CHAPTER 51: SHE’S HAVING A SEIZURE!

Iris’s POV

As Amelia and I reached the outsketch of the pack territory, the small house where madam Elara, Amelia’s mother lived, we approached and were now standing in front of the door.

Amelia knocked as usual as we waited but no answer came as she knocked again, harder this time. "Mom?" she called softly but no response still. I stepped to the side, pressing my face against the little space on the window. The curtains were parted just enough for me to peek inside, and what I saw made my heart lurch.

Elara was on the floor, her body convulsing violently. Her dark hair was splayed across in a messy look, some covering her face, and her face was contorted in pain, her eyes squeezed shut as she struggled. There was a pot on the stove, boiling relentlessly as I realized she was probably making a meal before this seizure struck her.

"Amelia!" I gasped, grabbing her arm. "She’s on the floor, she’s having a seizure!"

We didn’t hesitate as we pushed the door open forcefully and approached her. Amelia dropped to her knees beside her mother, her hands hovering over Elara’s trembling body. "Mom, hold on, I’m here," she called, her voice breaking as if she’s trying not to let those tears drop. I knelt beside her too, my heart pounding as I tried to recall what little I knew about seizures. I knew nothing, absolutely nothing as fear gripped me, afraid at the scene unfolding before me.

"Her medicine!" Amelia called out, her voice filled with urgency. "It’s in the room cabinet in a small orange bottle, top shelf!"

I scrambled to my feet, nearly tripping over a chair as I darted to the room. In there, was cluttered with towels and clothes as it draped haphazardly on the bed and chair but I found the cabinet and yanked it open. My fingers fumbled through bottles of painkillers until I spotted the orange prescription bottle labeled Diazepam. I grabbed it and a glass of water from the sink, rushing back to the kitchen.

Amelia had propped Elara’s head on a folded dish towel, her hands gently holding her mother’s shoulders to keep her from thrashing against the hard floor. "It’s okay, Mom, we’ve got you," she murmured, though her voice trembled. I dropped to my knees, twisting the cap off the bottle and shaking out a small white pill. Unfortunately, it was remaining only 2 tablets.

"How do we get her to take it?" I asked, my hands shaking as I held one of the pill. Elara’s convulsions were slowing, but her body still twitched, her breathing ragged.

"Wait for it to pass," Amelia said, her eyes fixed on her mother’s face. "She’s almost through it. We can’t force it down while she’s like this."

Seconds stretched into eternity as we waited, the only sounds in the room was Elara’s struggling breathing and the faint hiss of the stew on the stove. I reached over and turned off the burner. Finally, Elara’s body returned to normal. Her eyes fluttered open. She looked weak but conscious.

"Mom, can you swallow?" Amelia asked. Elara gave a weak nod. I handed Amelia the pill, and she gently placed it in her mother’s mouth, tilting the glass of water to her lips. Elara swallowed with effort.

"Let’s get her to the bed," I said, slipping my arms under Elara’s shoulders. Together, we carefully lifted her. We guided her to the small bedroom just off the kitchen, easing her onto the worn quilt that covered the bed. Elara’s eyes were half-lidded, but she reached for Amelia’s hand, squeezing it weakly.

"I’m okay," she sounded weak, her voice barely above a whisper as her eyes formed tears. "Just... tired." She added.

Amelia forced a smile. "You scared me, Mom."

Elara’s lips curved faintly into a weak smile as those tears spilled and she turned her gaze to me. Before I could say anything, she reached out, pulling me into a weak but warm hug. "Iris, my sweet girl," she called, her voice filled with emotion. She hugged Amelia next as she held us close. "My girls."

We sat there for a moment. Elara looked so much frailer than the last time I’d seen her, as if the sickness was eating her up.

"I’m not long for this world," Elara said suddenly. "My health... it’s failing me. But you two..." She gripped our hands, her fingers cold. "You must promise to always love each other. No matter what happens, don’t let anything come between you." She looked up to Amelia. "You are the older one. The moon goddess has given you a little sister to love and care for. Don’t fail to protect her." She added.

