Chapter 28: Mother Of All Wolves?
Iris’s POV
The gentle chiming of birds stirred me from a fitful slumber as a cool breeze gushed over my skin, raising goosebumps, and then a cold drop splash of something wet landed on my closed eyes. Blinking, I forced my eyes open and another drop, then another, dropped to my face from the sky. Looking up, I realized it was the drop of water from the tree. My gaze darted around, taking in the view of where I was lying, the forest.
I pushed up, a groan escaping my lips as a sharp, blinding pain lanced through my skull. My hand flew to my head, pressing against my temples as the memory of the previous night came flooding back. About the full moon, about the chilling taunts of the pack members echoing in my ears, Liora’s cruel smile, and Zane’s chilling declaration as I ran away from the pack into the forest. I remember all that, especially how I fell while running and how a sudden pain started. It wasn’t the searing agony of Cade’s rejection, this pain felt very different. All encompassing ache that started deep within my bones and radiated outward, seizing every muscle, every nerve in my body. My legs had given out, sending me sprawling to the ground, a whimper escaping my lips, gasping for air.
"You can do this, Iris." Lyra’s voice had resonated in my mind. "Just let go. Lean into it. It’s coming."
"What’s happening to me?" I had rasped, my voice barely audible even to myself.
"Your first shift, silly girl," Lyra had answered. "It’s finally time."
Before I could process her words, the pain intensified, twisting my insides, stretching my limbs. It felt as though every bone in my body was simultaneously breaking and reforming. I squeezed my eyes shut, still struggling on the ground. "Make it stop, Lyra! Please, make it stop!" My voice had risen to a desperate plea, tears streaming down my face.
But the pain had only intensified. Lyra had lied to me. She had initially made me believe it looked easy and she had promised to make it painless with her by my side but she failed me. Lyra left me literally struggling for my comfort and couldn’t stop the pain. The thought of it only made me hate her now.
The memories of seeing and feeling my skin stretching and tearing only made me traumatized. A guttural growl had torn from my throat. My vision had blurred and then my normal vision color was replaced with red.