Dark Twin Moon - The Awakening

Chapter 56:

"That was the most delicious food I've ever eaten!"

Kayleb beamed with happiness when he heard his soulmate's praise. He bathed in every word. However, his happiness was quickly destroyed.

Jerome watched his Zaphal intently, as he always did. But at that moment, he couldn't hold it anymore.

"Ian isn't your brother, is he?"

He never wanted it to sound so harsh, but he had kept the question to himself for a long time. Never, really sure, but now that he's had contact with the brothers for a while, he finally had to ask.

The entire room went silent almost immediately. Kayleb was frozen. There was nothing left of his previous happiness. He didn't turn his head to look at the boy who had asked him a question, his gaze flickering between his soulmate and Chad, remembering a day long ago when he was about four years old.

A soft smile graced his lips as he remembered the frightened little boy who looked so much like him, only younger, standing before him, clutching his mother's hand.

"He's my brother," Kayleb said firmly after a moment.

"Maybe," Jerome shot back quickly, "But not your blood."

Finally, the Alpha lycan, the Zaphal to Jerome, turned his head to him. The wolf's dark eyes glistened in the soft light scattered by the setting sun. He could see he wasn't going to let it go. So, with a heavy sigh, he reluctantly gave in.

"How long?"

"Since the first day of school. You look alike, but there are too many differences between you two. His ears are further apart, his neck is shorter, the light freckles on his face, the soft facial features, but what really put me off was your completely different smells."

"Welcome to the club of three," Kayleb said dryly. "You're the third person who saw it. Yes, Ian is not my brother by blood. But he is still my brother. Why is it so important to you?"

Jerome's face suddenly fell, he started to fiddle with his fingers.

"Because," he began to speak but then looked up and completely froze. His mouth opened but didn't close.

Kayleb quickly became impatient. He didn't want this issue to be left hanging. As he was about to speak, he could hear something fall to the ground behind him. Since he didn't hear anyone enter, he was immediately on full alert and quickly turned around. His emerald green eyes caught the deep, bright ocean blue eyes of the only brother he had left.

"What do you mean?" Ian could barely get out before he started breathing heavily, panic quickly rising in his heart.

"Ian," Kayleb said quietly. When he got up, he wanted to go to his brother, but he raised his hand to stop him.

"How?" he choked, whimpering as he took a few steps back, tears filling his eyes.

Although Kayleb wanted to talk, telling his brother everything, he couldn't. Instead, he stood there, staring into his brother's pained eyes and feeling his heart clench.

Kayleb made one last desperate attempt. He held out his hand. But Ian didn't come any closer as he had hoped. He dreamed of him jumping into his arms, crying, and the two of them cemented their familiar bond with so many words that they would fall asleep in each other's arms hours later. But nothing of this happened.

He thought his parents would tell him one day like they promised him when he was a child. But now he was the bad guy that told him the truth.

With every second passing, the look of betrayal on his younger brother's face became more evident. He couldn't even blame him. But it wasn't his job to tell him. He was happy with a brother. At least that's what he thought until he looked into Ian's eyes for the first time when he was four years old, and Ian was three years old at the time, his eyes empty, devoid of feeling, broken beyond repair.