The Weight of Regret

Lobo's POV
I leaned heavily on the balcony railing, feeling the strain of the day’s exertions and the poison that coursed through my veins. The potion I drank every morning granted me strength but at a cost that grew more evident with each passing day.
As I looked out over the grounds, I saw them. Zeeb and Anisha, walking side by side, her hand clasped in his. My breath caught in my throat, a mixture of rage and despair churning in my gut. Anisha, my ex-wife, with my brother. It felt like a betrayal so deep it scraped the marrow from my bones. I tightened my grip on the railing until my knuckles turned white.
It was then that I noticed Zeeb’s arm. The last time I had seen him, it was marred with a gaping wound from our last fight. Now, it was completely healed, the skin smooth and unblemished. Anisha had healed him. She never had that kind of power before, not that she ever used on me if she did. The jealousy twisted inside me like a knife.
I pushed myself away from the railing and descended the steps to the courtyard, anger propelling me forward. As I approached, they stopped and turned to face me. Zeeb’s expression was unreadable, but Anisha’s eyes were cold, colder than I had ever seen them.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded, struggling to keep my voice steady.
Anisha’s gaze didn’t waver. “We’ve come to save you, Lobo.”
“Save me?” I laughed bitterly. “From what? And why would you care?”
She shook her head, her expression unmoved. “I don’t. But I have to.”
At that moment, I sensed someone behind me. Meera, she stepped into view. Her eyes locked onto Anisha with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. “Anisha,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “What a surprise.”
Anisha didn’t even glance at her, keeping her focus solely on me. It was unsettling. The Anisha I knew had always been emotional, quick to forgive. This Anisha was different. Cold, detached.
“You’re bluffing,” I said, trying to provoke her, to get some reaction. “You can’t save me. You’re nothing but a pathetic wolf.”
Her expression didn’t change. “I saw a vision, Lobo. A vision where you are reduced to nothingness.”
The words hit me harder than any physical blow could have. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. I was paralyzed by the implications, by the possibility that she might be telling the truth.
Meera, sensing my distress, stepped forward, her voice rising in anger. “How dare you say such things to him!”
Before I could react, Zeeb moved, placing himself between Anisha and Meera. “Back off, Meera.”
Meera, undeterred, tried to push past him, but Zeeb grabbed her arm roughly. “I said, back off.”
Meera turned to me, her eyes wide with hurt and disappointment. “Are you just going to stand there and let him do this?”
I looked at her, then at Zeeb and Anisha. The weight of my shame pressed down on me like a physical burden. I couldn’t fight for Meera. I couldn’t even fight for myself. Without a word, I turned and walked away, leaving the drama behind me.
As I walked through the pack house, the walls seemed to close in on me. I could hear Meera calling after me, her voice breaking, but I didn’t look back. The potion in my pocket felt heavier than ever. It was supposed to give me strength, but all it had done was prolong my misery. I was a coward. A failure. And nothing could change that.
The vision Anisha spoke of haunted me. Reduced to nothingness. Was that my fate? To fade away into obscurity, my life a series of failures and regrets?
I closed my eyes, trying to block out the memories. I thought of Anisha and now she is with Zeeb. My brother. The irony was not lost on me. Zeeb had always been the better one, the one everyone looked up to. I had always been in his shadow, struggling to prove myself which was why I was happy with the alpha. And now he had Anisha. The bitterness of it all was almost too much to bear.
A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up to see Meera standing in the doorway, her face pale and drawn. “Lobo,” she said softly, “can we talk?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. She crossed the room and sat down opposite me, her eyes searching mine.
“Why didn’t you fight for me?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
I looked away, unable to meet her gaze. “I’m sorry,” I said, the words feeling hollow even to me.
She shook her head. “I don’t want an apology, Lobo. I want to understand. Why didn’t you stand up for me? For us?”
I took a deep breath, trying to find the words. “I… I couldn’t.”
“That’s not true,” she said, her voice gaining strength. “You are strong, Lobo.”
I laughed bitterly. “strong? Meera, I’ve been lost for a long time. I don’t even know who I am anymore.”
She reached out and took my hand, her touch warm and reassuring. “You’re Lobo. The man I fell in love with. The man who has more strength and courage than anyone I’ve ever known. You just need to find it again.”
I looked at her, seeing the determination in her eyes. She believed in me, even when I couldn’t believe in myself. For a moment, I felt hopeful . Maybe, just maybe, I could find my way back.
But the vision Anisha had spoken of loomed over me, a dark cloud that threatened to swallow any hope I had. Reduced to nothingness. The words echoed in my mind.
“I need you to leave now Meera, I really do not have time for this.” I said to her dismissively.
She scoffed before saying anything in response, “are you sending me out?” She asked in disbelief.
“Smart,” I responded.
“You're unbelievable Lobo.”