chapter 43
Asher’s POV
Isaac’s words were somewhat a comfort to me.
He was hurting just as much as I was, and somehow knowing
that made my own pain feel a little less isolating.
We sat down on a large stone, side by side. The forest around us
was still. The only sound audible was the rustle of leaves in the
wind and the distant calls of wolves. I wondered if other
members had found know about my parent’s death as well.
For a while, neither of us spoke. I was a little embarrassed by
mw.breakdown earlier A
|: 1.- ‘1 1—
M
品
|||
M
M
100M
W
M
品
ww
W
It was something I had thought about countless times since
then, a thorn in my chest that left me haunted even in my
dreams.
||
W
|||
W
ww
W
W
M
M
M
M W
||
Hww
Tww
w
W WIL
WIXXX
W III
W
W
WI
WII 1100
||
W
H
ند
W
ווי
M
MIIII
111100
||
TIM
WIXX
1100
I looked at my brother, really looked at him. It struck me how
little I actually knew about him.
He was chased out of the pack when we were both babies. I
didn’t even know he existed until recently. We had become
strangers.
I wanted to bridge that gap, to understand him, to know the
person he’d become in all those years we were apart. My father‘
s words still rang in my ears: my brother and Violet were the
only person I could turn to in time of crisis. We needed to stick
close to each other.
“I want to get to know you, Isaac, something I should do a long
time ago,” I said, my voice shaky but determined. “I know we’ve
had our differences, but no matter what, our parents loved us
both equally. They did what they thought was best for us, even
if it doesn’t always make sense.”
Isaac smiled, a small, bittersweet smile, “I know they did. Fuck…
Why did I just realize this after they were gone? I…I hate myself
for it!”
“It’s not your fault…”
:
ww
W
W
||
M
ww nxx_WIT
M
E
W■
|||
M
ww
WIT
www
M
M
1000
品
WII
WJUL
www
|||
W
00
W
M
品
8
M
to make me think he was a brutal murderer.
“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice almost a whisper. “He’s always been… he’s the greatest uncle a kid could ever ask for.”
Isaac’s eyes blazed with anger, his lips curling in a snarl, “That’s because you were the heir. You were the golden child, the one everyone loved. I was just the spare, the one in the way! He made sure I knew that. Look what he did to us! He drove us
apart and almost got us to war. He is not that perfect as he
seems!”
I swallowed hard, my throat dry.
I didn’t want to doubt my uncle, but there was a fire in Isaac’s
eyes that made me hesitate. Isaac might know more than I did.
He might be on to something.
“If there’s proof, if we can find evidence, then I promise you, Isaac, I’ll help you get the justice you want. We’ll make this
right.” I promised him.
For a moment, Isaac didn’t say anything. He just looked at me, his gaze searching, as if trying to determine whether he could
trust me.
Then, slowly, he nodded. “Alright,” he said. “I’ll hold you to
that.”
I sensed his aloofness disappearing. He was offering me his
trust. I needed his trust especially at a time like this.
I couldn’t help the surge of sadness that hit me as I thought about the years we’d spent apart. While I had been enjoying the
love and comfort of our parents, my twin brother had been out
there on his own, struggling, angry, feeling abandoned.
He had every right to be angry at them for giving up on him.
The thought of what he’d gone through, while I was safe and
loved, made my chest ache.
I wished I could go back and change things, but I knew I couldn‘
- t. All I could do now was try to make it right, to be there for
him, and let him know he wasn’t alone anymore.
“Maybe we can start over,” I looked over at Isaac and said, “Get
to know each other again. I mean, we’re twins, right? We
should know each other better than anyone else.”
Isaac let out a chuckle, the tension in his shoulders easing
slightly. “Yeah, maybe,” he said, his lips curving into a smile. “I’d
like that.”
We sat there for a while longer, talking, sharing stories,
laughing at the absurdity of some of the things we’d done as
kids. He described to me the life as a rogue, something I had
never experienced before.
It felt good, like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, like
maybe we could finally start to heal. I couldn’t believe that
there was ever a time when our parents thought we’d put the
titles and power above our bond as brothers.
Sitting there with Isaac, it seemed impossible that we could
have ever been enemies.
“Asher–ASHER!!!”
“Your mate is here,” Isaac said.
I turned, my heart skipping a beat when I saw Violet rushing
towards me, her eyes wide with worry. I stood up, wrapped my
arms around her, pulling her close, and she let out a sigh,
leaning into me.
“God I was so worried! I couldn’t find you anywhere I look!” she
tightened her arms around my waist, her voice a mix of relief
and frustration.
chapter 43
“I’m sorry,” I murmured into her hair. “I just… needed some
time.”
She pulled back slightly, her eyes searching my face. “Are you
okay?”
“I will be,” I said. And for the first time since our parents had
died, I actually believed it.
I had my brother, I had Violet, and I had a promise to keep. It
wouldn’t be easy, and there was still so much we needed to
figure out, but I knew that as long as we were together, we’d
find a way.
chapter 44