Her words hit me, stirring memories of the recent tension between Amelia and me, the argument over Lucas being punished because of me, the sudden distance that had crept between us. Trying not to dwell in the past, I pushed the guilt aside, nodding as tears pricked my eyes. "We will. I promise." I replied, wiping the flowing tears from her eyes.

Amelia wiped her own tears too, but she didn’t speak, just squeezed her mother’s hand tighter with care. I stood. "I’ll get you something to eat," I said, needing to do something to keep my hands busy, to keep my mind from dwelling on my thoughts.

In the kitchen, I found the pot of stew. It was still warm and was already cooked, so I ladled a small portion into a bowl, grabbing a spoon before returning to the bedroom. Elara sat up slightly, propped against the pillows, and I fed her small spoonfuls, her hands too shaky to hold the spoon herself.

After she’d eaten, Elara reached under her pillow, pulling out a strange black rope. It looked old, with intricate knots woven into it. She took a small knife from the bedside table and carefully cut it in two. "This was my mother’s," she said. "She said it would protect the wearer from harm and I’d worn it all my life."

She tied one piece around my wrist, her fingers trembling as she knotted it securely. And then tied the other piece around Amelia’s wrist. "Keep these with you always," she said. "They’ll keep you safe."

Tears poured from my eyes as I hugged her tightly, whispering, "Nothing’s going to happen to you, mother. We’ll make enough money to get you the best treatment. You’ll be okay."

Amelia glanced at the clock on the wall as her words shattered the moment. "It’s six already," she said. "Iris, you need to get back to the pack house before anyone notices you’re gone. Cover for me, I’ll stay until Mom’s strong enough to manage on her own."

I hesitated, my heart aching at the thought of leaving Elara like this. "I don’t want to go," I said, wiping my tears. I’d lost my parents whom I love so much and now, the fear in me intensified, afraid that I was about to lose Elara too. I just want to be with her, especially this time.

"Iris, please," Amelia insisted, her eyes pleading. "I’ll be back in a few hours. Just go."

I nodded reluctantly, wiping my eyes. Elara reached for me, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. "Take care of yourself, sweet girl," she whispered. Amelia hugged me too, and I left. Hurrying back to the pack house before it’s fully dawn.

Reaching the pack house, the central courtyard was filled with everyone, low-ranking werewolves, high-ranking officials, everyone gathered in a buzzing crowd.

Alpha Darius stood from his throne as he addressed. "Today is a momentous day!" he declared. "The mating ceremony of the triplets and Liora, blessed by the full moon, will unite our pack with Alpha Trent’s! my brother."

The crowd erupted in cheers, and my eyes landed on the triplets, Cade, Zane, and Kael seated beside Liora, who looked beautiful in their royal outfits. Alpha Trent, her father, sat proudly nearby as I remembered what today was. Today by 12 midnight was the full moon and as said in the last full moon, today was the mating ceremony. My stomach churned as I watched Cade step forward, his gaze locking onto mine where I stood. Then his voice came suddenly.

"In other to make this union blessed, I’ll love to publicly reject Iris as my mate." His words were followed by calmness. And then he continued. "I, Cade Darius, hereby reject Iris as my mate," Zane followed, his eyes hard as they locked on me. "I, Zane, reject Iris as my mate. I do not wish to have an outcast as my mate." Kael was last, his expression unreadable. He stepped forward as those words left his lips freely. "I, Kael, reject Iris as my mate."

Their words hit me, pain searing through my chest as I clutched to my chest, wincing. Tears streamed down my face. Boldly, I wiped my tears as I stepped forward, my voice loud enough to be heard as i replied. "I, Iris Oron, accept your rejection."

The moment the words left my lips, my knees felt weak as a surge of power roared through me, my vision blurring as the crowd’s murmurs grew louder. My bones began to snap and in no time, I collapsed unconscious to the ground into the form of a massive white wolf. Gasps rippled through the crowd as one of the oldest elders called out. "She’s the Mother of Wolves" his words were followed with a loud unbelievable gasp among the pack.

Overwhelmed by their voices, my wolf instinct kicked off as I turned and sprinted into the nearby forest.