Deux's POV

(Smash!)

(Punch!)

(Smack!)

The harder the punch, the better.

The braver, the stronger, the more feared.

Right now, I'm in the private gym of our estate, throwing punches at the heavy bag with relentless force. My thoughts are a storm, and this is the only way to quiet them.

Each strike is sharper, each hit more powerful. My muscles burn, my breath comes in quick bursts, but I don't stop. The bag absorbs my frustration until—

(Rip!)

With one last devastating punch, the heavy bag tears open, sand spilling onto the floor.

"Whoa! That looked personal." A smug voice echoes from behind me, followed by a light chuckle. "Carrying a little extra weight on your shoulders, huh?"

I don't even need to turn around. I know that voice all too well.

Silver.

My cousin. An Alpha male like me. He's younger than me but looks the same age as I am, but where I am serious, disciplined, and focused, he is cunning, mischievous, and endlessly irritating. He visits often—too often, if you ask me. Despite his infuriating personality, he's family. He's been my shadow since we were kids, though I sometimes wish he wasn't.

Silver steps onto the treadmill, still grinning. "You punched that bag so hard, I thought I was going to feel it too!" He laughs, clearly amused.

I roll my eyes and move to the next training station. A row of wooden kicking posts stands before me—perfect.

(Smack!)

A powerful kick lands against the post, and for a moment, I swear I can feel it crack beneath my foot.

Silver whistles. "Alright, alright. Something's definitely eating you up inside. Let me guess..." He jogs in place, pretending to think. "Is it about the Alpha King?"

I shake my head, striking again—harder.

"Ahh, then I know exactly what it is," Silver muses, his grin sharpening. "There's an Alpha out there who you can't defeat, isn't there?"

I stop mid-motion, slowly turning to face him.

He smirks. "Judging by that look, I hit the mark."

I exhale sharply through my nose, irritation bubbling beneath my skin. "Are you stalking me, Silver?"

His laughter fills the room, lighthearted yet calculated. "Not stalking. Just observing. And judging by how you're trying to kill these training posts, I'd say this particular Alpha is really getting under your skin." He steps off the treadmill, stretching his arms lazily. "Does Uncle know about this?"

I don't answer. Instead, I deliver another brutal kick.

"Didn't think so." Silver chuckles, shaking his head. "You're not too proud to tell him, huh? Wouldn't want him disappointed."

The impact of my next strike dents the training post.

"Whoever this Alpha is, he must be something special to be rattling you like this." Silver's voice carries a teasing edge, but beneath it is genuine curiosity. "Want me to fight him instead? See what he's really made of?"

(Blag!)

The post bends under my final, crushing kick.

I step back, breathing heavily. Then, in a low, warning tone, I say, "Stay away from him, Silver. If you go near him, I'll be your opponent next."

Silver raises his hands in mock surrender, his smirk never faltering. "Relax! I was only joking. We both know there's no way I could match up to the great Alpha Prince." His voice drips with amusement, but his gaze sharpens. "Still, you're taking this personally. You won't let any other Alpha near him? Why?"

I did not answer immediately. Instead, I locked eyes with Silver and took a deep breath before admitting, "I don't know."

Silver tilts his head, intrigued. "Now that's interesting."

I hesitate for a brief moment before continuing, "There's something else. I just found out that this Alpha... has a serious condition."

Silver's amusement flickers, replaced by curiosity. "A condition? You mean an illness?"

I nod.

Silver scoffs. "Well, there you go! Use that to your advantage. If he's sick, he's vulnerable. Take him down before he even has a chance to—"

"You know me, Silver," I interrupt, my voice like steel. "I fight fair."

Silver sighs dramatically, shaking his head. "Of course, you do."

"AEDS." The word feels heavy in my mouth.

Silver's brow furrows. "Huh? What the hell is that?"

"Alpha Energy Depletion Syndrome," I muttered, my voice steady. "It weakens an Alpha's immune system. A condition only newly emerged Alphas suffer from. It's rare—almost unheard of."

Silver raised an eyebrow before a slow grin stretched across his face. "Wait, wait... hold on a second. Are you telling me that the Alpha you can't defeat is a rookie?" He burst into laughter.

I clenched my fists. "Are you mocking me?"

His laughter continued until I shot him a sharp glare. He held up his hands in surrender, still grinning. "Alright, alright! Let me get this straight—there's an Alpha you can't beat. This Alpha is new. And on top of that, he has a debilitating condition called AEDS. And you refuse to fight him because it wouldn't be fair to you. Am I getting this right?"

I gave a small nod.

