Chapter 21: Chapter Twenty-One

Iris:

The wolf was whining and panting close to me, no longer attacking but it was taking a while to convince myself that I was not yet dying.

“I think she is in shock brother.” A voice filled with amusement stated.

“You would be too if you were attacked by a wolf. What is a wild one doing close to ATI in the first place?” The same voice complained even though it seemed like it came from another angle.

“You don’t think that…” The voice started but paused.

“Cub, you are okay, open your eyes.” Someone bent in front of me.

“Or you can keep them shut and imagine me naked.” The same voice said amused.

A sigh came from above me. “I really don’t know how people tend to think that we are identical.”

“Could be because we share the same face.”

I slowly pried my eyes opened and very close to my face was a pair of blue eyes looking at me curiously, with no hint of a smile on his face. “Good job.” He nodded at me.

“Atta girl. Now let’s get you to stand.” Another of the person reached for me. I looked from one face to another, they indeed were identical. What on earth, people would refer to as all American type. Golden hair with blue eyes and a well-structured face that girls would be dying for. In fact, I was tempted to think that I was seeing double, but one was smiling brightly at me while the other had a passive expression on his face.

“Do you think she can understand us?” The smiling one slowly stopped smiling as his look turned worried. “She is bleeding really badly.”

“She needs to stand for us to see if it will leave her disoriented.”

“Me seeing two is already making me disoriented.” I licked my lips as I placed my hand on the ground and attempt to stand on my own. It would be better for me to do that than for me to place my hand on someone not real, then I would fall. My plan would have held some merit if pain did not shoot up my arm the moment I placed weight on it.

“Ouch.” I hissed in pain as I quickly removed my hand from the ground.

“Stubborn…” The unsmiling one said as he held my side and helped me to stand.

“Like a shifter.” The other one finished.

“Twins.” I voiced and Smiley started smiling again.

“At your service, and you are... Pretty?”

“Be serious…” Unsmiley said. “How many fingers am I holding up?” He asked, raising one.

“I don’t know, how many am I holding?” I snark, raising my middle finger. Smiley laughed at me, but the wolf growled. A wolf that I had forgotten about.

I jumped and was about to start running but Unsmiley refrained me from doing so. “That is the best way to get him to attack you.”

My muscles were still tensed but the two men were not concerned with the wild animal that was sitting close to them. They fussed over me and when I was about to start complaining, the gate burst open and my mate rushed out, looking around wildly until his eyes met mine and then he stormed towards me.

“Angry mate alert.” Smiley whispered.

“What’s wrong?” Cirdan asked me, his eyes moving around me to check for injuries, his gaze paused at my arm which I was holding with my other arm and then his gaze darkened when he saw the blood, I was at his back within a second while he faced off the twins with his eyes glowing.

“Fuck… the folk type…” Smiley complained.

“He can hear you Vane.” Unsmiley stated.

The wolf behind them started growled at Cirdan and I squeezed Cirdan's shirt in fright but to my shock, Cirdan growled at it.

“Shut up.” The wolf whined in response as he lay down, licking his snort and breathing hard as if he was not hostile a second ago. “Why did you two hurt her?”

“We didn’t.” Smiley or Vane replied. “We don’t make it a habit of hurting pretty girls…”

Cirdan advanced towards Vane but Unsmiley stepped forward. “Forgive my brother for hitting on your mate in your presence, he respects your bond with her, and he only acts this way because he was dropped on his head a lot as a child.”

“They didn’t hurt me Cirdan.” I stated and Cirdan still remained tense.

“But you are bleeding.” Cirdan responded.

“They were not the ones responsible; the dog is.” I ended and Cirdan glanced at the wolf who had closed his eyes to sleep. “When he saw me, he was acting feral, and he attacked me, but they somehow calmed him down.”

Cirdan looked at the two men still in front of us. “Who are you two?”

“My name is Vine,” Unsmiley replied. “And my brother as you know is Vane, we are the children of Alpha Rufus, leader of the wolf shifters.” He stated.

No wonder they could control the wolf, but I still was confused about the wolf response to Cirdan.

“Welcome to ATI, you are supposed to use the stairs…” Cirdan started.

“But then, your mate would be dead if we had done that.” Vane replied as Vine hits Vane chest.

“As I said, he was dropped a lot on his head, can we do the test later on, when we are not tired from trying to control a normal wolf which is feral.”

“What did you guys do to him?” Cirdan asked.

“We gave his mind some peace; he would be in a better disposition tomorrow.” Vane replied as he bent and carried the wolf.

“Vane, put it down. You cannot use a wild wolf as a pet.” Vine ordered but Vane growled.

“He is not wild, he is cute.”

“There is no correlation!”

“Then I will domesticate him then.” Vane replied.

“Shall we?” Vine sighed, leaving his twin and his new pet.

“Of course, Cirdan replied.

“Can we know your names?” Vine asked, Cirdan tensed.

“My name is Cirdan, son of Ared. The prime minister for the folks.”

“And your mate?” Vine asked, turning to look at me.

“It isn’t important…” Cirdan answered and as he tried moving forward Vane was already by the gate. Cirdan sighed. They will not let us pass.

“Her name is Iristendale. Heir to both the folks and light fae race.” Cirdan said reluctantly.

I looked up to Vine face, he was looking at me with unfiltered surprise. He was genuinely shocked at the news.

“Slap me sideways and call me Vine.” Vane breathed out.