Chapter 508: The prayers of a brother

(Music Recommendation: Resurgam by Anne Dudley, The Chamber Orchestra Of London.)

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The mighty silver-colored wolf ran harder than he had ever run in his life, faster even than the day he’d first taken his wolf form, faster than any leaping trace he’d ever mastered, his lungs burning, his paws striking the ground with force, but none of it registered against the singular thought driving him forward; nothing must happen to his little sister, and he had to get to her.

As Sebastian ran after the car, toward the coastline where the water connected to the sea, memories of his little sister began to surface behind his eyes, her laughter as a little girl, and how no matter how much life beat her down, Zoe always rose back up smiling, staying kind even to the worst kind of person, someone who didn’t deserve her kindness at all.

He remembered once, when she was a teenager, she had witnessed a man being tied up for execution, and she’d come to him afterward with tears in her eyes, begging for forgiveness on the man’s behalf.

’Hermano, that man could have a family depending on him. What will happen to them if you kill him?’ She’d held his hand, pleading.

’He has no family, and he’s been working against Silver, spying on us. So don’t cry to me about letting him go, criminals like him are bound to die that way. You don’t have to watch it happen, if you can’t stand it.’ Sebastian had said, his eyes cold and strict as always, even though his heart was softened toward her, since he never liked seeing his little sister hold tears In those eyes of hers.

’You don’t have to kill him, you know. You could give him a second chance, let him join your men instead. He looks so young, he could still have a whole family someday. I heard Father used to give criminals second chances, do it Dad’s way. Sometimes killing isn’t always the answer to things, hermano, please.’

Sebastian remembered how, even though he’d wanted nothing more than to see the criminal dead, he’d given the man a second chance, because of Zoe and her tears. And true to her words, the man had turned his life around, now mated in Silver with a child of his own and was one of the best warriors.

His little sister was so much like their mother. She always reminded him painfully of her sometimes, with that same kind heart, and that was one of the reasons, among all the others, why he had to act like his sister didn’t mean so much to him in public, to avoid her being targeted by his enemies with her kind heart.

Sebastian had put distance between them because of it, worried he’d be the reason she would be hurt again after the time she had taken a bullet for him. She made him rule in a softer way, one he didn’t like. Zoe was an angel who deserved more than he had given her as a brother.

He was the one who had created that distance between them, but now, running toward the car carrying her, he made himself a vow: if she survived, he would become the best brother he was capable of being. He would give her all the attention she deserved.

He would bring back her favorite brother, Alex, and let her have her way in everything. Sebastian vowed he would stop executing criminals altogether and give them second chances, the way his father used to. He would finally take her to Paris, the way she’d been begging him to for years.

He would...

By the time he broke through the last stretch of trees, the car had already come to a stop at the edge of the coast, morning light just beginning to bleed pale gold across the horizon, gilding the water in a way that would have been beautiful on any other day.

He stopped a short distance away, his chest heaving, and watched as the car doors opened, his heart hammering up into his wolf’s throat.

’Muffin, will my sister survive? Will she be okay?’ Sebastian asked his wolf desperately, unable to move any closer or check for himself. For the first time in longer than he could remember, he was afraid of what he might see. She had looked to be in terrible condition, her stomach torn open by stab wounds.

Muffin stayed silent, his eyes trained just as intently on the car.

He watched Gilbert climb out first, carrying Zoe in his arms, wrapped in fabric soaked through with blood that used to be her dress, her silver hair hanging limp over the crook of his elbow.

He watched Viola stumble out after them, her face a mask of raw devastation, tears cutting clean lines through the dirt and blood on her cheeks, her hands shaking as she reached out toward her friend’s still body.

He watched Matt, who never cried, whom Sebastian had only ever seen shed tears twice in his entire life, both times when they were still boys, drop to his knees in the sand, his shoulders shaking violently, silent sobs wracking through him.

And Sebastian understood, in that single frozen moment, exactly what he was looking at.

His heart dropped straight into his stomach. The world seemed to shut down around him for a moment, and he stood there staring without really seeing anything at all, and just as the realization settled fully inside him, something in his chest went very, very quiet.

She’s gone...

His little sister, his last remaining connection to what he and his parents had once had together, was gone.

’Hermano, are Mom and Dad now stars in the sky?’ His little sister’s voice came to him, a memory from when she was eight.

’I don’t know,’ he had replied nonchalantly, looking up at the sky beside her, where she’d come to sit next to him on the terrace. His words made her frown in displeasure.

’Why can’t you ever be like Matty? You always say you don’t know.’

’Matt’s too sentimental for me to be anything like him, little girl. If you want to hear about the late Alpha and Luna becoming stars, go ask him. Stars are nothing but enormous, glowing balls of extremely hot plasma, mostly made of hydrogen and helium.’

Zoe had looked so hurt at his words that her lips began to tremble. ’So Mom and Dad’s spirits aren’t watching over us? And when I die someday, I won’t get to become my favorite star, beside them...’

Sebastian hadn’t meant to shatter her little belief like that, and before he could find a way to fix it, his sister had already run off crying. Within moments, Matt came storming back, carrying her in his arms, and slapped Sebastian at the back of the head as he sat there, earning himself a heated glare in return.

’You should write a book on the single best way to break a girl’s whole world, man. Why the hell would you say something like that to her?’ Matt glared right back, when it came to Sebastian’s little sister, he was never afraid to stand up to his friend, or throw hands if it came to it.

’And you should write one about being delusional. You’re filling her head with lies that’ll grow her into a woman full of unrealistic beliefs.’ Sebastian had shot back, though his eyes stayed fixed on his sister’s trembling shoulders, pressed against Matt’s seventeen-year-old chest.

’At least she’ll grow up happy, instead of bitter like her brother. Are you going to rewire that mindset of yours and apologize, or what?’ Matt asked, handing him his crying sister, her eyes now red and swollen.

Sebastian took her into his arms, pulling her against his nineteen-year-old chest, and cleared his throat. ’I was only joking, Zoe. Mom and Dad watch over us always, and they’ll always love you. Now stop crying, because Matt’s right about one thing, people turn to stars after they leave this world.’ he said the words glaring at Matt who nodded in satisfaction.

She stopped crying and lifted her head to look at his face, wiping her nose against his shirt as she said, ’You... you shouldn’t joke like that again, hermano. Mom will be sad that you said she’s not watching over us. You should apologize to Mom.’

Sebastian kept glaring at Matt, who glared right back and jerked his head toward the stars, and after making him apologize properly to the sky, Zoe had smiled and announced to them both,

’I can’t wait to die, so I can be a star and be with Mom and Dad!’

’Absolutely not,’ Matt was quick to say. ’You are not dying, not for a very long time, you will grow as old as Elder Ysara. You’re staying here longer than any of us, if anyone’s dying first, it’s going to be us, because for as long as we live, we’re going to be your heroes, and we’re going to keep you alive. Right, Seb?’

’Right. Matt is right again. No talking about death, young lady or you will upset mom.’

Zoe’s little face took on a look of understanding as she nodded. ’Then I will never die if it will upset Mom. I will stay forever with hermano Alex, you, and Matty. Will you give me a piggyback ride to get ice cream, hermano?’

’I will lose respect if people see me piggybacking you,’ Sebastian had complained, but in the end, he had carried her on his back, running as she laughed, while Matt chased them toward where Alex was.

Sebastian came back to the present, feeling as though his soul had left his body entirely.