The Traitor's Brother

06 ~ Dark thoughts and an even darker history

“Rio…”

In Spanish, the name Rio means river. It must be the reason why he’s always near one in his dreams. Sometimes the river would be calm and quiet, other times raging and out of control.

He likes it best when it seems to reach out to him, although, for some reason, he never could touch the water.

He’s currently dreaming right now, which isn’t something that happens very often. Usually he’d push himself to work hard all day, to the point of barely making it to bed before collapsing, dead to the world, too spent to even think of anything that would lead to a dream. Of course, there are times when not even mind-numbing exhaustion can knock him out completely, and he’d still find himself in one, but always, always… he’d end up somewhere with a river close by. And more often than not, it would be here, in their hometown, where he grew up and had met the most beautiful girl he had ever laid his eyes on.

Like every other time, he finds himself near a river, listening to the water flowing. Today, the river seems excited for some reason, he can tell. The current is strong and the water keeps trying to go over the bridge where he is standing, instead of quietly going under it.

This bridge is known as ‘Lovers’ Crossing’. It is said that those who cross this bridge with their true soulmate will feel a spark of recognition, a certainty deep within their hearts that they have found their other half.

Pure superstition, of course, and Jayden no longer believes in similar nonsense, but he still can’t help but feel a little bit of nostalgia.

He and Rio once stood on this bridge and had tempted fate. Legend warns that should someone block your path before you have crossed to the other side, it is an ill omen. A warning that something bad is going to happen.

Well, they had crossed the bridge together so many times and nothing had blocked their path, and yet Rio was taken away from him, even before they could find out from their wolves if they were truly fated mates.

Oh, but he didn’t need to hear his spirit beast call ‘mate’ to her wolf to know that she was the one. He had known it the moment he’d laid his eyes on her, and so had Rio. Sometimes, it happens. You find a special connection with someone right away—a bond that establishes itself like a perfectly fitted glove you’ve never worn or tried before.

He loved her, madly, deeply, and his feelings were returned a hundredfold. In fact, she had been so certain about them that she’d given up her own life to save his.

She shouldn’t have, of course. That was foolish. Her life, her beautiful and pure soul, was worth so much more than his own expendable existence. Rio paid a price too high for something worth nothing to everyone else. And Jayden has been trying so hard to even the bargain since then. To make sure her sacrifice is not wasted on someone so worthless.

Jayden came from a broken family. No, that’s not quite right. Broken means it was once whole. Theirs was never really a family. His parents were never married, never a couple at all, in fact. Their mother was once an omega slave in another pack, and their father was… well, in truth, Jayden is not really certain about their father’s status. He must have been a low-ranked warrior or maybe a fellow omega. In any case, the jerk was mated to another, but chose to take advantage of the pack slave, rewarded to him for some services rendered to the alpha. Unfortunately, not all packs treat lower ranked shifters the same way Alpha Seth and Luna Marie treat their pack members.

When their mother heard about this particular place, where everyone—even the omegas—are treated with respect and given a fair chance in life, she found a way to escape with her two boys, and had begged for asylum, which was immediately given. Their old pack cursed them for it, as it was considered a heinous act of disloyalty and betrayal to willingly break the bond with the pack where one was born and bred, no matter that said pack’s laws and practices were questionable to say the least.

Jack, his older brother, had been around twelve years old, and unfortunately, had already been influenced by their previous environment. Or maybe he had always been like that. He was arrogant and chauvinistic, utterly self-centered. Despite being lowborn, Jack had always felt like he was owed something and he was determined to take it.

Jayden is much younger, of course, but full of resentment already, and prone to bouts of anger. The pack tried to help undo the damage, but it was only when Maeve came to their lives that things started to change for the better. She was the loving big sister Jayden never had, easily able to calm and distract him from his tantrums and meltdowns. And Jack finally found someone who fed his vanity and supported his ambitions, and who was easily manipulated because of the mate bond. But then Jack went too far, too cocky in believing Maeve would always forgive him. He was conceited enough to assume she was too in love with him to love herself as well.

Thank goodness Elijah found her. Just as Jayden had found Rio, who had become his salvation.

But now, Rio is gone. And Jayden can’t help wishing they never met instead. Maybe if their paths had never crossed, Rio would still be here today, oblivious to his existence but safe and alive. It doesn’t even matter that she would be with someone else in that scenario, as long as her light continued to shine.

Jayden sighs, wishing he’d wake up already. He knows this is only a dream, he’s had it too many times that it’s no longer just a déjà vu but a nightmare loop that his mind conjures whenever he’s upset.

But then he stiffens, feeling something change in the usual pattern of this self-soothing practice. The wind shifts and brings him that familiar, forbidden scent.

A scent that has changed through the years... for him anyway.

He realizes who it is before his eyes can confirm it. The familiar feeling of having her nearby intensifies, and he curses under his breath.

Damn it, what is she doing here?

Why is she even here?

Alys…