Unspoken Bonds (Eric's POV)

The house was silent, save for the occasional creak of the wooden floors settling under the weight of the night. The warmth of the dimly lit room did little to ease the storm raging inside Eric's mind. He sat at the edge of his bed, elbows resting on his knees, fingers laced together as he stared at the floor, lost in thought.

The events of the past hours replayed in his mind like an unrelenting tide. The mission had been simple—track the wolves, find Lily, bring her back. But nothing about it had been simple. The sight of Lily standing between Alex and Sebastian, her terrified eyes flickering between them, had struck something deep within him. It wasn’t just about Alex’s beloved one anymore. It was about the undeniable truth he had been avoiding for years.

What if his beloved one was human too?

The thought had crossed his mind before, in fleeting moments he had dismissed as paranoia. But watching Lily—fragile, human, caught in a world that was never meant for her—made it all too real. His hands clenched into fists, his jaw tightening.

How could he stand by and watch someone he was bound to suffer through this? To be hunted, threatened, torn between forces that would never see her as more than a weakness?

A bitter exhale left his lips. If fate had planned for him to be bound to someone like Lily, was he strong enough to protect her? To shield her from a world where she would always be seen as prey? He had watched Alex fight, watched him risk everything, and though they had all stood by him, Eric had felt the weight of his brother’s burden.

Could he bear the same weight if the time came?

The thought unsettled him. He had always been the one who laughed in the face of danger, the one who never let anything get too heavy. But now, for the first time in a long time, he felt powerless. If fate had a cruel sense of humor, he would be next. And then what? Would he fight like Alex? Would he break under the weight of it?

A soft knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. He didn’t need to look up to know who it was. The scent of blood and anger still clung to Alex’s skin. Without waiting for an invitation, Alex stepped inside, his expression unreadable.

"You’re brooding." His voice was rough, exhaustion laced in every syllable.

Eric let out a humorless chuckle. "Didn’t realize you had a monopoly on that."

Alex ignored the jab, closing the door behind him before leaning against the wooden frame. "You’ve been quiet since we got back. What’s on your mind?"

Eric hesitated, his fingers tightening before he finally exhaled and looked up. "Lily. And what this all means."

Alex’s jaw twitched, but he said nothing, waiting for Eric to continue.

"She’s human, Alex. And no matter how much you try to deny it, that complicates everything." Eric ran a hand through his hair. "I keep thinking… what if that’s me one day? What if my beloved one is human? How am I supposed to let her go through this? Through all of this?"

Silence stretched between them before Alex pushed off the door and walked toward the window. He stared out into the night, his posture rigid. "I don’t have an answer for you. If I did, I wouldn’t be standing here now, fighting against everything that says she and I shouldn’t be possible."

Eric swallowed hard. "But do you ever wonder if it would be easier to let go? To stop fighting?"

Alex’s head turned slightly, his crimson eyes glowing under the dim light. "Every second of every day. But the thought of losing her? It’s worse than anything else. It’s unbearable."

Eric looked down again, his throat tight. "I don’t know if I could do what you’re doing."

Alex walked closer, his presence heavy with something Eric couldn’t quite name. "You will, if the time comes. Because the alternative? It’s unthinkable."

Eric exhaled slowly, the weight in his chest not lifting but settling into something he could carry. He didn’t have all the answers, but maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t supposed to.

"What if she hates me for it?" Eric asked after a long pause. "What if she doesn’t want this world, this life?"

Alex’s expression darkened. "She will. Eventually. It’s not about whether she wants it now. It’s about whether she survives long enough to understand why she needs it."

Eric scoffed, shaking his head. "You sound so sure. But what if you’re wrong? What if Lily never accepts this? What if she resents you forever?"

Alex’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Then I live with it. But I’d rather have her alive and hating me than dead because I did nothing."

The words hit Eric harder than he expected. He let them settle in his mind, weighing them against the uncertainty he felt. Could he do that? Could he be strong enough to make that call?

For the first time, he wasn’t sure.

Alex sighed, rubbing his temple. "Get some rest, Eric. Whatever happens, you’ll figure it out when the time comes."

Eric watched as his brother turned to leave, but before Alex could step out, he called after him. "And if I don’t want to figure it out?"

Alex glanced over his shoulder, his crimson gaze sharp. "Then fate will decide for you. And trust me, that’s worse."

With that, he was gone, leaving Eric alone with his thoughts once more. But this time, the silence felt heavier, filled with questions he wasn’t ready to answer.