Silver whistled. "Damn, fate really knows how to mess with you. If I were you, I'd toss that whole 'fair fight' nonsense out the window. The guy's already got a weakness, Deux. You have a reason to take him down. Alphas like us? We find our opponent's weaknesses and strike hard."

I shook my head. "I'm not like you, Silver. A victory only counts if I win fairly."

Silver groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I swear, you've got something loose up there. If I were in your shoes, I would've ended this already."

"But you're not me," I shot back. "And you never will be."

Silver huffed. "I know. That's why I said if." Then his expression turned curious. "So, how long does this AEDS thing last?"

I sighed. "From what I've gathered, it can last over a year. Worst case? It never goes away."

Silver blinked, then snorted. "So, what, you're gonna spend the rest of your life haunted by the fact that there's one Alpha out there you can't beat?"

My patience snapped. "Are you trying to piss me off?"

Silver smirked. "Relax, I'm just messing with you!" Then his expression shifted slightly, eyes narrowing in thought. "But... is there a cure? If he gets treated, you'd be able to fight him properly, right?"

I froze.

A cure?

Yes. That is what I need!

"You're right," I breathed. "If I can find a way to treat his condition, then we can settle this properly."

Silver raised an eyebrow. "Wait, wait, wait—hold on a damn second." He leaned forward, eyes flashing with amusement. "Are you telling me you are going to be the one to find him a cure? You're gonna help an Alpha?" His laughter returned, this time more incredulous than before. "Dude, we're talking about another Alpha here, not some Omega! Since when do Alphas help their rivals?"

I crossed my arms. "Is there something wrong with what I said? I simply want to end this. If finding him a cure is the only way to get my fight, then that's what I'll do."

Silver let out a low whistle. "Man, this is wild. You do remember what the Alpha King taught us, don't you? That we don't help other Alphas. We dominate them. Crush them under our command."

I exhaled sharply. "It goes against everything we've been taught, yes. But if this is the only solution, then so be it."

Silver leaned back, shaking his head in disbelief. "You do realize if the Alpha King finds out, he's not going to be happy. You know what happened to Heron, right? Your late older brother? The King had him executed for breaking the law."

A heavy silence settled between us.

I took a deep breath, locking eyes with Silver. "My father doesn't need to know. This is my battle. My problem. Stay out of it, and if you truly consider me your brother, then respect my decision."

Silver raised his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. Whatever. I know there's no changing your mind when you get like this." Then, with a grin, he added, "But don't expect me to help you find the cure. This is your problem, not mine."

"I never needed your help in the first place," I said flatly. "I'll handle it myself."

Silver's grin widened, and something about it unsettled me. He was up to something.

Then he casually stretched, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Oh, by the way! My suspension from the university is officially over. I'm going back tomorrow." He glanced at me with a knowing smirk. "And that Alpha you're so obsessed with... he goes there too, doesn't he?"

I stiffened.

"Yes," I admitted warily. "But I'm warning you, Silver—stay away from him. He's mine. I'm the only one allowed to deal with him."

Silver held a hand to his chest in mock innocence. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I never said I'd do anything! I just want to see him." He grinned. "I mean, come on, Deux. You've been stressing over this guy so much, I have to see what makes him so special."

"You'll know him when you meet him," I muttered.

Silver snickered. "Oh, so I have to find him myself, huh? Not gonna make it easy for me?"

I narrowed my eyes. "I know you, Silver. You have a habit of taking things too far."

He laughed. "Relax! I'm just excited to go back to school. And hey, while you're stuck in that boring meeting with the Alpha King tomorrow, I'll have plenty of time to... explore."

And that is the thing that I hate, the meeting for tomorrow which means there are things that I can't handle right away.

I gritted my teeth. "Don't do anything reckless, Silver."

"Of course not!" he said, grinning. "Though... maybe I'll have a little fun with this mysterious Alpha of yours. Just to see what he's made of."

"Try anything stupid," I warned, "and we will fight."

Silver burst into laughter. "You're so easy to mess with! Don't worry, big guy. I'll behave... probably."

I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "Just focus on your studies, eat properly, and sleep early tomorrow."

Silver froze. "What?" He looked at me like I'd grown a second head.

"Nothing," I said quickly.

He blinked. Then realization dawned, and his expression twisted in exaggerated horror. "Were you just being concerned about me?"

I turned away. "Forget it."

Silver cackled. "Oh no, I won't! This is gold! Deux, the mighty Alpha Prince, actually worried about me! I think I might cry!"

"Shut up."

"Haha! Never!"

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