Byhron

The second the sun arose, he had been out on that training field, tearing every training dummy to the ground.

The memories of last night still fazed before his eyes—the feelings, the sounds as the Kathmir had knelt before him and catered to his cock.

Roaring, Byhron smashed his fists through another dummy and ripped it off its bolted stance, down to the muddy ground.

A male had touched him. Defiled him. The Kathmir had taken his cock into his mouth and made him come, and the worst part was... he had let him do it.

Byhron shut his eyes and felt as everything coursed through his mind in a blur. Everything he knew was right and wrong was melting inside him, yet the more he tried to push it away, the more it haunted him.

It was wrong. Wrong. Two males, being intimate together... it was against nature. Females were the ones who pleased their cocks. They were the ones who accepted their seeds and birthed them youngs. They had the breasts to nurture them and the veins to feed them. Males did not belong together, not any other place than in the battlefield.

- And yet the memory of the Kathmir hungrily pleasuring his cock would not leave his mind.

Shaking and enraged, Byhron expelled a roar and stood up. He charged towards another dummy, but right in that moment, he saw the other Lathras emerge from the barrack.

"Sweet Miss," Luhkas cursed, the second they laid eyes on Byhron, standing amidst a pile of broken dummies. "We know you are hurting, but leave some for practice, won't you?"

"What?" Byhron snapped, alarmed. They... knew? How? It was impossibl—

"We all heard about your sister," Luhkas sympathized. Byhron immediately furrowed his brows. His sister? What had happened to his sister?

"What are you talking about?" He snarled, stalking up to Luhkas who mirrored his frown.

"Your sister?" Luhkas spoke slowly, seeing Byhron's breath quicken in panic. "She was attacked last night. One of the Lathras got drunk and found her alone in the kitchen. Luckily she wasn't—"

Byhron heard nothing else. His vision turned red and his entire body exploded with wrath.

Bhria had been attacked?

Pushing through the Lathras, he bolted off before Luhkas could finish his sentence. He heard them shouting after him, but it was too late. Nothing but instinct drove him now.

He knew there had been something wrong last night—his skin had been crawling and his nerves had been on fire, but he hadn't made the connection. It was his blood that had been in danger, not the palace. His defenseless sister had had to face another male all by herself...

Because once again, he hadn't been there to save her.

Feeling pain wretch through his gut, Byhron roared as he pushed down the hall towards the kitchen. He didn't sense anything but where his instinct was taking him. It was pulling him, dragging him towards his only remaining blood who had faced enough vicious mal—

His entire body froze up.

There, standing in the corridor, in a corner locked up against a pillar with a male pressed against him, he saw his sister whimpering helplessly. She was writhing, crying softly and breathing so shallowly, he heard her heart pound even from where he was standing.

But as his eyes turned to the male that was keeping her captive, that's when his whole world exploded.

Callath.

– The Dralan's right hand.

His whole body froze as it all collided. The very male that had welcomed him to the ranks as a Lathra, the male who had assigned his sister her position as Kischmir, the male who had sworn to protect and serve his loyal master, The Dralan, was now here, standing with a female - his sister - locked in a confining, intimate grip. Everything blackened to Byhron and he didn't even sense as he moved.

He was going to kill him.

Roaring, his feet carried him rapidly towards the pair that was still caught in the corner, his poor sister whose eyes widened and now turned as he quickly approached. The leech of a male who held her simultaneously turned his head as well, just in time to catch him swinging for him.

The male reacted quickly; The second Byhron's hands locked around his throat and tore him away from his innocent sister, the Kathmir snarled and fought back. Gripping onto his arms, the male pushed him back as Byhron squeezed his throat raw, emptying him of his pathetic, life-giving air.

"I will kill you!" Byhron roared, seeing the male hiss back, still struggling in his grip. "I will have your blood on my hands!"

"Byhron!" His sister's voice reached his ear in the form of a scream. He faintly saw her from the corner of his eye. "Byhron, no!"

The Kathmir in front of him used his momentary distraction to his advantage; Pushing a knee into the pit of his stomach, he managed to pry Byhron's hands off his throat and push him off with a grunt. The male then gasped in a deep breath, clutching his throat, but then let out a furious roar and bared his fangs.

