Iris:
After he left for his room, my mother arrived and dragged me out, along with Scarlett. Once the babies weren't alone, Scarlett acted as my mother's assistant. She was basically a spy, and I had to tolerate her because of my mother.
I had been crying outside the door for I don't know how long until my mother showed up and took me away.
"I can't believe I came home without them," I said, pacing around the living room in panic.
"Well, they were going to take custody of the children from you if you hadn't left," my mother explained, tossing her purse on the couch and tapping her chin.
"Then what? Am I not going to do anything? Sit here and watch my babies suffer there?" I cried into my hands, dropping to my knees.
Scarlett rushed over with a glass of water, but I didn't take it. Nothing could go down my throat anymore. I had too many thoughts circling my mind—those evil people torturing my children.
If only I had an active lycan, I would have fought a war against everyone.
"What Walkin told me about the deal he offered you—what's wrong with you accepting it?" my mother snapped.
I lowered my hands from my face and looked up at her in disbelief.
"You want me to go stay there in the guest room? The same punishment I refused before? And now things are even worse because I hate that loser," I yelled at her.
My mother shook her head and went to sit on the couch, crossing one leg over the other and tapping her fingers on the armrest.
"Iris, this is your only chance to be with your children. Besides, it will help us with our plan too. The more he gets to know the children, the more he'll love them, and the more willing he'll be to help his child with his sickness," she said, folding her arms across her chest.
I just stared at her, anger filling my veins.
"I wish I wasn't born from you," I hissed.
She rolled her eyes and waved her fingers for Scarlett to bring her a glass of wine. No wonder she never cherished her children's childhood. She didn't deserve to be a mother.
Meanwhile, I was falling apart, losing my mind at the thought of what might happen to my children in my absence.
So I decided I wasn't going to sit here crying on the floor. I'd go back to the mansion and knock on the door until either my hands bled or he let my children out.
But just as I stood up, I noticed my mother's phone ringing. She answered it, and from the way she shifted in her seat, it seemed urgent.
"Oh, okay, then we'll be there," my mother said, looking at me. I instantly knew it had something to do with my children.
Once she ended the call, I rushed over, sat on the couch, and faced her.
"What was it? Was it Kash?" I asked.
She pouted, took a deep breath, and sipped from her drink.
"He has involved the council, and they've asked you to come and talk about the children and their custody," my mother informed softly. But I could already see the desperation and defeat in her eyes, and it broke me.
I began to shake with panic. That couldn't be good. Kash is the Alpha King of the South, West and North. He had far too much power, and I am nothing but a rogue in their eyes. I was never going to win. There was no way.
"You did this to me," I said to my mother, getting up while she tried to hold my hand.
"No, don't fucking touch me. You did this to me. You knew he would take away my babies. You knew this would happen, and you forced me here. I fucking hate you all."
I ran my hands through my hair, tears falling from my eyes.
"If you act wisely, the kids will be with us in no time," she hissed, getting up from the couch and throwing her glass onto the floor. "All you have to do is accept his deal. Is that too much to ask for your children?" she grunted.
"Oh, you fucking don't tell me how much I should be willing to do for my children!" I yelled back at her, wiping my tears with the back of my hand.
"Let's go. I'll speak with the council myself," I hissed, deciding I wasn't going to back down. He couldn't scare me. Kash might have had all the power in the world, but a mother deserves to be with her children. Nobody—nobody—is allowed to take children away from their mother.
Within five minutes, we were back in the car, heading to the mansion. At least I was glad I'd get to see my children.
When we arrived, it seemed like his family wasn't allowed to be part of this conversation. We were taken straight to Kash's study, his meeting room in the mansion. He was already there with the council members, but there was no sign of my children.
As soon as I entered, I looked around and turned to Kash.
"Where are my babies?" I yelled.
The three council members already looked upset. Two old men and one old woman, I remembered them vividly. They were just Kash's puppets.
"They're in my room, resting," Kash stated, making my brows furrow.
"They don't rest at this time. What did you do to them?" I yelled.
As soon as I moved toward him, Walkin stepped in the way, spreading his arm to stop me from getting close to Kash.
"We can already tell that she's unhinged," Council Member Danial said, shaking his head and pouting, as if my anger wasn't justified.
"She's just hysterical because her children have been taken away from her," my mother snapped, much calmer than I was. Of course, because she wasn't the one panicking.
"And you must be?" Daniel asked my mother, who sat on the couch like she was the queen of the room.
Kash sat behind the big table, rolling slightly in his seat. His deadpan stare on me made me so uncomfortable and angry. He didn't have a single ounce of shame on his face.
"I am Iris's mother. And before you ask where I've been all these years, I lived in the woods. I was a rogue, and I helped my daughter grow up and become a confident woman, all on her own," my mother explained daintily.
I bet she thought that because they were listening to her, she was suddenly important.
"Anyway," council member Sofia spoke up, holding a cup of coffee close to her lips and sipping loudly, "your daughter ran away from her husband in the past while she was carrying his pups. Did you not teach her the basics—like maybe talk to her husband before running away?"
"Well, I wasn't aware of the history between her and the Alpha King. Actually, I just found out from his royal beta that the two had dated, were fated mates, and then got married. So it was a surprise for me as well. But then I asked my daughter why she ran away, and she told me the heartbreaking story of the betrayal her husband committed," my mother said, gesturing for me to sit.
I moved closer and sat down beside her, only because I didn't want to seem unhinged and risk losing my children completely.
Now my eyes were on the council members. I wanted to see what they would say if I had gone to them with a complaint about my husband cheating on me.
And I was so disappointed when they answered.
"So what? He is an Alpha King, and not just of the North, West and South, but of the West too. So what if he wants two mates? He can surely take care of them. He deserves more comfort than a rogue can give him," Sofia finished.
I turned my head toward Kash, who smiled, letting me know that he would never feel guilty. Because everyone agreed with him. Because everyone believed he had the right to have another mate.