Chapter 3: His hero

 

 Ari's POV 

 

When Storm came to, he was in the forest lying on a pile of dry leaves with his head on a makeshift pillow. He sat upright and took the backpack that was used to make a pillow and stared at it.

 

The letter A was engraved on it with a white thread…A for Ari.

 

"Ari" he murmured again and looked around like he was hoping to catch a glimpse of his rascal older brother. 

 

I was far away from him. I was sitting on a log of wood near a fire I made myself and I was tending to the bush meat I was roasting.

I have missed this.

 

He stood up from the ground very fast and stared at me cautiously.

 

"Finally!" I said as my laughter echoed "I was beginning to think I placed you in a Coma, little dude!" 

 

I took a bottle of water that was by my feet and threw it at him. He caught it and quickly took a sip. He was out for a while.

I smiled again and gestured for him to come to me.

"Don't just stand there. Come closer…don't worry, I won't hit you again and…sorry about before, it was the only way to stop our father from ripping your throat out for real" I turned the bush meat I was roasting before I returned my gaze to him.

He started walking towards me…the brother I have known all my life. A brother I loved and by his countenance, he was trying to hide shame, I understood shame more than anyone I know.

 ****

Storm’s POV 

I felt tears beginning to pile up. I have no idea why I feel this way. It wasn't like I was ten years old anymore and still seeking his approval. 

 

Yet my heart yearned to wipe off that look of disappointment he was trying to hide. 

 

Ari Thunderbolt Black- our parents’ favorite son, the pack's future hope and my personal hero.

 

He was five years older, wiser and more impressive. He was everything I hoped to be one day and more. And he was my brother.

 

I placed my feet in front of the other until I was face to face with him yet I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

 

For some reason, disappointing Ari was a priority even more than I worried about disappointing my father.

 

Maybe it was because he taught me everything I know today. He taught me about hunting, fighting and everything I know about how to be a better person.

 

He grabbed my face and made me look at him. It was a difficult feat but I held my own.

 

"You are an Alpha blood, Storm, don't look at your feet like a scared little baby!" He chastised me.

 

"Why are you here, Ari?" I asked him and held his gaze.

 

"Have I been gone so long that you've forgotten this is my home too, little dude?" He asked me with a smile, I didn't know how much I missed until I saw it.

 

"I don't know…you've been gone a long time" I murmured defiantly.

 

I didn't know where my boldness came from but I was suddenly ready to face my brother.

 

"I have been gone three years" He shrugged before he touched my face "I guess it was enough time for you to grow facial hair, look comfortable with that terrible Mohawk you are calling a hair style and become suicidal" 

 

"No, you've been gone three years, eight months and six days, Ari…guess who was counting?" I asked him and dropped the bottle of water I was holding on the floor.

 

I saw him blink and looked away before going back to tend to his meat. 

 

"I shouldn't have stayed away for too long…" 

 

"You had to get a degree, no one would fault you for wanting to better yourself" I said and sat down beside him.

 

He turned and looked at me "I shouldn't have stayed away for this long!" 

 

"No, Ari…you shouldn't have" I finally agreed with him.

 

I could feel my heartbeat accelerate when he heard my gaze for far too long. Here comes the awkward conversation I dreaded having with him. The reason I stopped returning his texts and calls. The reason I blocked him on my social media accounts. He was Ari, he was the only person apart from Bella capable of reaching me and pulling me out of the self destructive mode I placed myself in.

 

"What went wrong, Storm?" 

 

I was mute.

 

"When I left, you were this sweet little doting brother that I was heartbroken to leave behind and I come back and you are threatening to set yourself on fire and take alongside children you've known all your life! What went to hell and destroyed my little brother?!" He asked in that strict loud voice that I hated growing up.

 

A voice that was there to elicit fear but strangely, it didn't.

 

"Like you care" I murmured and looked away.

 

"What do you mean? Of course, I care about you Storm, you are my little brother!"

 

"Well, you've got a funny way of showing it Ari. Just go back to your fancy school and your cushy friends and leave me the fuck alone! You've done it for almost four years, how difficult will it be to make it permanent" I stood up to leave but he stopped me.

 

"Storm I had to stay and study you know this!" He told me 

 

"I also know you could have come home during breaks and holidays but you choose not to. You chose to stay away and that's on you! You chose to be where I am not and I am not going to stand here and watch you play the role of the disappointed older brother, Ari, I won't let you!"

 

I stormed off before I heard him talk in low whispers.

 

"I did come back, I just couldn't come home"

 

I stopped and turned to look at him.

 

"I don't understand…why?" I wanted to make sense of what he was telling me but Ari was mute.

 

"Why?!" I asked again.

 

"Because… I was ashamed!" He yelled.

 

I didn't understand but what does my valiant older brother have to be ashamed of.

 

"But…you are Ari…you don't…you don't…" I stuttered.

I stuttered and I ended up not making any sense. What was I supposed to say to that? He was Ari! 

 

He was Ari for goodness sake!