Not Second Chance

That I did not know. If I only know something happens before Razel bumped into my wolf, I could have stopped the incident from happening. But I believe that my brother's action was considered self-defense.

After all, Monbert's sudden death could have been avoided if Lance did not try to prank and interrupted the camping. And he is blaming my stepbrother because of his reckless decision. So, I lifted my feet and rush in his direction but Kendra jumps on top of my wolf, trying to stop me.

Compared to Lance, Kendra has the right to get more furious with my stepbrother when Monbert is his older brother. I cannot blame him for that. But Razel is also my brother and is innocent of this tragic incident.

In order to stop him and Lance, I have to do what my stepbrother did. Kill him. Because my wolf has more experience when it comes to life-threatening battles, I manage to stain my claws and fangs with Kendra's blood.

His mourning howl reaches Lance's attention. Lance's wolf chickens out and shifts his chase in a different direction. But my eyes could no longer glance at Razel and Felise even if next to what I see is the end part of the cliff.

As soon as I heard Felise's scream, I flash to the source of the sound and found Razel's right hand holding the edge of the cliff while his left hand was having a hard time holding her. If the situation continues, I'm afraid the two might fall into the cliff together.

"Ezra, please, help us!" Razel begs me, his pouring tears squeezing my heart and soul so badly. That was the first I heard my stepbrother begging me.

All these years, he did and shared nothing with me but good memories. Memories that are worthy to keep for the rest of my life. And if I let him die, all those wonderful memories might turn into nightmares.

So, I analyze the situation as fast as possible. But nothing tick off my helpless brain so I shifted back into a human and reach out to his hand.

My body was almost dragged into the cliff when I did not expect their weights combined to be heavier than mine. Good thing my feet manage to get support from those large stones nearby, allowing my hands to harden my grasp.

"Please, hold still, Razel," I uttered to him while gathering all my strength into my hands to hold him still. However, I know what I am doing is not enough.

Then I ask Felise if she can climb slowly onto Razel's back. She's not responding anymore. All I could see from her eyes was desperation, regrets, and fear. Fear to die.

And so is Razel's. He could have let go of the woman to save his life, but my wolf could feel how important she is to him. Who could not be? Felise is his human girlfriend. Not that I am against their unrequited love story, but all I want for my stepbrother is happiness.

"Could you lift her for me?" I asked Razel and he did not hesitate and grasped my hand as he forced his other hand to lift Felise.

Razel had a hard time but he managed to lift her and she was now holding my other hand. "At the count of three, I will lift both of your bodies, okay?"

My stepbrother nodded but Felise could barely raise her brows at me. "All right the count, okay? So, hold onto my hands as hard as you can. One... Two... Three."

At first, I thought my strength is enough to hold them still but Felise suddenly loosens up her grasp which resulted in my body getting outbalanced. Razel tries to let go of my grip but I hold him still before everything gets worse.

The only thing he could do is scream while looking at Felise falling into the cliff. As soon as I manage to set Razel's feet on the ground, he pushes me by force and started beating me up.

Razel continuously punches me in the face with his eyes pouring into tears and he did not even stop until my face ejected drops of blood. But when my body could feel unbearable pain already, I hold into his fists.

"Razel, STOP," I beg him before I spewed the blood that was stored out of my mouth.

"Stop? Are you fucking kidding me?" he furiously asks. Even grabs the fist-sized stone and was about to smash it into my head but I manage to snatch it from him. "You killed my girlfriend and you want me to stop?"

My conscience put forth to explain to Razel everything that happens; that I even killed one of my pack brothers to save them but his heart and brain were already close for a heart-to-heart conversation. He barely listens to me anymore.

Instead, he threatens me not to cross our paths ever again or else he is going to kill me himself before he disappeared in front of me. And that he will forget that I was once his older brother.

The next morning, as early as before the sun rises to the east, I receive an expected summon from our alpha to explain my side of the story of what happened last night causing two of our brothers to die in our weekly hunting.

"Speaking of the traitor." greets Dustine, alpha of the Gemini pack, as soon as I showed up in the village.

Everyone, including Cherry, my fated mate, Uncle Robin, and Alexa, was gathered in the village in front of the alpha Dustine's house. And all their eyes were glancing at me with utter disgust like a criminal.

"If you are here to explain your side of the story, I highly suggest don't waste your breath," he added. "My son already told me everything. However, I only have one question for you and I need you to answer me with the truth."

I don't know what Lance told everyone for them to look at me like a criminal. But whatever that is, my wolf instinct is pretty convinced that it was not the entire story. Or worse, he manipulated it. I know Lance more than anyone.

He only looks after his well-being. And he doesn't care to put all the blame on me to make sure his noble reputation will not be stained in everyone's eyes.

"Is the wolf who you tried to save your stepbrother, Razel?" Alpha Dustine's questions surprises me to the point that I could not help but drag a bulk of water down to my throat.

Razel and I were thorough about keeping our family relations highly classified. And I am not convinced he was the one who sold my name to the pack simply because he was mad at me. He is too smart to do that.

"Don't you know that your silence means yes to me, huh, Ezra?" he added after hearing nothing from me for a few seconds. "Okay. I'll give you a hint of what is bound to happen." then he shrugs me off.

However, it was not the kind of shrug that is a friendly type. There is something more to it. That is what Lance's vicious beam is telling me.

"The council and I decided to disband you from the pack, effective immediately. Once you are disbanded from the pack, you'll become homeless, wolfless, and mateless, because Cherry is not going to follow you once you step out of the village..."

"Just go straight to your point, dad. Or should I say it myself what we decided for him?" Lance impatiently announces. "An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth." he said. "it means that we want you to kill your brother for us to give you a second chance. That's what the parents who you killed decided."

"What?" I blurted out in disbelief.

A second chance coming from Alpha Dustine sounded music to my ears. But killing my stepbrother is the most ridiculous I have ever heard in my entire life, especially when I know whose fucking fault it is Kendra and Monbert died last night.

Razel and I are already in an undesirable relationship after the misunderstanding. And I still plan to make it up to him no matter what it takes. No matter how long my wolf would wait.

After a thorough consideration, my feet started trekking my uncertainties of being a lone wolf outside the village carrying a backpack of my things with the ground flooded with my tears.

My feet lost the will to move forward but I was left with no choice when I cannot return to the village anymore. I don't want to put a burden on Uncle Robin and Alexa as well. For what it's worth, they believe me when I told them my side of the story.

It is just they do have not enough power and voice to defend me against Lance and Alpha Dustine. Let alone Monbert and Kendra's parents who lost their son's lives in one night.

On top of that, Cherry also broke up with me and confesses that she and Lance have been in a relationship for a while now. That she was simply waiting for the perfect time to tell me about it.

Three days later, I found a morning shift part-time job in a convenience store a few meters away from Razel's school. Getting a job is the first thing that comes to mind for me to survive.

Apart from that, getting close to my stepbrother as much as possible is the only thing I could do to keep an eye on him. Now that the entire pack knows we are brothers, I believe his life has already been exposed to danger.

And I have to warn him even if he does not want to see me again. Later in the evening after school, I plan to inform him about the threats to his wolf.

"Don't you know selling expired products is punishable by..." the woman immediately cut off her words the second our eyes landed on each other. Her racing heartbeats and shivering body were telling me the entire story.

There is no way my wolf could get mistaken when I have her scent registered in my system. But how? Does Razel know that she manages to survive after the fall?