Iris POV

The thick greeny forest welcomed me in her wooden arms once again as I never failed to attend our promising daily rendez-vous. Like a prominant arrow, I pierced my way through the solid trees  as a bolt while the sun crawled up lazily from the other side of the world.

Senses

I could hear my thumping heart threatning to rip its way out of my chest. The soil lifted up slowly each time my feet touched the ground, while the dying leafs scrunched under them, biding adieu to mother nature.

The dew gracefully hang on the tip of white and red petals, failing to keep their stubborn stance cuz once the droplets waved at me chirpily they soon merged with the ground, faithful to their cycle.

Rays of the sun played hide and seek with the forest as the wintery wind hugged us all, whispering silent goodbyes.

My mood darkened as I noticed that a lot of things were leaving, fading away, deep down I prayed I wasn't one of them.

I slowed my pace down for nearly two seconds in recognition then accelerated ducking the arrow that was meant for me. I didn't have the time to catch my breath as three other arrows were coming from my right , they weren't parallel so I couldn't just shove one away and take the others down instead I just lowered my back, knees upfront, hips down and my right hand digging into the soil seeking balance, the second the arrows were past my head I flipped over and put my legs around the neck of the wolf that launched at me from my left.

Now seated on a large grey muscled wolf, I instantly put my right arm around his neck, and flipped us down til I was on top of him while his four paws were sustained in the air, breathing heavily he backed off and I lured him into the bait.

I diverted my eyes waiting for him to push me with his four paws which he was ready to do until he felt a silver dagger along the crook of his neck. With my left hand supporting his head, the other one circling his neck, I was actually proud.

He let out a small wolfy grin which was my cue to get up. The wolf shifted and, ***** before my eyes, he stood in all his glory.

"-Two can play the game" I happily said between breaths.

My human heart was beating like crazy and my legs were on fire. He chuckled before approvingly reassuring my unsteady self-confidence :

"-You're getting better and better with speed, for a human you never cease to amaze me "

"-Oh well, it's all thanks to you, dear Beta. If I relied on myself I'd still be learning how to shoot"

"-About time you actually admit what a great coach I am, what a wonderful friend I am, and what a unique man I am, were my existence to cease the world shall falter... "

Raising his head and hands to the sky, he started to boost his ego when I put my arm around his neck and pushed him forwards:

"-Oh shut up and move. "

Blake was the beta of the pack, he was the one who monitored my training since we were children. As the alpha decided that I should train with the other wolves despite being a human, I was always paired up with Blake.

At first, my frail body couldn't keep up with the rough training and it took me several years to catch up with the others who had implified heightened senses given from birth.

Not only once did I end up in the hospital on the verge of dying, but Alpha Asher didn't waver or alter his beliefs, I always ended up being dragged down to the battle field to fight like a young wolf with the pack and I know one thing for sure, they never took it easy on me considering I was a human.

I had been beaten up to the core several times throughout my childhood, adolescence and uptil few months ago, Blake always managed to win whenever we fought but never took me seriously until I beat his *** down four months ago and it's been the same since then.

Reaching the pack house, Blake headed to his room to take a shower while I jogged to mine. I slowly opened the door and tiptoed my way to my handsome sleeping male, carefully studying him once again, something I'll never get bored of:

He was laying on his bare chest while his tanned muscles flexed everytime he inhaled and exhaled, legs wrapped up around the white fresh sheets hiding his man defining part. Arms spread up around the king sized bed hugging it like it was his secret lover, I couldn't help but smirk at his facial expression when he sensed my presence, his long jet black eyelashes covering his eyebags due to overnight work with peace treaties he let out annoyed:

"-C'mon ! It's 6 AM for God's sake, I want to sleep, just a little I promise "

he whined cutily like a 3 year old and started dozing off when I shot back:

" Won't you romantically tease me and tell me to sleep with you instead of firing me away like this ? " I faked angriness. He stood still for what looked like ages when he finally responded:

"- We both know that you don't go back to sleep after waking up at 5 AM, and the fact that if you do get on this bed I'll never get some sleep. You milady just ruined my morning. "

he got up, tossing me a pillow playfully .

"-Don't omit the fact that you and Blake are to meet at 7:30 in your office, even if you're the new Alpha you don't get to be lazy so you better hurry up " he growled, sprinted towards me and engulfed me in his big arms:

"-It'll only last a few days, then the whole time will be ours, I promise "

he whispered in the crook of my neck. I wrapped my arms around his waist brushing my fingers against his fair skin. He stiffened and inhaled my scent deeply before giving me an open mouthed kiss full of silent promises.

Promises of eternal love and prosperity. I smiled widely at the warmth that settled in my body and the butterflies that still made somersaults in my stomach everytime we touched.

