The King of Valour: Part 3

                                                           The King of Valor - Part 3

    

         1.      Foraging ahead.

Frustration mounted. He was sure that he had not emptied the entire fridge of peanut butter. As Michael tried desperately to find some semblance of food amongst the many odd-smelling, tin foil wrapped items, a pair of heavy boots treading into the room had him just miss bumping his head.

"Like it?" He saw Erik smiling smugly at him through the crease in the door.

"I'm just looking for some breakfast," the teen admitted, straightening up and contemplating the freezer. 

"You really have no idea what Wolfgang could have done to you," his brother went on, as Michael started grazing the cabinets next to the fridge before finally noticing a jar of peanut butter on top of the refrigerator's roof. "I'm not sure I like having pests in my appliances," Erik continued as Michael quickly fumbled for it and gasped as it fell from his fingers to roll across the floor where Erik caught it right under his boot. The older teen leaned down, smirking still, and picked it up to give it a whirl in the air.

Panic filled Michael's face but he couldn't find the words he desperately wanted to say.

There was taunting and challenge in Erik's face, he tossed it again and caught in the air.

"Your silence says it all." 

The peanut butter was tossed back and Michael caught it without looking at the glass jar, he frowned and then continued rummaging. Having just located some only slightly moldy bread he suddenly heard,

"So who's The Wolf Queen?"

Michael banged his head on the ceiling of the fridge again.

"What??!!!"

"The Wolf Queen," Erik repeated with an evil grin, leaning against the door jab. "Who's that? Mom?"

"How did you-?" Michael said softly.

"You were saying it… in your sleep," he admitted casually, then grinned conspiringly again.

"I don't know…"

"Is it Ivy?! Is she your Wolf Queen?" He only looked more malicious as turned. "Does she know?"

Red burned in Michael's face and for the first time ever, he felt like he could rip Erik apart. The look that danced in his brother's eyes encouraged this. Michael sighed shakily and used his will as a shield as he looked back into the fridge; he knew what his brother wanted and he knew what he would never do.

There was only one moment of pause...

"See you in school," Erik said and backed away.

It was too much.

"I know you don't hate me, Erik!" Michael shot at him.

The hand that was trailing behind the door frame clinched it.

Fury burned in his blood-orange eyes and voice, "I don't have to hate you Michael." he shot back. There was a pause of one breath. "I can't hate you anymore than you hate yourself." With that, he turned and left.

Miserably, Michael turned back to get the bread out, the stench notwithstanding, when the rumble of familiar voices caused him to gasp and clamor up onto the fridge. Five noisy boys entered the kitchen and immediately sat down on the counters; apparently right in the middle of discussing a plan of action.