"You’re... really bold," Damien said at last, a dry chuckle escaping his lips. "And you’re right. They crave attention. And yes, we give it to them. But if you want sothing from a monkey... sotis you have to act like a monkey."
He sighed. "I don’t want you to kneel before anyone, Victoria. Truly. But you don’t know how brutal the training is to get into this school. It’s hard enough for regular students. But you... they’re going to punish you through that training. And once you fail to get in, they’ll make sure no other school ever accepts you. They’ll spread the word and blacklist you everywhere."
He looked her in the eye, his voice dropping to a murmur. "They’re the heirs of the three most powerful werewolf families in this pack. No one will risk crossing them not even for you."
Victoria took a step forward, her jaw set with determination. She t Damien’s gaze without flinching.
"If it’s about winning... then I’ll endure every punishnt they throw my way," she said. "I’ve been through worse. There were days I had nothing to eat. Days I carried heavy loads on an empty stomach just to afford spoiled food that even the dogs turned their noses up at."
Her voice wavered for the first ti, but she pushed through.
"I’ve walked into the wild with nothing but a blunt knife or a broken razor to hunt for food. I’ve been attacked by feral wolves. Survived alone with wounds that wouldn’t stop bleeding. I’ve lived through winters in nothing but thin, tattered clothes. I’ve watched beggars like die right next to in the cold... and I cried, then got stronger. Because I refused to end up like them."
She paused, her eyes glistening....but not with tears. With rage.
"So tell , what exactly can those three spoiled brats do to ... that I haven’t already survived?"
Her three brothers stood still, their expressions carved with so much pain as they listen to Victoria. Then, unexpectedly, a tear slipped down Theo’s cheek.
Without a word, he walked up to Victoria and pulled her into a tight embrace, one hand gently patting her back.
’What’s with the fake tears now?’ Victoria thought, swallowing hard. She didn’t return the hug....her arms remained hung at her sides. But before she could even say a word, Callum and Damien also stepped forward and wrapped their arms around her.
The three of them now encased her in a suffocating group hug.
’Now they’re suffocating ,’ she thought with exasperation, struggling discreetly to wiggle free from their iron grips. It wasn’t that she couldn’t breathe...it was that she didn’t trust the warmth they were giving her. Not after everything.
As if reading her thoughts without needing a single word, all three slowly stepped back.
"I’m willing to protect you with my life, little sister," Theo said solemnly, wiping his face and attempting to compose himself. "I made that decision long before you were even brought ho. Rember how we used to run around the mansion courtyard when we were kids? How we used to study together just to prove we were the smartest in the house?"
Victoria smiled faintly, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
’Oh yes, I rember all of that,’ she thought bitterly. ’But in my past life, you didn’t rember. You forgot , Theo. You only rembered how to cause pain. How could I ever forget that?’
Callum stepped forward next, his voice gentle. "And rember how we use to practice sword fighting? With those little wooden swords Father carved for us? You always insisted on using the heavier one, saying it made you stronger."
He let out a soft chuckle, tinged with nostalgia. "Well, that wooden sword has now beco a real one, forged in steel and I’ll be using it to protect you from now on and also teach you the swordmanship you missed all these years. We’ll practice swordmanship together again."
Victoria’s smile faded into a neutral line.
’Yes, I rember. How close we were. Right up until your mother poisoned father’s heart towards . Right up until he turned his back on and threw out of the mansion. How could I forget that?’
Then Damien stepped in with a bright smile. "And your favorite snack. Chocolate cake in a heart shape. Anything chocolate was your favorite Victoria. You used to pester the nannies endlessly until they gave in and made so for us. And when they didn’t... you’d always co running to to convince them on your behalf."
His voice lowered with sincerity, the smile fading into sothing more somber.
"Well, we can bake more of those now. I actually learned to bake, you know... because of you. I’ll protect you now. I promise. I couldn’t do it before but I will this ti. I won’t let anyone trample over you again. That’s my responsibility as your big brother."
Victoria let out a faint smirk, quickly hidden beneath her expression of indifference.
’Bake more, my foot. All of this...this entire performance feels like a farce to . A tragic cody. Where was all this love in my past life?’ She looked at her brothers, trying hard not to laugh at the irony. ’Mirabel? Sure, she was always my enemy. I expected nothing from her. But you? My four brothers?’
’Did soone cast a spell on you all back then? Is that what it was? So charm that made you forget who I was? Because you didn’t hesitate to sell like I was livestock. And now, you’re here acting like doting siblings?’
’The sweet, innocent girl you once knew....the one who waited every single day, hoping you’d return and take her ho? She died in that lab already.’
Victoria exhaled sharply, a mixture of frustration and disbelief burning in her chest. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Lucian entered the courtyard.
"What’s going on here?" he asked, his sharp eyes scanning the room as he imdiately picked up on the tense atmosphere between Victoria and her three brothers.
’Thank the goddess you’re here, Lucian,’ Victoria thought with a sigh of relief. ’Another second with these emotional actors and I might have lost my composure completely.’
’They aren’t my brothers anymore. That bond was severed long ago. Whatever fate is trying to play at by tossing back into their arms...it’s delusional.’
"I want to return ho," Victoria said at last, her voice even but firm. "I need to start preparing for my training, after all."
"Yes, of course. We’ll teach you everything you need to know," Callum said quickly, his tone warm as he stepped closer. "I should take you ho now."
"Why?" Theo interrupted, holding out a hand to stop Callum. "I’ll take her ho. You’re supposed to be in training already, aren’t you?"
Callum raised an eyebrow. "Now that I think about it... well, I’ve decided to practice horse riding with our sister. We can start now. It’ll be good for her stamina and we can take the narrow paths only ant for riding. A little adventure, just like old tis."
He brushed off Theo’s arm and reached for Victoria’s hand, startling her with his sudden touch. His grip was firm, as if to say, I won’t let go again.
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