"Where am I?" Iris looked at her surroundings; trees surrounded her. She slowly began to walk forward, and it was the same endless trees and bushes; that's when she realized she was in some forest. Looking down, Iris also noticed that she was wearing a long-sleeved white dress that touched the grassy ground. However, she was barefoot. It was strange that she could feel the cold ground since she wasn't wearing footwear.
"Iris."
She stood still and looked around; there was nothing but trees. "Hello!? Who's there!?"
There was no answer, so she kept walking until she found something or someone. "Iris."
"Who's there!? What do you want!?" Iris felt nervous, but when hearing the voice, it sounded feminine. As the young woman was about to continue walking, she felt a presence behind her. Iris slowly turned around, and behind her was a young woman who looked to be in her late twenties to early thirties. The young woman was slightly taller than Iris. Her bright blonde hair was long and wavy, which touched the tip of her hips. Her eyes were light blue, like the ocean. Her skin was warm ivory with a couple of freckles on her face, chest, and shoulders. Her body was slim; her hips were slightly plump. It couldn't be denied that the young woman was beautiful; it almost made Iris somewhat jealous of her beauty. "Who are you?"
The young stood still as her eyes never wavered from Iris. Suddenly, a lovely smile was plastered on her lips. She then pointed toward Iris, but it wasn't entirely on her; instead, it was behind her. Iris felt a warm feeling on her neck; it felt like breathing. Iris wanted to run, fearing to see what was behind her, but the woman didn't look afraid since she was still smiling. Gathering her courage, Iris slowly turned around. Her eyes widened when she saw a wolf with dark brown fur with golden eyes. "Wh-What?"
The wolf stood before her and didn't move or growl at her. Its golden eyes never left her, but then he motioned his head closer to her, so close that its nose touched her neck. The wolf groaned softly and motioned its head down to her. Iris hesitated to move, but the wolf didn't cause harm; it seemed harmless. She slowly motioned out her hand and touched the wolf in the head, earning her a soft groan. While petting the wolf, the woman appeared before her and stood beside her. Iris yelped and almost fell from the shock. "You both are in danger. Take care of each other."
"Gah!" Iris woke up and sat up from her bed, looking around her surroundings; she was in her room. It was still dark outside with a hint of light from the outside. When she looked at her phone, it was 4:45 a.m. "What a dream, but it felt so real." Iris still sat on her bed and heard Jessica's soft snoring. The dream made her think of many questions, but she felt that her stress could have been the cause of it. Iris then got her phone and looked at the message her sister, Brianna, had sent her. Jessica didn't want her to text Brianna or even consider meeting up.
Iris felt the same; anger, betrayal, and hurt boiled up when reading the message, but then all that changed. Strangely, the emotions wore off. She slowly realized that it would always be an endless battle with her sister if she decided to run away and ignore her. When Iris agreed to meet with her sister, Jessica was livid, but her mind was made up. "Sure, but you will come alone. If Mom and Dad come with you, then I will immediately leave. It's between the two of us." That was the message that Iris sent to Brianna; it was then decided that they would meet at Tierra Mia, which was close to both of them, after lunchtime. "Is what I am doing the right thing? I don't even know anymore."
She sat on her bed for another ten minutes until she decided to walk around the area. Iris exited the bed, dressed in dark jeans, a pink turtle shirt, a black jacket, and black tennis shoes. After doing her hair, she quietly left her room and apartment. The air has been cold since fall, and winter is coming. A few light posts gave some light to the surroundings, but it was slightly dark. That was when a small path to the forest was noticed. "I guess I will take a quick walk there."
The young woman walked toward the nicely made path into the forest. So many thoughts came to her, but she couldn't deny that she was nervous to see her sister again. The image of Brianna wanted to make Iris gag. As she walked, a cool breeze went by, easing her stress. As she walked by the end of the path and was about to turn, she heard a noise. Iris stopped as she looked around, and then it hit her. "It-It was like my dream." Her body trembled, and she began to walk faster toward the apartment complex.
Suddenly, she accidentally tripped on a rock, making her fall. She yelped, and just when she was about to stand, she heard walking noises that sounded like they were coming toward her. Iris stood up, and that was when she noticed the being hiding behind some trees. A gasp escaped her lips; it was the same wolf from her dreams. The wolf looked like a giant, and Iris felt it could swallow her whole. "Pl-Please don't hurt me." The wolf did not move from its place and eventually left its hiding spot to show itself fully. "I've seen you in the dream I had. Y-You're harmless, right?"
The wolf stopped midway, creating distance between it and Iris. The wolf groaned quickly and then motioned down its head as if telling Iris she would not be harmed. Iris was shocked and didn't know whether to stay or run. Her fear and nervousness eventually faded when the wolf didn't move or indicate that it meant harm. She gathered her courage and slowly made her way toward the wolf. When getting in front of it, Iris slowly motioned out her hand to touch the wolf's head.
Her hand finally touched the wolf's fur, which was soft and warm. Strangely, the wolf's fur held warmth, especially on a cold morning. The wolf let out a soft groan and enjoyed her touch. Then, Iris stopped petting it. "Y-You are no ordinary wolf, are you? Maybe we will see each other again." The young woman began to run back toward the apartment complex while the wolf watched.
The wolf then turned into its human form. "Well, that went well. She didn't fear me." Maverick watched as his mate made it back to the apartment. "When we meet each other again, I will finally come clean."
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