Gustav and Terek walked side by side through the village streets.

Most of the villagers had already returned to their homes. The few people still outside were workers making their way back after a long and productive day.

For a while, neither brother spoke.

Then Terek raised a hand and pointed ahead.

"Do you remember that tree, Brother?" he asked, breaking the silence. "The one I got stuck in?"

A nostalgic smile appeared on his face.

"I was so afraid of climbing down that I stayed up there the entire day, crying for help." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Gustav let out a faint chuckle.

"And when I arrived, I guided you down instead of carrying you."

He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly.

"I was quite a harsh brother back then, wasn’t I?"

"Well, you were rough and strict," Terek admitted. "But your way of teaching helped me become who I am today."

There was unmistakable pride in his voice.

Without Gustav pushing him from such a young age, Terek doubted he would have developed the discipline he possessed now.

By the time he awakened his powers, he was already a battle-hardened kid compared to most children his age.

He knew what he wanted from life.

And more importantly, he knew what he needed to do to achieve it.

A large part of that was thanks to the brother walking beside him.

"You have always been that unwavering pillar who helped me navigate the toughest paths in life," Terek said quietly. "You taught me how to fight for the things I wanted to call my own. And once I had something precious, you taught me how to protect it."

For a moment, the warmth in his expression faded.

"Then why does it feel like you’ve forgotten those lessons yourself, Brother?"

Gustav’s expression stiffened.

"What do you mean by that, Terek?" he asked. "I taught you to be clearer with your words."

Terek stopped and turned toward him.

His hands rested behind his back, and his gaze had become cold and unyielding.

"Then I’ll make it clear."

He drew a slow breath before speaking.

"Why does it feel like you’ve left the responsibility of your mate in someone else’s hands?"

The question struck with the force of a hammer.

Gone was the nostalgic atmosphere from moments ago.

The air between the brothers suddenly grew tense.

Terek had been noticing it ever since he arrived, and until he has been holding the question for quite long. But not anymore. He wanted to hear what he has to say.

Gustav let out a long sigh.

"So, you noticed."

It wasn’t as though he had expected anything else.

The moment he learned Terek was returning, he had known his younger brother would notice the changes. And once he did, this conversation was inevitable.

"This isn’t something you should concern yourself with."

"Why not?"

Terek’s voice grew heavier.

"It’s my right to worry about my brother. And just because I don’t spend much time here doesn’t mean you can treat me like an outsider."

Gustav remained silent.

Terek clenched his fists.

The calmness he had maintained until now began to crack, revealing the frustration underneath.

"Just because you lost an arm doesn’t mean your own son gets to treat you lightly."

The words came out sharper than intended.

A flicker crossed Gustav’s eyes.

Terek took a step forward.

"All my life, you’ve taught me to stand my ground. You’ve taught me not to surrender what matters to me just because circumstances become difficult."

His frosty gaze hardened further.

"So explain it to me, Brother."

"Why are you the only one refusing to follow your own lessons?"

The evening breeze swept through the quiet street, but neither man seemed to notice.

The conversation had long since stopped being about a mate.

It was about a brother watching someone he admired slowly give up pieces of himself and refusing to understand why.

"I am not forgetting anything, Terek."

Gustav didn’t retreat an inch. He met his brother’s glare with the same fierce intensity he had possessed in his younger days.

"I am not belittling myself, nor am I letting anyone walk over me. So stop making assumptions and listen to what I’m actually saying."

"Then what about your mate?" Terek demanded. "Why is she sitting beside your son instead of you? Why, when she’s unwell, is someone else taking care of her while you stand aside?"

"Because I don’t deserve her!"

Gustav’s roar echoed through the space between them.

Terek instinctively flinched.

Gustav’s chest rose and fell heavily as years of suppressed guilt poured from his voice.

"I don’t deserve her, do you hear me?"

His eyes burned with self-loathing.

"I am a man who took his mate for granted. A man who ignored her health, dismissed her opinions, and treated her like a tool instead of a person."

"But that’s how women are treated!" Terek fought back.

His words came out with complete conviction, as though he were stating an undeniable truth.

"Unless they can cook for us, serve us, and manage the household, what use are they?"

To Terek, the argument made perfect sense.

To Gustav, it felt like staring into a reflection of the man he used to be.

And that realization disgusted him more than anything else.

Clenching his fists, Gustav struggled to keep his emotions in check.

"You don’t understand, Brother."

His voice was low but firm.

"That’s how I’ve always seen things. That’s how we were raised to see them."

He paused, thinking of everything that had changed.

"But ever since I started observing Luke..."

A complicated expression crossed his face.

"The way he treats Monica. The way he looks after her. The way he listens to her and values her opinions."

Gustav shook his head.

"He treats her like a person. Not a possession. Not a servant. A person."

His voice grew quieter.

"And watching that made me realize just how wrong I was."

Terek clicked his tongue in irritation.

"Tch. Even if that’s true, it doesn’t mean he gets to take what’s yours."

His eyes flashed with anger.

"She was supposed to be your mate. Why did you just hand her over to another man?"

Gustav’s expression darkened.

But Terek either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

Instead, he stepped forward and snarled,

"Have you lost all pride as a man? Or did that woman turn out to be an unfaithful bitc..."

THUMP

The insult never reached its end.

Terek’s eyes widened.

A crushing force slammed into his chest, driving the air from his lungs.

He staggered backward several steps, clutching his chest as he struggled to breathe.

Slowly, he looked up.

Gustav stood where he had been moments earlier.

One fist remained extended.

The difference was in his eyes.

The warmth, frustration, and guilt that had been there moments ago were gone.

In their place was a chilling coldness.

A coldness that reminded Terek exactly who his brother had once been.

"Say another word about her and see why you once had your head always lowered in my presence."

Terek scoffed, "Nothing could suppress the truth, not even your anger."

Gustav growled, "Then let me make it easier for you to understand.

•••••••

A/N:- I hope you liked the Chapter.