Chapter 3 Mates

(Iris)

The next day, the sun was beginning to rise as I stood in Naomi’s lavishly decorated room. Golden rays filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a warm glow on the ornate furniture and the array of dresses sprawled across the bed. 

I was helping Naomi with the dress she was going to wear in her coronation ceremony. The fabric was soft and luxurious, a deep shade of emerald that complemented her striking features. 

As Naomi slipped into the dress, she admired her figure in the mirror, her eyes gleaming with pride and anticipation. She turned to get a better look, her smile widening. While she admired herself, my mind couldn’t help but slip to the past. Memories of our childhood together, of the times we were inseparable, flooded my thoughts. The mischievous adventures, the laughter, and the bond we once shared felt like a lifetime ago. 

“Hey! Where is your head at? Your Luna needs some help here!” Naomi’s voice snapped me back to the present. She looked at me petulantly, her hands on her hips, the smile replaced by a slight frown. 

“Sorry,” I mumbled, stepping forward to help her with the intricate details of her dress. 

As I adjusted the delicate lace around her shoulders and fastened the tiny buttons, I could feel the old closeness resurfacing. Despite everything, the connection we had was undeniable. 

While helping with her crown, I can’t help feeling close to her again. The crown was heavy, encrusted with jewels that sparkled in the morning light. It symbolized power, authority, and a future that Naomi was eagerly stepping into. I placed it gently on her head, making sure it was perfectly aligned. 

“Do you remember when we were kids?” I asked softly, hoping to reach some part of the Naomi I once knew. 

She glanced at me, her face expressionless. 

“I do,” she replied. “We were quite the troublemakers.” 

I nodded, encouraged by her words. 

“We had fun back then,” I said. “Everything was simpler.” 

Naomi’s face hardened and she snapped, “Those days are gone, Iris. I’ve grown up. I had to.” 

“I know,” I whispered. Then, feeling brave, I added, “But I miss the girl you used to be. That girl laughed and cared about others.” 

Naomi whirled around to face me fully, her eyes cold and unyielding. 

“That girl was weak. She didn’t understand what it takes to lead, to survive.” 

“Is that why you hate me?” I asked, the question slipping out before I could stop it. 

Naomi’s eyes flashed with anger. “Hate you? You took everything from me, Iris. Jasper was supposed to be mine, and you stole him.” 

I shook my head, tears welling up. “I didn’t steal him. I wasn’t something I had control over. You know that.” 

“Control?” Naomi spat. “That’s what it is all about. And now, I have it. I have the power to make my own choices. And as for you, Iris, don’t think for a second that I’ve forgotten what you did. I will enjoy watching you suffer. Consider it payback for all those years I lived in your shadow.” 

The venom in her words struck me like a blow. I had known Naomi was angry, bitter even, but this level of hatred was beyond what I had imagined. I looked into her eyes, searching for any hint of the friend I once knew, but all I saw was a stranger. 

“I don’t want to do this,” I said weakly. “I just want my friend back.” 

She laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. 

“Your friend?” She asked, as if the words were strange to her. “That girl is gone, Iris. And what you see now is what I have become, what I had to become. You can either accept it or suffer the consequences.” 

I couldn’t leave it there. I had to ask one last question.

“You never told me, who is your mate?” 

Naomi’s eyes flickered with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. She was a few months younger than me, so when she got her wolf, I was already Jasper’s mate. 

“He is gone,” Naomi said. She looked at me in the mirror, her lips curling into a smirk. 

I blinked, trying to process her words. 

“Gone?” I asked. “What do you mean?” 

“I asked Jasper to get rid of him as soon as I found out who he was,” she said nonchalantly, examining her nails. “He is not my mate. He is only an obstacle standing between me and my true happiness.” 

I was shocked. The weight of her words settled heavily on my chest. 

“Naomi, how could you?” I asked, shaking my head in disbelief. 

She shrugged, her eyes cold and detached. 

“He was nothing to me,” she explained, “Just a name, a face. My destiny is far greater than being tied to someone who would hold me back.” 

I couldn’t handle it anymore. A wave of nausea hit me, and I started to dry-heave. The room spun around me, and I grasped the edge of the vanity to steady myself. Naomi’s face turned white and then red with anger as I covered my mouth, gagging up spit. 

She stepped closer, her voice low and threatening. 

“Don’t play any games, Iris. You know even if you are pregnant with Jasper’s child, it won’t change a thing. Besides, I won’t let it happen.”