Chapter 30

Iris

To my surprise, Arthur doesn’t reach out for the remainder of the week. I’m not entirely sure if he’s actually choosing to let me go or if he’s simply giving me space, but whatever it is, I’ll take it.

In the meantime, I consider my living situation here in Ordan.

Miles and I love it here, truly. Even just in the short amount of time that we’ve been here, Miles has been happier than ever. I’m already considering a nice school in our neighborhood, and city life suits us much more than the quiet, coastal life that Bo’Arrocan offers.

If we stay, my art career might also thrive more than it ever did in Bo’Arrocan. Ordan has always been big on the arts, and there are a lot more opportunities here in general since it’s a bigger city.

But of course, there’s the obvious: Arthur.

Not only do I run the risk of seeing him while living here in Ordan—not just in person but also having to see his face plastered across every television, poster, and billboard—but there’s also the risk of being recognized myself.

Now that word has begun to spread that the Alpha President of Ordan has a human mate, I’m at a much higher risk of being seen. And if people find out that Arthur not only has a human mate but a son with said human mate while he’s supposed to be marrying Selina, then it will only make matters worse.

For Miles’ sake, I don’t want that to happen. Having to face public scrutiny is bad enough for me, but I’d never wish that sort of thing upon my son. They’ll eat him alive.

I do know, though, that Arthur also values Miles’ safety and happiness. He won’t want Miles to be recognized either. But Alpha males are also… intense when it comes to their mates.

Arthur has already proven multiple times just how far he’s willing to go for my attention. He won’t let go easily, and there’s a good chance he’ll keep trying to initiate contact between us as long as I live here, at the risk of all three of us being found out.

I don’t blame him entirely, of course. It’s just in his nature—werewolves are already intensely attracted to their mates to begin with, and Alphas not only have powerful genetics that make them even more so, but they’re also systematically raised in this society to dominate and take what’s ‘theirs’.

So of course, as long as I’m living in Ordan, there’s a risk that Miles and I will be discovered simply due to Arthur’s insistence on seeing us. I’m not sure if that’s a risk I’m willing to take, mostly for fear of the backlash.

After all, I meant it when I told Arthur that I won’t allow myself to be viewed as the human homewrecker. Humans are already looked down upon, even though our society has improved its social structure in recent decades.

Once, humans were literally at the bottom of the food chain, treated like lesser beings simply for our lack of wolves. Things are far better now, and we have equal rights pretty much across the board, but many werewolves still view us as inferior.

Being a human homewrecker, to the Alpha President no less, is just a recipe for disaster.

However, the most obvious course of action—leaving Ordan—would hurt Miles greatly. I don’t want to uproot him again, and furthermore, he keeps asking about Arthur. He’s clearly imprinted on him, and the thought of never letting him see his father again—especially now that I know the truth about what happened—breaks my heart.

For a while, I consider remaining in Ordan but backing out of the patronage contract. At least then I won’t be under Arthur’s thumb financially, and can move on in that regard. But then I’d potentially be without a steady income, which would be just as bad.

Over the following week, I spend almost all of my waking hours considering my options, not sure what to do. My constant stress impacts my artwork, making it hard to complete any pieces that aren’t jumbled and sloppy.

On Friday, I make my way to Marsiel Gallery with my newest piece in tow. My fears are solidified when the curator, Alice, furrows her brow as she looks at the piece.

It’s a confusing mess of lines and colors, and everything blurs together into a muddy brown slop at the center. It was supposed to be an image of bloody strawberries on top of waffles, but it doesn’t even look remotely edible.

“Iris,” Alice says, turning to me, “no offense, but… Are you alright? This is…” Her voice trails off.

I swallow hard. “Not my best work, is it?”

“No, it’s not. Is something going on? You know you can talk to me…”

Her concern is touching, but I shake my head, gathering my art. I make some excuse and promise to bring her something better as soon as I can, and leave the gallery with my proverbial tail tucked between my legs.

I’m barely out the door before a voice catches my attention.

“You! Hey, you! Are you the human mate of the Alpha President? Is it true that you have a son? What’s his name?”

Shit.

Slowly, I turn to see a woman with a wild look plastered across her face rushing toward me. She recognizes me. And somehow, she knows about Miles.

Cursing under my breath, I turn around only to find that two other people have noticed the disruption, and are moving toward me as well. “You have a son together?!” one of them shouts. I can’t tell if they’re happy or furious. “When was he conceived?”

“Not while our President and Lady Selina were together, I hope,” another adds, curling his lip angrily.

The first woman moves forward, breathless. “Is the boy a human or a werewolf? I hope he’s a werewolf, because if he’s a human—”

Suddenly, Brian’s car comes screeching up to the curb. I don’t hesitate for so much as a moment before I quickly jump into the passenger side, instructing him to drive away. He peels away from the curb just as more people are running up to the car, and only once they’re out of sight do I let out a breath of terrified relief.

“I think I need to leave,” I blurt out. “For good. Moving here was a mistake. They know about Miles.”

Brian looks concerned, but this isn’t new to him. He’s been my sounding board over the past week, listening to all of my struggles and offering insight whenever possible.

“Like I said,” he says gently, “Liam and I are heading back to Bo’Arrocan in a week’s time. If you really don’t want to be here anymore, you know you’re welcome to come with us. And live with us, if you need a place to crash until you find a new apartment.”

I nod, recalling as such. Brian and Liam typically split their time between the two countries, coming here for the summer and then returning to Bo’Arrocan in the fall, with a few visits in between. I could return with them. At least then Miles and I wouldn’t be making the journey on our own.

“Fuck it,” I whisper, shaking my head. “I can’t risk people finding out about Miles. They’ll never let it go.”

Brian doesn’t argue, because he knows it’s true. I’ve only been here with Miles for a few weeks, and already people are learning of his existence. This was never what I wanted, and it’s going to turn dangerous all too quickly. I can’t let my son live in fear, even if it means uprooting our new lives and starting over again.

I clench my jaw and slip out my phone, sending a quick email to my old landlord. A couple hours later, I receive an email back, stating that my old place is still available and that I’m welcome to return.

Without thinking twice, I quickly begin to make arrangements to leave. I know it’s going to be tough, and I’ll be in a bit of a financial bind having to pull out of the patronage and pay the fees to my Ordan landlady for moving out before the lease is up, but I don’t care.

I need to get out of here. If people already know about Miles, then it’s for the best.

But when I tell Miles that we’re moving, he… doesn’t take it well. He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t throw a tantrum, just… goes silent, tears streaming down his cheeks, and goes to his room.

Seeing him go nonverbal for the first time in over a year breaks my heart. He hasn’t gotten this bad in so long, and it feels like it’s all my fault.

But I know he’ll get over it, heal with time. And someday, when he’s older, he’ll understand why I had to make this decision.

After all, it’s for his own good.