BEFORE THE GALA. BEFORE HER.

KAEL’S POV.

Julian’s outburst?

That hadn’t been new but the pack’s hesitancy? That was.

“ Sir, do you really need us out?” Gesturing, not to the humans who seemed to evaporate on the spot if given a chance to escape all this tension but to the pack members, who had displeased looks on their faces. Gregor asked.

I knew his question was from a place of concern, but the growl that had emanated from my lips was more than enough to keep him from asking more questions.

I had had enough of disrespect for one day than to want it to be consecutive, not to mention, this ‘woman’

Head bowed slightly. Gregor left and with this, the rest had followed suit with the humans scurrying behind. They really were pathetic.

“ You may continue brother.” The ‘endearment’ had left my lips with so much control. He had never made it easy to be a brother to him, not to mention, an Alpha.

We were usually close. Where you’d had seen him, I too was there and him, vice versa. Our world was undoubtedly a secret to keep. A cooperate company by day, and then moonlight beasts by night but that hadn’t brought a tear in our siblinghood till then....

● ● ● ● ● ●

“ I have decided on who to give my companies over to as the new CEO in my stead.” Father had abruptly said during dinner that fateful night. It was all splendour and grandeur. Lords and mates had gathered in our family estate to celebrate the win over a new deal that had just been signed. One that had projected the Volkovs Group of Companies to its present state.

Father made no move to show that the bomb he had just dropped hadn’t shocked all present.

Grabbing a napkin, he dabbed at the sides of his lips. Each slow dab, a painful more second we almost had to wait to understand. Had he finally made the big decision?

Across the table, Mother looked skittish, and Julian? He looked as pale as death but the others looked invariably excited. The big news my foot.

Clearing his Airways, Julian proceeds to ask, “That early father?”

He had always mentioned how hard it’ll be to have to choose between his sons, a more bona fide candidate for the role than the other. Not that he cared about being gentle with us, no, we were men and we were wolves. We didn’t require subtlety. But the question still stood, why this early and just when a mega deal had been struck.

“ Made men understand politics and power, and know that time wasted, is something that could never be gained.” Standing, he continued, “ And made men prove themselves for they know their worth.”

I personally had found the theatrics deathly boring. As to why a feast would be called to celebrate a company deal, and the announcement father had in mind to say, why couldn’t he have just made it public in the office meetings. Was family time a bit too much to ask in this house?

I had thought it silly that all this had to be put in place, for just an announcement.....

“ ......... Kael as the next CEO of The Volkovs Group of Companies.”

The applause was immediate, deafening and the words, ‘ Kael as the next CEO’ echoed in my head. It couldn't, right? Or had it just happened?

With that, Father moved to where I had sat dumbfounded. It couldn’t be true right?

With a hand placed on my shoulder, father began, “ Kael, my son hasn’t proven to be more than just irreplaceable but also fit for the role. This he has done by helping bag this deal for our company.”

“Hoozahh!!.” Everyone shouted in congratulations, everyone except .....My brother.

Taking over Father has always been his dream since it was already clear who would become Alpha in us both . He had planned and executed every single move, in fact he had dictated every step that had to be taken to bag this deal. He was the real mastermind but Father hadn’t seen that had he?

He knew I wanted no part in this, nor in power, so why picture me a betrayer?

Mouthing the words, ‘ This has to be a mistake’ to a shock filled Julian. Father stands me up and motions to the already forming line of people who only shake my hands and congratulate me because of the good graces they want to fall into.

Mother hadn’t said a word. It wasn't as if her opinion had mattered, but still?

As the hour grew late, the feast had finally ended, allowing both guests and family members to retreat to their homes and beds to rest, but I hadn’t.

“ Julian???” I had called out as I walked into his room after hours. He should know the truth and the fact that I had no part in this nor want to live a life like this but I don’t think he had bought it.

“ CEO Kael, how exactly do you do?”

The venom that was laced in his voice was clearer than the night that had enveloped the world but us. It seemed to leave a bit of space for hatred to have been seeded.

“ How do you like the title?” He asked, seated on his bed. His room was like a walk in a company museum. He had documented every life at the office, a sneak peek of what he had wanted but had been snatched from him.

“ You ask as if I want the position Jules, but you know better.” I had said but clearly he hadn’t thought so as I had.

“ Know better?” Scoffing, he shot to his feet, “You knew!!”

Composure shattering, he continued, “You knew just how much I had wanted the position. How hard I had worked for it. Damn right, Father too. He knew I had co-built this company with him, with everything in me, so why you Kael. Why did he choose you?”

Teary eyes searing into mine, he asks, “ What makes you a perfect candidate and child than I am or would ever be? “

“Because he doesn’t whine like a kicked pup when the going gets tough.”

Fathers voice had shocked us both.

When had he entered?

“ He knows that a man is only a man in our world, if he is Alpha and has dominion over all. These are things that you,” pointing to Julian, “ My dear boy would never possess”

“ But I had tried father, hadn’t I? I had obeyed every single order you had given to the detail and now I have nothing to me”

My heart broke. He had wanted just one thing ever since we could all remember, a part of himself in father’s work but as always father had turned a blind eye to his endeavours.

“ You hadn’t!!” Father’s voice boomed

“ You say things as though they were powers that could activate them or make you less of a disgrace that you are!”

“ How father!!”

“ Don’t you dare raise your voic....

“ I would dare father. What more mockery would you make of me?” Julian had asked, his voice breaking. His bravado crumbling, replaced by pain.

