Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 227: Tears For A Brother

Chapter 227: Tears For A Brother

Mai’s P.O.V.

I couldn’t believe it.

Eldur—Eldur—was crying.

I stared at his hunched form, barely visible in the faint light of the room. His white hair, usually wild and untamed, looked dull in the shadows, his shoulders stiff and trembling.

This was the same Eldur who thrived on pain, who laughed when people flinched, who had done horrible things to Liam and me over the past few months and even weeks. This was the same Eldur who had promised to make Liam disappear if he ever touched me again.

And yet... all I could see now was a broken boy.

Without thinking, I let go of Liam and moved toward Eldur.

"Eldur?" My voice came out soft and hesitant.

His body tensed immediately, like a wounded animal about to lash out. He didn’t turn to look at me.

"Go back to sleep, Mai." His voice was hoarse, rough, but it lacked its usual bite.

I sat down beside him, unfazed. "No."

A muscle in his jaw twitched. "Mind your business."

I ignored him, folding my arms stubbornly. "At the moment, you are my business."

He let out a sharp exhale, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I don’t have time for your nonsense right now."

"Then make time," I shot back. "Because I’m not leaving."

He clenched his fists, shaking slightly. The silence stretched between us, heavy and choking. Then, finally—he cracked.

Eldur turned to me, silver eyes blazing with barely restrained fury. "I can’t hear him anymore." His voice trembled. "Raivo is gone."

I blinked. "What?"

Eldur let out a bitter laugh, one that held no real amusement. "Ever since I was bound to Liam, I’ve felt it—Raivo slipping away. At first, I thought he was just quiet. But tonight... I realized it." His breathing hitched. "He’s not just silent. He’s gone."

Liam and I exchanged a glance.

Eldur swallowed hard, his voice breaking. "You think Raivo is some awful demon, don’t you? Some monster whispering in my ear, making me worse?" His hands clenched into the fabric of his pants. "But to me... he is my brother. My best friend. My companion."

I felt my throat tighten.

Eldur’s voice dropped to a whisper. "I don’t know how to survive without him."

I took a deep breath. "Eldur..."

He scoffed, shaking his head. "Don’t."

"No, listen to me." I leaned closer. "Raivo is a demon, Eldur. He made you hurt people. He made you worse." My hands balled into fists. "Do you know what it was like for me? The witch—Lavira—she’s horrible. She made me do despicable things, things I can never take back. She stole my choices, my friends, my sanity."

Eldur looked away.

"But then Liam..." I turned to glance at the blond boy sitting quietly on the couch, his blue eyes filled with uncertainty. "With him around, Lavira stopped. She couldn’t control me anymore. I don’t hear her voice. I feel—free. The most free I’ve ever been in my life."

Eldur’s expression twisted, full of bitterness. "Don’t compare our cases, Mai." His tone was sharp, almost desperate. "Lavira isn’t your friend. She isn’t your brother." His voice cracked. "I’ve had Raivo since I was a baby."

The room was filled with the sound of his ragged breathing.

Then, without warning, Eldur stood up sharply, heading toward the door.

Liam sat forward. "Where are you going?"

Eldur’s head turned slightly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "To the other room. You two can resume making out now." His jaw clenched. "Don’t mind me."

Before I could say anything, he yanked the door open and slammed it shut behind him.

The room was suddenly too quiet.

I let out a breath, rubbing my temples. "He’s losing his mind." Liam sighed.

"I... I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that upset before." I replied.

I turned to Liam, searching his expression. He looked... troubled. Worried.

"Do you think he’ll be okay?" Liam asked, his voice a whisper.

I hesitated. "I don’t know."

We sat there in silence for a while.

Then, slowly, I reached for Liam’s hand. "Come here."

He looked at me warily. "What?"

I pulled him toward the bed. "Just lay down."

Liam let out a quiet, exasperated sigh but obeyed, stretching out beside me. I nestled myself into his arms, letting his warmth chase away the lingering tension from the night.

His arm came around me instinctively, pulling me closer, and he pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head.

We stayed like that, wrapped up in each other, breathing in sync.

Then—Liam’s voice broke quiet with a hesitant,

"...Mai?"

I tilted my head up slightly. "Yeah?"

He hesitated. Then, in a shaky voice he asked, "If you didn’t have a witch in your head... if you weren’t hearing whispers... would you still have wanted me?"

I froze.

His breath hitched, but he waited—terrified of the answer.

My heart clenched painfully.

I thought about it. Thought about the way he had always been my safe place. Thought about the pull I had always felt toward him.

Then, softly—gently—I answered.

"I believe with all my heart that you’re my mate, Liam. So yes. Even without the witches, without the whispers, I would’ve still stalked you and made sure you realized we belonged together."

His breath caught.

Then, in a small voice—uncertain, hopeful—he asked, "Would you have done anything differently?"

I smiled a little.

Slowly, I lifted my hand, pushing his blond hair aside, revealing the scarred part of his forehead.

Then—I leaned in and kissed it.

Liam’s entire body stilled.

I whispered against his skin, "I wouldn’t have hurt you." My throat felt tight. "That’s my biggest regret, Liam. Hurting you."

