Altan:
"See, it isn’t that bad. I told you, we shouldn’t be scared of anything. This is our world. The world of werewolves. All the other creatures are just tiny monsters here, the ones we’re supposed to slay," my twin said, grinning like he had just achieved a lifelong goal. He’d always wanted to cross the border on his own, no warriors, no parental figures to intervene. He believed as alphas, we shouldn’t be surrounded by warriors to protect us.
"Yeah, we did it. But we should go back ho now," I suggested, and the look on his face told he was disappointed in .
"Co on, let’s stay a little," he said, tossing the ball in the air and catching it, carefree. anwhile, I was focused on paying attention to our surroundings. I was skeptical of the place. Father had told us that, every now and then, so monsters would appear out of nowhere.
I was scared, what if we’d made a mistake? But I didn’t tell my brother that. He’d just call a coward again, and I didn’t want that tag.
"Children, please help ," a gentle, soft, old voice made jump in fear. I looked at my brother imdiately. He didn’t seem bothered, just curious.
"Where are you going?" I asked him as he kept staring at the bushes.
"There’s soone behind these bushes who needs our help," he said, making hold his hand.
"Help ," the old man called again, but I held my brother’s hand tightly.
"It could be anything. Soone trying to lure us behind the bushes," I said, shaking my head, silently begging him not to follow the voice.
"Don’t you hear the distress in his voice?" my brother hissed at , and I took a deep breath, gently letting go of his hand. The way he glared into my eyes scared . I knew if I didn’t let him do what he wanted now, he wouldn’t speak to for the rest of the week.
I watched my brother walk toward the bushes. I stayed behind, unable to bring myself to see what was behind them.
"I’m badly wounded— I need help," the man whimpered again.
My brother quickened his steps. He followed the sound with more determination now. The faster he moved, the more scared I beca. My heart started to pound, faster than ever, and sothing in scread that I should’ve been more stubborn and stopped him.
He reached the bushes and leaned in for a closer look. That’s when a hand shot out and suddenly grabbed him.
"Let him go!" I yelled, running toward the bushes when another claw appeared and attacked my brother.
I was not a hero. Never a hero.
I had grown up afraid of every shadow I saw. There was even a ti I was scared of my own shadow, so watching my brother get attacked by sothing so inhumane was not easy for . My little body was shaking.
I started to rush toward the bushes when the thing yanked my brother behind them. I was too afraid to look. That’s when I stepped back. My brother was still screaming. His body crawled out partway, and he made dead eye contact with , almost like he was asking why I wasn’t coming to help him.
I turned and ran, speeding in the opposite direction to get help. There was no way I could save him from whatever was behind that bush.
Sadly, it only takes a few minutes for soone to be hard.
"Those few minutes you wasted should’ve been spent convincing the pack mbers that we’re going to find the entity stealing their children."
I jolted awake at the sound of the commanding voice.
I looked up to see Emt standing in front of , furious. Helanie stood next to him, watching quietly.
I wished he wasn’t here. I wished she had co alone and hugged . She was the type who would’ve comforted through these nightmares. And what’s worse? I was now having nightmares without even falling asleep.
I was sleeping with my eyes open.
"What?" Emt grunted. "I had to calm them down for now. But be careful what you say to the pack mbers. That’s exactly why we never talked about the X-Codex until things got bad. These people have lived sheltered lives. They don’t understand when soone tells them sothing is happening beyond their comprehension."
Emt was so wise. At that mont, I even felt envious of him.
Sotis, I understood why Helanie was always around these brothers. They were strong and level-headed, not cowards like .
"I’m so sorry," I muttered. "They were asking for new information, and I didn’t have any of my own. I’m just sitting here daydreaming..."
I groaned, trying my best not to sound like the incompetent Alpha my people now believed to be.
Soon, they’ll see the real . The coward. And then I’ll no longer be the hero of this pack. I’ll witness my own downfall, and maybe that will finally let my brother rest in peace.
"Anyway, we’ll head ho now. We’ll start the investigation tomorrow morning," Helanie said, briefly glancing at Emt again.
"I was thinking— if you two don’t mind, you could stay at the mansion tonight," I offered. Once again, I noticed Helanie shaking her head. I knew she wouldn’t co with .
But I needed her. Whenever she was around, I felt at ease.
"Umm, we still have to stay with Vani. She’ll be waiting for us," Emt responded instead of Helanie. I noticed he always took the lead, and of course, that’s why Helanie looked at him with those soft, loving eyes.
She had chosen a man who would lead her, even when she didn’t need leading.
That’s what I couldn’t do for her.
"Okay," I replied with a weak smile. Still, I walked them to their car. I kept staring at Helanie even as she got inside and they drove away.
’We deserve her, Altan. We deserve soone like her,’ my wolf howled from within, and I couldn’t agree more.
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