Chapter 169: Chapter 170

Chapter 81 – Asir

“Maybe I couldn’t help everyone survive, but I could, at least, save this one life.“– Tiana Warner

Nerva

Glass shards rained around Kiva and I as our bodies descended to the green grass, stray shards sinking inte my open wounds when I landed on my feet. Big mistake. The shock wave of the landing rippled through my feet to my head, the fierce explosions of pain forcing me on my knees. It took a god’s worth of willpower to not curse out my existence. My wounds were sobbing for relief, their tears of blood continued to feed the earth with my misery.

Every damn thing hurt!!

But I couldn’t show any weakness, not when Osiris was hot on my heels.

My eyes found an open entrance into the thick forest, the sum peppering the trail of freedom on the brown. barks. I could make a run for it, but where would I go? I don’t know the area or where I am at, so I’d be wasting my energy. Not to mention that I don’t think I can get far with my injuries, Breathing, now, was so Painful to do. I tried standing, but my knees instantly gave out under me, reluctant to cooperate with me. Even my peripheral vision began muddling into an opaque blur.

I have kiya, but how the hell am I going to survive this?

A weak groan from below caressed my eardrums. I looked down at Kiya with a smile gracing my lips, taking a moment to admire the serenity softening her face. Eyes closed, full lips slightly parted, her messy straight hair splayed on her forehead and cheeks like an open fan. Blood was smeared across her exposed skin, including her cheeks and neck, but she still looked gorgeous. Her honeyed scent was sweetening right under my nose, no longer the sourness that morphed into my nightmares.

How could this be the same woman who tried to kill me ten minutes before?

“Kiya.” 1 murmured, shaking her as gently as I could. Footsteps inched closer behind me, signaling the approach of the beast. I could feel Osiris” fangs ready to tear my throat open. “You need to run. Please, wake up.”

Kiya didn’t. Instead, she pressed her body to mine, latching her arms around my neck. She couldn’t be doing. this voluntarily, right? As much as I wanted to rejoice, I couldn’t. I propped Kiya’s body carefully on one knee when the strain on my arms became too much. Adrenaline left my body at a hurried pace, blistering agony taking refuge. Not even Onyx could heal me, for the silver injured him as well. My mind swam under the atmosphere of pain, helpless to keep up with the rapid change of hormones.

Goddess, I can’t let things end here!

“Touching what is mine is a death wish, dear Neron.” A voice snarled from behind. I turned my head to face the orchestrator of this hell, walking toward me with black energy misting in one hand and an enormous snake slithering around the other. Rage exploded in my chest at this bastard claiming Kiya to be his. “Since Lady Sanguine couldn’t kill you, I’ll do it myself and have her punished for defiance.”

“With

my Goddess willing, I will rip your torso in half if you try to touch Kiya!” I roared, holding Kiya against my body like a guardian to their princess. My body demanded rest, sleep clouding all five senses, trying to

force me to keel over. She whimpered, mild tremors rocking her body to where I could feel them rolling through my arts.

“You can barely stand, useless Alpha. What makes you think you can fight me?” Osiris giggled, his silvery hair flowing with the breeze. Under human scrutiny, many would dare to call him beautiful. But today, he was a monster. This man inserted himself into my life, ruined Kiya, and leveled Zircon Moon from the ground.

I didn’t feel hatred. No, this was a level beyond hatred. I wanted Osiris gone.

However, he was right. I was in no shape to fight him. As Osiris drew closer, I continued to shake Kiya awake, but she tightened her hold around me. Burrowing. Hiding. Trying to get as close as she could to me, wanting to bury herself underneath my Eesh

She was scared. And so was I.

But there was that inkling of hope niggling at the back of my mind. I don’t know where it came from, but it was insistent. It tells me that all will be okay; this isn’t the end. Help is coming. Do I hold out for it or try Eight Osiris, resulting in my death?

“Hand my darling over.”

“Over my dead body.”

“Fine. I prefer it that way!

