Triple Alpha's Threat

(GN) Ch. 102 - Death by Rejection

Drake POV

After an excruciating journey to the barracks, something that should have taken me five minutes, I found my brother lying in a ball on the floor. I bent to his side, my hand burning to his touch.

"Brother, what is wrong?" Concern laced my tone as I looked him over. He appeared to be dying, but a rejection can't do that.

"I had already rejected her." He cried, arms wrapping tighter around his stomach.

"Why would you..." I paused, realizing he didn't reject her today but when we first met her. He could only accept her again if she did first. My eyes scanned over his neck; a faded mark was blackened on his skin. "She marked you, then rejected you." I thought out loud.

"The pain. It's fucking gutting me, Drake." His voice was a whine of despair.

"I'm sorry, Chase. I'll get you through this; we will all get through this." I shook my head as I watched him cry in agony. "You're burning up. We need to cool your body."

I squatted and took a deep inhale to prepare myself. I wasn't as bad as Chase, but my body was weak, too. I couldn't just sit by and watch him die, though.

With a heavy grunt, I lifted my brother in my arms, carrying him on weak legs to the bathroom. My arms nearly gave out as I lowered him to the tub, and he landed with a thud.

"Fucking.... Asshole!" He shouted in more pain.

"Sorry, I'm trying." I wiped the buckets of sweat from my forehead and then turned on the tap. "This should help."

"Fuck, it's cold," Chase whined again.

I slowly lowered my body to kneel next to the tub, waiting patiently for it to fill while watching my brother's face shift between agony and despair. His heartbeat was still weak, and my body was growing too tired to stay alive.

"We deserve this," Chase whispered, sinking into the freezing water engulfing his body. I lifted some to turn off the water, then settled back to his side. "We deserve this." He repeated, the look of sadness deep in his soul.

"We never treated her right. We were idiots." My hand wrapped in his, and at least he wasn't burning up as bad anymore. I wasn't sure how long the water would remain cold, though.

"The look on her face was one I never want to see again. She hates me, brother. She won't forgive us."

"I know; she hates all of us, rejected us, and left." I clenched my jaw, realizing we may never see her again.

"What did we do?" Chase cried as he sank deeper into the water. My eyes fluttered as his did. It felt like a heavy weight was pressing down on our souls, forcing our life out of us permanently.

I reached out to River again; if these were our final moments, then we should be as one, leaving this world how we came into it.

'River, brother, we need you. We are one and always will be; no matter what happens, we are family. Our little brother is barely holding on. I'm barely holding on. Don't die alone all out there; don't leave us alone. It's supposed to be the three of us, always.'

I was met with only a growl. At least he heard me, and I prayed it was enough to make River break the hold Zeus had over him. I feared he might be following Kiera, and if he tried to attack our men, they would kill him to protect her.

Chase's hand tightened in mine. "I'm tired, Drake. I'm so damn tired."

"Just hold on, brother. It will pass; we just need to ride out the pain."

"It won't. This is different. I can feel her rejection burning away my soul. Lupa must have cursed us because I never heard of rejection feeling like this."