싱그로운 이슬

Iris POV

My name is Iris Doukas, the niece of Hatzis Doukas, the fierce and feared leader of the white fang pack.

My uncle was a cold man who cared only about battles and nothing else. Other than the prostitute he slept with, he didn't have a mate and refused to have an heir.  

My childhood was beautiful and also filled with gruesome scenes because uncle Hatzis was ruthless to anyone that's not me since I was his little brother's only child and his last surviving blood relative since my parents died.

Our pack and territories had flourished and expanded over the years because of the several victories he won in the wars with other packs and the slaves he had captive.

Although our lands and people are enjoying peace. But the threat of war is very real and that's why one of uncle Hatzis's priceless hostages was Alpha Thor, the leader of the Storm Riders Pack. 

My uncle kept Alpha Thor tightly in his grip because although his pack lost the war and its members were now rogues, they didn't lose their willpower to fight.

The only thing that stopped the Storm Riders pack from attacking us was the captivity of their leader who had their fear and respect.

It's said that after Thor got captured by my uncle, not even his beta will step up and take his place as the next alpha because of the terror he felt for Thor, and the loyalty the pack members have for him.

Sadly, my uncle passed away a month ago to the cold hands of death, and I as his niece is forced to pick up from where he left off. 

My body feels glued to the bed just by thinking about it, and I wish that such a heavy obligation wasn't placed on my shoulder at the age of eighteen.

It wasn't strange to me after he passed for the park members to get down on their knees and pledge their allegiance to me because uncle Hatzis made them do a blood oath and swear upon their lives that I would take over after he die.

For the past one month, I have been trapped with the burden of making decisions for the pack, worrying about finding a mate to rule beside me, and pleasing the elder who are a bunch of old dudes that are annoying as fuck.

When the echoes of footsteps in the hallway grew louder and closer to my room, I raised my eyelids and stared at the masterpiece on my ceiling.

"Why is it so bright?" I mumbled without blinking, trying to pull myself together.

Finally, when reality settled in, I hastily sat up and gazed around the room before burying my face in my palm and sighing deeply.

It was morning already, and that means I did it again and stayed up all night thinking things over in my head to the point that I forgot to sleep.

All this leadership stuff was so tiresome, and yet, I couldn't stop thinking about matters about the pack because my uncle had made quite a lot of enemies, one being the Storm Riders Pack.

A gentle and sweet voice suddenly echoed into my ears after my room door opened, "My Luna, you are awake?" 

Swaying my gaze to the right, my sight rested on my maid, Rona. From since I can remember, she has been by my side and so gentle to me. 

With a soft smile on her lips, she brought a tray towards me and set it on the bed. 

"Please eat, and afterward, I will help you get dressed, my Luna," Rona mumbled, taking two steps back.

Every time she refers to me as her Luna, I feel the weight upon my shoulder getting heavier, and yet, it was my burden to carry.

Drained and frustrated, I looked down at the tray of food, reached my hand into the bowl of grapes, and took a bite into it.

"Have the elders arrived at the mansion yet?" I asked, reaching for another grape.

"No, my Luna," Rona said with a look of hesitation in her eyes. "Do you want me to send out words for them to gather in the great hall?" 

Another meeting with those suffocating dictators will drive me mad. How was I supposed to run a pack that is used to iron hand leadership when all my uncle did was pamper me with love and treated me like a princess!

Unexpectedly, Rona rushed to my side, squatted with a napkin in her hand, and whispered, "My Luna, you are crying… I know it's only been a month since our former leader passed away, but you need to pay attention to your health and not grieve for too long."

I love my uncle, but right now, I am not crying because of him but because the future seems worrisome. Uncle Hatzis was obeyed by everyone. 

But I'm not him, and I feel like I'm just a wolf that got ascended to the title of a pack leader to get used as a puppet by the elders because they know the respect the pack members had for my uncle is now passed onto me.

However, since fate has given me such a burden, I should accept it, even though I'm nothing compared to my uncle or father.

"What's my schedule for today?" I asked, looking into Rona's eyes.

Immediately, she looked a bit uncomfortable and glanced at the floor as she mumbled, "The elders want you to meet slave number one."

"Oh, they want me to visit the cell," I whispered, feeling a bit calm.

Then my eyes widened when I realized who slave number one was. Instantly, I started to freak out because that number belonged to Thor, the alpha of the Storm Riders Pack.

They wanted me to visit him. No way! Rumor has it that he has no soul, and his eyes are cold and dark.

His story is nothing different from the one my uncle shares, maybe it's even bloodier than that of uncle Hatzis, and I don't know how he managed to capture Thor, but I rather not face him or look into his cold eyes.