11: Iris
The table was filled with an array of delicacies but the sight of them only served to make me nauseous. After what had happened in the morning. I was in no mood to be surrounded by my new ‘family. Everyone chattered about some unknown topic while I kept to myself, forcing morcels of food down my thirmat.
“Iris, what do you think?” someone asked, prompting me to raise my head.
Tone looked esgerly at me, expecting me to answer. Confused, Lasked, “What was the question?”
As though a switch had been flipped, silence filled the dining room as all eyes fell on me. Just when I thought that I would de of embarrassment. someone broke the silence, “Maggot,” the speaker scoffed.
Immediately, the table filled with a roar of laughter at my expense. My checks flushed with humiliation as I lowered my head again.
“Not only are you weak, you are deal too.” I snick an anxious look at the person who had spoken. It was a woman. A gorgeous one at that, with bright amber eyes that seemed to glow like gens. She had tan skin and a slender neck like that of a swan. Even as the sat the radiated elegance. Yet her words were like poison spreading throughout my body and paralysing me
I looked down again, pushing my food around on my plate.
“It is truly a shame that our Cassian is tethered to a wretch like you.” She continued, but I tried to pay her no heed and kept my head down.
“Can you even bear a Lycan’s child“” She questioned snidely. “Cassian will break you.“.
“Zahila..” Tone’s soft voice interrupted, “It’s enough” It came out a bit
The woman by the name of Zahla let out a slow throaty laughter, that sounded almost seductive. “You shouldn’t waste your time defending the likes of her, Jone.”
“Still I think you should take into consideration that she is Cassian’s wife, under the moon goddess’s law of matrimony. She is also his true mate She delivered the last line like it was meant to send a hidden message that I could decipher. There was a foreign bite to her tone. Like the was trying her best to contain her anger.
“Watch your tone with my wife, sister.” A man growled. I began to squirm more in my seat.
“L..I have said…nothing wrong,” lone defended, but the courage in her voice had crumbled. I felt so bad for her. She had just tried to take my side.
“Sit down,” the man ordered. “Now!”
lone obeyed, I felt her gaze momentarily on me as she did and looked up at her and gave her a little appreciative smile. She returned the gesture and dinner continued without a hitch
I returned to the room I was given and cleaned myself. I sat in front of the large vanity, the light from the room’s candle illuminating my body. I pulled my dress down to reveal the marks that I had been given by my mother–in–law. My arm, my collarbone, and my check were bruised Everyone at the dinner table had seen it but had said nothing. This was probably expected of me,
1 inhaled and exhaled, trying to push back the tears that were always threatening to fall. Some part of me wondered where my husband was. Then I heard a clamor. There were people speaking and walking hurriedly at once. With the way they spoke, they were obviously panicking. The noise began to come closer to the room and my heart instantly jumped into my throat. Was it Kavriel? Had he realized his mistake and wanted to save me? Had he and his men broken into the Lycan castle to save me? I tried to push away the foolish, hopeful thoughts, but it was hard not to wish for in didn’t have to be Kavriel. I just needed someone to save me from this hellish court of cruel, powerful creatures.
Then the door burst open and I jolted, getting on my feet. Someone entered. From his extra tall frame and broad shoulders, I could tell it was Cassian. He slamined the door belund him, just as the clamor got even closer. He finally noticed me, and he looked at me as if he didn’t expect to see anyone in the room.
His eyes trailed down slightly and that was when I remembered that I was underdressed. I tumed away from him, my cheeks flushed, my heart beating like a war drum. But he did not seem affected at all and simply sat on the bed and pulled out his thick leather attire. It was through the mirror, I was in. My heart seized.
On his bare back was the largest gash that I had ever seen on a living person. It was oozing blood and by the way he flinched slightly each tipe he moved, I knew it hurt a lot. He was trying to bandage himself. I was on my feet before I could think better of it. I was on my feet walking towards
I took the bandage from him. He looked up at me, his expression a little aghast like it had been the last thing he had expected from . I shared hii sentiment. I did not know what had got into me, but it was far too late to stop now.
“Where has the little wolf found her courage?” He tried to sound casual but I could hear the strain in his voice.
By his side were other instruments to treat wound. I began with the silve. Each time he flinched at my touch. I rubbed his shoulder to soothe him. But for a wound so jarring, he should have been screaming, falling in and out of consciousness. How many times had he been hurt like this, I wondered. But by the plethora of healed scars that I could find, I knew that there had been many times. I was tempted to trace my fingertips over his
mate bond. The one that matched mine.
When I was done with that, I got the stitching instruments and began to close his back. When I got to the origin of most of the bleeding, he reached oui and grasped my waist, letting out a pained grunt
It was a sudden contact, but I did not puth him away. “Truokay, I promise we are almost done.”
He looked up at me, a bit of vulnerability playing in his eyes, for it was gone before I could read into it. After that, I bondaged him up. He let out a rough and turned around to get him some water bit by the time I turned back around, he was alrearly lying on his stomach His eyes closed. There was no transion in his shoulders and he looked relieved. My heart hurt for him for reasons unknown. It was the mate bond it had to be. I was sure it