"Stand down, Lathra," He growled at him vehemently. Byhron saw red. Did the male actually think he would obey orders from him now? Ever again?

"You traitor!" Byhron shouted, having caught his breath after the heavy kick to his abdomen. He vaguely sensed people coming in from all directions, being drawn in by the loud commotion. "How dare you lay a hand on my blood—"

"She's my blood now," The Kathmir sneered back. "My female."

Byhron's vision went dark again. Without sensing his movement, he was at the male's throat again, but this time, the male saw it coming.

Pushing Byhron back, the Kathmir fought him tooth to nail as Byhron swung a fist at his face. He narrowly missed, only because the Kathmir jerked to avoid it, only to throw a fist himself.

At the impact, his face whipped to the side, but he barely felt the pain. His ears, however, registered another scream coming from his sister, who from the sideline was watching the two males fight.

"Callath, stop!" She screamed, tears piercing her voice. "Please, don't hurt him!"

She was defending her assailant? Byhron snarled her way, just as the Kathmir clenched his teeth, but surprisingly seemed to follow her words. What the hell was happening?

"Byhron," His sister's pleading voice broke through as he brushed his lip with the back of his hand. A streak of blood painted his skin. "Byhron, please..."

"How can you defend him?" He hissed, glaring venomously at the male who had tried to reach beneath her gown. In the fucking hallway. "How can you stand to be near him?!"

"Because she's my female," The Kathmir interjected harshly, turning towards his innocent sister and circling a protective arm around her. "Because she drinks from my vein and sleeps in my bed."

Byhron's heart stopped. He felt the blood drain from his face and felt the life get sucked out of him as he turned his eyes towards his kin, looking for her to deny his words.

She merely pressed her lips together and let a tear fall from her eye.

No... No, it couldn't be true...

"Byhron, please," She whispered, her voice shaking. All the people around them watched as speechlessly as Byhron did, seeing his sister reach a careful hand out towards him. "I wanted to tell you. I was trying to find a way to tell you without—"

"You've bedded this male?"

He didn't recognize his own voice as the words fell hopelessly from his lips. He stared in nothing less than gut-piercing shock as his innocent, sweet sister shut her eyes and turned towards the male that held her tightly.

She had bedded him.

Byhron felt his world crumble. How? When? And why? His sister... he thought... never once did he think... how could she, when...

How could she have found a lover when everything still haunted him? Had the memories of her past evaded her?

"Byhron, my brother," He suddenly sensed movement in front of him and realized she had walked towards him. His baby sister, his only blood, stood before him, tears streaming down her face. "Byhron, I love him. He treats me well, he's a good male. He's protected me—"

His eyes whipped to her face as the words fell from her mouth. "Protected you?" Protected her like he hadn't? Like he had never been able to do? Like he had failed to do some many times, perhaps so much so, she had found this male because she was tired of her failure of a brother never being able to protect his blood?

"Byhro—"

"You," He turned towards the Kathmir who watched them silently from behind. His lip curled back and the Kathmir instantly tensed. "You dare take an innocent female from her only blood? Have you no honor?"

"She chose me first," The male snarled back, harshly. "From that moment on, she was no longer yours to command."

"You fucking—"

He launched at the male again, but suddenly hands caught him and held him back - strong hands. Several.

Yanking him back and restraining him, he felt his comrades and fellow Lathras having caught up behind him and watched the show. They broke in the minute he went for the Head Kathmir.

Roaring, he fought in their grips as they restrained him, keeping him from sinking his fangs into the male who dared claim his last living blood without his consent. Without first taking her in the holy matrimony The Sweet Miss demanded. His sweet, pure-hearted sister who had been through enough, who didn't deserve to get mauled in the fucking hallway like some common whore.

"Calm yourself!" The Kathmir demanded, to which Byhron scoffed loudly and bared his fangs. Be damned if he was going to act calm. "I may not have taken her as my mate, but I have sworn to protect her, on my own blood. She is mine till the day I die."

Byhron's chest pumped heavily as he turned his eyes towards his sister. Tear tracks still painted her cheeks and it pained him dearly to see her so distressed.

But how could he stand here and watch her give herself up to a male he had not given his approval of? A male who had shown no worth of her sacred blood and fragile heart by shaming her like this in a hallway?

