Chapter 55
Iris
His words of assurance assuaged my fear but when another gunshot rang out, my body became taut with terror. His form which had towered over me, jerked away abruptly.
"You have to leave this place. It's not safe for you," He said with a note of urgency.
I shook my head angrily and sat up. "I can't leave you all alone in the face of battle. Anything can go wrong and I want to be able to do something." I protested.
"Don't bother, Iris," He cut in curtly. There's nothing you can do for me aside from being a burden. Your wolf hasn't appeared yet and we haven't had any fighting lessons in a while. What makes you think that you can go up against those people without some skills?" He chided me, his voice blaring with irritation.
He was right but I felt like a failure. This was one of the reasons I wanted to learn how to fight but my emotions got in the way and I stopped attending the session.
"You're right," I accepted in defeat. "So where do you suggest I stay?"
"Find a way to get back into the house and stop by at the royal kitchen. You'll find a rug close to the counter that covers the opening to our safe room. I'll tell you what the pin is. Ensure you stay there until I come and get you." He commanded, leaving no room for argument.
Absentmindedly, I nodded my head even though I had no plans of listening to him. If he thought that I'd hide myself somewhere while everyone was fighting to save this pack, then he didn't know how stubborn I could be.
"Alright. Just take care of yourself."
He stared at me, his eyes lingering on my lips for a while and then he collected himself and sprang to his feet.
"I have to go now." He dashed into the hall while I crawled in the opposite direction.
His absence sparked up another kind of fear within me but I ignored it, willing myself to be strong. If I kept acting like a weakling then the pack would keep seeing me as one.
'Oh moon goddess, please keep my mate safe,' I muttered, knowing that I might not be his mate anymore if he came out from this war successfully.
I'd almost gotten to the gate when I felt a cold hand around my neck. I halted as goosebumps spread over my skin. It felt as if blood had stopped flowing in my veins and then a cold metal which I realized was a knife poked at my back.
"Who are you?" I summoned the courage to ask.
A chuckle followed and the grip on my neck tightened, causing me to tear up. I was already suffocating and if she tightened her grip any further...
"We meet again, darling." Her voice was oddly familiar.
I racked my head to remember where I might have heard her voice and then it struck me.
"Zera?" I called in recognition.
She snapped her finger in agreement. "The one and only. I suppose you were on your way to escape but you were too slow and now I have you wrapped in my arms. Did you think that you could escape me?"
"I wasn't running away," I disagreed. "A warrior doesn't run away in the face of problems. And why are you here? Are you the enemy Gradel talked about?"
"Your brain works very fast, Iris, and yes I'm the enemy. Your mate interfered in our business by coming to save you so we have brought the war to him."
My eyes bulged, reeling inside their sockets while I struggled hard to leave her hold but my effort was like pouring water on a stone.
"Don't harm him, please," I begged.
She huffed and started moving, dragging me along while I thought of ways to get to Gradel before she did.
*********
Gradel's POV
Trounced with fury, I quickly shifted to my half-form. My wolf was already enraged and allowing him to take over would be disastrous. I'd be forced to act irrationally and that was the last thing I needed because I had to know who our attackers were.
Bullets flew past and toward me like mere stones while I dodged them quickly. Thankfully, they didn't contain any poisonous content that could weaken me so I was safe, except for the arrows...
I growled loudly, wondering why the enemies weren't bold enough just to fight with their fists. But I wasn't left to think for too long as I felt a punch on my waist that caused me to stagger.
Immediately I spun around and smirked at the wolf that had dared to attack me. Sizing him up, I knew that I could beat him in my half-wolf form, but my body craved some fun that only he could provide.
"Only cowards fight from the background. If you were bold enough, you should have faced me and threw that punch. Now you will pay for your stupidity," I snarled and he grunted as if in doubt.
He charged toward me, his paws targeted at my face. Fortunately, he was driven by the primal need to attack so I used his overzealousness to my advantage and scooted temporarily on the floor.
He flew over my head and landed on the ground and swiftly I turned around and hoisted him up, my claws stretching out from my fingers. The intensity of his fall weakened him for a bit and when he regained his composure I'd already struck him.
My claws went deep into his chest and the other hand went around his neck, strangling him. And then I brought out his heart and his body became limp.
Suddenly, the hall went silent with bodies littered on the floor. My heart almost stopped beating when I found most of our pack members lying lifeless.
Sadly, I didn't have the time to mourn them as a howl filled with pain broke into the silence and my chest tightened when I saw my father falling onto his knees with an arrow stuck in his back.
I wouldn't have been scared if it was a mere arrow, but with what I'd perceived, I knew that it was laced with the same poison that was used on my late mother.
Briom.