A/N: Heyyoooo! sorry this isn't exactly an update. It's an extra from my original book.... remember, the one I shared the prologue of? yeah.... just like the prologue, this one is confusing, but its readable as a stand alone. And just to make stuff clear, Zephyr is the main character of my story, Zander and Zane are his younger brothers, this extra is about a small incident between Zephyr and Zander, but from Zander's pov.

I'm posting this because I'd like u all to read this and tell me what you think! constructive criticism is always appreciated!

PART 1

Zander was the wild card of the family. He got into fights, broke the rules and sought freedom. That was his job. And he did his job very happily.

Zephyr, his older brother, was always getting on his case for misbehaving. He was your perfect good older sibling. The bread winner of the family. The one who took care of most of the chores. The one who helped and nagged them about school work. The one who busted him out of trouble.

Zander found a certain pleasure in testing Zephyr. He wanted to see how far he could go without his older brother flooring him with one, well aimed punch. He loved to do stuff that irked Zephyr. To see a flaw in his perfect big brother's face.

Zephyr was perfect in every way imaginable-

-expect maybe cooking. He was shit at cooking.

Zephyr was an amazing hunter, an impeccable fighter. Zander knew, despite the fact that he was bigger and bulkier and had more brute strength than Zephyr, he would never reach his level. Zephyr was faster, more skilled, more agile, a natural.

He was always on time, always had everything under control, was never overwhelmed with the amount of work he did. He was strong and shouldered the burdens like it was no big deal. Zander would've been a mess if it had been him.

Zephyr was responsible, working around the clock, hunting, earning, taking care of his two younger brothers, henning them to no end.

Zephyr had dashing good looks, leaving swooning ladies in his wake when he walked through town. He was reserved, stoic and polite. So level headed and observant, noticing a thousand things at once. So calm and collected after everything they had gone through. He was so serene, while Zander was near the verge of insanity.

He was everything that Zander will never be... well, safe for the looks part. Zander was very good looking too, thank you very much. Being half veela had its perks.

Was Zander jealous of Zephyr? Maybe. A little.

And did that jealousy fuel his urge to make his brother crack? To rile him up? Maybe.

Okay, yes.

He kind of hated how perfect his older brother was. Why couldn't Zander be like him? Perfect? Why couldn't Zander not be... well... Zander?

He didn't know. But it sure as hell had irked him in the past. Well, it still irked him, but that annoyance was coupled with a grudge that Zander was determined to keep till he breathed his last.

He had lost faith in his older brother after... after THAT happened. To everyone else, Zephyr was perfect, but to him? No... he used to be but... not anymore. Not after what he did.

It had been three years since THAT gruesome incident, yes, but his wounded heart still ached harshly when he thought of it. Zephyr might've been acting on their father's wishes and seemed to regret his actions deeply, but it didn't erase what he did.

Zander still had not forgiven Zephyr and he wasn't planning on doing so. Not now, not ever. How could he? When he was still plagued by nightmares because of it? While Zephyr seemed perfectly fine? He didn't deserve to be fine. How dare he?

It irked him, the way way Zephyr controlled him. Waking him up in the morning. Making him go to that infernal place known as school. Making him finish homework and take showers. Telling him to be back home, wherever he went after school, before darkness started to bleed in.

Who gave him the fucking right to set up the rules? How could he think that he had the right to do it, after that- that HORRIBLE deed he committed?

When Zander disobeyed him, Zephyr would say, "Zander, it's for your own good!"

Yeah right.

Totally.

Please note the sarcasm dripping off the words like venom. Thankyou.

All of these emotions, scattered everywhere in his mind, made him snap at Zephyr, disobey him, make rude remarks, fight him. Zander wanted revenge, he wanted to make his brother pay for what he did. He wanted him to feel the pain too.

So, considering all this, Zander felt it was fair of him to break a few rules.

Honestly! Useless rules! What could possibly go wrong?

A lot.

And Zander learned it the hard way.

***********

It had been two years since they had escape the clutches of his evil mother and Zander was ready to do something that would piss his brother off for sure.

He was going to stay out late.

He was more than capable of finding his way back home! He was not a child!

Besides, his friends were hanging out at a bar after dark. It was not the lively local tavern right in the smack middle of town, it was a small bar which remained open all night, bordering towards the edge of Lobelia.

He was expected there.

He was having a blast! The chatter, the excitement, the jokes and the drinks. There was a drink in his hand, yes, but Zander wasn't drunk, not exactly. He was more... tipsy. He had drunk just enough to feel slightly light headed and stupid enough to flirt with that one girl he had thought was kinda cute.

He was going to drop some really cool comment, impress her with his charm.

But then someone new entered the tavern, the bell jingled, signalling the new arrival. Many of his friends, including the cute girl next to him, turned their heads at the sound, perhaps expecting another friend.

Zander followed their lead and felt a sudden rush of dread.

It was not another friend.

The others just went back to minding their own business, assuming the newcomer was just another customer. But Zander knew for a fact that he was not any ordinary drinker.

