"She's your mate! She's so gorgeous!" His mother squealed as she pulled me into a tight hug. I was surprised and caught off guard when she hugged me, it reminded me that I haven't been hugged like this since the last time I saw my mother.
*Flashback*
"Iris my love we have to go, it's not safe for you here anymore," My mother Lucie said as she pulled me along, away from the large commotion happening within the pack.
"But mommy where are we going? Is daddy coming with us?" Asked my 12 year old self confused.
Lucie stopped walking and turned as she bent down to face me.
"Iris Love you are a very smart girl for your age so I'm going to be honest with you as to what's happening, I'm not sure if daddy is going to make this one out alive because there are very bad men here for you that will do anything for power-" She was cut off by a group of men surrounding us, I felt a large warm hand grab the back of my neck roughly, pulling me back towards him.
"You're mine now little one,"
"TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF MY FLOWER!!!" I looked up to see my mother screaming while being dragged away, trying to fight off her attacker.
I couldn't move, it was like I was glued to the ground and every single muscle in my body refused to cooperate.
*End of flashback*
I shuddered in disgust at the memory.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner that you found your mate?!" His mother's voice snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Well things got a little complicated in the beginning and she isn't really used to the whole mate thing and being around other people," Damien rubbed the back of his neck in nervousness.
"I'm sure being a rogue she wolf was terrifying, I'll be sure to make sure she feels right at home in the pack and hopefully you are too Damien," She nudged Damien hard in his side.
She was a pretty tall woman, not as tall as Damien or his father but she was still pretty tall, She had silver hair all throughout her brown hair but yet her age didn't seem to show in her face. She had a very youthful glow to her skin and what seemed like a kind soul. Both Damien and Danielle got their looks from their mother as I noticed her kind blue eyes peering down at me and her strong features.
His father on the other hand didn't have much of a kind spirit to him, I would occasionally look over at him as he stood against the wall in the living room as he glared at me with intimidating eyes.
"Iris is such a beautiful name! It definitely suits you!" I heard his mother squeal.
As Damien's mother pulled him to the side I noticed his father walk up towards me and leaned in close so that only I could hear.
"I'll be watching you close rogue," He emphasized the word rogue.
I rolled my eyes.
Damien noticed our uncomfortable confrontation and said "I think we should be getting back to the pack house now,"
He came over to grab my hand and pulled closer to him.
"Oh do be sure to come by a visit Iris! I would love to spend time with you!" His mother waved my way before we headed out of the door.
"Well that went well I guess." He said as he slung his arm around my shoulder.
"I'm not really good with first impressions," I shrugged my shoulders and sighed.
"Well I think you did pretty well,"
As soon as we walked into the pack house I was tackled into a big hug by Damien's little sister Danielle.
"Hi Iris! It's good to see you finally out of the room, I wanted to talk to you about something," Danielle said.
"I actually have to go into a meeting with Blake anyway," Damien said, kissing me on the forehead before heading off.
I felt my face heat up from the kiss and I couldn't but smile slightly from the affection, it was such a small gesture that sent my stomach fluttering.
Danielle turned to me with a serious expression as soon as Damien was out of ear shot.
"Next week is Damien's birthday and he'll be turning 23, at that age we have a traditional mating dance where all of the mateless she wolves are invited to learn this sacred dance and present to Damien hoping that one of them is his mate but since he kind of already found you in the middle of our practicing we are actually just thinking about adding you in instead of cancelling it," Danielle smiled.
"Absolutely fucking not, I would have to dance?" I looked at her with pure disgust written on my face.
"Well yes, it's tradition for Alpha's or Beta's who haven't found their mates by the age of 23, we will have to do the same for Blake if he doesn't find his mate soon," Danielle explained.
"Well I'm not interested in traditions or dancing so no thanks," I waved her away.
She grabbed my hand and looked up at me with a pleading expression.
"Please Iris! I know you're not the dancing type but we've been working so hard on this routine and we really don't want to cancel, could you at least do this for me?" She whined.
"Yeah will you do this for me Iris?" Blake walked in and whined, imitating Danielle.
Danielle scolded but I couldn't help but giggle.
Blake paused for a second. "Oh my goddess she knows how to smile," He pretended to faint next to us.
"I never said I didn't know how to smile, I've just never had a reason to smile that's all," I crossed my arms.
"Well I think you look rather adorable when you smile," He got up and patted me on the shoulder.