Liam’s arms suddenly wrapped around me tightly, pulling me against his chest. "Mai... stop worrying about that." His voice was so soft, so gentle. "It’s in the past now."

I swallowed hard. "But—"

He silenced me with a kiss.

A deep, achingly warm kiss.

His lips molded against mine, slow and steady, pulling me deeper into him. My fingers curled into his shirt as I melted into the kiss, feeling like I was falling.

Falling into him.

Falling into us.

And I wasn’t scared of the fall.

*********

The next morning, the pack felt heavy with tension.

Liam, Eldur, Ollie, and I all piled into the black SUV waiting outside the house. My father had already arranged for Eldur to be admitted to our school, and an excuse had been fabricated for Liam’s and my absence these past few months. Some nonsense about family emergencies and private training. Not that anyone would question it—my father’s authority ensured that.

Liam sat beside me, staring blankly out the window. His fingers absentmindedly traced the scarred side of his forehead, a habit he had when lost in thought. I didn’t comment on it, but I reached over, grabbing his hand and intertwining our fingers. He flinched slightly but didn’t pull away.

Eldur, sitting across from us, narrowed his eyes at our linked hands. His jaw tensed, but he said nothing.

Ollie, completely oblivious to the tension, grinned. "So, how does it feel to be returning to school after months of... whatever the hell you two were up to?"

Liam shot him a dry look. "Oh, you know, just overcoming years of psychological torment and trying not to strangle each other."

Ollie laughed. "Sounds healthy."

I smirked but said nothing.

As soon as we pulled into the school parking lot, all eyes turned toward us. Students stood frozen, whispering, their gazes flicking between us like we were some rare, dangerous creatures that had escaped from a cage.

"Great," Liam muttered under his breath. "I missed this."

Eldur, on the other hand, looked amused. "They fear us. As they should."

I sighed, pushing open the car door. The second my feet hit the pavement, the murmurs turned into full-blown conversations.

"Is that Eldur Daegon? He wasn’t in our school before, was he?"

"I heard the Alpha pulled some strings to get him in."

"Where have Mai and Liam even been? And why does Liam look like he’s actually comfortable being around Mai and Eldur?"

I ignored them all and walked toward the entrance, Liam close beside me. His grip on my hand had tightened slightly. Not enough to be painful, but enough for me to know he was anxious.

I squeezed his hand in reassurance, and he let out a quiet breath.

Inside, the day passed in a blur of stares and hushed voices. By second period, the rumors were already spiraling out of control.

I was heading toward the restroom when I paused outside the door, catching snippets of a conversation from inside.

"I’m telling you, something is weird. Liam was terrified of Mai and Eldur before. Now he follows them around like a lost puppy."

"Maybe they did something to him," another girl whispered conspiratorially. "Some kind of spell or threat."

"Or maybe Liam did something to them," a third voice chimed in. "Think about it. Maybe he finally snapped and did something so bad that they’re scared of him now. That would explain why they’re acting like his guards instead of his tormentors."

A round of laughter erupted.

I rolled my eyes. People really would believe anything but the truth.

Pushing open the door, I stepped inside.

The girls shrieked in unison, scrambling out of the restroom like I was the devil incarnate. One of them tripped over her own feet in her hurry to escape.

I didn’t say a word. Didn’t correct them. Didn’t stop them.

I simply walked to the sink, washed my hands, and left.

By the time lunch ended, the day had almost settled into a rhythm. Almost.

Liam, Eldur, Ollie, and I were making our way back to class, Liam and I deep in conversation about an upcoming test, when the air in the hallway suddenly changed.

A group of enforcers entered the school.

The entire hallway fell silent.

They moved with purpose, their uniforms crisp, their expressions unreadable. Students whispered, some backing away, others standing on tiptoe to see what was happening.

Then, the lead enforcer stepped forward. "Mr. Dawson."

My head snapped up.

Liam stiffened beside me.

Mr. Dawson, one of the teachers, stood frozen near his classroom. His face paled. "W-What is this about?"

The enforcer pulled out a document. "You are under arrest."

Gasps erupted around us.

Liam had been walking beside me, talking, but the moment those words left the enforcer’s mouth, he was gone.

In a blink, he was in front of Mr. Dawson.

"Liam?" I took a step forward, frowning.

Mr. Dawson’s eyes locked onto Liam’s, and for a brief second, his entire face twisted with something I could only describe as pure horror.

Liam didn’t say a word.

He simply clenched his fists.

And then—

He punched Mr. Dawson in the jaw.

A sickening crack echoed through the hallway.

Mr. Dawson stumbled back, clutching his face, eyes wide in disbelief.

The crowd erupted in gasps and murmurs, students staring in shock.

The enforcers moved instantly, grabbing Mr. Dawson before he could retaliate.

Liam stood there, chest heaving, his shoulders trembling with suppressed rage.

I rushed to his side, grabbing his arm. "Liam. Are you alright?"

He didn’t look at me.

Didn’t say anything.

His blue eyes were locked onto Mr. Dawson like a predator watching its prey.

The enforcers were already dragging the man away, his protests falling on deaf ears.

But I saw it.

The way Mr. Dawson looked back at Liam.

The sheer terror in his eyes.

And suddenly, I knew—

Liam had been waiting for this moment ever since we got back.

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