Osiris readied his hand to deliver the killing blow. My hold around Kiya tightens and I stare down at the face of death itself, bracing myself for the life–snatching impact. Unafraid. Unflinching. I refused to go out like a coward. At least I’ll die with the last touch being my mate’s

⠀ *ASIR=”

Time had frozen. Silence blanketed us like a heavy fog after a stormy day. The demon snake’s eyes widened like plates, and his skin paled into pallid brown. I watched the tremors seize control of his body while unshed tears glossed over his eyes, downgrading from menace to vulnerable child. He turned, gradually with fear, to face the person who called out the name that destroyed his entire world.

It was then I realized the perpetrator looked exactly like him

What the fuck?!

Osiris

My older brother.

My older twin brother.

He was alive this entire time?!

Something foreign bubbled up in me, tearful and overjoyed to see Asim. My heart raced a million miles a minute, pounding against my ribcage to reach out to him; desperate for its lost half. It wanted its sibling’s touch and it would kill me for it. The twin bond, the bond I thought to be long deceased, fluttered to life when we locked eyes. The violet hue of his eyes put the iolite gemstone to shame–sharing a remnant of our mother’s beauty. He took after her the most.

Memories of our time as indentured servants flooded my senses the longer I stared at his face and his puffed out chest. My face. Our face. I remembered the smiles he gifted me through his pain, the affectionate touch of his palms when he wiped away my tears, his powerful hugs when we hid in the shadows from our tormenters -everything.

“I’ll protect you, Asir.” He’d always say. “I won’t abandon you in this hell.”

“We’re brothers–our bond will never fade. Not even Alpha Titan can destroy us.”

“Stop crying. You must be strong. Predators can sense your fear.”

“Here, have my half. You must be so hungry.”

“One day, we will be free and happy. Wouldn’t that be perfect, Asir? We should get a house and a couple of puppies.”

“I’m here for you. Sleep on my lap tonight.”

“We’re in this together.”

My brother took a singular step toward me, deliberate and full of purpose. I stepped back, uncertain if what I was seeing is an elaborate trick of the mind.

“Asir… what the hell are you doing?” He demanded, staring right through me with a grimace.

Same voice, only harder, with a deeper timbre. Instead of a headstrong kid, he was an adult. Asim was real.

We were in that hell together until we weren’t. Until he disappeared and left me alone under the Alpha’s. bloodied claws. He promised he’d protect me. He promised he wouldn’t leave me.

He. Fucking. Promised. Me!

The violent rage and betrayal I felt stomped that alien feeling out! How could he have kept my hopes up and suddenly leave me like that?! Pepi hissed near my car, his body growing with my rage, and baring his fangs for the bastard to see. I waited for my brother’s return like a naïve little boy. Year after year, I prayed to Selene to see my family again.

But the stupid Goddess never acknowledged my prayers; always picking favorites over those who truly needed help! Asim was no better than her, and it is now he shows up?!

I scoffed. Such a shame that I abandoned my heart long ago.

I felt nothing.

“You’re a fucking liar!” I shouted, ignoring his question. “How long have you been hiding, dear brother? You promised you wouldn’t leave me.”

“I didn’t have a cholce, Asir.”

“Shut up! Don’t fucking call me that!” That named–accursed name, burned me. I hated anything and everything that tied me back to that frail little boy crying for his mommy. “My name is Osiris and you’ll address me as such.”

“You’ll always be Asir to me.” Asim retorted, taking another deliberate step toward me. “Creating chaos and destroying lives–I never thought I’d see you like this.”

“Get with the modern age, Asim. Things have changed, and it is about time you did too.” His gaze turned to steel. “Revenge is within my grasp and you won’t stop me from getting it.”

“I won’t let you hurt the Alpha or his woman any longer!”

“KIYA IS MINE!” I roared, a spray of spit jumping from my mouth. “I claimed her! I made her into who she is today, and I’ll be damned if I let anyone steal anything else from me again! You couldn’t even uphold your promise to

me.”

