The Alpha's Healer

02 | Infidelity

The following week, Iris met James for the first time.

It was an elaborate affair, with a table piled up with dishes, the house cleaned two days in advance and a new dress Iris knew she'd never have gotten if not for the occasion.

Iris fisted the front of her mint green dress, eyes down low on her white knuckles as the table clattered with sounds of chatter and cutlery hitting the plates.

Brilliant lights washed their faces but Iris was dazzled into near insanity by them. The golden haired man, a bit older and a smile she'd only seen directed at others, looked at her more times than she could count, but only called her name once.

"You have a unique name." He said from across the table, halting all movements around them as if someone had clicked paused, as her name smoothly rolled off his tongue, "Iris."

Their interaction was cold as dry ice. Amanda threw a disdainful look at Iris from across the table. Iris hung down her chin, took slow bites and did her best to feel the same cheer as them.

James moved in the following week, which effectively spread the news of their engagement in every corner of Fire moon pack.

The response was bleak from what Iris heard from wandering gossip. Nobody cared about the engagement, but James was highly regarded as the man Alpha Brian was about to shape into his successor.

Iris kept herself far from the flames of such topics. She was hated enough without doing anything as it was. If she did or said something, she would only be subjected to more scrutiny.

So whatever went on with the Alpha Brian and James, or even Amanda and Sandra, had little to do with Iris's daily life. It stayed the same, nothing changed.

Days passed and turned into a week. Her birthday brushed past without a stir. There was no cake, no wishes. Iris was so used to it that she didn't even expect it anymore.

However, the ritual she'd built for many years still continued.

Early morning, Iris quietly snuck outside and sat by the flower patch in the backyard for an entire hour, muttering to herself to the dim sun of approaching winter.

Her clothes were soaked with due when she returned, but the smile on her face was unusually radiant. Her bare feet padded over to the kitchen, scooped out a bowl of warm stew and slowly made her way up to the attic.

She nervously finished it, then quickly washed the dishes. Still, Amanda somehow found out that Iris ate before they did. That night, she dragged Iris to the basement and used the thickest rod she had.

Although the night of her birthday ended in dizzy pain, Iris didn't regret acting rebellious for once. She had gained enough courage from her mother earlier that day, even promised to take small steps that would make her happy.

As for the consequences; Iris wasn't brave enough to avoid them, but she had gone through so much pain already, that she wouldn't break from it.

The next morning Iris woke up naturally as always. Her body was sore and heavy as she dragged it to the attic. She showered, erased any traces of last night's punishment and popped four pills.

Nothing less worked anymore.

The bitter tasted melted on her tongue. It was the taste of promised comfort that Iris eventually came to love after many years.

Iris's feet moved towards the kitchen with years worth of muscle memory at work. Like everyday, she had to prepare breakfast for the family, which now included James as well.

Once the sizzling bacon piled high enough and the pancakes cooled, she laid them out on the table and picked up the laundry basket.

It was the weekend, which meant a week worth of laundry was waiting to be collected. Iris went up one floor at the time, knocking on doors.

Amanda opened the door and threw the pile on her face, then slammed it shut without a care. She didn't have to look twice to know who it was.

Iris skipped James' room and knocked on Sandra's, which was on the same floor. She waited a minute before knocking again.

When nobody opened the door, Iris decided to come back later. She turned around, intending to leave, when suddenly the door swung open behind her.

"I'm here to collect laundry -"

"Who wakes up at six on a weekend?"

The voice fell smooth as silk, still tinged with unfinished sleep and cozy dreams. Iris paused, then turned around to face James.

His blonde hair ruffled with sleep was sticking out in different directions. Iris's eyes fell on his bare chest, then the loose fit sweatpants hanging low on his waist.

Iris didn't know how to react. Not because James was half naked, but the fact that he came out this way from her step sister's room.

Silence hung low and heavy between them. James opened his mouth to speak, only got his breath to freeze when a pair of well manicured hands circled around his midsection.

"Hm? why are you standing here? Come back in. I'm so cold." Sandra's whiny tone fell on their ears.

The half full basket of clothes fell out of her grip. Sandra poked her head up and smiled, not surprised to see Iris. An intentional glint appeared in her eyes as she gasped, "Oh no, Iris, this isn't what it looks like!"

Mary, who was on cleaning duty this weekend, happened to pass by just then. She saw the exact same thing as Iris, but her shock was far less, almost non-existent, compared to Iris.

It told her everything she needed to know. Iris suppressed the ache in her heart, lowered her face red with humiliation, picked up the fallen basket and left like none of it mattered.

"Iris -"

James' call was cut short by a slam of the door. Iris didn't look back.

However, the first thing she did after returning from the laundry room was to see her father in his study. She knocked on the door, waited, and walked in when he answered.

He glanced up, saw her and lowered his head again. Iris caught a trace of disappointment in his eyes.

"What is it?" He snapped.

"Papa." Iris drew a deep breath and told him about the scene she witnessed earlier.

Iris had been subjected to all kinds of humiliation within her own house, by her own so called family members. Neglect and punishments were an everyday occurance.

However, for a man who recently entered her life to be able to do something so disrespectful did not sit well. Her cowardly heart couldn't take it.

Iris came to him with a clear head. With stuttering speech, she laid down her intentions bare before her father's scrutiny.

James and Iris did not share any feelings, bound only by a sense of duty, forced by their responsibility. If Sandra and James liked each other, then Iris wanted to save herself the last bit of dignity and step aside while there was time.

Her voice was a mere whisper. It echoed loud against the silence clinging to the walls. The clock behind his chair ticked in sync with her heart. She glued her dim eyes to the floor, waiting for her father's verdict on this with a breath held tight in her lungs.

"Ah, you're already here?"