My Brother My Mate

Time To Go

Lance's POV

'Lancelot tell me it is a lie,' my mum fumed immediately I entered the pack's hospital room where my sister laid hooked to a machine. I walked towards my mum holding my hands in front of me as if I was praying.

That day after I ran, I stayed away from home. It's been two days. Only Dominus knew where I was. I couldn't face my parents, look them in the eye and tell them I almost killed their daughter. Despite the fact that they weren't that close to Maureen, I knew no parent would want their child dead.

I walked towards my mum carefully, unsure of how emotionally stable she was. She was after all a Beta wolf. No amount of love she has for me can stop her from hurting me if her wolf decided to punish me for what I did and I was sure my wolf would not lift a finger in defense because of two things. One, she was my mother, two, it would be an opportunity for my wolf to see me punished. He has been going mad in my head for the past two days.

'Mum, I am really very sorry. You know how much I love Maureen and I would never intentionally harm her,' I said trying to calm her down a little because when I came closer to her, I saw her eyes flashed in colors, going from her regular eye colour to her wolf's then back again. I knew at that moment that I had to be extra careful because things could turn in the wrong direction at any moment. I didn't want her to do what she would later regret.

I knelt down in front of her with my head bowed in submission. I knew with my future status I was not supposed to kneel like that for anyone except my mate and my Alpha. At that moment I didn't care, I just wanted my mum to listen to me.

'I am truly sorry mum. Maureen is the center of my world and you know it but something is wrong with my wolf and...'

'Nothing is wrong with your wolf Lancelot. Your wolf will never harm your sister. Dominus said it was you not your wolf.' My mum cut into what I was trying to say. She was talking at the top of her voice not caring that we were in a hospital room.

'It was me mum but it started with my wolf,' I said, gently looking up into her face. Trying as much as I could to let her see the state of my heart through my eyes.

'What do you mean?' She asked, the volume of her voice going down a notch.

I sighed. 'There is something I need to discuss with you and dad.'

'What you want to discuss is what is causing all this?' Mum asked looking at me solemnly.

'Yes.'

'Ok then. But it had better be good enough an explanation because I do not understand why you would hurt your sister this much.'

'I am sorry mum, I didn't mean for things to turn out this way,' I said looking as apologetic as I could muster.

'Get up from that floor, you look ridiculous kneeling in front of me like that,' mum said with a very unladylike snort. 'If you kneel like this for me what will you do for your mate?'

'You are my mother, I don't care what the rules say. I should worship the very ground you walk on.'

Mum kept quiet and looked at me for some seconds. 'You are like your father in so many ways Lancelot. I sincerely hope you will get over whatever it is that is making you act like this.'

'I hope so too mum.'

'Get up from that floor before someone comes in and meets you there. It is bad enough as it is. I don't want to add another gossip to the present situation. I do not know what this will likely cause if pack members should hear about it.'

I got up from the floor and stood beside my sister's bed. I dare not touch her. I looked at her pale face and lips and I felt so guilty. Maureen was the center of my world. I was always protective of her, too protective. No one who knew us would believe I was the one who hurt her.

The beeping of the machine made my guilt worse. Her mouth was slightly opened because of the tube inserted in her mouth. According to Dominus I had almost crushed her neck so much that if she were not a wolf she could have died. When he told me that, I had cried the whole night.

'You should not make a habit of crying like this Lancelot,' mum said bringing me out of my thoughts.

I didn't know I was crying but when she spoke, I realized there was salty liquid in my mouth. My mum moved closer and embarrassed me. For the second time that week, I cried in her arms like a baby.

'It is ok Lancelot. You need to man up and deal with whatever it is that is breaking you down like this,' she said after I had calmed down . I nodded at her because at that moment I couldn't talk I could only nod, I was beyond exhausted.

'Go home and have your bath. Not to make you feel bad, but you stink. Where have you been though?' Mum asked with her hands on her hips.

'In the forest,' I lied. Only Dominus knew where I was. I was in one of the abandoned huts close to the house. We played there when we were small. It was our little secret hide out, even Maureen had never been there.

'Very well then go and freshen up, call me when you are ready. But I should be home as soon as the maid gets here.'

'Ok mum,' I kissed her softly on the head, looked at my sister's helpless form briefly for some seconds before exiting the room.

I made my way out of the hospital room with my mind preoccupied with the discussion I was going to have with my parents. I couldn't answer those that greeted me on the way home because my heart was very bothered.

I was about to tell my parents the biggest lie ever. Dominus and I went over the lies again and again throughout the night to make sure there were no loopholes that my dad could see through.

We leave for Royal White in two days. My parents had always wanted me to go after my eighteenth birthday but I told them I couldn't leave Maureen all by herself since they both clearly were rarely around.

I opened the door with my mind still preoccupied with the discussion I was going to have with my parents.

'See what the cats dragged in. The almighty Beta Lancelot, murderer of his own sister,' my dad said.

I looked up to see him standing at the bar with a cup of wine in his hands and anger in his eyes.

'She is not dead dad,' I said remorseful.

'She could be,' he said with anger in every syllable.

'I am sorry dad, I didn't mean to hurt her.'

He nodded gently. 'Your mother mind linked me. She said you wanted to discuss something with us.'

'Yes dad but first I need to freshen up, I stink.'

'Good you know. Come to the study in an hour. Your mum and I would be waiting.'

'Ok dad,' I said and headed upstairs to have my bath and prepare myself for the discussion.

As I entered my room, the first thing that caught my eyes was the yellow hand woven shawl on my couch.

It was an early birthday gift from Maureen. According to her, she didn't want her gift to mix up with others.

She had done the weaving herself not allowing anyone to see it until it was done.

I had been surprised when she gave it to me. I had not expected it to be that good. At the center of the shawl, she had woven two wolves. A white wolf and a black wolf. She had said they were us. According to her I was going to get dad's black wolf and she would get mum's white wolf. Only she was wrong I got the white wolf.

I held the shawl to my chest and cried. The way I was going about it, I might not have tears to shed anymore in years to come.

When I was sure I could muster the strength, I had my bath, changed into another set of clothes and waited for another thirty minutes before heading to my father's study.

I knocked on the door and mum's voice asked me to come in. I opened the door to meet my mum seated on dad's seat while dad sat on the couch.

I sat in the chair opposite mum. I preferred it that way. It was a good thing that dad was not sitting on his chair. I didn't want him to have a handle on my mood and expression.

''What is it that you wanted to discuss with us son,' mum asked.

'My wolf has been ridiculously restless. He wants to visit other packs in search of his mate. He has this insane idea of the fact that she is in danger. And he thinks it is Maureen that is keeping us here.' I explained quickly without even stopping for breath in between and I didn't look at either of my parents.

There was total silence after I stopped talking. I looked up to realize that my parents were mind linking. I knew they couldn't see me so I rolled my eyes.

'When are you leaving?' My dad asked after sometime.

'In two days,' I answered feeling really nervous.

'Nobody was holding you back son, you were the one giving all sorts of excuses,' mum said and I sighed with relief.

Dad got up and gave me a squeeze on the shoulder before leaving and so did mum.

Two days later I stood in front of our house and sighed deeply. My bags were already in the car while Dominus waited impatiently in the driver's side.

My parents already said their goodbye before heading to the hospital. They said the doctor called that my sister was awake. I couldn't go there. It was for the best.

I knew it seemed like running but I knew it was time to go at least for a while. I sighed again and headed for the car. As we rounded the corner and couldn't see the house in the side mirror again, I settled in the seat properly. It was going to be a very long three years.