Chapter 79 THE RETURN 2

Chapter 79 THE RETURN 2
GARRETT'S POV

Was I starting to act like some kind of worried dad? I didn't even care at that point. The only thing I wanted to do was take care of Iris. And she was making that hard with every decision that she was taking..

“What are you talking about?” I asked and even Derek was looking at me like I was mad for asking that question.

Iris turned to look at me, and I could see the slightly irritated look on her face. “You heard me. I just want to go home.”

I ran my hand through my face. That wasn't what I expected to hear from her.

“Home is not safe.”

I didn't even know where she was referring to, as home. Was it Derek's home, where his father didn't even give two bits about the both of them? Or I was mixing things up.

I know as hell that I wasn't.

A part of me was already thinking that she was doing it because she was missing Owen. He was somehow connected to her.

Three mates…

I wasn't sure that she had even thought about it that way.

Derek had pulled away as well, with his hands rinsed as he folded them across his chest. He let out a soft breath, watching Iris. Her eyes were wide, like she was more than willing to tell us that we couldn't control her.

“It's not supposed to be safe,” he finally said, and I almost shook my head at the fact that he wasn't seeing things from my perspective.

Iris turned to look at the both of us again. “I can't keep staying here, with my mind on edge waiting for the next drama or war to show up. I just can't. I just need something normal. Something that makes me feel human.”

“But you aren't human,” I corrected. She nodded at me.

“I know that. But I crave that life. I don't want to keep waiting for Marcus to tell me the next thing that will absolutely break me. I want to take my mom home, and show her just how much dad misses her. I want her to know that I'm still her child, and I made the right decision by freeing her.”

“There's nothing normal anymore,” I said, with my jaw tightening. There was something about the way Derek was looking at me.

And that was when I knew that he could relate to Iris more than I could. But that didn't mean that I wasn't going to be chasing after her safety the whole time.

“Then I'll make one,” Iris said, quickly tipping her chin.

Derek unfolded his arms. “She's not asking,” he said quickly. I could see that. She wasn't asking for permission.

There was absolutely no way to put a leash on someone like her. She was who she was.

“Well, you're not going alone,” I said, and she didn't argue. She just shrugged, and leaned back again, like she wanted us to continue with what we were doing. The both of us didn't even hesitate.

By the time her body was fully cleaned, I led her out of the bathtub, wrapping her up in a robe, and leading her back to the main room. Her legs were more than weak, and she held on to my clothes as she made her way to the bed.

She pointed at a black shirt laying on one of the chairs. “That's what I want to wear,” she muttered. The smirk on Derek's lips as he brought the clothes for her told me exactly whose clothes it was.

I gently took her robe off, before I wore the shirt over her head. Before I could even say anything more, she had laid down in a fetal position, and I could feel her chest rise and fall.

“She didn't even have any food,” I said, and Derek looked at me.

“You don't expect her to eat when she's tired. She'll have some soup when she's up.”

I noticed his purple eye. “Your dad did that to you?” I asked, reducing my voice. The last thing I wanted, was for Iris to wake up again.

Her fists were clenching and unclenching.

Fuck, I hated that she had to go through something like that.

“I don't want to talk about it,” Derek said, looking away.

“I went to see him before I came here,” I said, and I could see his eyes lighten so slightly.

He was still a child craving for his father's love. It didn't matter how many times he tried to hide it. It was as clear as day.

Too bad he wasn't too lucky in that area.

“What did he say?” He quickly asked, and I shrugged. “Nothing too important. That he didn't care where the both of you went.”

Derek gave me a small smile. “As expected.”

“Are you sure it's going to be safe taking Iris back there? I don't want-”

“Nothing is going to happen to her there,” he said, and I felt myself relax slightly.

“What if he doesn't let her back in the house?”

Derek cocked an eyebrow. “He's a Nashe. He wouldn't have a problem with people coming into his home. As long as he's sure we won't kill him.”

“Well, Iris can do that now.” I said calmly, and Derek gave me an absent minded nod.

“The only way he would find out about something like that, is if Marcus tells him about it.” Derek said, shrugging. I could tell that even he was tired.

“And you don't think he would?” The last person I trusted on earth was Marcus as things stood.

“No,” he said. “I don't think he would. Marcus is trying to keep Iris' power in the pack. I just hope she doesn't go back to school and do something stupid around Owen.”

I cocked an eyebrow, and I couldn't stop the smirk that was threatening to spill. “Oh, you know about Owen?” I asked, and he scoffed, looking over at Iris like she was the most beautiful thing to exist.

“I really don't know what she sees in him,” he muttered. “I don't think I want to know either,” I replied.