The first then the second and then the third tear slipped out.

“ Already whining boy?” Father’s voice drew as his hands clutched Julian’s like a surrendered lamb for butcher.

“ As always, a disgrace.” He spat.

“ To this family, to the society and to our hierarchy, that is why Kael would always be better than you.”

That was all it took for there to be a huge brown furred and pained yellow eyed wolf with its hairs on edge, ready for attack, to have replaced Julian’s human body.

“ Wowww!!” Father had clapped in mockery at him.

“ At the slightest pain, you shift? To do what exactly ? To scare me?”

Unafraid of the wolf inches from him, he got closer. His face a few spaces from Julian’s wolf nozzle, he said, “ You are no more than the helpers in this building, and no less than the dirt beneath my shoe. You boy, amount to nothing but a waste of sperm”

“ FATHERRRR!!!”

The scream tore out of me, but later after Julian had lunged for him. And now, there wasn’t just one but two wolves, father and son clashing.

Father’s black enormous wolf stood on his hind legs ready to dodge Julian’s every move. There wasn’t any circling, no posture or poses, as would have been done in an official wolves clash, only fury. One that if I didn’t tear up would result badly.

Rooted to the ground, I froze as I watched father’s wolf leap off, lung for an already pained Julian’s.

Sinking his fangs into Julian’s side, he used his claw to hold him still. Claws digging into his side, Julian howled in pain as he tried to pivot under Father’s huge abyssal wolf and with great might he shook father off him.

Even with the claw marks on him that looked so visceral, he swung his paw, connecting it to the muzzle of our imbalanced father’s wolf as the crack of a cartilage was heard.

He stumbled back as his back collided with the reading table that had been in perfect condition in Julian’s room. His head had snapped to the side, a spray of blood and teeth arcing through the moonlight as Father’s wolf laid there. Had he been killed?

Looking at Julian’s form, it was obvious. He had given it his best. Staggering towards father’s, he limped. Definitely, damage had been done to prove his point, but as Father laid there unshaking his chest rose slowly, barely there. It seemed like a lot more damage had been done than just Julian’s limping paw.

My frozen gaze travelled through his body as patches and patches of fur seemed to have been ripped out and he crashed out, I’d think mostly from pain, it dawned on me. This was far my brother would go to prove himself to our Father, so why had he been ignored.

Going to my brother in gingerly steps so as to not aggravate him. I reached out to him to touch his nozzle, his breath was laboured and his heartbeat faint. But he seemed OK. He would heal.

‘ I really worked for what was given to you brother.’ He said through the mind link.

‘ I know, brother.’ I replied as I enveloped my hands round the beast of my brother.

‘ I know.’

There was a beat of silence.

‘ But I cannot promise you my forgiveness for this that has been taken away from me”

I couldn’t cry. I dared not spill tears. I was an Alpha, tears weren’t for me, but I so dearly knew that the enmity had just begun.

● ● ● ● ● ●

“ You speak of a woman, what woman?” I had as much control over me to not want to react as my wolf would need me to.

“ Calm it brotherrr” He said, walking by me as if taking a walk in a butterfly filled garden. He was something wasn’t he?

“ Speak!!” My voice boomed across the room. I was done with this show and tell. If he had dropped by my office to play games, I definitely wouldn't be in the mood for it.

My expression must have given me away, “ You were never one to be patient were you ?”

Laughing at his own joke, not that I had found anything amusing any more. He continued,

“ Hadn’t our father tasked you with bringing a wife back home to solidify your rule? I found one for you.” He sat on the chairs made empty by the fleeing board members.

What did he mean by, ‘ He found one for me’?

Yes, Father had quite been on my neck on how my rule without an heir would seem as a weak way to be and an easy target to any rogue or rebel who had eyes on my position. A woman, not a mate, obviously any would do, but Julian helping?

Something was definitely gained on his part

“ This is the part where you humbly pour out your gratitude towards me or are you as well an ingrate as Father commonly terms me?”

There really was no love lost between the both of them. But to have found me a woman to marry?

He knew how important a wife and partner was crucial to me at this point, but why would he help me?

“ What would you gain from this Julian?”

I asked turning my back to face him. His focus was on the view outside the scrapper that had housed our company and workers. His features seemed to relax but I knew better. We all knew better when it came to Julian. He never participated unless he was benefitting from something.

So what did he stand to gain?

And who was this she?

Facing me, his expression turned stoic. His playful demeanour disappeared and in its stead, the calculative demon that he was showed.

“ She wouldn’t be your mate brother. You would have a partner and a wife, but not a mate with whom you would share your ins and outs with. I must say, that, even the coldest of hearts as yours yearn to be loved and not the casual quick fucks you get around the humans.”

How had he known?

“ What do you mean?” Brows furrowing as if, if bent enough I’d better understand the words that had just left his lips. Yes a mate would have been preferred. No damn hell. Of course, I too wanted more than just the careful thrusts that the humans made sounds about. They really were pathetic and could be broken easily.

I wanted one who was fated for me by the moon Goddess, even I craved for a mutual love but sadly, I wasn’t blessed with one.

Noticing my deep thoughts on the matter, he walked back to me, perching by the table side, as he whispered,

“ You would get all you want, but not love. That alone is enough for me to want. Eternal unreciprocated love.”

Continuing, “ And I have just the right girl for you. Feisty and crude. Hmmmm, she’s such a little one, you’d love her but she....

Laughing wickedly, “ She’d despise your entire existence.”

Half really was better than none.

And with her, maybe ......a chance?