Chapter 165
Arthur & Iris
Arthur
I scan the crowded ballroom, searching for Iris. I shouldn’t have left her alone for so long, especially at her first public event as my mate. The call took longer than expected–a minor diplomatic crisis with Bo’Arrocan that couldn’t wait–and now I can’t find
her- anywhere.
1 spot Beta Ezra by the far wall and make my way to him. “Have you seen Iris?”
He shakes his head. “Not for the past twenty minutes. She was talking to Countess Blackthorn earlier, but I lost track of her after
that ”
Countess Blackthorn. Shit. That woman has one of the sharpest tongues in Ordan high society, and she’s one of Selina’s closest
.friends. I should never have left Iris alone. The Countess probably ripped her a new one.
“Arthur.”
Just as I’m about to send Iris a text, I turn to find Caleb standing behind me, a champagne flute dangling from his fingers.
“Caleb,” I nod curtly. The last time we spoke was at Selina’s hospital bedside, and it wasn’t exactly friendly. “I’m surprised to see
you here.”
He shrugs one shoulder. “Diplomacy and all that. With everything going on with Selina, I need to keep up a positive image.” His eyes scan the room. “I notice your mate is here tonight. The human.”
I feel my jaw tighten. “Her name is Iris.”
“Yes, Iris,” he says, nodding. “That’s actually why I wanted to speak with you.”
“If you’re here to criticize my choice of mate-
“Not at all,” Caleb interrupts, surprising me. “Quite the contrary. I find your… Iris… quite fascinating.”
The emphasis he places on her name strikes me as odd. Something about his tone puts me on edge.
“In what way?” I ask carefully.
Caleb glances around, then gestures toward a quieter corner of the ballroom. “Perhaps we could speak somewhere more private?”
Reluctantly, I follow him. I still need to find Iris, but Caleb’s unusual behavior has me curious.
“I felt a connection to her,” Caleb says once we’re away from prying ears. “When we met at the hospital. Something…familiar.”
I frown. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s difficult to explain,” he admits, swirling his champagne thoughtfully. “But when I scented her, there was something there. Something that reminded me of my own bloodline”
I can’t help but scoff. “You think you’re related to Iris? That’s absurd. She’s a human.”
“Is she?” Caleb asks, his eyebrows raising. “Are you absolutely certain of that?”
“Of course she is,” I say, but a flicker of doubt surfaces in my mind. The way she healed after the accident, much faster than any human should have–even with my blood. The doctors had been baffled.
“She submitted a DNA test, you know,” Caleb continues, watching me closely. “For our family’s search.”
This information catches me off guard. “She what?”
“You didn’t know?” Caleb looks genuinely surprised. “Yes, she was tested the day before yesterday. The results haven’t come back yet, but…”
“But what?”
Caleb leans in slightly. “The timing fits, Arthur. The infant switch would have happened just over twenty–six years ago. I’ve looked into the orphanage where Iris was raised–she was left there as a newborn, with no record of her birth parents. And then there’s her–your–son.”
“What about him?” I ask sharply.
“A fully–fledged Alpha wolf born to a supposedly human mother? When has that ever happened before?”
Never, as far as I know. Hybrid children born to human mothers typically show minimal werewolf traits, if any. They certainly don’t manifest as full Alphas.
“You’re suggesting that Iris might be…” I can’t even finish the thought. It’s too outlandish.
“The missing Willford heir? Yes, I am.” Caleb’s expression is dead serious. “I believe my sister–my real sister by blood–has been living as a human her entire life, with no knowledge of her true nature.”
I shake my head, trying to process this. “If Irls were a werewolf, she would know by now.”
“Not necessarily,” Caleb counters, giving me a meaningful look.
Before I can respond, a strange sensation ripples through my mind. A soft voice–Iris’s voice–echoing inside my head. It’s quiet, almost too quiet to hear, but it’s there.
“Arthur! Help!”
I freeze. That was definitely Iris, but it can’t be. Humans can’t Mindlink. It’s biologically impossible. Only werewolves have the neural pathways necessary for telepathic communication with their mates.
But right now, that doesn’t matter. Iris is clearly in distress.
I have to find her.
20 Bonus
Tris
The tall she–wolf yanks hard on my dress, tearing a large hole right down the front. The silk gives way easily under her extended claws, exposing my skin. One centimeter further, and she would tear right into my flesh.
“Stop it!” I cry, trying to pull away, but the woman behind me has a vise–like grip on my shoulders.
