Revenge After Rebirth: Fated To The Triplets I Hate
Chapter 28: Mother Of All Wolves?

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.

And suddenly, I could see myself in magnificent and gigantic white wolf, towering over. Its eyes glowing with an intense, fiery red. About seven feet tall. For a moment, I had been that wolf, feeling the strength in its powerful limbs, the keenness of its senses and the urge to hunt. But then, as quickly as it came, the vision had dissolved, and replaced with my human vision and my human body came back to my body as I could remember collapsing and everything went dark and waking up to find myself here.

These memories now were hazy, like an experience I had experienced in a dream.

One moment, I remembered lying unconscious on the ground, a massive white wolf standing over me but the next, I had been inside that wolf. The memories left me disoriented, leaving me with more questions than answers.

Shortly, Lyra’s voice broke the silence.

"Good job, Iris! You did a good job, but you still have a lot of work to learn. I could have lasted longer, but guess what! We made a very beautiful white wolf. Very pretty."

Lyra’s voice was the last voice I want to hear right now. The pain came flashing back. It was a pain I had never experienced in my life. Lyra had said it would be easy, a natural progression perhaps. Instead, it had been a brutal, excruciating way to end my life.

Suddenly, Lyra’s voice cut through my thoughts again. "We should try shifting again! You were amazing, Iris, a true Alpha wolf! Even the triplets won’t stand a chance against you now."

"Shut up, Lyra!" I snapped. She was honestly the last person I wanted to hear speak right now. Whenever she spoke, it was either her audacious courage and stubborn self landing me in one problem or another, and when that happened, she would conveniently go silent, leaving me to deal with the fallout. Or, worse, she ended up misleading me. It was better she just shut the fuck up. Talking of shifting again? Lyra is totally out of her mind. After the pain I survived, she wants me to experience such again? Hell no! Besides, the full moon has gone so how did she expect me to be able to shift again? As if she could read my mind, maybe she could. Her words filled my head again.

"You don’t need the full moon to shift again, Iris. You can now shift whenever you want but that can be possible after you learn to..."

"I said shut up!" I interrupted.

I pushed myself up again to stand, more slowly this time as a dull throb in my head came again and a pervasive stiffness throughout my body, but it was bearable now. My clothes, what remained of them, were torn. I finally stood, wobbly at first, and then took a tentative step. My legs, though sore, stayed strong. The morning sun was beginning to peek through as a tremor of unease ran through me. How long have I been out here? What would happen when I returned to the pack house? Despite all the sorrow that pack caused me, I still had to go back. I had no other choice. My eyes fell on a dress beside the tree, it looked clean as though someone had kept it there. I grabbed it and put it on without caring and then left.

Reaching Black Bane, the sounds of celebration reached me long before the pack house itself came into view. Laughter and music filled the air as I wondered. What could possibly be worth celebrating? As I drew closer, the scene unfolded before me. I stood at the corner where not to be seen as I saw the entire pack gathered in the main courtyard. They all had smiling faces.

Banners of our pack logo adorned with the Black Bane crest fluttered in the gentle breeze. It looked like it was a feast of celebration.

Confused, I spotted a young maid, her face filled with excitement, walking past with a tray of drinks. I reached out. "Excuse me," I said. "What’s all this for?" She didn’t tend to give me an answer. Of course, I never expected one. They all avoided me. But to my surprise, she replied.

"It’s incredible, isn’t it? The Mother of Wolves is alive! And she’s in this pack!"

My brows furrowed. The Mother of Wolves? That had never existed. That’s what Margery said right?

The maids words brought me out of my thoughts. "Yes, Iris. That’s good news for Black Bane. At least the mother of wolves will serve you the punishment you deserve."

She added and and nodded emphatically, her gaze darting around as if to ensure no one else was perhaps seeing her talk to me, the cursed one.

"The seer declared it just this morning!" She added.

It’s been centuries! History says the Mother of Wolves is a legendary and extraordinary wolf, the progenitor of all werewolves, blessed by the Moon Goddess herself! She holds immense power, unmatched by any other. Whoever mates with her will be the greatest among all Alphas, their pack flourishing beyond imagination. Their strength will be boundless, their lineage will be pure and prosperous, and their wisdom will be incomparable. It’s said that the mother of wolves’ presence alone can heal the land, strengthen the pack bonds, and ensure long life and prosperity for generations.

"What are you staring?" She snapped at me. Bringing me back from my thoughts as I was staring at her blankly.

In my past life, while my grandmother was still alive, she had told me It’s incredibly important of the mother of wolves mating with an Alpha. She said only a few knew about this secret and she was able to know because she was opportuned to meet the mother of wolves back then in their generation. Her power is meant to be channeled and guided, and only an Alpha has the strength and leadership to truly complement and magnify her abilities. It’s like two halves of a whole, creating something far grander than either could be alone. I’m so happy to be alive to witness this! I’ll finally get to meet the mother of wolves. Whoever the moon goddess had chosen for this, she’s really lucky. She used to tell me stories about the mother of wolves, how she was banished from the werewolf kingdom centuries ago because of some terrible crime, but no one ever knew the full details.

The maid words pulled me back from my thoughts again.

"Alpha Darius has declared today a work-free day for every pack member to celebrate! Isn’t it wonderful? But I’m not sure you are included for this generosity of the king. You are yet to finish your punishment of washing all the laundry of the high ranking wolves."

She let out a chilling smile as she hurried off, leaving me standing there. The Mother of Wolves... here? In this pack?

Just then, a loud masculine voice cut through the celebratory, silencing the crowd instantly. It was Alpha Darius’s voice. Every head turned towards where he stood, flanked by his sons.

"As we all know the reason for this celebration," Alpha Darius began. "I also want to announce the mating ceremony of my sons and their future Luna, Liora. It shall be held on the next full moon."