The Four

Walking Dead

Arles

My blood ran cold as my eyes focused on the man staring at my mate, his hand extended and she smiled in shock and shook it. Her eyes met mine in a panic as she stood and rushed to my side clasping my hand. She knew. The name, the resemblance. We had changed over the years, I was covered in tattoos, mainly to hide my scars, whilst his skin was mainly bare, he was shorter than me and slightly thinner but broad and muscly. He had an A tattooed beneath his ear.

I watched as he walked to his mate and kissed her forehead gently, smiling sweetly and grasping her hand, turning his head to look at me, his body instantly freezing, face morphing into the same look I had plastered on mine. I had already stood when he walked to his mate, her sensing what was happening, did the same although I'm sure she already had an inkling. Maeves hand tightened in mine as she pushed her body more into me, hiding my shaking hand.

No one said a word. Zion stood awkwardly in the back of the room, making himself busy on his phone.

Minutes must have past. Realistically it could have been a simple minute but it felt closer to an hour. My brother who died when we were 14 was standing in front of me. Mate wrapped to his side, children at home, Ares. His brother who died when he was younger. I was that brother. He thought I died. I thought he died. Sensing no one was about to speak Maeve perked up. "Archander, I'm Maeve it's nice to meet you as well, Callisto, maybe you should help Archander sit for a moment," she said carefully, wary of future actions. Callisto nodded and turned to Archander.

"No," I spoke, my voice weak. Archanders eyes widened slightly as if he thought I was a hallucination, me speaking making it a reality. "No," I said again. His eyes watered as I stepped forward, dropping Maeves hand. I'm surprised I hadn't crushed it the way I was holding her. I walked until I was in front of him, my own eyes wet as a single tear fell from his eye.

"Arles," he whispered, a voice I had wished to say my name for years, memories of his little body, broken and tiny yet still smiling, trying to cheer me up as he attempted to make games in our derelict room.

"Arles, you- I," I cut him off wrapping my arms around his body and hugging him tightly, my tears falling as he crumbled in my arms.

This time it was minutes that passed, we just held each other, him clinging to me as I whispered little words to him, desperate to ease the pain we were both experiencing all over again. I waited for him to pull back first. Eventually he did.

Red rimmed eyes, identical to my own stared back at me. We were carbon copies growing up but it seems as we aged, we gained more differences than similarities, looking at our faces it was evident we were twins, clearly identical to those who glanced at us but to me, he looked so different. He still had that young look in his face, a childish glint, cheeky smile hiding behind those lips currently turned downward.

"You never came for me Arles, I thought you were gone," he spoke, turning his head and clenching his jaw. "You promised you'd come for me, i convinced myself you were, dead, we looked everywhere for you, even raided the pack, you just left!" His voice raised as he took a step back.

"Archander-,"

"No, you promised me Arles, you knew I couldn't do it without you and you just left!"

"Enough," I matched his tone. I wouldn't have him thinking I abandoned him. I had lived in misery for years, heart aching for the death of my brother, blaming myself every day because I wasn't strong enough to protect him and here he was.

"I tried every day for you Archander, I would have given my last breath for you, I almost did, many, many times," I felt Maeve's anxiety rise, the thought of me in that situation upsetting her, more so her wolf.