As the moon hung high, casting its light upon them all,
No sooner than its rise, did that moon and its light fall.
***
For the past year, eighteen-year old spare heir and werewolf Michael has lived in the shadow of loss. Unable to shake the guilt o...
Did Michael ever think he would be in this position again? No. But there he was, roaming the corridors in the middle of the night as quietly as possible and hoping the bird he had cradled to his chest would not chirp until he at least got back to his chambers.
Yes, the wretched little creature was back.
No, he had not brought it back to the castle because he had missed it. He simply did not want Ellette to have to worry about anything other than staying alive. As long as she did that, perhaps the both of them could go to the new Fae world together.
Once he made it to his chambers and reached for the handle, he paused when he noticed the door was slightly ajar.
The hairs on the back of his neck immediately stood up.
Most knew not to enter his chambers without his permission—especially at that time of night—but the only person who would not care to abide by such a rule was his father.
Because how could anyone tell an Alpha what to do and what not to do in his own home?
Michael glanced down at the bird already staring up at him. He contemplated turning right back around and going somewhere—anywhere—else, but if his father had dared to make a trip to his chambers in the middle of the night, there was, undoubtedly, a reason.
He took a deep breath before pushing the door open. He immediately located his father, bathed in the moonlight and standing in front of the window with his back facing him.
"Father, to what do I owe this visit?"
Michael could not recall the last time his father had visited him in his chambers, as he always went to the Alpha, and never the other way around.
His father turned his head to the side, but did not turn to face him. "Where are you returning from in the middle of the night?"
He only had two choices: lie, or tell some version of the truth.
"The Woodlands."
That got his father to finally turn around and face him, but, as expected, his gaze was immediately drawn down to the bird Michael had cradled to his chest.
"It was injured," he quickly rushed out before moving to his bed and setting the bird down on top of it.
It looked up at him, and instead of drawing as little attention to itself as possible, it began to chirp repeatedly. To quiet it, he picked it back up.
"Instead of spending every free moment getting to know your future mate and taking her with you to the very place you both will be living once mated, you chose to, instead, go frolicking outdoors, scavenging for helpless creatures mother nature chose to eliminate?"
"I found it weeks ago, and have been taking care of it before I ever knew Danica or your plans for us."
The look on his father's face let him know he did not care. If Michael was not doing his duty and letting himself be distracted by a bird, he was a failure as a son.
"What would you have had me do? I could not just let it die. I...I found it at Gabriel's grave."
His father's nearing footsteps made him look up. Within seconds, his father was standing in front of him, and before he could prevent it, the bird was taken from him.
The sight of his father holding it in one hand and stroking its head with the other truly shocked him as he never knew his father to be so...gentle. But gentle as he was, the bird squirmed in his father's hold and twisted its head to look at Michael.
It wanted him. Only him.
He pushed forward to retrieve it from his father, but what happened next immediately stilled him before he could even take a second step.
The hand his father was using to stroke the bird's head moved to enclose around its neck and twisted. The crack of its neck filled the silent room, but it was the sound of its tiny body hitting the floor after his father carelessly tossed it at his feet he knew would haunt him forever more.
Michael could not move. He could not speak. He could not look. It was as if time itself had stopped and he was merely waiting for it to resume, yet hoping it never would.
"How dare an insignificant and weak little creature defile your brother's grave. I came here tonight to tell you how well you handled the situation with Aria only to find you gone. Again distracted. Again doing everything other than what you should be doing.
"As it seems you still have yet to fully comprehend that I control you, here is a lesson I am certain you will never forget. Life is all about give and take. I gave you until after the full moon to get your act together. Now, watch me take your belief that any sort of light awaits you after the full moon by reminding you it is alwaysdarkest after it falls."
He felt his father brush past him, and heard the sound of his footsteps as he walked away. It was only once he heard the click of the door being closed did he feel like time resumed and he could move.
He dropped to his knees and looked down at the tiny bird. His eyes trailed over its broken neck. Its lifeless black eyes. Its nearly healed wing.
Its death was his fault. He had taken it out of the castle to avoid this very thing from happening, and yet, the fate he tried to change still played out.
If only he had been quicker and reached his father sooner.
If only he had left it with Ellette in the Woodlands.
If only he had never brought it home to begin with.
If only he had remembered that everything he touched always met a horrible end. If he had, he would not be here, forced to mourn another death he had caused.
He scooped up the bird and continued looking down at it as he held its warm body to his chest.
"I am sorry," he whispered. "Find peace in knowing you are far away from this cruel world and far away from me."
He looked up towards the window and stared out at the night sky and the moon that was days away from being full. And all he could do as he looked at it looking back at him was ask it to shine its light upon a path that led as far away from Ellette as possible.
He could not save her, and it was foolish of him to ever think he could.
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A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hoping 2025 is a fantastic year for you all, & may it be full of love, light, health & wealth! 😉
Aaron truly is the worst, isn't he? Poor bird. Poor Michael. Everything he tries to save ends up dying, so this can't be a good sign of what's to come 🥺
