Chapter 5

Iris’ POV

The buzz of students chatting in the hallway carries over to me, louder than usual. But I have gotten used to that part of the new me. Today, I have a new destination in mind, my face locked in utter concentration. 

“Are you sure you are fine?” Daisy asks for the umpteenth time. “What if the headache comes back?”

“I’m fine, Daisy. Your dad said so himself. At least, now that I know I have a longer life span than the average human, I don’t think a mere headache is going to make me drop dead.”

"This isn't about the headache, and you know it." The urgency in Daisy's tone makes me halt. "There's something else, right?"

“Daisy, I told you already. It was just for a few minutes. I can barely remember what it felt like.”

"When you opened your eyes, you were shocked, like you'd seen something…"

Daisy doesn’t know how close to the truth she is, but for some reason, I don’t want to tell her what I heard. Even though I am still learning the ropes of this world I have been plunged into, while keeping my family away from it, those words I heard sounded ominous.

I could feel the danger rippling through space. Nobody else needed to feel that with me.

If only Darian would talk to me.

I haven’t seen him since the last time, which was over a week ago. If I don’t have heightened senses, and if the mark on my neck isn’t still so visible, currently covered by a scarf, I just might have thought I imagined every single thing that happened. 

He has returned to the shadows, his name living only on the lips of the students. But I still feel him, in the pulsing of the mark, in my wolf in the middle of the night, and those days when all I want to do is head to the Lycans’ Haven to see him.

My best friend has kept me from doing that. She says the Lycan kind isn’t the most amicable.

The person I have been searching for finally comes into view. He is heading to the cafeteria, walking alone as usual. Everyone seems to avoid him, but he looks just fine with that.

I am about to head in his direction when suddenly, someone blocks my path. 

“Iris, have you been avoiding me?”

I look up at him, narrowing my gaze. “Avoiding you? Why would I do that?”

Archer sighs dramatically, and in this moment, I wonder what I saw in him in the first place. "What happened on the night of our anniversary? You were totally off your hinges. I was scared you would hurt her."

I scoff. “So, you’re here to talk to me because of her.”

He steps closer. “I know that you’ve always thought we would end up together, but I was only with you because I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Hurt me?” I cannot find the pain that crosses my chest each time we have this conversation. Instead, I feel so indifferent. “Archer, you have been hurting me for years. You have never been faithful to me, yet I tolerated it. I thought…Hell, I was so stupid.”

He stops, realization dawning on him. “What are you saying?”

“Go be with Sabine. I don’t care.”

 “Iris,” he laughs with unease. “I know you are in love with me, but…”

“But Sabine is your mate.” 

His head jerks up in surprise. 

“And I was in love with you, Archer. A feeling I regret right now. Standing in front of you makes me want to gag.”

That is when I remember that Daisy is right by my side. She chokes out in a fit of laughter, earning a glare from Archer. But he knows better than to touch the Beta’s daughter. 

“Iris, how did you…”

"I don't have time to explain anything to you," I say in a hurry, just as I catch the loner disappearing into a corner. 

“I’ll catch up with you, Daisy!” I call above my shoulders as I increase my pace, praying he hasn’t left. 

I meet him leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone. When I stand in front of him, he looks up, not because he has the time to entertain a conversation, but because no one in this entire college speaks to him.

The McAlister brothers are held to a different standard, and I have always thought it had something to do with their looks. Now, I know better.

He blinks, putting his phone away slowly. “Are you lost?”

"I need you to help me talk to your brother," I pour out in one breath, before I can lose the confidence I have barely gathered. 

A smirk graces his flawless features, and a mischievous glint appears in his eyes. "What has Zeus done again?"

“Not Zeus. Shit! How many brothers do you have?”

"Three." He has a lazy smile now. "Zeus is usually the troublemaker, if you're not counting me."

"Darian," I whisper. The mere mention of his name makes my skin crawl in want. "I need to see him."

Adrian raises a brow. “The Lycan prince. You sure set your standard high, girl.”

"Adrian, please. It's really important. I …" Adrian angles his head, and for a second, I actually think he can see through the scarf on my neck. "I really have to talk to him, and I know I can't come into the Lycans’ Haven without an invitation.”

He leans in closer, and I can see the striking resemblance he has to Darian. They all have god-like features, like the moon goddess took an extra day to make them. 

“You’re pretty,” he says casually as he pulls away, like he is talking about the weather. “So, you won’t get mad when I tell you not to get all hung up on Darian.”

“Why?”

“He is the Lycan Prince. He has duties that he has to fulfil.”

Adrian pulls himself off the wall. “And he is the coldest McAlister. All he knows how to do is ruin everything in his path.”