Chapter Seven- Sticky lip

The morning light caused me to squeeze my eyelids before raising them, staring at Iris deep in sleep.

How she could be so trusting with me and fall soundly asleep in the arms of her enemy, puzzled me to a great extent.

Last night, I couldn't find any sleep. My thoughts wouldn't let me. After nineteen years in captivity, I didn't expect my first night of some kind of peace to be spent holding Hatzis's niece in my arms.

Gently, I pulled my hand from underneath Iris, and she suddenly raised her lashes, staring calmly at me.

Then she sat up and smiled, but I kept frowning, wondering how the heck Hatzis raised her for her to be so cheerful.

"Good morning, Thor," Iris said softly. "It's nice to know that you didn't kill me or run. See, we are building trust little by little."

She made herself vulnerable and put herself at my mercy to earn my reliance, how foolish was that, yet, I found it admirable, even though the only reason she survived a night in my arms is that she is my mate. 

"I don't have nowhere to run, remember? Even if I did, the gammas, betas, and every wolf in this place will hunt and rip me to shreds before I can smell freedom." I told her, sitting up.

Not saying a word, Iris gave me a weak smile and then looked at the door as Rona's voice echoed into the room, "Good morning, My Luna!"

"Rona, can you please get a clean set of decent clothes for Alpha Thor, and have the chefs make breakfast for the both of us. I will be eating with him." Iris said, her voice carrying a weight of authority in it.

There was a brief pause. Then Rona said, "Yes, my Luna."

A while later, a knock on the door echoed in the room, and Iris left the bed, approached the door,  and opened it.

"These are the clothes you requested for, my Luna," Rona mumbled, eyeing me from the doorway.

"Thanks, wait for me at the outer hall," Iris said as she received the item from her.

Then Iris turned around when the door shut closed, and she approached me, resting the clothes on the bed.

"You should get change. Later, you will be moved from here to the imperial mansion." Iris said, meeting my eyes.

Confused, I furrowed my brow and mumbled, "The imperial mansion?"

"Yes. It's where I stay… So you wouldn't have to jump from window to window to see me. You can simply knock like a normal being." 

"You knew it was me? But…"

"You mask your scent, yet you can not hide the powerful aura you have."

Looking away from Iris, I picked the clothes on the bed and mumbled, "I should get change."

After arriving in the bathroom, I took a look at my reflection in the mirror and paused, striving to figure out the wolf I was now.

"Thor, are you okay?" Iris's voice echoed in the bathroom, snapping me out of my thoughts. "You have been in there for a while." 

"I'm fine. Will be out soon." I mumbled, drawing my gaze away from the mirror.

After getting dressed, I walked out of the bathroom, entered the room, and saw a table filled with food. 

When Iris and I eye locked, she smiled and pat the pillow beside her as she mumbled, "You must be hungry. If there is anything you would like that's not here, you can tell me."

Swaying my gaze on the food, I felt paralyzed in my legs as images of the feast with her uncle came rushing back to me.

"Thor!" Iris called out, awakening me from my memories.

Silently, I walked over to Iris and took a seat on the pillow beside her, frowning at the food and drinks.

"You have been starving for days, so why are you not eating?" Iris said, raising a brow as she stared intensely at me. "Do you want me to feed you myself?" 

"No," I mumbled, ignoring her stare.

Although I was trying to, I could not get over the hate I felt towards myself for my negligence at the feast that day. If only I didn't let myself go and become so trusting, I wouldn't have failed my pack.

"Do you plan to stay hungry for the whole day?" Iris mumbled beneath her breath. "What did I do for you to be so stringent with me? Do you think I'm going to poison you or something?"

"No. I don't believe that you would." I mumbled, feeling reluctant to lift my hand.

A look of doubt settled in Iris's eyes, and she mumbled, "Okay. Then why do you look so hesitant to move?"

Years of torture and imprisonment have made me reserve my feelings, and it felt difficult to meet her gentle gaze and open to her emotionally, so I simply stared at her without uttering a word.

"I guess it's going to be difficult to get you to open up to me. Okay, I understand. But can you be honest with me about this…" Iris said, pausing as she gave a weak smile.

"Okay, I will do my best," I mumbled.

"Tell me the story about my uncle and you."

"Ah…"

The tale about Hatzis and me would only provoke me to anger and make me hateful. Also, I didn't want to remember things so early in the morning and lose myself to my resentment for a dead wolf, so I said nothing, and I could tell that it offended her.

"Fine. I will do a taste test so you will believe me when I tell you that nothing is poison!" Iris said in a sharp tone.

Her mouth was in a tight pout as she reached into the bowl of strawberries and took out one of them. Then she bit into it and draw her hand away from her mouth.

As Iris was about to take another bite, I grab her wrist, looking solely at her juicy lips wet with strawberry fluid.

"Thor," Iris whispered, her eyes glowing with innocence which only made her desirable.

Tugging her by the head, I pulled her closer until our faces were a breath apart and whispered, "I trust that the food is not poison."

Right then and there, I should have let Iris go. But I was tempted by her so badly, and I looked down at her hand, slowly licking the strawberry juice off her soft palm.

A pleasing moan rolled from Iris's tongue as I sucked on her fingers, my gaze centered on hers as she bit her bottom lip with a naive glimpse in her eyes.

My life has been about my pack and beta, but now that my mate was right before my eyes, could the be more for me other than the battlefield and blood?

Brushing my fingertip on her sticky lip, I leaned in closer and whispered, "You got some on here too."