The girl tugged her close, she buried her face in Iris' chest and Iris could feel her body trembling in fear.
On the other hand, Iris' eyes widened when the monster started to jump to the ground from the huge rock he perched himself on earlier.
The monster lurked closely, tilted its huge head, as if assessing its prey.
Iris felt her heart beating in her ears, as she hugged the little girl tighter.
The monster opened its mouth so wide, and Iris assumed it must let out a loud, vicious roar. She couldn't hear it, but she could feel the roar shake the ground beneath her. This monster was, at the very least, three times the size of a grown man.
Its four arms raised up and its expression was vicious when he charged forward, ready to kill them both.
"No! Stop!" Iris wanted to close her eyes and accept her fate, but she was unable to do so because she was too terrified. "STOP!"
She was mortified, but what surprised her was the fact that the monster stopped only two steps away from her. It shouldn't have stopped, they were predators, they wouldn't stop until they got the prey they wanted.
Yet, this monster seemed to hold itself back, its red eyes were fixed on Iris, as he whimpered. He was in pain, but the anger in its eyes softened a little bit. The murderous intention went away.
However, before Iris could comprehend any of it, something pierced through the monster's chest and the monster started to howl in pain, trying to get rid of something that attacked it from behind.
Only then Iris could see the black wolf, as dark as the night sky, with his eyes akin to molten gold.
It was the alpha, only the royalty would have golden eyes in their beast form and Cane was the nephew of the king.
It didn't take long for the black wolf to take down the monster, while three more wolves came rushing toward him, but it was too late, the battle had ended and the black beast clawed the monster's chest, destroying its heart, because this was the only way for them to really kill this creature.
Four- armed monsters had the greatest healing ability, as long as their hearts were attached to their bodies, they could even regrow their heads.
The black beast jumped down from the monster's body and glanced at Iris briefly before he charged forward to another battle that happened in the front lines, along with his people.
========================
By the time they finally managed to force back those monsters to Goffa mountain, many people had died, especially those slaves, who were sent to the Frontlines. They were treated as canon fodders, the same way their alpha had treated the Howling Wolf pack for a decade.
Someone came to Iris when everything was settled and she was in so much shock to be able to even move her body, while the little girl clutched to her like a second skin.
It was Hanna who came to get her. Iris didn't know how she knew she was there, but she was grateful.
"Come here, Miss, I will help you carry her." Hanna wanted to carry the little girl, but she wrapped her arms around Iris' neck so tightly, she didn't want to let her go.
"I think we need to find her parents." Iris was out of breath, so it was a great task for her to carry the girl in her arms while they were walking, even though she leaned heavily on Hanna, as she helped her.
"I think this is Stone's daughter, the slave trainer," Hanna muttered. "I heard he lost his daughter during the attack."
Iris stumbled forward and she almost lost her balance, she couldn't bring herself to walk further than this with the girl stuck to her like a koala.
"Come, sit here, I will inform Stone about this," Hanna said in panic. Iris looked like she was at her limit right now and she would collapse any time at this rate. "The area is safe now, I will come back quickly, okay?"
Iris nodded her head, though she stopped reading what Hanna was saying, because she was very exhausted. Her head was so dizzy and every muscle in her body screamed in agony, her vision was blurry, but she hugged the little girl protectively.
She was no longer trembling and her breath was even, but Iris couldn't tell whether she was sleeping or not.
And when Hanna came back with Stone and a few people to where she left Iris and the girl alone, both of them had lost their consciousness, while Iris hugged the girl so close, as if she would shield her with her own fragile body.
Stone was stunned for a moment at this sight, so did all the people that came with him.
"Is she trying to protect the girl?" One of them asked incredulously.
"Her? Gerald's daughter?"
"Impossible."
"But, why is she hugging her like that?"
They wouldn't be surprised if she threw the little girl as a bait to buy time for her to escape from the monsters, but to protect a lowborn like Stone's daughter? That didn't make any sense to them.
After all, all of them had suffered under Gerald's cruelty and they knew there was not a single bone of kindness in him.
"I want to take your daughter and bring her to you, but she refused to let her go." Hanna explained, as Stone took his daughter from the unconscious Iris, while Hanna cradled her missy, looking so panicked because her body was burning. She got a fever again. "Sir, can you help me? Can you take her back? Her body is burning."
Stone glared at Hanna. "Why would I help the evil alpha's daughter?!" He snarled, while hugging his daughter to his chest.
"Her father is evil, but she protected your daughter's life with hers," Hanna pleaded with Stone. "She is not like her father."
Edited by: Anshu_Bangaram