The Alpha's Healer

01 | Iris

* 12 years later *

"Hold these flowers and stand there. Jason! Hold her waist, come on boy!"

Amanda's excited instructions reached every floor of the house. Iris heard her voice all the way up to her room.

She couldn't focus on reading so she left her room and leaned on the hallway railing to watch.

It was Sandra's highschool graduation day and the entire house was decorated in white and pink to make it memorable.

Sandra and Jason, the Beta's son and her best friend, were getting pictures taken before they head out for the ceremony.

Amanda snapped their pictures in every angle possible. Alpha Brian was on the couch, watching them with an amused smile on his face.

"We'll be late mom!" Sandra stomped her feet.

Alpha Brian left the couch and kissed her on the forehead. Pride oozed into his words as he said, "They cannot possibly start the ceremony without their valedictorian. You've got your speech?"

"Right here." Sandra patted her purse.

Five minutes later, the family made their way out the door. Iris let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding.

She went back to her room to clean up the mess she made. The medicines went into their makeshift cabinet and the books were stacked into the little space under the bed.

Her swollen ankle throbbed from continuous movement. Iris examined the damage which was the result of accidentally burning Amanda's favourite steak.

In fact, Iris was lucky that Amanda was too busy preparing for the graduation surprise to even spare a minute extra on a punishment.

Iris opened a bottle of painkillers and ate three of them dry. The bitter taste blanked her out for approximately ten seconds.

Her face twisted from the bad taste but she'd never hate it for taking her pain away.

Once the pain subsided, she went downstairs to start preparing for dinner.

A lavish dinner party was the dreamed end of the day for Sandra. In her words, she wouldn't like anything more than to sit down with her family to enjoy some quality time.

It was an indirect way to make sure Iris spent the majority of her day in the kitchen. Iris didn't mind.

She got to see the sun in it's full glory from the window. The kitchen countertop and utensils were the only things that ever saw her smile freely.

Grace and Mary left the kitchen, making sure not to touch her, on their way out.

Iris calmly took out the ingredients as if nothing was wrong. Many years of being treated like a plague was enough to make her immune to the treatment.

If Iris was despised before, it got worse after the age of 12, when Iris failed to manifest a wolf. She did have one, at least in her head.

But when every other kid her age was hopping around in their pup form, she could only sit on the sidelines with crushing disappointment.

Iris didn't mind not being able to shift. At least not until her father started to treat her differently too.

His absence and ignorance turned into blatant avoidance. So he didn't know, or didn't care to know why Iris wasn't a part of the graduation ceremony.

Or the fact that she skipped three grades and graduated highschool three years ago. That for the last two years, Iris had been attending a local medicine school on full scholarship.

Amanda and Sandra knew, of course they did. And just like everyone else, they couldn't care less to speak about it.

Iris recited her notes mentally while cooking. Nobody disturbed her until the sun turned orange and started to sink behind the distant peaks.

The car pulled up outside. Iris took off the apron and ran upstairs. Her forehead was covered in sweat and the pain in her ankle doubled by the time she reached up.

She still stopped at the railing. It was one of the places she couldn't be caught while she stared at the happy family. She did it everyday, without fail, after serving breakfast and dinner.

To see the smile grace her father's lips whenever he took a sip of his coffee or compliment the food she made.

Although he didn't know it was Iris, and the words went to the Omegas, it brought a sliver of hope in her heart.

"Mom, he might love me again some day." She would whisper.

Today was no different. Iris couldn't stand with a swollen ankle so she sat down by the railing.

The family came back in high spirits. Sandra's hands were full of colourful flowers and gifts. She set them down and suddenly looked up. Iris caught a knowing smirk thrown in her general direction.

Smiling, Sandra turned to her mother and asked, "Isn't Iris going to join us? It's a special day for her too."

Her name hung awkwardly in the air. Smiles turned a bit forced and her Father covered his face with a newspaper.

Iris stood up with the help of the railing. She wanted to leave before anyone could brush away her name with a careless remark.

"Iris! Are you awake?! Come down for dinner!" Grace hollered from the living room.

Iris quickly stuck her back to the wall, afraid to be seen. She was smart enough to know which call to answer and which to ignore.

"Iris! Come down honey. The food is getting cold!" Amanda yelled.

This time, Iris stopped and gulped. "Coming." Her voice wasn't loud, but it was heard. She made her way downstairs with a heart heavy with nervousness.

Her eyes automatically went to her father sitting at the head of the table. He didn't even look at her.

Sandra and Amanda occupied the chairs on either side of him. Iris touched the chair next to Sandra, only for a stronger hand to intercept her.

"This is my seat." Jason pulled it back harshly.

Iris curled her fingers and moved to another seat. Tension gripped her. The table that was often filled with chatter and laughter, was silent.

Because of her.

Iris kept her head down, trying to not flinch when Mary slapped the food into her plate. Soon, the sound of cutlery hitting the plates took over the silence.

For once, Iris couldn't think of her notes. She stole glances around the table, wondering why she was called to eat with them.