Just then we all heard a growl so we all turned around to see Damien glaring at us.
"I would take my hand off her if I were you Blake," Damien growled.
"Yes Alpha, sorry," Blake backed away and bowed.
Damien walked up to me and grabbed me by my waist as he led me away, I turned around back to Danielle and quickly mouth 'Fine I'll help' to her. I watched as a giant smile formed on her face and she skipped away.
He led me back into his room and closed to door as I heard a giant huff escape his mouth.
"What's going on between you and Blake?" He asked.
I looked at him with a confused expression, why would he ask such a thing?
"Why would you think there's something going on between us?" I asked.
"Oh I don't know, maybe because I just so happen to walk into the living area and see you two laughing and chatting it up but when around me you're nothing but quiet," Jealousy was written all over his face like someone walked up to him and wrote it in permanent marker. He was having a hard time controlling his anger and jealousy.
"Well I'm sorry if I wasn't your first mate option and I don't act like one of your whores," I snapped.
"Watch who you're talking to-" He started to say.
"No, I don't have to watch how I talk to you because you are not my Alpha, I am still a rogue and you have no control over me," I hissed as I walked over to him and jabbed my finger into his chest.
He snatched my hand away from him and leaned close to my face until we were inches apart.
"If I had a choice I wouldn't pick someone like you to be my mate, an emotionally closed off rogue wouldn't even be my last choice,"
I knew this already, someone like him would never be one of his options as a mate but his words still hurt, I was hurt and even my wolf was hurt and they hurt deep. I stormed out of the room and ran out of the pack house, not wanting to be near him any longer, I felt the tears blurring my vision and stinging my face, my heart heavy in my hands.
"Iris wait!" I heard Damien call after me but I shifted into my wolf and took off into the woods. I always knew I would eventually find my soul mate, someone who would accept me for who I have become, someone who would help me with my troubled past and bring out the old cheerful Iris who didn't have a care in the world. I ran as fast as I could and as far as I could until I felt my paws collapse with exhaustion. I rested in the middle of the woods, my eyelids drooping from exhaustion as I felt myself being pulled into another memory.
*Flashback*
I was thrown into a dungeon like cell, trapped and afraid because I didn't know what to do or what was happening. I looked around for some kind of window or any type of light but all I saw around me was darkness. I sat down on the ground and pulled my knees up to my chest as I rocked myself and cried out for my mother. I heard the door open and stayed silent until I heard her loving voice fill the cell.
"Iris my little flower, are you in here?" She called out for me.
"Mommy!" I yelled as I got up and ran towards her, wrapping my arms around her for a hug.
"Come on my little flower we don't have much time," She pulled me up some stairs and opened a door until we were outside. Once we were out in the light I could clearly see her face and so much damage was done to her once soft and delicate face. Scars, bruises and scratches all littered on her face, her black jet black hair now a tangled mess and her eyes filled with worry. Once we stopped running and reached the edge of the pack territory she gave me a back pack she was carrying.
"Everything you need is inside, clothes, food, a journal for if you are ever feeling lonely and my favorite necklace with a hidden surprise inside. If you ever feel as though you are in a bad position and there is no way of escaping, unlock the locket and drink what's in there but if not, I want you to live as long as possible for both your father and I," She kissed my forehead and hugged me for the last time.
"Iris I need you to run, never come back here and never look back. Now GO!" She pushed me off to the forest.
I ran as fast as I could go but my curiosity began to take over me, I stopped and climbed my favorite tall tree over looking the pack to see what was going on. When I reached the top I noticed my mother clutching my father's lifeless body, his green orbs looking up at me with no light in them at all. Tears fell down form her face as she hugged his body, not wanting to let him go. A group of men approached her as one stood out to walk up to her and crouch down to comfort her, the face of a man I would never forget.
My mother backed away from him and quickly took out a silver dagger and sliced at his face and dropped it as a painful looking bruise began to form in her palm. He grabbed at his face enraged, he shifted into his dark brown wolf with bits of grey in it and tore her to shreds, her screaming filling the air, a sound that would haunt my forever. She looked up to see me in the tree and mouthed 'go' as her last dying breath.
That was the last time I saw my mother.
*Flashback over*
My wolf howled into the night. We were in pain. She mourned the death of her Alpha and Luna. I mourned the death of my mother and father. We cried because of their deaths and we cried because of our mate. It seemed as though we cried the whole night. There was nothing but sorrow in our life.
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This chapter has been edited