Chapter 3||

Ethan||

The darkness within me threatened to slip to the surface but I held it back. I turned back at Rachael and forced a smile to keep her at ease.

I turned back to my elder brother. "Nathan, take back your words," I growled deeply.

His eyes looked down on me. "Or what?" His voice was low, with just the right amount of vibrato to express the aggression he threatened to release.

He had always been like this, egging and pushing me to anger. I wouldn't fall for a trap that obvious. Not today.

I closed my eyes. "Nathan, she possesses the power of the Moon Goddess. She needs to be inside right now!"

His eyelids flickered for a second and he glanced at her. "No way!" He shook his head. "She's the moon wolf?!" He pointed at her.

"Yes listen, Nathan—"

"Are you stupid? I thought you were bringing in strays again, but you brought this dangerous hybrid to our doorstep?!" The veins at his neck bulged, threatening to tear out of his flesh.

"I'm not stupid! You know it, you are just scared!" I exploded.

Nathan glared at me and threw a murderous look at Rachael. I could sense her cowering under his gaze.

"Now listen, my dear younger brother Ethan, do you know what you just did?" He brought his face closer to mine.

"I just saved her life, you know she—" I lowered my voice. "—You know she deserves better than this. Why are you being so difficult?" My voice trembled with anger.

I was slowly getting tired of the madness!

Nathan shook his head. "You are just ignoring the facts. You know taking her in will only make an enemy of us to the other packs, hunh? Didn't you think that through?"

I placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back. "You don't tell me what to do, just like I don't tell you what to do." I turned my back to him and walked towards Rachael.

Nathan scoffed. "You see—"

I felt like a thin thread was about to break, with the next words he spoke,and I turned my head slightly. "Choose your next words carefully," I warned.

He knew he had already won me in the emotional warfare. "You can't be the next alpha if you think with your heart."

Screw this!

Like hot boiling water jumping out of a geyser fountain, rage in its purest form enveloped my body. "Now you have done it!" My voice was distorted as I partially transformed into my wolf and ran into him.

His eyes glowed green as he transformed too, and he ran towards me. I was putting everything into this strike, and I bet he was thinking the same because the moment our right arms nearly contacted our bodies, our father's roar stopped us in our tracks.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" The alpha of the Ravensclaw pack stood between us.

His hold on our arms was nearly enough to break it into two. "I will not have my sons duke it out in front of our guest!"

Quickly, my anger dissipated, and I glared at Nathan.

“Good.” He hissed as he released our arms and Nathan winced.

My arm felt alien to me, but I refused to flinch in pain.

My father ignored us and moved his attention to Rachael who looked like she was going to slip back into the vehicle and run.

"Look at her, she's so cold and confused right now? Is that how we treat our guests?" He clapped his hands and maids surrounded Rachael in seconds.

"Lead her to the guest room and have her rest. The journey must have been very long. I'm sorry for my sons' behavior."

Nathan frowned. "Father, don't do that. She's a problem to the pack—"

"Shush!" He held up a finger and Nathan remained silent, if not for some occasional grunting and low rambling.

Rachael looked back at me with the words 'Help me!' written on her face as the maids led her inside the gates. I couldn't help but worry for her too.

It also gave me some peace, to know that she relied on me. Not like she had any other choices; her uncle wasn't here, and I was the next person she knew.

I nodded at her that it was alright, but she never stopped looking until she made it past the gates.

Father suddenly clapped, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Now we can talk, she's gone."

"You are making a mistake, father." Nathan made sure to control his tone before his father, but it was useless.

"No, I'm not. Just like Ethan said, we can't leave her to die out here. Especially when we know we can do something." Father glanced at me, and a little smile played on his face for a second.

I chose to remain silent and watched how Father handled it. I knew he had other reasons.

But Nathan wasn't having it. "Father, I know you are playing a game. That's not the real reason you are keeping her right?"

"Indeed." He said with a smirk. "She gives us the advantage over the other packs because of her power. That way, people wouldn't want to mess with us for a while… not even the Hunters."

Nathan smiled, but it was of defeat and frustration "Incredible. Wonderful—"

"Watch it." I reminded him of father's alpha status.

Nathan scoffed. "I'm going to find a way to kick her out." He started towards the gate. "Be it with the council or the other, because I won't place our people in danger. Our enemies, nefarious groups from everywhere will attack us because of her, and I will protect our people."

He turned away and disappeared into the gate, mumbling away in anger.

Silence filled the space around us and Father looked at me, a gentle old smile playing on his lips.

"Nathan has grown, I didn't make him Chairman of internal affairs in the pack for nothing." He smiled in admiration.

Knowing my father, I knew this was just a start of something else and somehow, I didn’t like it. “So what are you thinking concerning his hate for Racheal?”

“I’ll make him marry her.”