A brother's sacrifice

The next kick found its way to my side, and this time I didn't land on my knees — I landed on my back, staring at the high ceilings and seeing exactly nothing. I doubted my windpipe even worked.

The General bent down, staring into my face.

"What's your name, boy?"

Now he asked my name? I thought everyone was just going to go with the runt shit. I whispered, "Aa—Aeron, sir."

"Aeron, hmm?"

Aeron was the name Mum had given Caspian before she died, and after her death, Dad had it changed.

It never made sense to me, but now that I thought about it, Caspian never seemed like an Aeron. Maybe it was because I was dying. Things tend to take an interesting turn when you think you're dying.

Was I dying?

"One piece of advice — go home, Aeron." The General huffed. "I'll give you a special pass if you decide to leave by the next briefing. Your mum deserves to have you back in one piece."

He was such a fucking piece of shit, I thought as he walked away from my writhing body.

"Stare into this face, each and every one of you. I am General Noah — your worst nightmare."

I drifted into the subconscious.

***

"Ouch, Pierre! Easy on the ribs," I yelped, clutching the sheet of the bunk bed with everything in me.

Pierre sighed. "Is there a sign we can't see? One that begs people to pick on you?"

I laughed bitterly, then hissed as he carefully wrapped a bandage around my ribs. The ointment he smeared was nice and cold, but smelled so strong the only reason I wasn't coughing was that I feared for my ribs.

"On the flip side, you got a brother you didn't ask for." He glanced at Sett, who was glaring at the wall, broad back slouched.

"He looks like he wants to kill me."

"Sett wants to kill everyone," Pierre muttered, tugging the bandage tight enough to make me suck in a breath. "He's just trying not to make it personal."

"He's doing a terrible job," I winced. "I didn't ask him to step in—but I'm grateful," I added quickly.

Sett didn't respond. Just sat there, jaw clenched, hands balled into fists resting on his knees.

He hadn't even looked at me. Which honestly hurt more than the General's boot to my ribs. I didn't even blame him for being pissed — he'd been the one to hurl my ass out of the hall.

"You'll have to walk to the chemist later to get drugs for your fever. They don't give stand-ins."

"Thanks, Pierre."

He ruffled my hair and climbed up to his bunk opposite mine. "If your wolf is as strong as your salute, you won't need it."

I said nothing. I guess Caspian hadn't told him I was repressed. Fair — my brother knew that was a sensitive topic for me. Either that, or he didn't think I'd go this far, so thought there was no use telling them.

I still wonder sometimes where he met such an unconventional group — Pierre, who smelled like royalty and spoke and acted like one too; Levi, a priest who was anything but; and, well, Sett, who obviously grew up on the streets.

A loud thump sounded very close to my side, and my eyes widened, waiting for the pain. But only my bed sank from the weight.

"Pfft, I wasn't going to touch you," Levi chuckled. "Not when you look like you were visited by Thanatos."

"It doesn't hurt that much," I mumbled.

Silence for a few seconds, then he poked my ribs, and I yelled, "What is wrong with you?!"

Levi shook his head. "Only if the General knew he was actually hitting a girl. But oh well, he won't be needing that since you'll be leaving before next tomorrow."

"No," I mumbled. "I'm not leaving."

There was silence in the room. Sett's fingers clenched into a fist; his jaw ticked — still he didn't look at me.

"You're kidding," Levi frowned, amused. "You almost died out there, you've got a General breathing down your neck, and you still wanna stay?"

I dodged his eyes. "Yeah."

"Funny you think I was gonna give her a choice." Sett stood up. I heard Pierre sigh. "The next train leaves tomorrow after the second briefing, when the Captains and Generals choose who they want under their wings. One way or another, you'll be gone."

I met his eyes, but I could never match the rage in them. "You think I'm that weak? You think I'll never be chosen?"

"You wouldn't like to know what I think about you. A spoiled brat is the least of it."

Spoiled? I was anything but spoiled. Clutching hard at my stomach, I sat up, looking down at my lap. "What if I get in?"

"What, are you stupid? Alright, how do you intend to do that?! How do you intend to be chosen?!" he roared. "With what happened earlier, you've got a ruined reputation."

"I didn't ask you to stand up for me."

"Maybe because Caspian's payment was to keep you alive the five hours you were gonna spend here, you—"

"Sett." Pierre called out. "That's enough."

Sett said nothing. All right. But the blaze in his eyes was enough words for me. I dropped my gaze again.

"You need to stop, Pierre," Sett spat as he walked away. "Quit encouraging the Omega to her death."

He opened the door and slammed it so hard the hinges shook. I tried not to wince as I nervously studied my fingers.

"Touche," Levi mumbled. "But he's kinda right." He shrugged. "What do I care? Now that I think about it, it was kinda funny listening to you yelp, 'Yes sir!' as General Scarface knocked you down to oblivion."

I bit my lip, the memory making my eyes fill. I blinked it back in.

Soon, only Pierre and I were in the room. I watched him for a couple of minutes as he tinkered with what looked like a bulb, constantly pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"You think he's right?" I murmured. "Should I go home?"

The tinkering stopped. Pierre looked at me with that warmth — a fresh air from the iciness of Sett and Levi.

"What do you think, Aeron?" He went back to his work. "Are you weak?"

Was the use of my fake name on purpose?

I nodded. "I am weak. But..." I squared my shoulders. "I can be strong."

I caught the smile on his lips before it disappeared.

"That's all that matters."