Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Broken Brotherhood

SONIA’S POV

Blood from Alpha Liam’s mouth splattered all over the place, as his face was pushed to the side by the force from Alpha Ramon’s fist.

The wet, sharp sound of the punch filled the room, followed by the metallic scent of fresh blood that hit the air instantly. Bright red drops landed on the wooden floor with soft patters, staining the dark grain.

My stomach kicked violently, twisting with nausea as I ran forward again with the goal to stop the chaos that had ensued. My bare feet slapped hard against the floor, and my heart pounded so fiercely in my chest that it made my ribs ache.

Alpha Ramon pushed me to the ground, and went after Liam. The shove was sudden and strong, sending me stumbling backward. My knees scraped the thick carpeted ground, causing a scratch that started to bleed right away. Warm blood trickled down my legs in thin lines, sticky and hot against my skin. Sharp pain burned across the raw scrapes as I dealt with the pain I was battling. The carpet fibers felt rough and unforgiving under my palms.

As I struggled with the stinging hurt, I heard Alpha Liam’s voice. It was steady even through the tension.

"This is not right, Ramon. You are my best friend. If you could only just stop for a second, you would understand I’ve done nothing spiteful to you. This is all just one big misunderstanding."

Despite the intense pain I was in, I nodded in agreement. They both couldn’t see me, as I was writhing in pain on the floor, but I didn’t care. Alpha Liam was right. Ramon was being angry for no reason. My cheek still throbbed from where his hand had connected earlier, hot and swollen.

"You think I’m a fool, don’t you? I saw what I saw. Stop talking, and fight like the alphas we are. We both know the rules," Alpha Ramon said, causing me to flinch. His voice was low and dangerous, filled with fury that made the air feel heavier.

He clearly was furious out of his mind. I wished I could turn back the hands of time. I wouldn’t have followed Alpha Daisy to this room. I wouldn’t have allowed Alpha Liam to come in. The regret sat heavy in my stomach like a stone.

I wondered what Ramon thought of me, seeing that he had completely misread the situation. The thought made fresh tears sting my eyes.

"How do I fight you when you’re my brother? My best friend. How do you expect me to fight you?"

Once again, I agreed with Alpha Liam. It was stupid for them to fight over something so trivial. They were supposed to be best of friends, even brothers like he rightly said. The bond between them felt too important to break like this.

Momentarily pushing the pain I felt all over my body to the side, I began to pray. I wasn’t used to the moon goddess answering my prayers, but it was my only hope. If it would get Alpha Ramon to calm down and listen, I would count it as a win. My lips moved silently, whispering pleas into the tense air.

"You’re going to laugh in my face even more by being a coward?" I heard him lambast. His words were sharp and cutting. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"I would never laugh in your face. Same way I can’t fight you. We’re too close for that. Except you’re telling me right now that you’re ready to severe the bond of brotherhood we’ve shared for over twenty years. Can you do that, Ramon?"

He was silent. He didn’t respond immediately. I held my breath, clinging on to the last thread of hope that held the possibility of forgiveness. If he would just cut out his anger and think, he could see I would never do something that would hurt him, or dishonor our bond. Even despite the numerous times he had done exactly that to me. The silence stretched, thick and heavy.

"Brothers do not go behind their brothers’ backs. As far as I’m concerned, you’re dead to me. So if you’re not going to fight me, then I would just beat you up thoroughly."

He growled, ready for attack. Dragging my body a little higher, I checked to see what was happening. The carpet scratched against my raw knees as I moved.

My heart shuddered when I saw his legs spread apart, ready to launch an attack on Alpha Liam. The muscles in his thighs tensed visibly under his clothes.

Alpha Liam didn’t look like he wanted to fight back. I inched a little higher, and saw the hurt in his eyes. It was deep and genuine, like a wound that went far beyond the physical.

I felt sorry for him. It must be devastating not to be believed by the person you consider a brother. The pain in his expression made my own chest ache even more.

I just knew I needed to do something. I didn’t think, I just did.

I waited for the exact moment Alpha Ramon dashed towards him to jump to my feet, and put myself between them. My legs shook as I stood, but I forced them to hold me up.

This whole thing was happening because of me. It was only fair I bear the brunt of whatever punishment was meted out. My heart raced wildly in my chest.

"Get out of the way, you whore!" His hand slapped hard across my face.

The impact was sharp and stinging, like fire exploding across my cheek. I hissed and fell on my knees in front of him. Rivers of tears fell from my eyes, as my entire face began to sting again. The pain spread hot and throbbing, making my vision blur at the edges.

His hands hurt like the bite of a venomous snake. I would liken him to one too. After all, he was in the mood to bite. The slap left my skin burning, and my ear rang with a high-pitched tone.

I didn’t hear Alpha Liam because my vision became blurry. The room spun slowly around me, colors blending together.

I only saw his outline when he stepped in front of me and pushed Alpha Ramon on the chest. The movement was fast and strong.

"What the fuck are you doing?!"

I guess he was screaming, but his voice sounded like a whisper in my ears that were growing deaf by the second. Everything felt muffled and distant.

"Get out of my way!"

That should be Ramon. I didn’t know anymore. The world was spinning. My hand went to my head because I felt if I didn’t hold it, it would explode. Pressure built inside my skull, pounding relentlessly.

Everything hurts. From my heart, to my limbs. I was aching everywhere. My scraped knees burned, my slapped cheek throbbed, and my chest felt tight with unshed sobs.

"Get out of my pack! I don’t want to see you hanging around."

"Get out?" I don’t know if I said that out loud. I was just repeating what I heard. The words felt heavy on my tongue.

Someone told another person to get out. Who could it be? What was happening?

I was going in and out of consciousness. Just like kids play with the switch of a light, it felt like someone was playing with the switch of my being. Darkness flickered at the edges of my sight, then bright light again.

If I could only rise to my feet. Maybe I would be able to walk outside.

I needed air, like I needed my next breath. But the room was stuffy, and smelled like blood. The metallic scent filled my nose, thick and nauseating.

"Air," I muttered. My voice was weak and raspy.

I hoped they would stop bickering, fighting or whatever they were doing, long enough to hear my plea. My lungs were clouded, and thick with mist. Each breath felt harder than the last.

Breathing from my nose became an impossible task. It was blocked with the heavy scent of blood and smoke.

I opened my mouth, and began to pant. The more I panted, the more I faded away. My vision grew darker at the edges, spots dancing in front of my eyes.

"Mum, help me," I called in my mind. The little of it that was still conscious, anyway. The plea felt desperate and small inside my head.

In return, all I got was resounding silence. The silence was so thick, you could cut through it with a sharp knife. It wrapped around me, heavy and empty.

The sound of the door being opened found its way to my ears. Someone was either going out or coming in. Whichever it was, they could help me. A faint hope flickered in my chest.

"He—"

I felt a cold on my hand. In a split second, it was dragging me through the ground.