Chapter 56: GTA 6
Zethar;
The crisp night breeze carries through my hair and soothes my skin as I walk past the trees.
It soothes me to feel the wet grass brushing against the sides of my feet as I walk, while listening to the birds chirping in the silence.
Unusually, I’d love to enjoy this in my beast form, but if I shift, Zephan will feel it.
After hours of babysitting me, he’s finally getting some rest. I shouldn’t ruin it for him.
A little red bird suddenly drifts by, and my heart stops.
A Ruby feather...
Maruck used to admire these birds...
I stare at the bird that has now nestled on a tree’s branch not too far off, and hot pain floods my chest.
If Maruck were here, he would have been squealing by now. He’d have begged me to wait so he could sketch the bird... or at least try to sketch it.
I smile as I remember how the littlest things got him excited. But my smile fades as the reality sets in.
I’d never get to see that excitement in his eyes again. I’d never get to hear him ramble about how Ruby feathers got their colour... I’ll never see that adorable concentration on his face each time he sketches something.
It’s gone. It’s all gone...
This is life without him now... silent... empty... boring.
My fingers curl tighter around the cold metal in my palm, and my eyes travel down to my fist. To the pendant I’m holding.
I feel all the air in my lungs escape me as I struggle to keep it together. I’ve been trying so hard not to cry, but this isn’t easy... It feels like a dam is building in my chest, and soon the emotions will drown me.
I don’t know how much longer I can hold on.
"It’s the first gift anyone aside from Mother ever gave me! I’ll cherish it till my last breath!"
His gentle, excited voice replays in my head, and I shut my eyes as a tear drops.
This is Maruck’s pendant. I gifted it to him on his 20th birthday, and he’d always had it on since then...
Even taking his last breath... he was clutching onto it so tightly that the metal dug into his skin. Still, he didn’t let go... He kept his word.
He’s always kept his word. And me...? The one job I had to do... the one promise I had to keep... To keep him alive... I failed. I promised to always protect him, yet he gave his life to save me.
I’m a failure.
I lift my head to the sky, hoping the tears don’t fall, and just then, a voice crashes into my thoughts.
"You’ll catch a cold, Master Elian."
My head snaps in the direction of the voice. It’s that omega I saved from the brothel. Alana.
"Master Elián..." She speaks again, like she’s begging, and I follow her voice.
As I live through the bushes, a familiar scent hits my nose, and I instantly recognise it. It’s the Omega my brothers got. Elián.
I stop behind a tree when I spot them. Elián is sitting beside a stream with his legs held to his chest and his chin on his knees.
"Master..."
"I’m fine, Alana. You should go get some rest." He says to her, but Alana shakes her head defiantly as she kneels beside him.
"I can’t leave you here." She retorts, and he sighs.
"You’re bothering me, Alana. Go to bed, or stay here and be quiet. I really don’t care." He snaps at her, and Alana’s face falls.
I watch her ears droop, and from the pout of her lips, I can tell that his words hurt her.
She looks away, and just then her eyes land on me. Her eyes widen, and she’s about to make a sound, but I hold up a finger to my lips to stop her.
I signal her to come over, and she looks back at Elián, who’s paying her no mind. She sighs and then walks over to me.
"What is going on?" I whisper as soon as she gets to me, and she bows.
"He’s heartbroken about the trip tomorrow. He’s been like this for the past hour. I’m afraid he’ll do something rash." She replies, and I raise a brow.
"Something rash?"
"He makes impulsive decisions when stressed, Alpha Zethar. He’s jumped into a stream before. I’m worried he’ll do it again." She replies, and my interest is piqued.
"He can’t swim?"
"He can’t swim." She confirms, and I look past her, back at the boy who had his back turned to her.
I let out a breath and brush past her.
"You can go to bed. I’ll handle him." I inform, and she turns back to look at Elián.
Hmm... the boy has only been here a few days, but it looks like Alana cares a lot about him. That’s interesting.
She bows at me, and I watch her walk off before turning back to Elián.
I walk over to him and sit beside him.
He steals a glance at me, and to my surprise, he jerks away from me like a startled cat.
He stares at me with wide eyes, and his chest rising and falling like he’s staring at some monster, and I blink at him.
"Am I that repulsive to look at?" I question, and he blinks at me, still in shock, before looking away.
I watch him struggle to collect himself, and then he clears his throat.
"I...I’m sorry. I just... didn’t hear you walk over." He says, before looking about for Alana, and I roll my eyes.
He was the one who told Alana to leave him, and now he’s looking for her.
"I ordered her to go to bed," I inform, and he turns to me in stunned silence.
"Isn’t that what you asked her to do?" I question, and he gulps.
I look away from him, at the moon’s reflection on the water as I fold my legs in front of me, and although I’m not looking at him, I can feel his gaze on me.
He’s scared of me. And it’s only logical. His first encounter with me, he got to notion that I’m a murderer who even dared to eat people.
I mean, I am a murderer... but I can’t justify eating those men. I’ve never done anything like it before. I’m not like the barbaric Alphas of the other clans outside... but I was too livid to think. I let my beast instincts take full control and...
Maybe he’s right to be scared. I am a monster. I just never properly accepted the fact.
"You can’t sleep?" His soft voice breaks through the gaze of my thoughts, and I turn to him.
His pale face is gently illuminated by the moonlight. Making his skin look like milk and his eyes to glow like rubies.
His brown hair is a tussled mess on his head, partly covering his eyes. I stretch my hand out and he flinched a bit... but doesn’t run.
I brush his hair away from his eyes, and a feeling of satisfaction floods me as I get a proper view of his eyes. I’ve never seen eyes so... magical.
He blinks at me, and in this moment, I take the mental note that this boy... is quite beautiful. How can one look so innocently adorable? And at the same time, still looks like he can cause immense chaos if he wants.
He stares at me for a while, and when I don’t give him an answer, he looks away from me. He hugs his knees to his chest again and rests his cheek on his arms as he stares at the stream.
"Why are you up by this time?" I question, and he shrugs without making eye contact with me.
"I can’t sleep."
"Why?" I push, and he looks up at me for a few seconds. He sighs and looks away from me.
"I’m going to die before the release of GTA 6. That’s enough to keep anyone up." He replies, and my brows crease.
"GT... What?"
He looks up at me and smiles. A clearly forced smile.
"Nothing. I’m just thinking about the fact that I’m dying soon. You know, usually, you can’t sleep when you think about such things." He replies, and I can’t help my amusement at his sarcasm.
Is he truly this scared of Rhydian? Rhydian would never dare to kill him.
"Why are you convinced Rhydian will kill you?" I question, and he rolls his eyes before looking away.
"The fucker has tried to, before. Got his men to beat me till I was an inch away from death. If not for Koda, I’d be rotting in the ground by now. And all of a sudden, I’m supposed to go on a trip with the bastard?!" He replies, and I freeze at his words.
His head quickly snaps in my direction with wide eyes as he realises what he just said and, most importantly... who he just said it to.
"So... My brother is a bastard and a fucker?"