"Iris."

Iris's breath hitched. She looked up and saw her father looking straight at her. His gaze was not focused, but on her nonetheless.

For the first time in many many years, he was looking at her and not something behind her. When he called her name, it sounded new to her ears.

"Papa." She croaked.

"Come to my study once you're done eating." He said, wiped his hands and left the table.

His half finished plate glared at Iris, saying, "He couldn't stomach it in your presence. He's disgusted with you."

Amanda followed right after him. Sandra and Jason also left. The table was empty within minutes.

Iris pursed her lips, nodded although nobody was watching and quietly swallowed the food.

The second floor consisted of bedrooms and a study. Iris knocked on the door, waited for a cold 'come in' and went inside.

Sandra and Amanda were talking and laughing on the couch by the window. Alpha Brian sat behind his chair, watching them with a faint smile.

His smile vanished after Iris entered the study. Sandra walked up to the desk and sat on it's edge. Alpha Brian shifted his files to the other side to make room for her.

"What took you so long?" Sandra pouted, "You kept dad waiting."

"I'm sorry." Iris apologised. It was easier than to explain that her feet were too cold to move outside the door.

"It doesn't matter." He waved a hand dismissively. "There are important matters to be discussed. Iris, you turn 18 in two weeks?"

Iris nodded. Her heart pounded with the possibilities. Was he finally interested in her life?

"It is time for us to start planning for your future. You can not sit around and waste your life like this. I'm not getting any younger and the pack has to fall into capable hands. As the only Alpha blood, it's time for you to take part in the pack responsibilities."

Everything he said went over her head. Iris looked up with unconcealed confusion. The habit of not asking questions or talking, made it harder to speak than ever before.

"Stop going in circles. You're scaring her." Amanda went behind the desk and held his shoulders. Smiling, she turned to Iris and broke the news, "Iris, your dad has found a suitable match for you. James is Alpha Tristan's youngest son. He's handsome and capable, quite a romantic at heart too. You don't have a wolf, which means there is a high chance you don't have a mate. This arrangement was made after taking that into consideration."

Iris stared at her blankly. No mate? James? Alpha's son? Match? Capable and romantic? None of it made sense.

"Iris, are you listening?" Alpha Brian slapped the desk. Iris flinched back in surprise. Her wide eyes, just like her mother's in old pictures, went back to her father.

"Y-Yes. I'm listening." She answered weakly.

"James will be here next week. Be on your best behaviour. This marriage is not just for your future but also for the future of Fire moon pack." He sighed looking at her.

The trace of disappointment disappeared for a moment, replaced by deep sorrow.

"B-But I-I cannot marry now." Iris heard herself speak. It was a voice without backbone, without a stick to hold itself up. It floated and somehow reached it's audience.

Her father, Amanda and Sandra looked at her simultaneously, in disbelief that she spoke against the decision made for her.

"Why?" Alpha Brian questioned harshly. "What's more important than your pack and your future?! All you do is mop around all day! Why can't you accept when someone wants to chose better for you?! Can you stop being a burden on everyone got once?!"

All the reasons, defenses, stopped at her tongue. Iris wanted to say that she had one year left to graduate medical school. If only they could wait one year, she'd marry whoever he wanted and live the life they map for her.

But her voice was exhausted. Confidence left her body like the spirit of the dead, leaving her bones in the chilling grave of her dreams.

Iris pinched her hands together in a mess. The broken skin and callouses made her eyes tear up. The endless days and sleepless nights she invested in her dream became a pressure behind her eyes that refused to settle between the blinks.

Amanda sighed as if she was dealing with a troubled kid and said, "It's the best decision for you Iris. Listen to your father, he is sick and isn't getting better. Your father is simply worried that there will be no one to care for you after him."

"What?"

Sandra joined Amanda. The family of three looked just like the portrait in the hallway, a loving family who shared happiness and joy.

"It's true. Dad is sick and it's getting worse. All he wants is for you to have a helping hand. I'm not Alpha blood, or else this burden wouldn't be yours to carry, Iris." She said sadly.

"What happened -"

"Does it matter to you?!" Her father barked, then immediately started coughing nonstop.

Iris wanted to rush over and do something but her toes curled when Amanda shot her a look. Sandra handed him some water and he thanked her with s smile.

When his gaze landed on Iris again, all he did was ask, "Will you meet James or not? Give me an answer right now so I can decide if I still have you as my daughter or not."

"I-I will." Iris nodded with her head down.

Her agreement sealed her fate. Her fate, which was said to be written by her mother, had taken an unimaginable direction.

Iris went back to her room in a daze. She sat by the desk and stared blankly at the books laid open under the moonlight.

Bottles of pills, packets of herbs, highlighted notes and a recorder for recitation; everything was staring back at her with uncertainty.

Iris took four pills this time. Two for her swollen ankle and two in hope to lessen the pain in her heart as she closed the medical books.

The sound of leather bound books closing and her heart shattering were one of the same. Her dreams morphed into a nightmare, meant to haunt her for the rest of her life for abandoning it.