I would do anything to save my brother.

AVA’S POV

The sky had darkened by the time I finished my work. I grabbed my bag, my thoughts heavy, and made my way to the door of the office. The air outside was cool, biting against my skin, but it did little to numb the weight in my chest.

My twin brother, Eli, had always been my anchor. He was the one person who understood me completely. We were inseparable, our bond forged through tragedy and survival. Now, he was lying in a sterile hospital bed, fighting for his life. The doctors had told me that his condition was dire, but they couldn't even tell me how long he'd have. It was all about the operation. If we didn’t get the money, we’d lose him.

I walked quickly to my car, my fingers tightening around the wheel as I gripped it, desperate to drive faster. My brother needed me. I needed to be with him.

As I arrived at the hospital, the sterile scent of antiseptic hit me, a smell I had grown to hate. I passed through the long corridors, the walls pale, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, and found myself in front of Eli’s room.

I took a breath before pushing the door open.

"Eli?" My voice cracked as I entered, my heart sinking at the sight of him.

Eli was pale, his usual bright, mischievous expression replaced with a hollow, sickly look. His hair was unkempt, his skin slick with sweat, and he lay motionless on the hospital bed, his breathing shallow. A machine next to him beeped steadily, a constant reminder of the fragile thread between life and death.

My heart ached at the sight of him like this. This wasn't the brother I knew—this wasn’t the boy who used to make me laugh with his ridiculous antics. This was the boy who had become a shell of himself, trapped in a body that was slowly failing.

"Hey, Eli," I whispered, pulling a chair beside his bed and taking his hand. "How are you feeling today?"

He blinked, his eyes barely opening, his voice soft. "Tired... So tired, Ava."

Tears welled in my eyes, but I blinked them back. I couldn’t break down in front of him. Not now. Not when I was the only one who could save him.

The doctors had called it Dystrophic Myopathy—a rare genetic disorder that caused progressive muscle degeneration. It attacked the muscle tissues, slowly breaking them down, leaving the body weak and helpless. There was no cure. The only thing that could save him was an extremely costly operation to stop the degeneration from spreading to his vital organs.

It was as though my whole life had been a series of trials designed to break me. Losing my parents, the violence that tore our family apart, and now my twin brother slowly dying before my eyes.

I squeezed his hand tightly, trying to steady my voice. "Eli, you’re going to get through this. We’re going to find a way to get you that surgery."

He smiled weakly, though the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. "I don’t want you to worry about me. I’m just... tired."

"No." I shook my head, trying to smile through the lump in my throat. "You’re not allowed to be tired, okay? You’re my twin. We’re supposed to grow old together."

A small, almost imperceptible tear slid down his cheek, and my heart cracked in two.

I wiped it away gently. "You’re not going anywhere, Eli. I swear it. I’m going to fix this."

He closed his eyes again, and I was left sitting in silence, holding his hand, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me.

The door opened quietly behind me, and a nurse stepped in, holding a clipboard. "Ms. Ava, we need to talk about your brother’s condition. The treatment he’s on isn't showing the expected results. Without the surgery, we have... less than a week."

I stood, my heart sinking further. "I know. I know."

She glanced at Eli, her face softening. "You’re running out of time, and we’re doing everything we can, but the surgery is the only option left. He’s getting weaker. If his organs begin to fail..."

Her voice trailed off, and I nodded, unable to speak, too afraid that if I said the words aloud, they might become true.

"I’ll get the money," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Somehow."

The nurse gave me a sympathetic look, then left the room, closing the door behind her.

I turned back to Eli, my mind racing. I couldn’t lose him. He was all I had left.

---

FLASHBACK: THE PACK’S BETRAYAL

I remember the night my parents died like it was yesterday.

It was during a full moon. My parents, both omegas, had been part of a small pack. We were weak, small, and vulnerable, but we lived peacefully. That peace shattered the night the Alpha of the larger pack decided to take everything from us.

He was ruthless, merciless. My parents were too kind, too weak to survive his wrath.

The Alpha didn’t care about my parents’ pleas. They were nothing but pawns in his eyes. He killed them without a second thought—because they were omegas. Because they were weaker, because they weren’t valuable in his eyes.

I was just a child. My brother and I had hidden in the shadows, watching the brutality unfold. The Omega who saved us that night was a mystery to me—she came out of nowhere, pulling us from our hiding place and running with us, carrying us away from the carnage. She wasn’t even a member of the pack. She was a stranger, a rogue Omega, but her strength was undeniable. She got us out, saving us from the massacre.

That’s when my hatred for Alphas began. They were cruel, power-hungry monsters who would stop at nothing to gain more territory, more influence, and more power.

The loss of my parents was a scar that could never heal. And the fact that the very pack they once called home had turned against them was a reminder of how unforgiving this world could be for those who were weak.

---

PRESENT DAY

My hands clenched into fists. I had always vowed to never rely on anyone—especially not an Alpha. They were the ones who took everything from me.

I looked at Eli, sleeping so peacefully, unaware of how badly I was breaking inside. The thought of him being taken from me was unbearable.

"Just hold on, Eli," I whispered, brushing a lock of hair away from his forehead. "I swear, I’ll get you through this."

I took a deep breath, my mind already calculating the impossible. The money. The surgery.

I would do anything to save my brother.