Chapter 11
3rd Person POV
After the two brothers had paid their visit, they went downstairs, their faces looked grim. "Do you think he is lying, dear brother?" Nathan addressed his brother. Matthew stopped at his track, almost made Nathan bumped into his back. "Do you think so? You know that he is a terrible liar, right? Maybe the worst one we ever met." Nathan pat Matthew's back. "Next time warn me before you stop abruptly. And to answer your question, no, not really. I know that he is not lying, but he is hiding something."
Matthew plopped down onto the plush sofa when they arrived at the living room. Nathan followed suit. "And why do you think that way?" Nathan grabs the pillow next to him and chucks it onto his brother's face. "Don't you act clueless. I know you felt the same way." Matthew chuckled before his face becomes serious. "I know. Something is weird with the way he acted. And it made me nervous. So nervous I can't even made eye contact with him."
"Nervous, huh? No, it not nervous. You are worried about him, you don't want to see him change. You don't want to search for the truth that lies in his eyes." Nathan clasps his hand together and stares at his brother. "Maybe you are right. I can't stand it if I saw something different in his eyes. The bad kind of different." Matthew admitted. The atmosphere between them changed. "So, what are we going to do now? Continue this act like the usual or should we delve deeper?" Nathan asked.
"Well, it's not like we can barrage him with questions. So I suggest we continue this act of normalcy until we can find the opportunity to expose what he is hiding. Or maybe wait until he wanted to talk about it to us himself." Nathan nods, agreeing with the suggestion. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Besides, we still need to prepare for the war. This is all for him, and for him only. And after that, we can include 'us' when he is ready."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, pondering the life they will have when all of this is over. Their chest tightens at the thought that Christian didn't trust them enough to tell them what he is hiding. Matthew stood first, glancing at the clock, and leaves the room. Nathan also leaves the room when the clock struck at ten o'clock. The rest of the morning went by with no hitch. Occasionally, Nathan and Matthew take turns to check on Christian.
And when they saw he is still in slumber, they both leave as quickly as they came. The sun eventually sets and came the night. Christian awoke and the two brothers brought their pack doctor to check on his condition. The doctor does his job with diligence and soon the check-up is done. "He is in good condition. There is nothing to worry about. Just make sure that he gets enough time to rest." Christian and the brothers thanked the doctor.
Outside Christian's bedroom, Nathan asked the doctor again. "So, what is your true diagnosis, Doctor Lionel?" The doctor glanced at the room before answering. "It seems like he had amnesia. Retrograde amnesia to be exact." Matthew frowned at the mention of amnesia. "Amnesia? Isn't that mean he had a memory loss?" The doctor nods. "Yes. But it is not a total memory loss, just some parts of it."
"Is it permanent?" Nathan questioned. "It depends, but I don't think this one is a permanent one." The doctor answered. "One more question doc," Matthew paused. "Don't you find this highly suspicious?" He finally said. The doctor shakes his head. "Not at all. Retrograde amnesia can occur when a person had brain damage or emotional trauma. But in his case, it could be because of emotional trauma. It doesn't necessarily cause by violence. No, he wanted to isolate some specific memory to the deepest part of his mind. It's like he willed himself to forget." The doctor explained.
"How in the world is that even possible?" Nathan groaned. "Well, the brain will attempt to protect itself. So yes, it is possible. And, I need to warn you two, Alphas. When he tries to recall his memories, he could be in pain. Newer memories are often don't have a strong foundation, so it might be harder to recall. Please, be patient and don't do anything rash. Give him a choice of his own volition." The doctor left the two Alphas to their own devices after telling them what they needed to hear.
With the doctor gone, the air around the two Alphas slowly grew heavy. And gradually, the air around them becomes unbearable. The entire residents inside the house can also feel the change in the air. The house is quiet, not even the sound of pups can be heard. Nathan finally breaks the silence. "We probably should stop releasing our pheromones, brother. The air is getting suffocating for others." Matthew took a deep breath before he exhales it through his mouth.
"So, how do you feel now? Do you need to let loose?" Nathan asked. His question is answered by a quiet 'no'. "Okay. But we will have a pack meeting in thirty minutes. I'm going to take a breather and have a smoke. You sure you don't wanna go with me?" Nathan asked again. This time, Matthew shakes his head. Nathan pats his brother on the shoulder before walking past him, heading for the stairs. Matthew closed his eyes, trying to calm his inner rage.
He never felt so enraged before, anger and disappointment mixed into one. He was never the type to get emotional, especially in the open like this. It made him feel very vulnerable. But he can't help it when it comes to the closest and the people he held very dear. He is mad, mad at himself, and the cruel joke that is called destiny. He wonders, why it has to be someone that holds half of their souls. If this is not a cruel joke, then what is it?
After he felt that his rage is significantly decreasing, he walks down the stairs deciding to join his brother. He indeed needs a breather. Stepping outside, he can feel the breeze of the cool air that caresses his cheeks. He peered into the distance, the forest is dimly illuminated by the half-moon. He can see an owl, stalking what seems to be an unaware squirrel. Matthew watched as the owl dive quietly and sweep the poor squirrel with its razor-sharp talon.
He was deep in thought, he didn't notice his brother creeping upon him. "What are you thinking?" Nathan questioned, suddenly appearing beside his brother. Matthew snapped out of his thought and glanced to the side, where Nathan is standing, a cigarette hanging between his middle finger and index finger. Matthew shrugged, returning his gaze to the forest. Nathan took a drag of his cigarette, then puffing out the smoke. "We should get back inside, the meeting will start soon." Nathan took one more drag of his cigarette before dumping it onto the ground, stomping on the still-lit cigarette.
"Yeah, let's go. Christian's future and safety depend on us." Matthew replied. Nathan grinned at his brother's enthusiasm. "That's the spirit, brother! After all, we made a promise to do so. So let's fulfill our promise." They both enter the pack's house, heading straight to the meeting hall. "You're ready?" Nathan asked, eyes ablaze with determination. "I was born ready," Matthew smirked, his eyes mirroring Nathan's. They enter the room and ready to defend what is theirs.