The First Legendary Beast Healer

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Elias squinted at Kenneth, searching his face for the slightest change in expression, but there was none.

“You shouldn’t be joking about things like that, Kenneth. Dad taught us better,” he said flatly before starting towards the house, expecting Kenneth to follow.

“You think I’m joking with you?” Kenneth’s gaze moved over his face. “Throughout my training, having both of you pinned to my name has been a pain in the ass. Do you know how many times I was looked down upon because of you?”

Elias lowered the bags and turned back towards Kenneth, his expression flat.

“Bro, are you for real right now? Are you even hearing yourself? How is any of that our fault?”

He gripped the bags so tightly that his fingers tore through them. His eyes stayed fixed on Kenneth, hoping the boy he had known for so long hadn’t changed this much, but Kenneth’s expression only soured further.

“Of course it’s your fault. Everyone else had wealthy brothers who could get them whatever they needed. What did I have?” Kenneth’s frown deepened.

“We did what we had to do.” Elias’s face finally fell, pain stabbing into his chest.

“And you think that was enough?” Kenneth looked towards his friends, inviting them to share the joke. “Don’t try to gaslight me with the little peanuts you sent over, Elias. We both know it was nothing.”

“You call that peanuts?”

Elias’s brows drew together as he remembered Daniel pushing a plate towards him one evening, insisting that he had already eaten. There had only been enough food for one person, and Elias had found him drinking water in the kitchen later that night.

Kenneth had called that morning needing money.

“Is this really how ungrateful you are?”

“When you look around and see what others do for the people they call family, you’ll realise you did nothing. That’s what you don’t want to accept. But how can I expect better when you live in a place like this?”

Kenneth glanced at the tiny house with disdain before turning back to Elias.

The bald man behind Kenneth chuckled, but Elias barely looked at him.

“I worked every day for you.”

“And you’re still useless.” Kenneth’s eyes moved towards the house. “Both of you are. I’m going to make the correction our bloodline needs. Our future heirs will appreciate it.”

Elias watched a smirk spread across his face.

“Even you might thank me, wherever you end up.”

The bags slipped from Elias’s hands. One fell on its side, spilling onions onto the ground, but he stepped over it and moved closer to Kenneth.

“Whatever you’re thinking of doing, stop it. Stop all of this already.”

His voice softened, almost faltering, as he placed a hand on Kenneth’s arm.

“Please, not today, for Daniel’s sake.”

Kenneth looked down at the hand on his arm, then slowly pulled away.

“At least you aren’t completely dumb. You finally understand what’s happening.”

“Then stop talking like this and tell your friends to leave.”

“I don’t have a choice anymore.”

“What are you talking about?” Elias asked.

“He has to kill both of you,” one of the men replied before Kenneth could answer. “It’s the last test he has to pass before he becomes one of us.”

A chill ran down Elias’s spine. He tried to speak, but the words failed him as he looked at Kenneth, hoping it wasn’t true.

But the way Kenneth looked away confirmed everything.

“Looking at these two, it should be a piece of cake,” the bald man said.

“I don’t understand what’s taking him so long,” another added. “He’s been talking about getting rid of them all the way here.”

Elias looked back at Kenneth.

“You brought them here for this?”

Kenneth didn’t answer. He glanced past Elias towards the doorway, and Elias shifted into his line of sight.

“You aren’t going to do that to us, are you?”

“I wish I’d done it earlier.”

The answer came so easily that Elias’s hand fell to his side.

From inside the house came the sound of something being set down. Daniel appeared in the doorway, brushing his free hand against his trousers as he hurried towards them on his crutch.

“Brother, you’re finally home.” His face brightened as he looked at Kenneth. “Come inside already. Elias bought the things we need for your meal.”

Kenneth’s smirk returned.

“We’ll start with the more troublesome one.”

A low growl came from beside the cars. Elias turned as a massive grey wolf stepped out from behind one of them, its eyes fixed on Daniel.

Kenneth lifted his hand.

“Daniel, get back inside!”

Daniel stopped, his smile fading as the wolf lowered its body. Elias reached for him just as Kenneth dropped his hand and the beast sprang forward.

He shoved Daniel towards the doorway and turned into the attack. The wolf’s claws struck him across the chest, throwing him backwards before he could get his arms up.

His back hit the ground, and the breath left his lungs.

He tried to pull in another, but pain tore through him. His hand went to his chest and came away wet.

Daniel dropped his crutch and knelt beside him.

“Elias, please get up.”

Daniel pressed against the wound, but Elias could feel the blood running beneath his shirt. He caught Daniel’s wrist and tried to push him towards the house.

“You have to go inside.”

“I’m not leaving you here.” Daniel’s hands shook as he looked up. “Kenneth, help him. Tell your friends to call someone.”

A pair of polished boots stopped beside Elias’s head.

Kenneth looked down at him, his expression unchanged.

“You really decided to be a martyr. Too bad that doesn’t change anything.”

Elias tried to grab his leg, but his fingers only brushed the leather.

He had paid to keep that beast fed, and now it stood beside Kenneth, waiting for another command.

Daniel was still calling his name. Elias tried to answer, but blood filled his mouth when he opened it.

He should have kept the money for Daniel’s treatment. He should have listened when his brother told him he was tired of spending his days in bed.

Kenneth stepped closer, and Elias tried once more to lift his hand.

‘If only I could have a second chance.’

His arm fell against the ground, and everything went blank.

Elias jerked awake with a hand pressed against his chest. He could still feel the claws, but his fingers found only the fabric of his shirt.

He pulled at the collar, searching for the wound.

“Brother Elias, what’s wrong with you? Did you have a bad dream?”

Daniel lay in the hospital bed beside his chair, watching him with worry and pain written all over his face.

Elias reached for his brother’s arm, gripping it until Daniel winced.

“Brother Elias, are you fine? You’re hurting my arm.”

Elias loosened his hold but couldn’t bring himself to let go. An IV line ran into Daniel’s other arm, and the blanket was folded just below his chest.

He knew this room.

The digital clock on the wall beeped as the time changed to one o’clock. Elias looked up, then leaned forward to read the date beneath it.

It was exactly one month before Kenneth’s betrayal.