Why am I so cranky? I can't believe that I lied to Maxwell. I love the morning. But I don't know what got into me. Doctor O'Reilly came into the room and checked my health. He seen that everything came out alright. Maxwell was called to the alpha's office by Marcus while Doc did his thing.

"Doc?" I said.

"Yes Iris?" Doctor O'Reilly said as he filled in the paperwork.

"I have something to tell you," I said.

"What is it?" he asked giving me his undivided attention.

So I told him everything. I even told him what happened this morning. He listened to every word I said.

"I don't know what to say, but may I have a blood sample? Maybe I can see if something is in your blood that's affecting you," Dr. O'Reilly said.

"Sure. Can you tell me when you find the results?" I asked.

"Will do. You're free to go and when you get a chance, speak with Elder Marcus about this. He could help you out while I get this done," Doc said after taking the blood sample.

I nodded.

"Doc? Where is Elder Marcus at?" I asked.

"He's either in his study or in the alpha's office," Doc said then walked out the room with the sample.

I got up and changed into some clothes I found that was there for me. Then I walked out in search for Elder Marcus.

***

After wandering around looking for Elder Marcus's studies, I went to the alpha's office. Knocking on the door, I waited patiently until the door opened. Elder Marcus looked at me, making me feel smaller than I already was.

"Iris, glad you're awake. What could I do for you?" he asked.

"I have something to tell you. I was hoping you could help me out," I said.

He let me enter the office and shut the door before making his way to the other side of the desk. When we sat down, I didn't waste any time and told him everything. He nodded but didn't say a word. After telling him, he stood up and walked to the bookshelf. He mumbled something under his breath. Then he found what he was looking for and brought it over so I could see.

"What is it?" I asked.

"This is a book that contains the records of all the feline shifter chiefs that lived. Even your parents signed it," Elder Marcus said.

"But wasn't it this pack that killed my clan those years ago?" I asked.

"Yes, but I wasn't alpha at the time. My brother was. Lucius isn't even my son, he's my nephew. But I raised him as my own since I couldn't bare kids, nor did I have a mate. My brother was an arrogant and ruthless man. He despises feline shifters all because he was broken hearted. You see, his true mate left him after he got another woman pregnant. She, herself, was also pregnant at the time. That night, she killed herself with a note of apology to her bestfriend/sister. My brother found her dead, in bed. He also found out that she was pregnant. From then on, he wanted to erase all of the feline shifters in Europe. You luckily survived," he said.

"What happened to your brother? How did you become alpha?" I asked.

"I was against the whole ideal of going against the feline shifters. Since my mate was one as well. We would meet up secretly so no wolf would tell the alpha. My parents knew, but that was it," Marcus told me.

He paused, trying to keep himself from crying.

"You don't have to continue if you don't want to," I told him.

"No no. You should know this. It was 3 months after my brother's mate's death. I was coming home from a friend's house when my brother ordered a mandatory meeting. So when I got there, I saw my mate being man handled by my brother. He was beating her in front of the whole pack. I couldn't stand it and attacked my brother for harming my mate. But he despised me when he realized who she was to me. So with his sick mind, he had guards hold onto me while I was forced to watch him **** and kill her. When he did, I snapped and challenged for his title as alpha. We fought and I won. So as my first thing as alpha, I banished him from the pack. I never saw him again from that day on. I buried my mate in the center of the garden. I visit here whenever I come here," Elder Marcus said.

It broke my heart to know this. He loved his mate dearly and couldn't spend his spend his life with her all because of his brother.

"Is Sarah your second mate?" I asked.

"No, she's not," he said.

Sarah isn't his second mate? Then what is she to him?

"If she's not your second mate, then what is she to you?" I asked.

"She's Lucius mother. The chick my brother knocked up."