Chapter 45: Did What Was Necessary

-Nova-

My brother came for me over and over, slicing the knife through the air and almost getting me a few times. He kept pushing me back, until I lost my balance and fell down on my ass, looking up at him. Never before had I been afraid of my brothers. They had always taken care of me, but now I was terrified of Zane, and I looked up at my brother with a pleading look in my eyes. He just looked at me so coldly though, like I was nothing.

“Zane …”

“You want to be one of them?” he said. “Now you get to die like one of them.”

“Please … I am your sister.”

“No, my sister is dead,” he said. “She betrayed us.”

“No! I just … please …”

My brother crouched down in front of me and looked at me with such a dark look in his eyes. I couldn’t recognize him. Who was he? Where was my brother? The one who took care of all of us when our parents died? I just couldn’t see him anymore.

“Zane …”

“You were always weak,” he said. “You could never stand up to us. Do you not understand we were testing you?”

“What?”

“We wanted to see how much you wanted it but you always accepted being left behind. That’s why we never believed you were ready,” he said.

“No, you told me …”

“A rogue takes!” he shouted. “A rogue does not listen to anyone! Do you not get it?”

I stared at my brother, shocked.

“Of course, you don’t. That’s why you never joined us out there.”

“I tried!”

“Rogues don’t get credit for trying. Trying is nothing!” he said. “You were just never cut out for it, and even now, you are nothing.”

“Zane …”

“I don’t even have to kill you, because the truth is you can’t stop me,” he said.

“Don’t do this …”

He stood up, smiling such an evil smile.

“You don’t want me to do this?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“Then stop me.”

I just looked up at him and he just looked down at me, looking so disappointed.

“How predictable,” he said.

“Zane …”

I felt the tears running down my cheeks, but he just shook his head and turned around.

“You are never going to change, Nova. You are just nothing.”

“No …”

Zane walked towards the double doors leading into where Serena had been taken, and I knew nothing I said would change anything. My brother would never listen. He didn’t care if he died after killing Serena. It was all about destroying Rogan. How could he be so evil? Why was he like this? I shook my head, feeling so much anger and fear. I had no idea what even happened to me, but at one moment I was sitting on the ground crying, hating myself for being so weak, and in the next, I had changed and was charging towards my brother. He turned around just in time for me to see the shocked look on his face before I tackled him to the ground. I didn’t think. I let my instincts rule me and just as he ran the knife into my side, I bit down on his throat. Neither of us relented. We just kept going deeper and deeper, until …

He suddenly went limp.

I didn’t let go right away though. I stayed like that until his hand fell away from the knife, and then finally I released him, only to see I had bit his head right off pretty much. It was only then I realized what I had done and took a few steps back, before changing back to my human form. I didn’t even think about the knife in the side of my stomach, as I sat there, looking at my dead brother.

“What have I done …” I whispered.

“Nova!”

I didn’t even look at who was calling for me, but then I felt a pair of warm arms come around me, and I knew right away who it was.

“Look at me, little mate.”

Rhys turned my head and I saw him looking so pale and sweaty. He was hurt … yet I could barely even think about it, in so much shock I was.

“What did I do, Rhys?” I whispered.

“Ssh, it’s okay,” he whispered.

“I am getting some help!” Rogan said and disappeared.

“I killed him …”

“It’s okay,” Rhys said. “It’s not your fault.”

“But I did it …”

“Ssh.”

Rhys pulled me closer, but the moment I closed my eyes, I was out like a light, unable to fight the darkness.

***

I woke up to a soft beep sound. I quickly blinked my eyes open, still feeling a little on alert, but then I saw that I was lying in a hospital room, and there was something warm wrapped around my hand. I turned my head and saw Rhys sitting in a chair beside me, sleeping, but still holding my hand.

“He refused to be in his room.”

I turned my eyes to the door and saw Serena there, walking around with an IV bag and clearly in a lot of pain.

“Why are you up?” I asked.

“Yeah, Rogan wasn’t happy about it, but I had to see you. I heard what you did,” she said.

I looked down, not feeling very happy about what I had done.

“Thank you,” she said. “Even though it is probably not what you want to hear, but thanks to you I get to be with Rogan.”

I looked up and smiled a little at her.

“I am glad for you, but I don’t think I can ever forgive myself.”

“Take some time. You might see that forgiveness is more than just words,” she said.

“What does that mean?”

“It means with time you might see what you did made it all worth it,” she said.

“I am not sure I understand.”

She chuckled and just walked away. I turned to Rhys, squeezing his hand a little tighter, and it made him stir.

“Hey!” he said as soon as his eyes landed on me. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. Now,” I said and smiled at him.

He reached out with his free hand and placed it on my cheek, stroking it.

“I am so sorry, little mate,” he said. “I …”

“Killed Keith?”

He looked down, looking so guilty.

“I know you tried saving him. Just like I tried saving Zane,” I said.

“I know you cared for them.”

“They thought I betrayed them … we stopped being family when I went back to you,” I said.

“I am your family now,” he said.

I smiled.

“We all are.”

“I love you,” I said.

“I love you too. So damn much.”

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” I asked.

“Scoot over.”

I chuckled, but did as he said, and made room for him on the bed, and then he pulled me close to him, as we both rested together.