Chapter 107: The Burden Of Secrets And The Lie!
Neve could definitely understand why he had said that to Cael.
While lying there in the darkness, thinking about his system and his missions, he could not help but wonder if he would be fully allowed to complete his mission. Especially after seeing Soren’s reaction to everything that had happened.
Soren was not a bad person. Maybe. But anyone could turn bad if their position was threatened. Anyone could become dangerous if they felt like someone else was taking their power away.
If Neve started to help everyone with their living conditions. If Neve started to build better houses for the tribe members. If Neve became the one that people looked to for survival and safety instead of looking to the chief.
Then the people would start seeing Neve as their new leader. They would start trusting him more than they trusted Soren. They would start following him instead of following their chief.
And when that happened, Soren would see him as a threat. Soren would want to get rid of him.
The only thing protecting Neve from that outcome was his bond with Vaelthorn. The dragon king’s warning that anyone who hurt Neve would be burned alive. The dragon king’s protection was the only thing standing between Neve and potential death at Soren’s hands.
But how long would that protection last? How long before Soren decided the risk was worth it?
Neve touched his stomach and looked back at Cael.
"I don’t want you getting hurt by your brother in the name of punishment," Neve said, his voice serious in a way that Cael had never heard before. "If you wish to protect me and our cubs, you need to become the next chief. I’m sure everyone would support you. Everyone already respects you more than they respect Soren."
Cael lowered his head, tightening his fist.
"Do you know why I never wish to be chief?" he asked quietly. "I don’t want to steal anything that belonged to Soren since I owed him his life."
Neve’s curiosity was immediately sparked.
"What do you mean?" Neve asked, his voice softening slightly.
Cael held Neve’s hand gently and walked him back to the bed, insisting that he sit down. Standing was not good for him in his condition. Neve sat on the edge of the bed while Cael knelt down in front of him, positioning himself between Neve’s legs.
"Years back before Soren got that illness, which is super rare, I was the cause of it," Cael said, and Neve’s eyes widened in shock.
"What?" Neve asked, needing him to clarify.
"To everyone, the illness is natural," Cael continued, his voice heavy with guilt that had been buried for years. "It’s something that happens to just a handful of people. Entering an unconscious state. Unable to shift to their beast form. Losing consciousness for extended periods. But the truth is, it was caused by a plant. A specific plant that grows only in a few places."
He paused, gathering his courage to continue.
"Soren is the weakest among all three of us," Cael said. "So he gets sick frequently. Much more frequently than Gideon or me. While Gideon was treating him, he ran out of medicine. He needed more herbs to continue the treatment. So I ended up volunteering to go get the herbs from the forest."
Neve was listening intently, his golden eyes fixed on Cael’s face.
"I picked the wrong one," Cael said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I brought back the wrong herb. Gideon was in panic mode because Soren was getting worse. He used it without knowing it was wrong. It made everything worse. It caused the illness to deepen. It caused Soren to slip into a coma."
Cael’s hands were shaking slightly.
"It’s not Gideon’s fault," Cael continued. "It’s my fault. It was my mistake. So we kept it a secret between the two of us. But Gideon blamed himself anyway and dedicated his entire life to treating Soren. He spent years trying to wake Soren up. Years trying to find a cure. All because I picked the wrong herb."
He looked up at Neve.
"Then you came," Cael said. "You saved Soren’s life. You woke him up. You cured him when Gideon had almost given up hope. And because you saved him, I didn’t have to feel guilty anymore. I didn’t have to carry that weight. But I also felt like I owed Soren everything now. Like I couldn’t take anything from him. Like I couldn’t take his position as chief because he had already suffered so much because of me."
Neve felt his heart ache hearing this.
He reached out and touched Cael’s face gently, his fingers brushing against the bruise that Soren had given him.
"I see," Neve said softly. "That makes sense. But Cael, listen to me."
He tilted Cael’s face up so their eyes met.
"Since I treated him, you didn’t have to feel guilty for accidentally poisoning your brother anymore," Neve said gently. "The debt is paid. The guilt is gone. Forget about the past, Cael, and move on to the present with me. With everyone. With our cubs."
He smiled at Cael, a smile that was supposed to be warm and reassuring.
"If you don’t become the chief," Neve said, his smile never wavering, "I won’t be able to complete my mission."
Cael looked confused.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
Neve folded his hands and his smile went colder. He looked like he was plotting something, and it didn’t feel genuine.
"And if I don’t complete my mission," Neve said, his voice dropping lower, his golden eyes becoming hard and cold, "I’ll die."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
"What?" Cael said, his voice going sharp with shock and fear.
But he was not the only one who heard the words.
Outside the bedroom, the others had been eavesdropping. Kelly and Ryker and Popi and Aldric and even Sorin.
They all heard Neve’s words.
They all heard him say that he would die if he did not complete his mission.
"What????" they all chorused together, their voices loud and shocked.