544: THE CHAOTIC MORNING

THE CHAOTIC MORNING

"Is it wrong for me to think like that?" Iris asked him, she stared at her mate, she was afraid he would see her differently, yet Cane didn't seem to be bothered by her revelation and caressed her head lovingly. 

"I used to wish a few horrendous things will happen to my enemy, Iris. Do you think it's wrong for me to think to hurt people, who has hurt me?" Cane asked her back, knowing what was in her mind. Iris was always be the one, who talked about her feeling and what was in her mind and this gave an example for Cane that it was alright to be vulnerable with each other. 

"No…" Iris replied after some contemplation. 

"Then there is nothing wrong with you, Iris. We are a living being with a lot of emotions not a puppet without feeling. Hatred, love, jealousy and whatnot are just part of the fact that we feel something and that's a good thing." Cane leaned over and kissed her lips, he nibbled a little bit longer, while Iris liked it when he kissed her and he did often nowadays. "You need to start worry if you don't feel anything and it will be even strange if you don't hate people, who had hurt you to such extent."

Iris pulled away and stared at Cane, her expression was serious, but she looked adorable in his eyes. "Don't you think I became a little bit… evil?"

Cane chuckled.  "I still remember what you said."

"What?" Iris tilted her head. 

"'Being close to such a dark influence, blackens me too.'" Cane quoted the thing she said in the past and it surprised Iris that he still remembered it. "If you became a little bit evil, then it must be because I am the one, who rubs it on you."

Iris scrunched her nose, but she felt easier now she talked with him. Cane always found a way to make her felt better, whether it was through his action or words. 

"Sleep, Iris. We are going to have a long journey tomorrow." Cane pressed Iris's head against her chest and hugged her to sleep. 

Iris snuggled closer to him. No matter how close they were, it felt like it was not enough. They wanted to be closer than this. 

A small smile tugged on the corner of Iris's lips, as she heard how strong Cane's heart was beating. She felt so blissful to be able to hear that, as the sound of it lulled her to sleep. 

The night went quietly and when the morning came, the first thing Iris saw was Aliana, who was smiling at her playfully. 

"Good morning!" She said loudly, which made Iris frowned and stared at the other side of the bed, but Cane had gone. "The alpha has been up two hours ago and he said to let you sleep, not to wake you up."

Iris rubbed her eyes and yawned. "You have been here for two hours?"

"Yes. The alpha asked someone to wake me up in the very early morning," Aliana grimaced, she felt like Cane did that as a punishment for taking Iris to the tavern, though it was pretty mild punishment compared to what the other got. 

"What are you doing for two hours?" Iris widened her eyes. She felt a little bit off to know someone stared at her while she was sleeping. 

"Trying not to fall asleep," Aliana replied bitterly. 

Meanwhile, Cane was in his study room. He needed to take care a few things before he left for the Silver River pack. Because there were so many warriors that had died during the battle, he had arranged for the warrior from the Riverside pack to be in the Howling Wolf pack and helped to guard the territory. 

Somehow, there was no monster attack and it was probably because of the lycan. 

Cane figured out the lycan could control the monster, but then he still couldn't understand why there was a monster attack during one of the new moons when they were still in the Blue Moon pack, where it could put Iris in danger and why the lycan did not simply command the monsters to back off. 

Lu didn't talk to him anymore, he laid dormant and refused to say anything, unless he let him out, which would never happen if it was up to Cane to decide. 

There was a knock on the door and Cane told the other person to enter the room. It was Jace with a young girl around the age of seventeen. She looked flustered and warry to be in the presence of the alpha. 

"G- good morning, alpha," Carla said in small voice, she didn't dare to look at the alpha in the eyes, because of how domineering he was. 

"Is that the girl you mentioned before?" Cane asked Jace. 

"Yes. She is young, but she is a quick learner, she used to work under Aliana and take care of the orphanage," Jace replied. There was this slight frown between his brows when he spoke again. "Are you sure, you are going to do this?"

Cane didn't answer that question, but instead he gave an order. "Bring Kaz here."

It didn't take long before the head of the steward entered the study room. He looked a little bit better, though he was still trying to wrap his head around the idea that it was the luna, who had asked for his freedom and not the alpha, who had forgiven him. 

"Alpha…" Kaz called Cane politely, he had his head hung low, but he glanced at Carla. What she was doing here?

People knew Carla as someone, who worked with Aliana in the orphanage, but aside from that, they didn't really know this young girl, as she didn't really socialize with people in the pack house. 

Carla had a small and round face with her black hair tied up into a simple bun on top of her head. She had freckles on her nose and cheekbones, which made her looked lovely.  2

"I don't have time for a long explanation." Cane started, he stood up from his seat and then walked toward them. He stared at Kaz and the head of the steward lowered his head, afraid. There was something different with the way Cane looked at him. 

The alpha almost felt like he was suppressing his wrath. 

"Kaz, you are going to teach Carla everything that you know about your job and after six months you can retire. Jace will supervise the progress and I hope, you will not mess this one up. This will be my last order for you."

Kaz and Carla were shocked to hear the decision, but Kaz was the one, who wailed his complain. "Alpha! I still can work for another decade! Why do you want me to retire?!"

Cane raised his hand to tell Kaz to stop complaining and direct his gaze toward Carla. Kaz wanted to intervene and continue with his grievances, but he didn't dare. 

"Will you take the responsibility and learn quickly how to take care of the pack house?" 

It shouldn't be hard for Carla to learn how to take care of the pack house when she used to take care of the orphanage. 

"Yes, alpha," Carla replied hastily. She was not sure whether she had a choice to say 'no', but agreed to the alpha was the right thing to do at this moment. More so, how could she turn down a direct order from the alpha when she didn't even have a courage to look at him in the eyes and trembled in his presence?

"Good." Cane nodded. "Jace, you can show her, her room in the pack house."

Now the orphanage was managed by Hanna and Will, Carla could fill another role to contribute for the pack. More so, it was some kind of promotion for her to be able to manage the pack house, despite her young age. 

"Come with me," Jace said to Carla, leaving Cane and Kaz alone. 

"Alpha, can you tell me what I have done so wrong until you kicked me away?" Kaz had tears in his eyes when he spoke, his voice was hoarse and he felt like someone just punched him in the guts. 

"I don't kick you away, I have a nice house outside of the pack house prepared for you." Cane walked toward Kaz. "I thank you for what you have done for the pack, but it's time for you to quit."

"Alpha!" Kaz fell to the ground. He had been taking care of the pack house for almost his whole life and it was something he was proud of, this was part of his life, thus when it was taken from him and he needed to live by letting someone filled his role, the feeling was way worse than when the alpha sent him to spend days in the dungeon. "If this is something that I have done to luna Iris, I will apologize to her. I will make it up with her. I will do anything to make her comfortable!"

Cane stared at Kaz, while he rambled about all the right thing he was going to do, but the more he didn't get any reaction, the more he realized, it was a futile attempt to convince the alpha to change his decision. 

"You disappointed me so much, Kaz, to the point I don't want to look at you," Cane finally spoke, once Kaz stopped and his words were akin to a dagger that was stabbed to his heart.

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