Shattered Bonds

Idris POV

I couldn't believe my eyes. There he was—Elian—standing in front of me, so close and yet so far away. My brother, the one I had been searching for, was here. But something was wrong. The look in his eyes wasn't the familiar warmth I had always known. There was no recognition, no comfort. Just confusion and hesitation.

"Elian," I said, barely able to keep my voice steady. "It's me, Idris. Do you remember me?"

He stepped back, looking at me with that distant, glassy-eyed stare. "I… I don't know you."

The words hit me harder than I could've ever expected. It felt like the ground was ripped out from under me. He didn't remember me. My brother was standing there, but he was a stranger. A hollow version of the Elian I knew.

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure. "Elian, it's me. We're family. I'm your brother. Please, remember me."

But Elian only looked at me in confusion, his face pale, his eyes wide, like he didn't know how to process what was happening. I could feel Ronan's eyes on us, and the anger in me flared up again. Ronan. He was the one who had done this. He had taken my brother from me, broken him, and now he was playing some twisted game.

"You…" I turned to Ronan, fury burning in my chest. "You did this to him. You turned him into this. I won't stand by and let you keep him here like this. He belongs with me."

Ronan's expression was unreadable, his posture stiff. "I didn't do anything to him. He's still alive, Idris. That's more than I can say for your precious memories."

But his words didn't matter. Elian was broken. I could see it now. He wasn't the same. And it was Ronan's fault.

I stepped forward, desperate to pull Elian from this place, away from the man who had ruined him. "Come with me, Elian," I said, my voice cracking. "I'll take care of you. You don't belong here."

For a second, I thought I saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes. But it was gone just as quickly.

"I… I can't just leave," Elian said softly, almost to himself. "I don't know where to go."

My chest tightened. He doesn't even remember where home is anymore.

I shot a look at Ronan, my gaze seething with hatred. "He's not one of you," I spat, voice low with venom. "He doesn't belong here. He's not a part of this pack, and I'm taking him with me."

Ronan's eyes narrowed, his muscles tense. He stepped forward, the distance between us closing. "You're not taking him anywhere."

I could feel the tension rising, the anger crackling in the air. We were going to clash again. The pack was already watching, and I could see them murmuring among themselves. But nothing mattered now. Not their loyalty, not their opinions. All that mattered was getting my brother back.

Then something unexpected happened.

"Elian…" Ronan's voice was softer now, more pleading, but the edge was still there. "You don't know him. You don't know what he's really like."

Before I could retort, Elian took a step between us. His expression was serious, almost like he had made a decision, but I couldn't understand it. "Stop," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Both of you, stop."

I froze. Elian was standing between us, the bridge between two worlds that couldn't coexist. And what he said next shattered me.

"I… I want to go with Idris," Elian said, his voice steady but laced with a quiet sadness.

I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. The world tilted beneath me as Elian's words sunk in. He wants to leave me. The brother I had fought for, the brother I had protected… he wanted to leave. And for a moment, everything in me broke.

Elian POV

I could feel the weight of both of their eyes on me, their expectations, their anger, and their pain. Ronan's gaze was intense, protective, almost possessive, like he wasn't willing to let go of me. But Idris… Idris was the one who had come for me. He was my family. He was my blood.

I couldn't remember the past, not clearly, but something about Idris felt right. I could see the desperation in his eyes, the way his hands were trembling. He wanted to take me away. He wanted to protect me. And for some reason, that felt like the only thing I could trust right now.

"I… I want to go with Idris," I said, my voice quieter than I intended. It was the hardest thing I'd ever said, but it was the truth. I didn't belong here. Not in Ronan's world. Not with the wolves.

Ronan's expression cracked. For a moment, there was a flicker of something—hurt, pain, confusion—before it was quickly replaced by anger. But it wasn't just anger at Idris. It was anger at me, too.

"Elian," Ronan growled, stepping forward as though trying to close the gap between us. "You don't know what you're saying."

I could see the pain in his eyes, but it didn't matter. I couldn't stay here. I couldn't stay in this place that felt cold and unfamiliar. I couldn't trust Ronan's promises when I didn't know who I was anymore.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I don't remember you. I don't… know who you are anymore."

Ronan's jaw tightened, and for a second, I thought he might snap. The tension between him and Idris was palpable. The air crackled with hostility, and I could feel the sharp edge of their words, like blades ready to cut.

"I'm not leaving," Ronan said, his voice steady but cold. "You're staying here, Elian. This is your home now."

But it wasn't my home. I couldn't stay in a place where I didn't belong. And deep down, I knew that Idris was the one who would take care of me, even if he wasn't sure what to do with me.

I stepped away from Ronan, my feet carrying me closer to Idris, who stood there, looking at me with those familiar, pleading eyes.

"I want to go with him," I said, my voice firm now.

The words cut through Ronan like a knife, and I could see the hurt flashing in his eyes. He didn't want to lose me. He didn't want to let me go. But I had to. For me. For the brother I once knew.

Idris stepped forward, his hand reaching for mine, and I didn't hesitate. I took it, the warmth of his grip grounding me in a way that felt familiar and safe. The silence between us stretched on, thick with tension, but in that moment, I knew I had made the right choice.

Ronan didn't say anything else. His gaze lingered on me for a moment, full of unspoken words, before he turned away, the weight of his anger following him as he walked off.

Idris squeezed my hand, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn't alone.