CHAPTER TWELVE
Iris pov
A knock came on the main door, breaking the staring contest between me and a dazed Darius.
How did I get mated to a murderer and a hypocrite? The thought of him being a part of the Pack that destroyed ours all these years horrified me.
Upon closer inspection, I began to realise that I'd known him from a distance when I was a child. He never played with other kids but somehow, I always saw him. I really saw him. In his own element, making himself happy and shifting into different animals out of the blues.
That's probably how he was able to hide his true nature to these people.
“Am I interrupting something?” a voice asked, breaking us apart.
I didn't even realise when he'd opened the door.
I wrapped myself back into the cover on the bed and turned around to face the wall.
Darius’s jaw flexed as he straightened.
“No,” he ground out, “did you need something? " he asked, moving away from me as the desire between us gave way to fear. If anyone had heard the conversation we were having, both of our hides would be out in the sun
The man’s eyes tracked him before he turned his attention to the room again.
“You good?” he asked Darius who probably looked like he'd seen a ghost.
“Good for him, let me see how he likes his secrets being laid bare with just one look," I thought to myself as I strained my ear to pick every movement happening behind me.
“Yes, she just needs more rest. She's finally healing now,” Darius told the new guy, Jake.
“Should I get the doctor? She's not at the party but –”
“No there's no need,” Darius quickly answered, “her injuries are more mental than physical.”
“Alright then, I need you at the pack house though, we have to tighten up security around here considering…”
“You're right, let me get my coat, I'll be right with you.”
I counted ten steps before the door opened and shut behind the stranger and then another before Darius's scent wrapped around me, tighter than the blanket I folded myself into.
“I'll have somebody bring you something to eat. Don't tell anyone anything, you hear me?”
“Yes Father,” I hissed sarcastically at his attempt to tell me what to do.
“It's for your own good. I don't know what you're planning but you have to know you're greatly outnumbered.”
I turned around to see his concerned face, noticing a tiny scar close to his eye that never fully healed.
“I'm not outnumbered, Darius, I have you.”
“You think I'm going to join you to fight my Alpha?”
“I know you will, after all, you wouldn't want me to tell him who you truly are, will you?” I whispered with a smile that didn't reach my eyes.
For the second time that night, I brought shock and dismay to his face.
“Darius?” The beta called from outside, concerned.
“You stay here and don't… do anything stupid, I'll be back!” He gritted and ran out, picking a jacket that was hanging from the door.
I smiled to myself as I lay back down, planning what I was going to do with this new found secret.
It was the best thing that has happened to me in the past few days after all the terrible things I'd experienced.
Whether he liked it or not, Darius would fight to avenge his beautiful Mother who my mom took in even before he was born.
I'll make sure of it.
“Think before you act, Iris,” my wolf muttered, “He's probably as wounded as us.”
“I don't care,” I hissed, “He believes I am the threat, the shadow creeping into the pack. And maybe I am a threat to whatever he's built over here, but he is blind to his own chains. The way he hides behind duty and vows, pretending they are his choice is cowardly. He looks at me like I am the bad guy, but I saw it in his eyes; he is lying to himself and I just have to show him a way out of his chains.”
“Hopefully that doesn't end with both of our heads severed from our necks. I particularly like his head.”
“You like everything about the wolf, Nyx. That's the problem. If you could just let this bond fade away, we'll avenge our parents.”
“But they're my mate!”
I rolled my eyes, realizing there was no point in arguing with her. She'll never understand.
As he'd said, someone knocked on the door and when I opened, it was an elderly woman carrying a tray of food.
“Oh good,” she smiled, “you're able to stand on your feet now.”
“Thank you Ma'am, the Enforcer helped me,” I lied through my teeth, reaching out to grab the tray while trying to close the door.
But she was quite in a chatty mood as she held it open with one hand.
“I heard those rogues did a number on you, where did they chase you from?”
I opened and closed my mouth, wetting my lips as I struggled to give her an answer that wouldn't be problematic to me later. She was clearly an omega going by the dirtied clothes and apron on her. Which meant that she was simply hunting for gossip, one wrong word and the entire pack will be at this door with pitchforks by midnight.
“I don't really remember anything Ma'am,” I replied, weakening my voice to sound as sick as possible. “I still have a migraine so I have to lie down now.”
“Alright girl, I'll see you some other time,” she smiled, a dimple showing on one of her cheeks as she finally let go of the door.
I shut it and turned around, taking a deep breath.
That was close.
I moved to the bed; my legs could no longer bear the weight of my body and I focused on getting some much needed meat into my body.
But I was restless.
Each hour that passed here felt like a rope tightening around my throat. Sooner or later, someone else would start asking the right questions and if they found out before I was done with my plans…
Well, they would tear me apart, no questions asked.
And Daruis, he was the worst threat of all; I'd threatened him and dark wolves hated being pushed against the wall. If he turns against me, I'll have no one behind me again. He could be telling the Alpha all my secrets now, it would be my word against his and they'll believe him over me in a heartbeat.
He's the enforcer, and I'm some nameless shewolf without an identity.
The bond that blazed between us is a dangerous one, more dangerous than either of us will care to admit aloud.
He feels it as surely as I do, I could see that. Alas, that makes him reckless.
Reckless enough to get me killed if I don’t take control of this game. I couldn't afford mistakes.
Not here.
I shifted the plates away and lay back on the bed, really tired. I pulled the blanket tighter, as if it could guard me against the storm gathering outside these walls.
I looked up at the ceiling, noting the absence of the blue moon name I slept facing me, every night for the past eight years.
Now, I wasn't looking forward to going there, I was right in their midst, and I didn't know what to do.
"Aunty Lisandra would have known what to do," I sighed, suddenly overwhelmed with a wave of sadness.
She had the perfect remedy for everything. If only she had told me where she got the lens from, I could simply run away and easily blend in with the humans.
But without it, I'd simply be a sitting duck among them, waiting for another horrible Alpha to find me.
My situation was utterly helpless.
I didn’t realize I was sobbing out loud until Nyx began sending waves of warmth to me through our link.