LOGINIRIS.“There was a trust fund under her name. A monthly allowance more than I could have imagined.”My lips quivered. My grandfather must have done it to make sure my mother would be provided for in the human world. “But they wouldn’t release any money until they spoke with her. So…”“So you made her believe you were in a relationship.”He gulped. “I went back to the bank with her, and she told them we were together. She gave me authority since she couldn’t read or write. I don’t think she even understood what it was.”I didn’t need to hear the rest. I already knew what happened. The big house, the cars, and the vacations they took as a family were not money from his work. It was supposed to be for my mother. They lived in luxury while my mother worked on a farm, planting vegetables and fruit until her hands and feet went numb, so she could feed me.I didn’t know I could hate them more.“And when she died, did the money stop?” I asked. “Yes! It stopped!” Chriselda said, but I didn’
IRIS. Instead of going straight home to the packhouse when we arrived in the territory, Draco drove to the middle of the forest, where the dungeons were. I had heard of this place, but I’d never been there. I knew the dungeon was the place where he held Constantine captive before he killed him. “If you don’t want Chriselda and Franco here, I can move them to a cleaner place, a cell in the security building.” He said after guiding me into what looked like an abandoned building—a ruin—but still had running electricity and a good roof overhead. “They can stay here. I do not pity them. They have already exhausted all the love and care I had for them, and I have nothing left but loathing.”“Iris, I don’t want you to always give in to the dark part.”“I know,” I replied softly. Draco and I had discussed this before. We were both fully aware that, like my mother, despite having a heart, there was a part of us—a darkness—that could be triggered at any time. “Some people deserve my compassi
IRIS.I smiled at the woman I was talking to when I heard something swooshing in the air. I felt the danger and knew it was directed at me.I pushed the woman away, and she fell on her butt while I ducked before swinging my body around to face the direction where the danger was coming from.I was right. A bullet—a silver one—was heading my way and hit the wall adjacent to where I was standing earlier.In the two years I spent in Wicker Forest, Dad trained me to have a keen sense. There were training days that I would be blindfolded. Then daggers, arrows, and bullets would be aimed at me, and I had to rely on the sound they made or on my gut feel.At the beginning, I would end up wounded, which Mom had no trouble healing. But that didn’t mean she agreed with how Dad was training me.Dad, however, stood his ground. He would not lose me again.He told me that it was impossible to kill me unless someone stabbed my heart the way Meridian did. Or if I got hit by silver, either a knife or so
(continuation of Felicity's letter to Iris)---------I was eight years old when my mother and I found out about you. I didn’t understand infidelity then, and all I knew was that I was excited to meet you. I already knew we would be best friends forever.So, I asked when they would take you home.That was the beginning of a never-ending scolding from Mom, telling me how you took the sunshine away from our home—how you destroyed the loving family I grew up in. That having you meant I had fewer dresses to wear and fewer gifts to receive. And most importantly, I would never be the apple of my father’s eye again.As the days went by, I began to resent you. For almost a decade, we hated you and your mother.And then all of a sudden, you arrived and became part of our home. I wished you were ugly or dumb. I wished you had rotten teeth and ugly hair. Instead, you were so beautiful that even if my mother dressed you up in rags, you still looked more beautiful than me. I had to spread rumors ab
IRIS.“Fine.” He said, letting out a deep breath. “Do you remember Prince Esmond? Felicity’s husband?”I nodded.“Do you remember that despite the revelation of Felicity’s treachery toward him and the palace, they decided to keep the marriage intact so he could continue with his Royal Quest?”I nodded again. I also knew that Felicity was kept in the Absalom Palace under supervision to make sure she would not say anything against the palace or her husband while he was away.“He began his journey for his Royal Quest a few months after you were taken away from me.” Draco began and I simply listened as he continued. “Three months ago, the Absalom Palace issued a statement that… that Esmond had died during his quest.”“Oh, Goddess!” I exclaimed as goosebumps rose from my skin. I used to hate him but I learned later on that he was also a victim, like Draco and I.“His body remained in the Draikden Kingdom, the realm of the dragons. They refuse to send his body back. Only one-third of his en
IRIS.Everything felt surreal. In the blink of an eye, I was back to the place I loved the most—beside Draco, in the pack that he spent his whole life protecting. And the most wonderful thing of it all, my memory was back. I could not only remember my life before Meridian killed me, but I could also remember my life without Draco for the last two years.It was a bittersweet moment knowing I was blessed to experience my parents’ love—the one I was missing my whole life—without them having to share me with anyone or with Draco.I basked in their love while Draco had to pay a price for it.It only made me realize how far this man would go for me and I knew there would never be a time in my life that I would doubt if he loved me.This love was also extended to me by his pack.Pride rose in my chest as I looked at the crowd gathered around us in an impromptu festival they pulled in celebration of my return. At the beginning, I was confused, not sure how they were able to forgive me so fast
IRIS. I nodded and he pulled my face closer as he leaned down, pecking my lips before he spoke again. “I will protect you with my life, but you also need to protect yourself when I’m not beside you.”“Are you leaving me?” I asked, my heart constricting.“No. Never… I wish I could say I will always
DRACO. I rolled my shoulders as I discreetly let out a breath when Kael closed his car door and walked toward us. He was approaching alone, but there was still a possibility that Adessa or Adelaine was inside his car. In his position as a prince, I doubted they would allow him to travel without se
DRACO. Zandro jumped and shifted midair into his wolf, but I didn’t even stir in my place. His wolf would tower over me and could easily take me to the ground or claw me with its paws. And yet, I remained still, not even bothered by his stunt.I was confident because I heard movement behind me, and
DRACO.“Take us away from here,” I whispered to her, but also just enough for Prince Esaias to hear. “Where?” Iris asked. “Home. Take us to where your home is…” I wanted Esaias to hear that. I wanted him to assume Iris would return to the Wicker Forest. But in reality, I was hoping Iris would ta







