Maverick cried and yelled in pain as he held Iris in his arms. "IRIS, MY LOVE! PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYES!" He felt that her pulse was still going but very faint. Everyone was in shock at everything that unfolded. Laura and Rickon kept the boys as far from sight as possible. However, Rickon ordered one of the pack members to take the boys back to the pack and to one of the pack's daycare workers.
Waylen refused to go, but Matthias and Laura didn't have it; they told Waylen to listen or there would be consequences. Waylen flinched but knew it was best not to upset his parents even more. He heard Maverick's cries for Iris, and he knew something was wrong, but he didn't know what. He noticed Asher looked distressed, and Waylen patted him on the head. "It's okay, Asher. We will go home and everything will be okay." The pack member held onto the boys and immediately went toward the pack's location.
Once it was ensured that the boys were away, Matthias and Laura ran to Maverick, who was nude. Matthias tried to see Iris's wound, but Maverick held her close to him; his eyes were turning pitch black. When Matthias was about to ask his Beta to see Iris, Xenon walked towards them. His face was expressionless, but when Matthias and Laura looked at him, they knew he was in shock. Xenon lost his son, a son who killed many innocent lives. The couple thought Xenon would go insane, but it was the latter.
Xenon did nothing. He knelt before Maverick, who cried for Iris, feeling he would lose her. "Beta Maverick, please allow me to see the wound. I have to ensure what bullets were used." When Maverick didn't listen, Xenon slowly touched Maverick's right shoulder. "If you don't, then she will die. Please."
Maverick trembled, but he slowly showed the older man the wound. Xenon looked at the wound, and to his concern, the bullet wasn't seen. "As I feared, he used one of our deadly bullets. It is a poisonous bullet that is harmful to humans and werewolves; when it makes contact with the body, it immediately dissolves. It's to ensure that the target dies if the bullet misses the target point."
"D-Do you have the antidote!?" asked Laura.
"The bullet is fairly new, and we don't have the antidote yet. I-I'm sorry..."
When Xenon said there was no hope, Maverick felt he would go insane from despair. He was going to lose Iris like he lost Ofelia. What was the point of living if he lost his second chance, mate? "Maverick, take her to Priestess Hecate! The pack's doctors may not have the cure, but she knows more about magic and healing techniques than modern medicine! It's her only chance!" said Matthias.
Maverick's eyes widened when he thought of Hecate. The Priestess knew how to do many things since she was usually in contact with the Moon Goddess. He stood up as he carried Iris. When he stood, Laura and Jessica shielded their eyes since Maverick was still nude. Xenon also noticed and took off his jacket and top-layer shirt. "You could use the shirt and jacket to cover yourself. I'm sorry we don't have enough." He then assisted Maverick with the tying to cover his privates. When done, Maverick thanked him and returned to the pack's central location. He ran so fast that the wind made cuts in his skin. He didn't care; he only cared about getting Iris to Hecate.
The trip felt like an eternity, but Maverick eventually made it. Before the Beta was about to break down the door, Hecate opened the door; she had an unreadable expression. "I had a sense you would arrive, Beta Maverick. Please put her on the table, and put some clothes on. I have extras on the cabinet close to the fireplace." Maverick immediately went inside as he gently put his mate on the ritual table. Hecate closed the door behind her and walked to them. Maverick went to the cabinet she mentioned, removed the clothes tied to his lower body, and got sweats and a shirt. When changed, he went to Iris's side. "I can sense poison in her; I have worked with it only a few times. However, I cannot extract it since it's combined with her bloodstream and heart to the full extent. If she were brought sooner, then I could have."
"Please, Priestess, there has to be a way to save her! I can't lose her too! I would die with her!"
The Priestess eyed the unconscious Iris, whose skin was slowly turning blue. She sighed, "Please calm yourself, Beta. There is one way, but I must combine other ingredients to change the poison into something else: new blood."
"New blood?"
Hecate nodded as she went to gather materials and ingredients. "Yes, Beta. New blood, but it is more complicated. If I do this, the new blood will not be of a human, but a werewolf."
Maverick's eyes widened. He had never heard that werewolves could change humans to werewolves. "What? Is that even possible!?"
"Yes, but only a Priestess can make it happen since Priestess have the special gift to communicate with the Moon Goddess and be taught magic. If I don't do this ritual, then she will die. However, she still can be saved, but will no longer be human. Will you still love her?"
"Yes, until the day I die! I just want her to live!"
Hecate nodded as she lit candles and put them on the table's corners; then, she put moonflowers around Iris's body. While doing so, she chanted a sort of prayer and spell. Maverick felt a strong aura coming from Hecate, which he had never felt before. She stopped and went to another wooden table and got a knife with the moon symbol. Then, Hecate went to Iris's body; the Priestess could feel that Iris would die any moment, and she had to hurry. "Beta Maverick, what I am about to do will be painful for you to see. This ritual will need not only my blood, which has been blessed by the Moon Goddess but also your blood since you are connected with her with the mate pull. Also, I will contact your mate and she will have to make a choice."
"A choice?"
"Yes, whether to accept the Moon Goddess's blessing to be a werewolf. I asked you if you would accept her to be of our kind if she accepted. However, it is your mate that needs to accept the blessing."
Maverick looked at Iris, who was slowly turning blue; she would die any moment. He didn't care if she was human or werewolf; all he wanted was her. He motioned out his arm. "Take my blood."
