Iris’s POV
"Oh my God!" I muttered as I turned away and squeezed my eyes shut. "I... I’m so sorry!" I stamred, the words tumbling out in a rush as i turned, backing him swiftly.
Nonchalantly, he replied. "It’s fine, everyone commits mistakes." Silas added. I peeked through one eye, just enough to see him casually tying the towel around his waist. He stepped toward the table where I’d set the tray, his damp hair clinging to his forehead, a few strands falling near his eyes. "Thanks for the food, Iris," he said, glancing at with a small, easy smile that made him look easy going.
I nodded, unable to form words. There was no judgnt in his eyes, no trace of the arrogance I’d braced for. Just... the Silas I t monts ago at the water bank.
"You are welco, Alpha Lucas?" I mumbled incoherently and curiously as I hurried for the door. As I hurried down the corridor, the image of him naked, played in my head, and entirely too real, played on a loop in my mind, no matter how hard I tried to shove it away. Lyra, my wolf, wasn’t helping. "Oh, co on, Iris. That was a view worth rembering. I an did you see how healthy it looked?" she teased, her voice purring in my head. I groaned inwardly, willing her to shut up.
Monts later, as I was scrubbing a pot in the kitchen, trying to distract myself with the mundane work, one of the other maids of warborn, a girl approached . "Iris," she said. "Alpha Lucas wants to see you."
I froze, the sponge slipping from my fingers into the soapy water. "Alpha Lucas?" I asked, my brow furrowing. But then it clicked as I recalled it was Silas. My stomach did another flip, this ti less pleasant. "Did he say why?"
The girl shook her head. "Just said to send you to his quarters. Better not keep him waiting."
I dried my hands on my apron, my pulse quickening as I made my way back to the sa door I’d fled from not long ago. I reached the door, my hand hovering over the wood before I knocked.
"Co in," Silas’s voice called from inside. I pushed the door open, stepping inside with my head bowed, my hands clasped tightly in front of . And I kept my eyes fixed on the floor, avoiding the spot where I’d last seen him. "Alpha Lucas," I said, my voice small, "you wanted to see ?"
"Don’t call that," he interrupted, his tone gentle. I glanced up, startled, to find him standing by the table, a glass of water in his hand. He took a long gulp, his throat working as he swallowed, then set the glass down with a soft clink. His dark hair was still damp, pushed back from his face, and he wore a simple linen shirt and trousers now, though the mory of him in nothing but a towel was still far too vivid. "Call Silas," he said, his arms crossing casually over his chest. "I don’t like being called an Alpha. It makes people... I don’t know, afraid of . Like I’m so untouchable person they need to be afraid of just like my father."
His eyes t mine, they looked sad now, and I noticed the faintest crease in his brows. "But you’re..." I started, then stopped, unsure how to finish.
"I’m just like every normal human," he said. He pushed off the table, taking a step closer, his hands slipping into his pockets. "Why should I let people lick my boots just because I’m the Alpha’s son? It’s a lot, you know? The expectations, the deference. I don’t want it." He shrugged, a nonchalant gesture. "I’d rather just be Silas."
I swallowed. "I’m sorry, Alpha..." I paused. "I’m sorry Silas," I corrected quickly. "I didn’t an to..."
"It’s fine," he said, his lips quivering into a small, genuine smile from earlier. "And stop bowing to , would you? You don’t need to do that with . Just... be like you were when we t. You didn’t treat like so royal back then. I liked that."
I nodded, unsure how to respond to him who seed so at odds with the world he was born into. There was sothing disarming about him, the way he carried himself, so relaxed, unpretentious, like he didn’t care for the trappings of power.
"You can take the plates." He added and I nodded and approached the plate as I bent to pick up the empty plates in the tray from the table, my movents careful so I don’t ss it up.
His smile widened, just a second. I gathered the plates and slipped out of the room, my heart still racing but not from fear but from how I did not understand how my body reacted while I stood in that room with him.
Later that evening, I made my way to the mirror of my room with Alia but unfortunately, my injuries wasn’t healing. "Why is it not healing?" I said out worriedly to myself and before I could speak again, Lyra replied.
"You have to heal yourself, Iris."
"Heal myself? But the last ti, the injury healed by itself."
"No, Iris. It healed because you healed yourself unknowingly. You have to learn how to do this things and control yourself and werewolf abilities." She added.
"What?" I snapped. That’s a lot. Really a lot. I’ve got a long way to go in other to perfect these things and be a better wolf.
"Yes, Iris. You should learn them fast because in the next full moon, you will be having your first transformation. Don’t worry I’ll guide you." Lyra’s words only made afraid. I had heard rumors of how painful it always felt while transforming especially the first transformation and right now, i could feel goosebumps all over my body, already imagining the pain. "With by your side, it will be easy, trust ." Lyra added. Easy? I hope she’s not playing with my head. The thought of telling Alia about it ca hitting hard as I concluded I would tell her about it once she’s back.
Right now, Alia is off tending to her part-ti work at the bar here in warborn as I found myself restless and bored, alone in this room. The maids’ quarters were too quiet for as none of the warborn maids tends to be friendly with . I needed to move, to clear my head, so I slipped out to wander and stroll around the sprawling grounds of the Warborn pack. The night was cool, the sky speckled with stars as the half moon smiled down at and I let my feet carry aimlessly through the stone paths, past training yards with no destination in my mind. I just wanted to stroll.
My steps slowed as I reached a secluded corner of the pack grounds, where the stone walls gave way to an overgrown archway.
Beyond it, was a low building that looked forgotten as if no one often co this place, its windows and doors were covered with cobwebs and additional, they looked old too. A faint pull tugged at my chest, as if my instinct pushing to go in but I wondered.
What’s in there? I hesitated, my hand resting on the archway’s rough stone, my heart beating a little faster. The place felt... off. But that pull wouldn’t let turn back and leave. More like my curiosity got the better of .
I stepped closer and pushed the door open. It creaked loudly. Inside, the air was filled with the musty scent of old paper and dust.
Rows of book shelves lined in place, packed with books. It’s an abandoned library, I realized, my eyes adjusting to the dark room but only lit by the reflection of the moonlight coming in from the opened door.
I moved deeper into the room, my fingers trailing along the shelves, stirring up little clouds of dust as I wondered why this place looked like this. I an, I love reading books but never got the opportunity to read back in Black Bane. My gaze then caught on a book, its leather cover worn and filled with dust, the title embossed in bold letters. ’The New Wolf’s Guide to Transformation and Taking Control.’ My breath hitched. This was exactly what I needed, answers about the changes I’d been struggling to understand since the first day I got my wolf, the overwhelming pull of Lyra’s instincts. I pulled the book from the shelf, and opened it to the first page but the dust in it flared up as it chocked , causing to cough as I read through.
"To harness the wolf within, one must first embrace itself and chaos..." My eyes skimd the opening lines as I continued reading. "Of the bond between wolf and human, the balance of instinct and will. It’s a fascinating experience..."
Suddenly, an angry female force snapped out of my lost state of this book.
"Oh my God! What are you doing there, girl?! What have you done!"
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