CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4

LORRAINE’S POV

Iris Silvius.

The name carved into the tombstone pierced my heart like a thousand needles as I stood frozen before her grave.

A mournful rain poured as if the sky understood my grief, wrapping me in its embrace.

The comforting cold stopped as an umbrella was placed above my head, shielding me from the rain.

“I said I wanted to be alone,” taking two steps away from the umbrella I was back in the comfort of the rain.

Ignoring my protest my dad moved closer but I moved even further, creating a longer distance.

“Raine.”

I ignored him, my gaze fixed on the painfully beautiful white grave.

“Raine, look at me.”

I ignored him again.

He released a sigh etched with tiredness. “Do you think Iris would want you punishing yourself this way if she were here?”

Water matted my hair to my face, and the cold seeped through the fabric of my shirt , chilling me to the bone. “She is not here, is she?” I muttered. “If only I hadn’t left. If only I had apologized properly.”

My eyes traveled to my bare feet buried in the murky ground. My shoes came off somehow along the way but it didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered as much as the memory of our last conversation.

I remembered screaming at the top of my lungs, hating how she locked me away and controlled every part of my life.

Each word I hurled at her hurting more than the last, till I said I’d never want to see her again.

The look in her eyes as I turned to leave with Conrad would haunt me forever, and I’d gladly accept it if it keeps her memory fresh in my heart.

“I never got the chance to hear her say ‘I told you so’.” I grinned foolishly at the thought of her reprimanding me for believing Conrad.

But I was robbed even of that.

“She died knowing you found happiness. That is everything a mother could ever ask for.”

His attempt to comfort me only twisted the knife deeper.

An illusion of happiness that was short lived.

“Her only regret was protecting you too much from the world that she forgot to teach you about the world.”

He walked closer to her grave, dropping a bouquet of Iris I never knew he was carrying.

Iris. They were my mum’s favorite.

“And my only regret is not being strong enough to protect both of you. Leaving you with no other choice but to hide.”

My gaze finally settled on him properly. His eyes were distant, dancing with pain as if recalling a bitter memory.

“Back then she was hunted by werewolves and sought refuge in my camp.” A wistful smile graced his lips but his blue eyes grew darker. “I knew I shouldn’t have fallen in love with a witch but I did.”

His gaze flicked to mine as he stared with longing. “But she was a beautiful witch.”

I was so focused on blaming myself that the thought of how he felt never crossed my mind.

All my life, he was the symbol of a powerful Alpha. I’d never seen him like this.

So… broken.

His gaze left mine, going back to the grave.“If only love hadn’t tied her down with me, she would have still been alive,” his eyes closed shut. “They wouldn’t have tracked her down.”

What?

My feet ran before I could think, grabbing his hand enough to gain his attention. “What do you mean? Who tracked her?”

I realized I never asked about how she died. I just assumed she died of an illness or heartbreak.

“How did she die?” I asked again. Panic flickered through his eyes as he pulled his hand away, avoiding my gaze.

“It has nothing to do with you,” he replied, turning away to leave. “For now focus on recovering and leave the rest to me.”

“It has everything to do with me! She is my mother!” he continued walking, ignoring me.

I bolted over to him, blocking his way. “When will you stop hiding things from me? Conrad exploited me for… two years just because I was kept in the dark.” My fingers shook as I clutched his shirt. “Tell me, what are you so afraid of?”

“Please…” I whispered, my gaze fixed on his red-rimmed eyes laced with conflict.

His usually properly styled hair, fell down, shielding his eyes as he said, “When I met Iris, she was hunted by the Crimson Pack.” He raked his hand through his hair. “The Crimson Pack had always been too powerful, I couldn’t fight them. I could only resort to hiding her.”

He paused, his voice trembling before he continued, “we thought they had given up, until they came for her again. This time, she didn’t make it.”

My knees gave out, sending me to the murky ground.

The Crimson Pack?

The Crimson Pack has always been isolated from other Packs, never leaving their territory.

No one has seen any member of the Crimson Pack for years. What was so important that it made them reappear.

“What else? What else are you keeping from me?” my voice shook, my fingers dug into the ground, clawing through cold water and mud. “Why were they after her?”

“They were after her blood,” he said so quietly that I almost didn’t hear it.”

“Blood! Blood! What’s so special about the blood?” I lashed out crazily. I knew I shouldn’t have directed my anger at him but there was so much inside, I had no one to direct it at.

Conrad. The Crimson Pack.

What were they after?

“Iris belonged to the regenerative bloodline of witches. Just like you, her blood holds the power to heal the Rot. That disastrous plague from the old wars.”

I froze, the muddy ground suddenly felt like shifting ice beneath my feet. “The Rot? Dad, don’t tell me you actually believe those stories mum used to tell me. The Skin Walkers. The Rots. The war. They’re myths.”

“They weren’t myths, Raine,” he said, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper that made the hairs on my arm stand up. “And the plague didn’t die out. It was just contained with the blood of witches.”

Before I could question him further, he continued, “And just like her, thanks to Conrad… you are now a target.”

A dry, humorless bark of a laugh escaped my lips. “A target? Who’s to say I wouldn’t target them first?”

“And you think I would stand by and let you go on a suicide mission?”

I lifted my gaze to his. Gone was the man broken by his wife’s death, now he stood with the authority I’ve always known.

Pushing myself up, I stared at him with defiance . “I will make sure they pay for what they’ve done.” I savored each word carefully as I made a promise.

We stood at loggerheads, neither of us willing to back down until he sighed.

Pulling me closer to him, he said, “If you don’t take a warm bath now, you won’t even get the chance to carry out your revenge.”

I closed my eyes, letting the rhythmic pounding of the rain drown out the rest of the world. “Let’s go back inside.”

A few steps away from the Pack house, I noticed a white fur huddled up inside a cage.

“Is that Snow?” Sprinting to the cage, I peered inside. “Dad, why is Snow locked up here? He has always been inside with us.” Snow barked with excitement as I unlocked the cage.

“Raine, wait don’t open it.”

The cage flew open, “Here boy.” I opened up my arms but Snow bolted past me, teeth bared as he lunged straight for my dad.

“Dad!” My chest tightened as Snow attacked my dad but he swung at Snow. Sending him flying into the mud.

“Snow!” Rushing for him, I called out. He whimpered as he leaned into my embrace still growling at my dad.

“What did you do to him?" I demanded, pressing my face into Snow’s thick, trembling fur. His lips curled back to expose slick white fangs. He had known my dad since he was a pup. He had never so much as growled at him.

My dad wiped a smear of muddy water from his cheek, staring at the dog with a grim hollow expression. “I didn’t do anything to him. But after the Alpha of Crimson Pack ruffled him yesterday. Snow hasn’t been the same.”

The thought of them brazenly returning after what they’ve done made me breathless with anger. “What for?”

“He gave me two choices. Either he attacks the Pack or he gets married to you.”