“Kiya never belonged to you!” Asim roared back, his fists trembling at his sides. He was as furious as I was, baring his teeth at me as his eyes flashed gold. “Tampering with bonds Selene created will only bring you trouble.”

“To hell with Selene! You think I’d believe her fucking farce? She didn’t do a damn thing to save me, just like she didn’t with Kiya! She let all that shit happen to us and you’re still giving her the benefit of the doubt?” A loud cackle escaped my lips as my hands gripped my scalp, an incoming headache making its home at the front of my skull. “How would a goddess as benevolent as her allow for heinous crimes to happen to her children, huh?”

“I don’t answer for Selene.” Asim retorted. He reached into his satchel and pulled a golden item out, sharp. and pointed, discarding the bag to the side. “But you will answer to me for all the horrible things you’ve

done.”

“I don’t have to answer to shit.” I laughed, Pepi slithering his large body around my collarbone, adjusting himself like my personal usekh collar. “But you will answer to why you abandoned your little brother to the hounds!”

Neron

My mind couldn’t keep up with the recent information I’ve just heard. The volume of the space muddled like I was underwater, and my focus swam in uncharted waters.

Asim is Osiris‘ twin brother? Osiris‘ actual name is Asir? Asim abandoned Osiris–Asir to my great- grandfather?

I didn’t know whether to be astonished or pleased because nausea attacked my stomach and threatened to come out of my throat. I lost too much blood. My arms slackened under Kiya’s growing weight. I couldn’t hold her anymore.

I needed…sleep…

Suddenly, multiple familiar scents billowed into my nose as the battle between twins had begun. Asim had to be an avatar with the way he was toe–to–toe with Osiris‘ onslaughts and attacks. A weapon gleamed underneath the scattered rays of the sun, aiming towards the demonic snake. The larger snake slithered off his owner and tried to attack. But Asim was shrewd and cunning. He wasn’t afraid of the damn thing, for he he

grabbed it by the face and flung it against the walls of his castle, sending Osiris into a llying rage,

tackled Asim.

The scents grew stronger and closer. I had no energy to cheer for my pack members and Garnet Moon’s arrival into this hellhole. My vision blurred into muddles of indescribable colors, but I could make out both Anthony’s and Kwame’s forms running up to me.

“T–Take…” I wheezed, sputtering out an uncontrollable wave of coughs. “T–take Kiya, please.”

“Stay with me, Neron. We’re going to get you help.” Kwame’s voice sounded distant and his touch to the open wound on my bicep was frigid. Or was it me? I couldn’t tell the difference. Kiya groaned as Anthony took her weight off my knee. “Can you walk?”

I shook my head, slumping over like a sack of potatoes. My Gamma was quick to catch me; receiving the answer to his question. In seconds, another scent billowed in my nose. Apples. Valerian..

“You take one side and I’ll take the other.” Kwame ordered, which Valerian slung my left arm over his shoulders. Once my arms were snug around their shoulder blades, my men grunted with effort as they pulled me to my feet. Just then, we heard a banshee–like scream of pain from behind us. With the little energy I had, I turned my head to see Osiris on his rear, holding his bloodied shoulder.

“Y–You’re fast!” He exclaimed, tightening his hold around his newly gained wound,

“And you’re slow!” Asim shouted back, plunging his, what I assume to be a dagger of his own, into his twin’s chest. Choked sounds escaped the villain’s mouth as he slumped onto the ground, his free hand clutching his open chest wound. Blood gushed out and the earth greedily soaked the gift up like a sponge. Asim glanced down at his only family with a forlorn frown, and his eyebrows knitted together, like he was about to cry. “I’m sorry, Asir. You left me with no choice.”

“F–Fuck you, Asim!” Osiris croaked out, turning onto his side as he coughed. The elder brother sighed with regret, grabbing his satchel, and stuffing his blade into it. Then, he ran toward us and supported me from the back.

My world faded into blackness not a moment after.

I couldn’t hold on.

I’m too tired.

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