Hecate nodded and took a stone bowl with the moon symbol. She cut Maverick's arm, and drips of his blood got inside the bowl. When sufficient, Hecate put the bowl on the table and cut her arm as drips of her blood combined with Mavericks. Then, she put a teaspoon of blue lotus petals, hot water, a tablespoon of coconut cream powder, a teaspoon of milk, and rose water. Everything was combined, and Hecate did a prayer; her body glowed in white. Maverick watched as the Priestess put the small bowl on Iris's lips and forced the liquid into her mouth. Once the entire liquid was consumed, Hecate put the bowl down and stood before Iri's head, where she put her hands on each side of Iris's head. Then, the moonflowers glowed around Iris, who also glowed.
Hecate kept chanting the prayer until she could connect with Iris's consciousness. The Priestess felt a force dragging her into darkness. Then, she saw a dim, bright light, and before it stood Iris. The force eventually stopped when Hecate was close to the young woman, who stood still and motionless. Neither said as the dim light slowly became brighter, meaning Iris would die soon. "You are dying," said Hecate.
Iris slowly turned around; her eyes looked emotionless, as if in a trance. "Who are you?"
"I am Priestess Hecate of the Blood Claw Pack, and you are Iris, Beta Maverick's mate."
The mention of Maverick's name made Iris leave out of her trance-like state. "M-Maverick. What happened to me? Where am I?"
"You were shot." Iris's eyes widened a bit as the memories came back to her. She ran away from Derek, and he shot her; everything went dark. "You are also in the path between life and death. That light is what takes you to the afterlife. You are dying."
"I'm dying?" The reality slowly hit the young woman as she fully remembered everything that had happened, and then she thought about Maverick and Asher. Everything was becoming too much, and Iris fell on her knees. Tears fell from her eyes as she clutched to her chest. "Maverick, Asher, everyone...! Why!? I-I wanted more time with them! I wanted to live happily with Maverick and Asher!" She wept loudly. "I don't want to leave them!"
Hecate looked down at Iris, who wept loudly. The light shone brightly, and she knew that time was running out. "Iris, I am here because I was able to break into your mind and heart. I can do the Moon Goddess's work, and there is a way to give you a second chance in life."
Iris stopped her weeping as she looked up at the Priestess. "H-How?"
"You can no longer live as a human since the bullet that was shot into you is a rare poison that has already combined with your blood. I have done a ritual where it has connections to the moon goddess that she has used to the werewolves. Iris, what I am giving you is a choice. You can die as your human self or have a second chance as a werewolf. The choice is up to you." Hecate motioned out her hand.
The information shocked Iris as the light was overcoming the darkness. Her time was coming for her, and that was when Iris decided.
Meanwhile, Maverick watched as Hecate and Iris glowed in a white aura. Then, the light slowly died down until the light was no longer visible. Moments later, Hecate opened her eyes and took her hands off Iris's head. The Beta went to them and gently shook Iris. "Iris, my love?"
She didn't move or make a sound. When he called out to her more, and there was no response, Maverick thought of the worst-case scenario: she chose to die, human. "Iris, please wake up! Please! You can't leave me!"
Hecate watched Maverick as she backed away from them; she was expressionless.
Maverick's cry echoed throughout the house. He had his head on Iris's chest as he cried; there was no heartbeat. One of his tears dripped onto her chest. Then, Maverick heard a single beat, which made him stop crying. He pushed his ear closer to her chest and heard another heartbeat. The Beta lifted his head as he looked at his mate. "I-Iris?"
Iris slowly opened her eyes, but to Maverick's shock, her eyes were golden brown and glowed. "M-Maverick?"
The Beta's heart beat joyfully and excitedly, and he hugged Iris. "I-IRIS! YOUR ALIVE! MY LOVE! MY EVERYTHING! MY LIFE! Y-YOU CHOSE! YOU CHOSE!"
Iris slowly wrapped her arms around Maverick as she felt her strength returning, but she felt different. She had energy, power, and sensations she had never felt before. "I-I feel different." The two separated, and as Iris got off the table, she felt an intense pressure throughout her body. "AAHH! WH-WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH ME! I-I FEEL THAT MY BODY IS GOING TO BREAK APART!"
Maverick looked at Hecate, who watched them in silence. She walked forward but kept her distance. "Iris, since you are now a werewolf, your wolf side has been born, and you need to transition to ensure your decision. Let it go, and do not be afraid."
Maverick looked at his mate reassuringly. "I know it feels frightening, but don't fight it; just let the wolf out." He then backed away, taking off his shirt but keeping the pants. He changed into his wolf form. The Beta then nodded at her.
The young woman felt so many things throughout her body that she decided not to fight it anymore. Cracking pressure was felt, and then her body changed independently. Iris no longer stood on two feet but on four paws. Her skin was filled with shaded yellow fur. Then, Hecate motioned out a mirror to her, and Iris was no longer the woman she knew; she was a wolf. She was an official werewolf. Maverick then walked beside her and sat beside her; their reflections were seen. Maverick licked her face in his wolf form and put Iris's head beneath his neck.
He told her she was safe and with him and that they would finally live the life they had always wanted. Hecate watched them both as she lowered the mirror, and a smile came across her lips. "What a beautiful start for a second chance in life."
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