580 RANDOM THINGS

Iris was curio s to know what was going on out there and why they suddenly stopped.

1

"I want to come too." Her curiosity led herto follow Cane out of the carriage. At first, the alpha looked like he wanted to tell her to stay inside, but somehow, he ended up didn't say anything and helped her to get down from the carriage, holding her hand to keep her pace with him and Ethan.

"What is it?" Cane asked, his voice was alittle bit dark when he spoke and this made Eth an grimaced lightly. He knew he had interrupted something fun inside.

"A warrior found a young wolf has beenfollowing us. It seems he is a member of Silver River pack."

Cane frowned. He gave Eth an a look and stopped walking. "And you stop the entourage and call me for this?"

Ethan gave him a guilty look. "The problem is... this young wolf doesn't want to go back and now he is fighting our warriors to stay following us."

"Is he dead?"

"Cane!" Iris was startled with the question.

Of course, if the young wolf fought the other warriors, he wouldn't stand a chance to survive, unless this young wolf was very strong and special. But, the way Cane asked about this, sounded so wrong, probably because he was a little bit annoyed. This was something that didn't need his assistance.

"You don't think our warriors will fight himseriously, right?" Ethan then glanced at Iris. He felt a little bit awkward to see how swollen her lips were and how her body reeked with the alpha's scent. Didn't she realize that? But, knowing Iris didn't have the same sharp senses like the other shifter, she must be clueless, which left the alpha as the culprit for not telling her about it. "Actually, this young wolf wanted to see you, Iris."

"Me?" Iris frowned. "Is it Nolu?" But, Ethansaid it was a young wolf, while Nolu was only a little child.

"No." Ethan shook his head and the three of

them continued walking. "One of our warriors caught him following us and we assumed, he must be from the Silver River pack, he told us that he wanted to see you, Iris, but he turned aggressive once our warriors told him to go away."

"Who is it? Iris mumbled, she was havingdifficulty to keep up her pace with Cane and Ethan, as she still felt very sore, so if one took a closer look, you could see how weird the way she strode beside her mate.

This didn't go unnoticed by Cane, but somehow, he let her do as she pleased. After all, she should know her limit.

It didn't take long before they could hear a vicious growl that came from the young wolf, as this brown ash wolf threw a dagger look at all the warriors that surrounded him.

They were amazed to see how this young one didn't want to back down, even though he must have known by now that he wouldn't stand a chance to fight them all.

"Shift!" Cane roared, his command was

directed at the young wolf.

Couldn't resist the alpha's order, the brown ash wolf shifted into his human's form and only then Iris recognized this young boy.

He was the same boy that she had saved from the ruin, no, actually it's not her, who had saved him, but his younger sister, who had told her, where he was.

This young boy looked so skinny, probably he was the age of ten or twelve, his face was so dirty and he was wearing that rug like clothes, which only by looking at it, Iris knew how uncomfortable it was.

However, despite his appearance, his eyes filled with determination, they shone brightly without any traces of fear. This young boy even dared to look at the alpha straight in the eyes, something that intrigued Cane. Not many people had the guts, especially this young.

This young boy had this beautiful grey ash eyes, the same color like his fur in his beast form.

"Explain yourself," Cane said. His toneneither cold nor demanding, but it sounded

firm.

The young boy shifted her attention to Iris and spoke clearly. "I am here to pledge my loyalty to the luna," he said without any hesitation. 2

"What?" Ethan was shocked, he didn'texpect this. The other warriors were also frowning with the declaration. Why would this young wolf wanted to pledge his loyalty to the luna, instead of the alpha? It was the alpha, who owned the territory, the real power in the southern continent, but he chose to be loyal to the luna? Even followed the entourage for half a day?

On the other hand, Iris was also surprised by this sudden declaration. She blinked her eyes and then frowned. "You want to pledge to me?"

Redmond pledged to her because he disliked Cane and didn't want to end up being his underlings, even though, poor him, he ended up the same, since Iris would agree with everything Cane decided.

Meanwhile, the seven warriors, they were given to Iris because Cane wanted her to be

protected, albeit she was close with Eron and Dyne, but there was still this awkward tension between her and the rest of five warriors.

Due to those reasons, none of them had ever pledged to her because they really wanted to. It was the circumstances that forced them to accept Iris.

It was understandable that Iris was shocked, but also touched with the gesture.

"Yes, luna Iris, I want to pledge my loyalty toyou," he said firmly, he didn't look like a twelve years old boy, the way he spoke was very mature. "I will give my life to protect you."

"You?" Kian sneered. "What a skin ny boylike you can do? I am not sure if you can even take down a goblin."

Kian's comment followed by chuckles from some warriors around them.

Iris frowned, she looked around and watched how they looked down on this dirty young boy, who could offer nothing, but talked so confidently.

However, he didn't budge, he didn't care with the voices around him, as his grey eyes fixed on Iris, waiting for her to say something upon his request.

"And it is ashamed of you, warrior, to bully ayoung one, just because you can," Iris spoke, she didn't raise her voice, but with the way they were blessed with extraordinary senses, they must hear what she said and immediately the chuckled died down.

Instead, it was Ethan, who was laughing without any scrupulous, while Aliana, Eron and Dyne grinned beside him. Cane also didn't say anything and only caressed her head.

"You can't," Cane said, this word wasdirected toward Zale.

"Why?" Iris whipped her head to look atCane. She had not yet decided whether or not she would accept Zale, but maybe deep down, she had known the answer that she wanted him.

"You are from Silver River pack?"

"Yes." The boy nodded, shifting his attentiontoward Cane.

"We can't bring just anyone from that pack."This same reason why they couldn't bring the member of the Silver River pack with them, even though they were willing to pledge their loyalty to him.

However, Zale had come so far, he didn't want to back down yet.

Instead of asking 'why', which he knew the reason behind the alpha's rejection, he took off his rug like clothes and showed his bony body and his dry skin, but there was no rash there. He didn't have such condition.

"I am clean!" he said loudly. It was suchirony, because he was anything, but clean. Yet, they knew what he meant with that.

"Boy, you are too weak to even protectyourself, what are you going to do if the luna is in danger? What if there is a monster that's going to attack the luna and you can't do anything to fight it off?" Asher asked, dissatisfied.

"I will throw myself to the monster and giveluna enough time to runaway," Zale said

confidently, as if he didn't think his answer thoroughly.

"Well, I like that..." Ethan contemplated, hetouched his chin. "Maybe we can use him as a bait when we are going to lure monsters." 1

Aliana slapped his back for that comment.

On the other hand, Cane glanced at his mate, she didn't realize it but she held his hand so tightly, anxious for his decision. She promised him that she wouldn't object him in front of his people, but maybe she would do it, if he turned this boy away.

"Ask Grace to check on him, if he is as cleanas he declared, he can stay, if not one of the warriors will escort him back to his pack. No more discussion."

Cane took Iris's hand and walked away.

This was not the result they expected, but for Iris, there was a hope the boy would come with them. If she couldn't help the whole pack, at the very least, she could help this one.

"Thank you, Cane." Iris squeezed his hand,as they walked back to their carriage.

"Don't thank me yet, there is a chance theboy can't come." Cane helped Iris to get onto the carriage and caught a glimpse of Lil Thing, who was rolling on the ground foolishly, seemingly taking this short break to become it lazy self.

At first, it was Lil Thing and now this young wolf. Cane seemed annoyed to realize there were so many random things following his mate.