A Brother's Love

My eyes try to avoid the shadows of Mark's and Lilith's peek while Alpha Ezekiel spells out those words.

Even if I was not looking back at them, however, their piercing glance foreshadowed and managed to break the invisible wall that divides us in the tiny space of my apartment.

It's not their face that my eyes are imagining but their unforgivable and injustice betrayal. And it was boiling my blood pressure to the point that I could not help myself from gritting my teeth and clenching my fist.

Whatever Mark and Lilith confessed to Alpha Ezekiel, it probably does not involve them having an affair behind my back. Or worse he might already know about it but he refrains to bring that up since it is none of his business.

"And if I decline your proposal?" I throw the question back to him. Killing Penelope Garcia is not a hard thing to do for a werewolf like me. It's the conscience that is hard to accept.

Aiden and I are already foreseeing nightmares within those nights while holding onto the thought of becoming a criminal wolf. But as soon as we found and confirm Penelope survives and is doing well, the burdens and thorns that were sunk in our shoulders were lifted.

"A week, Ethan," he uttered. "you'll find out sooner what my wolf decides in a week. In the meantime, focus on the mission of killing Penelope Garcia."

The worst part about Alpha Ezekiel evacuating the apartment is that I am barely satisfied with his reasons. Why do I have to kill Penelope when she does not possess any threat to him or his pack members?

Was it because she already knows my secret? It is mine and Aiden's secrets that were disclosed, not his. Neither Lilith nor Mark's.

"See you soon back to the pack, Ethan." Lilith still has the audacity to say that in front of me after betraying my trust. "Alpha Ezekiel did not tell you the reason, but Mark and I already know."

Later in the night, I was busy preparing our dinner. Aiden's favorite steaks are already served on the table. Apart from that, it may already be late but I plan to deliver my birthday gift to Aiden tonight.

As I was about to serve the small lighted-up cake to the table, Aiden appeared in the dining area, barely smiling at me. To my surprise, he grabs my collar by force before he punches me straight in my face.

The cake slips out of my hands and was deformed after it reaches the floor along with my body. Aiden then jumps on top of me and continued punching me in the face.

"Aiden, STOP!" I yelled at him while wrapping my shoulder on both sides of my cheeks. But Aiden did not stop. He was blazing in a fire.

My wolf cannot even catch a glimpse of the innocence in his current state while he continues striking his punches. All I could sense is his urge to kill me.

"I told you to stay away from her, Ethan. But you didn't listen," he said back. He could barely reach out to my face anymore so he moves out of my body and began kicking my abdomen.

Kicking the abdomen does not only cause my wolf to see a few stars sparkling above my head but bittered my stomach to the point that I ejected blood out of my mouth which also leaves me no choice but to push him away from me.

"Consider this a threat, Ethan," he added. Even pointed a finger at me. "if you don't stay away from Penelope, better forget that we're brothers."

My wolf did not like the sound of it so I took enough courage to punch him back. I never lay a hand on him since the day he was born. Aiden is fully aware of that. But enough is enough.

"Do you even know why I bought you cake, huh, Aiden?" I raised a voice at him for the first time. And I could see those veins popping out of my skin. "because I plan to give you your favorite bike as my birthday gift tonight."

I move out off the floor and clean up the cake. "you dare get wild in front of me, your brother, without even considering what I sacrificed for you all these years?" then I smash the cake to the table. "I got suspended from my work, Aiden. And it's because I am the big brother. You don't even know that I was disbanded from the pack because I choose to protect you. Did you even consider how I feel, huh?"

"What?"

Because I don't want to extend the conflict with my brother furthermore, I flash out of the apartment and use his bike to reach a certain place where I could scream or yell my unbearable frustration against myself and the world.

Even ask the world why is he so mean to me. Is forgetting my dreams not enough for them to stay away from me? What else do I have to sacrifice for their satisfaction?

As soon as the bike stopped moving in front of a dense forest, I shifted into a wolf and search for something I could release my anger.

Humans. Wild animals. Anything that I can slaughter. Anything or anyone that I can sink my sharp claws and fangs. Killing is the only way my brain could think to release some weight on my shoulder.

My prey just showed up. It was a huge grey-furred deer and fleshy to my eyes. So, I gently lifted my foot while sneaking into the deer's spot. Gentle enough that my foot barely produces a bit of sound.

As I was about to jump on top of the deer, my body was dragged back and pinned to the trunk of the tree which resulted in me having a hard time getting my body out. They were metal wires that were wrapped around me.

Blazing arrows then flash at the speed of light heading in my direction. I use all my werewolf strength and power to remove those metal wires away from me before those arrows could reach me.

However, it was already too late which leaves me with no choice but close my eyes and accepted my fate getting hit. Three seconds later, I open my eyes when I notice the arrows did not reach me.

Before I could catch a glance at the man standing in front of me, he grabs my body and throws me away from the trunk of the tree when a new set of blazing arrows were heading in our direction. He pins me on the ground behind the bush.

Then I enhance my werewolf senses ahead of us and found ten humans, no, there were twenty of them, strolling in our direction without any signs of worry or fear from my claws and fangs.

"Who are they?" I curiously ask the wolf who saves my ass out there.

"They're hunters. Werewolf hunters," he said back. "but we have no chance against them. So, at the count of three..."

"I should run if my wolf still wants to live."

"Exactly." he agreed. Then he began counting.

My wolf doesn't know about werewolf hunters so before he could finish counting, I move out of the ground and flash back to the apartment.