But he didn't need to know that, don't flatter his ego too much if you want to keep the man and certainly don't make him think he can take you for granted.

He let me go and made his way to the shower. 15 minutes after, he got out and I went in. Stripping from my yoga pants and my sports bra, I contemplated my reflection in the glass.

Two big blue eyes stared back at me, as if it was just us two in the whole world. I took off my eye contacts, as if breaking through the walls that I built to hide the true me. The free spirit who wanted nothing else but to unravel the epitome of her capacities, the spirit who wanted to break out of other's pitiness and protection.

She wanted be independent and strong. She yearned to prove herself. To prove that she didn't need anybody to survive.

My eyes fell on the several scars that were engraved on my whole body, a reminder of my past. Scrutinizing evry inch, I searched for the one that marked my turning point. It was the smallest one yet the deepest...

Iris POV

Flashback:

I was 15 back then, it was one of the coldest days in winter. As the snow already covered the tall eucalyptuses, I played with Blake in his wolf form, he had just shifted after he turned 16 a few months back and we were enjoying ourselves and running around at midnight.

Alpha Asher suddenly summoned me into his office and that made me shiver in my thin layer of clothes, not out of cold but out of fear.

I embraced myself and the young me clutched the hem of her old sweater and made her way to Alpha Asher's office. I silently opened the door and stepped forward bowing my head:

"-Yes Alpha " I mostly whispered.

"-I've been told that you're not fit to train with the pack, why is that Iris? "

"-Because they're strong and I am weak " I replied tears threatning to break out anytime soon.

"-Well I guess its time to change that, I took you in when you were just a baby, I practicly raised you and never mistreated you, am I right Iris? "

And it was true. Albeit his extreme measures when it came to training and life philosophy, Alpha Asher was a father to me.

We weren't as close as me and Luna Samantha but I know that he had his reasons. He was a righteous man that gave me a shelter and most importantly a friend : Blake.

I owed him Everything begining with my mere existence. If the patrol guards were late I could've been murdered by rogues. It's not everyday you find a baby in a basket floating in a river.

"-yes, Alpha Asher, it's all true " I stated firmly.

"-Then I guess you won't have any objections when I inform you that at dawn you'll be leaving to the North, I've been told that there were 40 rogues who plan on claiming a territory and that would put me at a disadvantage. I want you to take them down. I want you to kill them all. "

I felt a sudden rush of Adrenaline rebelling against my whole being wanting to scream at the man in front of me but I knew better. Although my fighting abilities were a total failure, the time spent with Luna Samantha thought me a lot of things, and one of them was respect.

"-Alpha Asher, I am merely a human, I won't make it. " I stated calmly now looking him in the eyes not masking my disapproval.

"-I would prefer if you don't state the evidence dear Iris, and I wasn't asking for your opinion. " he declared with a tone that insinuated "end of discussion". I bit my lower lip and made my way to the door when his dominant voice added:

"Iris, if you plan on coming back I suggest you bring 40 dead rogues with you "

That was the drop that made my blood boil. "Yes, Alpha "

I jolted out of the room and got out of the pack house to find a very worried Blake waiting for a detailed report.

"-What is it again Iris ? Who do you have to fight again? "

"-I... Alpha Asher wants me to kill 40 Rogues and bring them to him. "

A burst of laughter filled the thick air as Blake managed to squeeze in a bunch of "you gotta be kidding me " and "you got me" . When he saw that I was drop dead serious he added:

"-Wait, you're joking right ? Iris this isn't true... "

"- Does it look like i'm kidding you Blake cuz I sure as hell want it to be some nightmare but it isn't.

I have to head to the North at dawn "

"-stop saying nonsense, I will talk him out of this, I'm his son's best friend he definitely won't let me down. "

He sprinted around ready to go to Alpha Asher's office when I hugged him from behind:

"It's of no use Blake, we both know it. Thank you for being there for me, for the good and the worse. Thank you for protecting me, a mere human. And thank you for loving me more than anyone else. " I said calmly before hearing sobs.

"-Oh my god, Blake Clark are you crying? " I said with a british accent,

"-What? no, pfff why would I, I mean I am a man now and men don't cry and I will certainly not cry for you pff" He shot back embarrassed, it actually made me smile.

"-Don't worry buddy I won't tell anyone that I've witnessed Blake the great crying. " He turned around and simply said:

"-If you really love me then you will come back, I trust you Iris, I know you have it in you, you survived 15 years in a pack of wolves. You need to have faith in yourself just like I have faith in you. This isn't goodbye, we still have to celebrate Christmas together and I need to give you your gift. You have to come back. "

We stood there, under the moon, biding silent promises of a lifetime together, that's when I vowed that I wouldn't go down without a fight.