"Bhria," He voiced, taking rapid breaths through his teeth to be able to address her in a voice that wasn't filled with hurt. "Tell me this is not true. Tell me you have not taken this male and given yourself to him."

The female before him started crying anew, her bottom lip shaking. "Byhron—"

He roared, and before anyone could stop him, he ripped his arms free of the hands that held him. Instead of charging for the male in front of him, though, he charged up to his sister.

Everyone stepped forward in haste, perhaps expecting him to strike his own blood, but Byhron merely halted in front of her. Staring down at her, his sister looked up at him with the same deep eyes he remembered watching as a young, looking into her crib where she slept so peacefully after their mother had fed her. He remembered how he had vowed to protect her, to keep her safe till the day he died and prioritize her happiness above anything else.

And here they were, looking at each other now, as she had chosen her path in life.

Pressing his lips together, he shook his head slowly and saw his sister well up with more tears. He couldn't be here anymore. She had shamed him, she had defied him, but most of all... she had felt the need to keep her happiness hidden from him.

Because she thought he would be evil enough to take it away from her.

Ripping his eyes away from her, he stormed off, hearing her break out crying and calling his name. He didn't turn back. He broke through the line of people who had gathered around them to watch the show, surely to end up as tomorrow's gossip. The whole castle would know of his failure by tomorrow and would judge him for it forever.

His failure to protect his own sister.

He did not realize where his legs had taken him until Byhron suddenly found himself in a narrow corridor with lots of doors. His heart was still pumping in his chest, aching, breaking with pain as he felt it all collapse inside him.

He had failed his parents. Failed his sister. Failed himself.

He was a failure as a male.

He had failed his whole life and this was his punishment. His own sister defied him for not being a good enough guardian. She didn't trust him. Not with her life, not with her happiness. Not with her heart. He hadn't been able to control her like any decent male should've done.

Because he couldn't even control himself.

As if the Fates would have it, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a door narrowly standing open. Through the crack, he saw a certain male taking off his tunic and tossing it on the floor, before reaching into a drawer to fish out a fresh one. Byhron didn't even sense himself move before he was standing in front of the door and pushing it open.

The Kathmir turned around and stared with surprise written all over his face as Byhron charged in, slamming the door shut. He went for the Kathmir in a heartbeat and flung him up against the wall by his throat.

"Tell me why you did it!" He roared, seeing the Kathmir struggle for air, but nonetheless meet his piercing eyes with a matching glare of his own. "Why did you touch me? How fucking could you, you piece of shit?!"

The Kathmir stopped struggling in his hold. Instead, a note of something swept over his face as he suddenly looked up at Byhron with a strange look - a soft one. What was happening?

It wasn't until the Kathmir slowly lifted his hand and pressed it against Byhron's cheek, he felt it. The second the Kathmir swept his thumb over his cheekbone and felt the slick wetness that followed, that's when he realized.

Byhron felt the last straw break. As the male pulled his hand away from his throat that now only limply held him, he felt as the Kathmir pulled him closer, and suddenly, his lips were pressed firmly against his.

Groaning lowly, Byhron felt a shudder go through himself as Ahrron cupped the back of his head and pulled him against his body, all the while his tongue played with the seams of his lips. A sensation swept through him, and like last night, he surrendered to it wordlessly and grabbed onto the male's thick biceps.

Pushing him harshly up against the wall, Byhron slammed his lips over Ahrron's and plundered his own tongue into the male's mouth, who released a raspy sound. Their mouthes fought roughly against each other's, biting and fighting savagely for dominance. Byhron felt as the Kathmir swept his own hand down his chest, feeling every ripple of his tense torso. Topless, Byhron felt the hard plains of the Kathmir's body as well, every rough, thick part rubbing against his own...

Vhral.

Pushing away from the male abruptly, Byhron released a roar, squeezing his eyes shut. What was he doing? What the fuck was wrong with him?

Shoving the panting male away, he turned without a word and ripped the door open, escaping whatever power the Kathmir had over him.

He was losing it.

Marching down the hall, Byhron's last thought as he cupped the heavy erection in his breeches before ridding himself of any emotion, was that whatever was happening to him, he had to put a stopper to it.

One way or another.