Chapter 21: Serving Both Pack? Hell No!
Iris’s POV
"What the hell are you doing, Iris?" she hissed. "You’re going to get yourself killed!"
The crowd’s laughter didn’t stop, their mocking words raining down nonstop. "That serves her right.!" one voice called. "Look at her now, crawling to her friend!" another sneered.
Amelia shot them a glare but didn’t respond. Instead, she hooked an arm under mine, helping me to my feet. My legs wobbled, but I leaned into her. "Come on," she muttered, guiding me out of the ring, away from the jeering crowd.
As we stumbled toward the packhouse, their voices followed us. "Wolfless and delusional!" I wasn’t delusional or maybe I was or maybe the reason still remains that I just wanted to be strong. I wanted to protect myself, to never feel helpless again, like I had in my past life under the triplets’ cruelty. I wanted to be ready for the day I could bring justice to those who’d taken my parents from me.
We reached my room, and Amelia pushed the door open, guiding me inside. I sat at the edge of my bed, my body aching, my face throbbing. Amelia stood in front of me, her hands on her hips in fury. "What were you thinking, Iris?" she demanded. "Challenging Sienna? In front of everyone? You could’ve been seriously hurt!"
I didn’t have an answer, not one that would satisfy her. She paced the small room, agitated, like an angry mother scolding a reckless child. "You’re not trained, Iris! You haven’t even had your first transformation! What made you think you could take on someone like Sienna?"
I stayed silent. How could I explain it? The burning need to prove myself, to claw my way out of the helplessness that had defined my past life? The triplets’ cruelty had left scars deeper, scars that drove me to want more, to be more of my strong self. I wanted to tell her about Lyra, about the wolf I’d kept secret, but the words wouldn’t come.
Amelia stopped pacing, her eyes softening as she looked at me as if she could read my mind. "Iris, I know the triplets hurt you," she said. "I know you want revenge. But this? Throwing yourself into a fight you can’t win? That’s not how you do it. You need time. Training too. You’re not strong enough yet, not to take on Sienna or anyone else who threatens you." She sighed, running a hand through her hair.