Once we parted to our respective rooms. It was 1:20 Am, I started thinking of a way to take them all down, and it wasn't going to be strength which I lacked in, Alpha Asher wouldn't send me to my downfall if he didn't have a glimpse of hope. We both knew he cherished me well but never showed it, and I had learned to read beyond the lines which got me to the conclusion:

I CAN take them down, I then thought of hunters who chased down werewolves but were just humans which boosted my self confidence. I started thinking and two hours escaped only to find myself with no genius ideas. "i'm a total failure, it's not like I can throw silver chains at them and they will die " and then a light bulb shined above my head:" wait, that's it, silver - I need silver".

Iris POV

I opened my drawer and took my notebook out, I stared at the chemical equations scrambled on the paper. Yes, I was a nerd when it came to physics and chemistry.

"Time to test the equation ".

6 months back, I was at the pack hospital and the doctor was attending to my wounds  told me something about having a lab.

The old man was pretty nice and since I spent the majority of time with him trying to save me, he gave me full access to the lab once he noticed our passion in common.

Since then, I've been trying formulas secretely about how to effectively attack a wolf's cell. The final equation was ready one week ago but I never dared to actually test it. Even Blake wasn't aware of my little adventures with the pack doctor.

I grabbed some silver chains from the dungeons after giving the guard a puppy face, they all knew who I was so they just let it slide.

I went to the lab and started doing some magic. The silver chains melted and I added some chemical substances and a poisonous venom I extracted from a rare snake that I had accidentally hunted the other day instead of a deer.

Well it actually was about to kill the dear if I hadn't shot my arrow towards it first.

Anyways, I made sure that my magic liquid was actually a liquid before injecting it to a wolf's cell.

.....

After what sounded like an eternity, I got my answer :

It had worked, the damaged cell was slowly faltering away which actually made my day. I put the liquid in exactly 40 seruingues, " safe measures" I remembered Luna Samantha say once.

Once I was done, I cleaned down the mess fastly as time was pressing and went back to my room, I secured some daggers and the seruingues around my waist and my legs, wore my big hoodie and put the arrows and the bow on my back hiding them with my black jacket.

Grabing my backpack I went out and played a little with mud and snow which helped mask my scent.

Soon after, a big black van appeared into view, I felt being watched so I turned and my gaze unraveled Alpha Asher and his first born: Xavier.

They were both watching me intensly, I knew I had to go, I was going to miss the quarrels and fights I always had with xavier, I was going to miss Blake and his silly jokes, luna Samantha and her wise words. I was going to miss home.

I bowed my head in willing submission and went to the black van.

The sun slowly allowed her rays to caress the clouds before hiding away shyly. I slept in the van as two men were there to make sure I didn't run away.

Hours later I was being shaken as I prayed to find a large forest near by. One of the guards opened the door staring at my unusual eye color and it was my cue to leave. I took my backpack and embraced the new environment I was tossed in.

It was so freezing that my teeth started to clack and my whole body was shaking. A vast white land laid under my feet covered with snow, not a sign of life around.

"-What the hell... " I muttered to myself. All I deemed fit to do was walking. So I walked fighting the objection of the wind, I walked towards my destiny, I walked with returning home as a goal. I didn't know how much time I'd been walking til night greated me.

With no sleep at all, I managed to strengthen my forces when I saw a lake near by. I drunk to my satisfaction and splahsed icy water on my sleepy face. I walked a few miles til a black sommet appeared to view. My legs were burning threatening to let me fall any second but once I indentified the forest before me, Shouting and jumping with joy and happiness, I was then wide awake promising my body a good sleep once we get to the safe forte.

After an eternity, I had finally reached my destination. Crumbling under a tree, I rested my fate in God's hands and drifted into unconsciousness.

My orange-blue eyes opened up at the sound of scrunching leaves, I jumped to my feet alarmed then saw a rabbit approaching my once figuratively dead body.

I stilled and slowly unzipped my jacket to grab my arrows but the rabbit seemingly sensed danger and fled away.

"Shit" I muttered to myself. I readied my arc and arrows just in case and started inspecting the area. No living being came into sight and as I was giving up.... Nothing came out of the large trees. I sighed in discontentment.

However, I was fine with resting under the same tree for a couple of days to gather my strengths once again.

Two rocks and plenty of herbs helped me set fire and actually survive the cold weather. I followed that routine until hunger was no longer inevitable, of course I was so caught up in the formula that I forgot to bring food with me, good thing I had a bottle full of water.

I was  exploring the woods when a bird was laying far away on a branch. I took the opportunity and with my good shooting skills, the bird was dead.

That night, a maigre girl was having a feast , alone, in a forest somewhere in the North.