My mind raced as I struggled to come up with something that explained the situation to him. Before I could stop him, he made his way to the attic.
“Rowan, it’s nothing,” I called while following. “Wait.” I tried to stop him, but it was too late.
“Who is he?” His voice was sharp, and his eyes fixed on the unconscious man with suspicion and alertness.
“What’s going on, Morana?” Rowan’s voice cut through the silence, his tone laced with suspicion. He strolled to the middle of the room and stood beside him, his expression hard and his eyes pinned on the unconscious man.
“Rowan… I can explain,” I said, holding his hand. His attention turned to me. “Please,” I added.
“Do explain, because I don’t understand any of this.” He said, folding his hands over his chest and staring at me.
“Brother, he needs help,” I began.
“Then you should have taken him to the pack doctors or...” Rowan stopped midsentence when suddenly, a painful groan had us turn our heads to the unconscious man lying on the couch. My brother stood in front of me, shielding me from the man as if he were going to attack me at any time.
“Who are you?” My brother questioned the stranger the moment he opened his eyes and looked at us. Standing behind my brother, I stood on my toes and peered at the stranger, and I saw him struggling to keep his eyes open.
“Brother…” I murmured, concerned about the stranger. Rowan’s sharp glare shut me up.
“Who are you? What’s your name?” Rowan ordered once again.
“Ad…Adrian,” The stranger rasped out a single word through the haze of pain. “My name is Adrian.”
“Where are you from?” Rowan asked again.
The stranger’s gaze moved to my friends, who were standing beside my brother, and looked at them with caution. His expression looked pained and a painful groan escaped his lips.
“I... I don’t remember,” he responded, and he fell unconscious again.
***
“What were you thinking, bringing a stranger into our house like that?” He scolded. We were standing outside my bedroom in the hallway. I could read the conflict raging behind those walls he built—the battle between his inborn sense of duty as a brother and the fear that lingered from our past traumas.
“And how did you guys agree to something like this?” He turned to my friends. “Don’t you know about the risks?"
Hazel was the first to answer, “He was covered in his blood and unconscious. How are we supposed to leave him to die?”
Rowan glared at her as he spoke. “You should’ve called me or any guards, they would have taken him to the pack hospital rather than you guys risking everything and bringing him here.”
Everyone stood in silence, glancing at each other. The air was thick with tension, and standing next to him, I could feel Rowan’s anger.
“Rowan… You know our alpha will never help, He would never take someone from outside.” I began hesitantly. “I had no choice but to bring him here and help him... I couldn’t just leave him to die.”
Rowan's eyes softened at my words, he knew the impact my parents's deaths had on me.
“Morana, we can’t have him here.” He said. “Try to understand, We can’t let danger into our home. I don’t trust him, and I have to leave for training fields every day, and I just can’t leave you alone with a stranger we know nothing about.”
He placed his palm under my chin and gazed at my face. “I can’t risk your safety.”
"Brother, please, he needs my help... Someone clearly wants him dead, his whole body is covered in stab wounds, and he was pushed off the cliff. I revealed. “And he doesn’t remember anything other than his name, how can we turn him away in such a state?” I insisted, my voice trembling with emotion.
Rowan glanced at my bedroom door, and I noticed the inner conflict in those brown eyes. His face hardened, and his eyes screamed of disapproval.
“Take him to the pack doctors,” he said, his voice hard and commanding.
I squared my shoulders and stared at him. “No, Rowan, he will stay here, taking him to the pack doctors means taking him to the alpha, who will never let him stay in the pack even for a second and throw him out,” I continued. “So, No.”
“Morana, don’t antagonize me.” Rowan warned, “Do what I say.”
“I’m sorry, Rowan, but I will not turn my back on someone in need of my help,” I countered. “Please don’t ask me to do this, I can’t do this.” My voice was tinged with frustration.
“Morana, keeping him here puts you in danger.” Rowan yelled while clenching his jaw.
“I can take care of myself, Rowan, stop trying to control me all the time.” I snapped. “You don’t have to dictate to me every time.”
Rowan was surprised at my words. “I know you are trying to protect me, and you promised mom that you would, but I’m not a child anymore, brother.”
I couldn’t control my anger anymore, the pent-up frustration was boiling over as I met his gaze.
“I was seven years old when I saw mom and dad die in front of my eyes. I stood there crying helplessly.” I said, and tears filled up in my eyes. “I couldn’t do anything to save them back then, I was so helpless. I promised myself that I would not go through that again.”
“Morana… I’m just trying to protect you.” He said it gently.
“Protect me!” I scoffed, my voice trembling with suppressed anger. “Where were you when I watched them fight for their last breath? Where were you when I was left alone, afraid, and completely helpless?”
Rowan’s expression softened at my outburst. “You don’t get it, Rowan.” Tears kept rolling in my eyes. “You don’t know the pain I’ve been hiding in my heart all these years.”
He stepped forward, guilt flickering in his baby brown eyes as he tried to reach out to me, but I held my hand up and stopped him. My voice choked with emotions as I continued.
“I may be helpless then,” I said, my voice raw with pain. “But I refuse to be helpless now, I can’t stand aside and watch him suffer. I will not turn my back on someone in need, Rowan. I will not abandon Adrian like we were abandoned.”
For a moment, Rowan was quiet.
“You know the risks.”
“I know.”
His eyes met mine with a flick of understanding passing through us.
“Fine, since you insist, I will allow him to stay.” He said this, sighing in defeat.
“Thank you!” I exclaimed in excitement and kissed him on the cheek. It’s a victory for me since it’s so hard to make him agree to something.
He’s so stubborn.
