Blood & Wine

45 | Iris

I peeled my eyes away from Eden to listen to Fynley because he was the Alpha—but my heart was with my friend currently shaking the grounds.

We were in deep shit. His father had arrived earlier than we thought, and none of us were really prepared. We hadn't had time to settle down and think about what we were going into—to make our last calls or relax ourselves. Then we were forced up here on the second floor, most of the pack piled into this one room with witches, looking down while the Fae portaled in some of the other werewolves upstairs.

"Dasher, your father lied. He plans on killing you, and he's hiding behind the werewolves making his grand entrance," he explained. "Iris, keep close to Dasher, per Eden's instructions. Everybody else, a deal has been struck. Only I can fight my father. I need you to stay far away or Eden will die. She sealed it with her blood."

Jagger shook his head. "She shouldn't have done that."

"She was buying us time—and doing what she needed to do to keep my attention on my battle and not hers," Fynley explained, his voice hoarse and rough. He wanted to look out of the window so badly, and I didn't blame him. My head kept turning.

I didn't like it either, but it was a solid plan, and I had hopes she would win. She had to win. If I lost her...

No, we wouldn't lose her.

Jagger shook his head again. "We should be out there with her. What if she gets hurt?"

"Oh, she'll get hurt," Calla remarked off-handedly. "She'll get hurt, and she'll come close to dying, but she won't die, and that's all that's important."

She didn't look at the fight. She stood next to Ezekiel, her back against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest. The sound of mountains clashing together was happening outside, and only the witches were looking.

Fynley flinched.

"What makes you so sure, Calla?" I asked. Even thought of her coming close to dying was too much after what had already happened—after who we had already lost. Those people had crushed my spirit, and I hadn't been close to them. If I lost Eden.

Calla shrugged. "I'm not sure, not really. But I am sure that I know Eden. She wouldn't have made that deal if she didn't think she would at least come close to winning. You know why? Because of him." She pointed a finger at Fynley. "If she dies, he'll be no damn good to any of us. We'll lose the battle, and Dasher will die, Fynley will die, and this entire Coven will probably be sent to shreds. She would never subject us to that. Therefore, I think she will win in the end. As for the rest of us, we just don't need to disappoint her."

I stared at Fynley. "That's a pep talk. I don't know what that shit you told us yesterday was."

He rolled his eyes at me. "I need to go upstairs and see what's going on." His eyes lingered on that window.

Dasher released my hand. "I'll go with you."

Their eyes met, and whatever had happened on their little road trip/recruitment trip passed through their gazes. Fynley nodded, and Dasher followed him upstairs, closing the door behind him.

I returned to the window, standing next to a witch named Krista. She was a year older than us and silent, but she looked up to Mama Helen and often trailed behind her.

Fynley's dad had gotten into the safe house. I had texted his mom, asked her if they were okay. They were. He had only taken one girl, and, at first, I had no idea why that girl was so important, but then I saw the way one of our pack members paled, and I saw why. He had killed his daughter—the only child in the pack besides Irene with someone else in the pack. It had been personal.