I wanted to scream, to tell them they were wrong, that I wasn’t weak, that I just needed to train, to learn, to beco strong enough. But the words wouldn’t co.
Suddenly, Alia’s voice ca. "Iris!" Her panicked voice cut through. I turned my head, my vision blurry as I saw Alia pushing through the crowd as she ran toward the ring. "Stop!" she yelled at Sienna. "That’s enough!" She added.
She dropped to her knees beside , her hands gentle as she helped sit up. Her eyes were filled with worry, her brows furrowed as she brushed the dirt from my face.
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