Chapter 186 - Brother

"Are you...doing a bit better now, Mr. Zeus?" 

Sitting opposite to him over the couch of the living room, Clara inquired him first. Eva was preparing some tea for both of them while she took the chance of having a quick chit-chat with Zeus.

"I am better and healed up now. Moreover, Clara, you can drop the formals. After all, we belong to the same species." He politely answered.

"Ssshhh, please don't utter directly like that!" All of a sudden, she sounded a bit palpitated in a low tone, glancing around the kitchen where Eva was still busy with her duty. "Eva's ears are really sharp! You mustn't underestimate her audible powers."

Hearing her freaked-out response, he took a deep huff of breath in leaning his back against the cushion. "Until...how long you are going to hide your true self from her?" He whispered frowning his brows. 

She sat still, lowering her gaze down like a guilt-stricken subject, and started clenching her moonstone bracelet out of anxiety. "I really don't know... My mind feels numb even just with the thought of confessing the truth...Gosh, she would really think of me as a traitor. We had been together for near about two decades yet...I deceived her all the time... I am in such huge trouble..."

"But I think... She might understand why you hide it from her. If you can't bring yourself to tell her everything, do you want me to spill out the truth on your behalf?" 

"Are you crazy!?" Panicked at his blunt reply, she whisper-shouted at him quickly peeking a glance at Eva to assure if she wasn't hearing their conversation. "She might kill me if she hears such a big truth from anyone else! You...You may be the most important person existing in her life right now, but still, I will forever belong to a special safe place in her heart. No one can take my place, not even you." A tinge of jealousy was evident in her sulky attitude as she mumbled out.

Watching her quirky mood, a small chuckle escaped the edge of his lips as he lowered his eyes down. "I don't intend to steal your position from her heart, but...the longer you hide the truth...the more it will hurt her. Sooner or later, everything needed to come out clear and white. As for now... her powers had already awakened." His voice sounded a bit dubious.

"What? Really? When? How?" Swirling her eyeballs in fear, she almost choked her breath rattling her queries.

"She was the one who broke my curse that no ordinary wolf can do! Though she is born as a human, her destiny can't be changed that she carries a pure wolf line in her blood. I could sense in our first meet that she is a special being because some of my powers didn't work on her. I am not well aware of what exactly happened, though, I am sure...the intense desperation needed for her awakening has already happened when she saw me on the verge of death. But...now...she might be in more danger as...many evil creatures might want to misuse her gifted powers." His dark voice sounded a bit hoarse as he was enunciating his answer, looking very concerned for her.

"Gosh...This is crazy! I...I really wanted to keep her away from all these troubles! Then...maybe...the wolves who attacked her family might...come back for her too!? Oh gosh...this shouldn't be happening in her life! What kind of critical fate she has been born with?" She seemed extremely perplexed, squirming her fingertips in angst.

"I can understand your anticipation. But...we can't change our destiny. These situations were bound to happen someday...Our way ahead will be tough but as long as I am alive, I will protect her. " Lifting his chin up, he stared straight into her eyes sounding very firm.

Clara slowly raised her eyes apprehending his bold answer. She politely nodded her head and keeping her silence for a few seconds. From her facial expression, she seemed much concerned for her but all of a sudden, her gaze locked on the fresh yellow tulips delicately placed on the table nearby. 

"Yellow tulips?" She frowned her eyebrows gazing at it while her eyes seemed a bit poignant at the sight.

"Czar brought it for her." He affirmed abruptly holding a small simper on his face. "You know what yellow tulips signify, right?"

Nodding her head softly, she whispered in a glum manner looking at the flowers still. "Unrequited love." 

A sad smirk carved on the edge of his lips as he further leaned his back against the couch. "Eva seems a bit slow when it comes to noticing these small yet major indications. Czar sacrificed his first love just for our happiness. He chose to stay silent, bearing his own pain alone but...as his brother...I can realize...how hard it must be for him... You too already knew about how he feels for Eva, right?" 

"I don't know what kind of a guy he had been all these time but...I could evidently notice, his emotions were...always sincere for Eva..." She lowered her head down, exhaling a heavy sigh of grief out. 

"Yet...you still chose to like him secretly..." 

"What?" She flinched out, hearing his reciprocation.

"Look, Clara, my brother may not be honest with his words but...he likes to show it via his honest gestures. Till now, you must have realized that he cares about you. But...it's that...you have to give him some time to deal with his deep wounds which must be tormenting his heart quite bad. And, I believe, no one can handle such a stubborn guy like him better than you...I have that hunch." All of a sudden, a quick reciprocation tossed out from Zeus who was gawking at her intensely holding a small simper on his grimace.

"Wh-What are you tal-talking about? We...We don't have th-that kind of re-relation... I...I don't feel an-anything for him e-either..." She was stuttering anxiously, averting her eyes down with her ears turning into flustered red.

A warm chuckle escaped his lips watching her fumbling like an innocent kid. Holding his laughter, he tried to comfort her a little as she was already growing nervous. "You don't have to try so hard for lying right before me. All I want to say is...as far I know, you don't have anyone in your life apart from Eva. But...I can be your big brother too, just like I am for Czar. And from now onwards...I will try my best to prove myself as a better brother for you both because...I will be sincerely rooting for you two. Okay?" He tenderly tapped her fidgety arm placed on her lap, smiling fondly at her. 

His warm words sounded much reassuring to her as it was the very first time...someone willingly wanted to be her big brother. The familial love which she had been mysteriously devoid of, was finding her on its own which left a soothing feeling on her heart. She reciprocated back his words with a broad smile on her face. 

.

"What are you two gossiping about?" 

A soft mellow voice interrupted them from behind while Eva walked closer to them holding a tea-tray with a broad smile on her face. Both of them shifted their gaze towards her as she took a seat next to Zeus on the couch. 

"We were waiting for you to join amidst our conversation." Putting his arm around her shoulder, Zeus tugged her closer to him mumbling softly. 

"Really? By the way, I almost forgot to ask you about it. How did you two meet each other? Because...you already look pretty compatible with each other. As far I am aware of her aloof personality, I am surprised to see Clara quickly opening up to you Zeus." Turning her neck back and forth to glance at both of them, Eva muttered in a curious note. 

"He was the one who first came and found me at my workplace for giving me your treasure," answering in a tender voice, she promptly opened her handbag taking out the golden ruby bracelet and handing it over to her carefully. "Here...it belongs to you, Eva. Cherish it preciously and take good care of my brother. Don't make him much distressed." She smiled peeking a glance at Zeus.

"Brother?" Startled at her response, she surged her pupils wider immediately turning her gaze towards him who had a broad smile carved on his lips hearing her answer. "Since when...you became a brother to her? She didn't even call Felix her brother even for once!"

"Starting today. Not only do I have a stubborn brother but a stubborn sister too." He smirked fondly.

"And take good care of this foolish girl you too brother, or else, I might punch you so bad." She mumbled with a witty grin on her grimace looking at both of them.

"Woah...you two are behaving so suspiciously! Are you two keeping secrets from me or something?" She frowned her eyebrows, pouting her jowls. 

Softly, Zeus gripped the bracelet from her arm and patted her head once before asserting his remark, "Eva, for a few days, let's go somewhere far from this world...where...no one will be able to find our whereabouts."