CHAPTER 50: I’D PASSED OUT FOR 5 HOURS?

Iris’s POV

Reaching my room, I pushed the door open, my body trembling with fear as I pushed the door closed and locked it. Leaning my back against the door, I could hear my heart pounding so nervously as I tried to process what had just happened. It had all happened so quickly, too quickly. One moment, I was shoving Kael away with a very slight push, and the next, he was flying, crashing against a tree with so much force. I looked at my hands as I held my chest, gasping for air.

Trying to steady my breath, I squeezed my eyes shut, willing my racing pulse to slow. But the image of Kael’s body hitting the ground kept replaying in my mind and it was unrelenting. How had I done that? A slight push shouldn’t have sent him flying. Pushing the thought away, I stumbled toward the bathroom.

I turned on the faucet, letting cold water spill into my cupped hands. Without thinking, I stripped off my clothes. Stepping under the shower, I tilted my head back, allowing the water to cascade over my face. I needed to calm my head. Then, my eyes drifted upward, catching my reflection in the small, fogged mirror above the sink. My face stared back at me.

For no reason I could name, I could feel my heart burning as I struggled to breathe. I pressed a hand to my chest as the burning intensified. My heart thudded harder and faster. My breaths coming in short, ragged gasps, and the pain from the burn grew unbearable. I gripped the edge of the sink and stared ar the mirror again but suddenly, all I could see was the face of a white wolf. That was Lyra, my wolf. At least I could still remember what she looked like on my first transformation.

Just as quickly as the face appeared, the image shifted back to my human face, my eyes wide with shock and fear. Immediately, I stumbled out of the bathroom, holding the wall for support, "What’s going on?" I asked myself but no response from Lyra. . Before, Lyra would have answered, always around to guide me. But ever since I’d pushed her away, shutting her out to avoid the chaos of being a wolf, she’d been silent. And that breaks my heart now. "Please Lyra, what’s happening?" I wish she could respond but there was no response, no sign of her presence either. Just suddenly, my vision felt dizzy as I struggled to take a step. Just immediately I took a step, my legs gave way as I fell and slumped and everything went dark.

Shortly, a knocking sound pulled me back. It was soft at first, as if I could hear it from my dream. Each minute, It grew louder, more insistent, and then I heard Amelia’s voice, calling my name in a whisper. "Iris? Iris, are you in there?"

Suddenly, my eyelids fluttered in blinks as I forced them open. Realizing I was still on the floor, lying naked, the memory of the bathroom, the mirror, Lyra’s face flooded back, sending a shiver down my spine. My eyes darted to the window only to find the sky outside was dark as I realised it was night already as I wondered how long I had been out. Hours?

Shortly, the knocking came again, sharper this time. "Iris, open the door!" Amelia’s voice came again and then I realised the knocks were coming from my door and not from my dream.

I pushed myself up, my limbs sluggish and weak as my eyes caught the full-length mirror in the room, half-expecting to see Lyra’s wolfish face again. But it was just me, my disheveled messy look in my human body. I looked... fine too. I looked closer and couldn’t see any injuries on my face. My old injuries were all cleared up, leaving no mark at all. In fact, my skin now looked flawless, more beautiful. It was as if nothing had happened. Suddenly, Amelia’s voice came again, snapping me out of my thoughts as I grabbed a robe from the chair and wrapped it around myself before hurrying to the door.

I unlocked it, and Amelia slipped inside, her expression filled with fury as her eyes narrowed as she took me in. "I’ve been knocking for ages," she snapped, keeping her voice low. "What kind of sleep were you in? You scared me half to death!"

"I..." I started, but she didn’t give me a chance to explain. She took a step inside, closing the door behind her with a soft click. "Get dressed," she said. "It’s past midnight. Everyone’s asleep, and we need to go now."

My heart skipped a beat. That means I’d passed out for 5 hours?

"Ok." I replied.

The plan to visit her mother, Elara, came filling my thoughts. I grabbed clothes from my dresser, a black leggings, and black hoodie. Dressing quickly as she waited by the door side.

Once done, we slipped out of my room, moving silently through the pack house. My pulse raced, not just from the fear of getting caught but from the unease of what had happened earlier. I kept my eyes on Amelia’s back as she led the way. We avoided the main corridors in other not to be caught by mistake.

Outside, the night air was cool as we sneaked towards the garden at the back of the pack grounds. It’s a secluded spot where the flower trees and fruit trees were enough to shield us from being seen. My eyes scanned the darkness in fear, half-expecting to see Kael or one of the triplets, but the garden was empty, the only sound was the rustle of leaves. We got to the mango tree near the wall. Amelia gestured for me to climb first, her eyes darting around to make sure we were alone. I grabbed the lowest branch, my hands still trembling slightly as I hauled myself up. I limbed higher, the tree swaying slightly under my weight, until I reached the top, where the branches brushed against the stone wall.

Amelia followed. She reached the top just as I crouched on the thickest branch, peering over the other end of the wall. I glanced back at Amelia, who gave me a nod to jump down but the fear in me wouldn’t permit me to. I’m afraid of heights even though it wasn’t our first time sneaking out this particular way.

"Ready?" she asked and I nodded. With a deep breath, I swung my legs over the wall and jumped, landing with a soft thud on the other side and Amelia did the same.