He was his brother.

Zephyr stood there with his arms crossed, staring at him through the crowd-no wait- he was glaring.

His big brother was still in his hunting gear, his long sleeve sported a slight tear at the shoulder and his leather vest was brushed with dirt. Zephyr's hair was windblown, the blue streak shining in the lamp light, and there was a trail of blood, beginning somewhere from his temple, on the side of his face. Crimson contrasting widely with the pale alabaster of his skin.

And Zander could see, in his peripheral vision, the girl he had been trying to woo blush furiously, staring at –ugh- Zephyr.

Of course. The 'perfect Zephyr' gets all the girls!

Now he's here, ruining everything!

Zander felt a spark of something bitter in his chest.

The two brother stared at each other for a moment longer, neither willing to back down. Then Zephyr started to move, dodging under the bartender's tray and casually manoeuvring his way through the crowd of drunk teenagers. Gazes fell and lingered on him, some fell away, but some trailed behind him.

Zephyr stood before Zander, his expression was serene, but coldly so. It was true that his big brother was a closed off person, his face calm, and eyes observant yet collected. But now... despite his calm façade, his eyes...

...Zander had only seen that look a rare few times in the past, but never directed at himself. If looks could kill, Zander would already be six feet under.

Zephyr looked absolutely livid.

Zander felt his clouded mind tense with annoyance and... something else.

Was it fear?

Was he scared of Zephyr?

Huh! As if!

Zephyr's gaze fell on the tankard clutched in Zander's big hand. His expression grew even stonier than before. He arched a delicate eyebrow, "what the heck do you think you're doing?"

The girl flushed even more, besides Zander. His voice was like a gentle stream, mellow and silky.

Too perfect.

Zander's fingers tightened around the tankard.

The bastard! Just waltzing in here like he owned the place!

"None of your business!" Zander snapped at his brother. Zephyr didn't so much as flinch. It was the same as always. Zander would cause trouble, Zephyr would scold him, and Zander would blow up in his face. Zephyr face would betray nothing. He would just take the blow head on and dodge the occasional literal punch thrown his way. But he had never thrown a hit back.

It infuriated Zander.

Why didn't his brother feel anything?? Was he really made of stone? Did he really not feel anything? Didn't he feel anything, when he committed that unforgivable deed? When he killed-

Don't go there now, Zander. You'll be revisiting that moment in your nightmares anyway.

Zephyr stared at him, his eyes burning holes into Zander's head, and he stared back. They both stared, neither willing to back down.

A moment passed.

Another.

Then suddenly-

Zander knew how fast Zephyr was. He knew that his older brother relied more on his natural agility and speed rather than brute strength when he fought. He knew, but still, by the time Zander saw Zephyr's arm moving, slender fingers reaching out, it was too late.

CLANG!!

Zander's tankard went flying out of his hand, splattering the stone floor with alcohol.

Thankfully, nobody in the bar except for himself and the girl beside him paid attention to the commotion. Because this was a frigging bar, people get drunk, and they obnoxiously drop their tankards and spill the contents all over the place all the time. No biggie!

The girl glanced at Zephyr, then at Zander, then at the tankard on the floor and back at Zephyr repeatedly.

Zephyr ignored her presence entirely, his focus solely on his younger sibling, he spoke, his voice dangerously low, "we're going home, now."

Zander was more than ready to flip him off but...

Something stopped him.

He didn't know what, but something made him want to obey Zephyr.

Later, thinking back, he would realize that when Zephyr really, really wanted something done, his voice gained a lustrous, commanding edge to it, compelling you to do as he said. Zander didn't think that Zephyr did this voluntarily, it just happened when worse came to worst. Upon some pondering Zander would figure out that it was a trait that Zephyr acquired from their veela mother. It wasn't that strong, considering that half the magic was lost, they are half breeds after all, but it was there. Zander highly doubted Zephyr was aware of this.

But at that time, Zander just found himself locked in an internal battle, trying to decide whether to do as Zephyr's enticing voice or to just slap him across the face.

He remained still for a long time. Zephyr seemed to decide that he'd make the decision for him. Zander felt Zephyr grasp him by his forearm, the black leather of Zephyr's fingerless gloves, brushed to soft finery because of his sword hilt, still managed to bruise his skin slightly.

Or maybe it was the sheer force of Zephyr's grip.

And then, with strength that Zander had no idea that his slight brother possessed, he began dragging him towards the door and out into the night.

************

No words had been exchanged on the way back, none as they walked through the door of their house, and none as they cleaned themselves and got ready for bed.

Zane had fallen asleep on the couch when they arrived home. Zander noticed, out of the corner of his eye, his older brother picking the youngest up in a bridal carry and heading towards his bedroom, his face impassive but his actions impossibly tender and gentle.

Zander pointedly ignored it, fuming so much that he was sure steam was pouring from his ears.

Zephyr did make a small attempt to talk though.

He appeared at Zander's bedroom doorway, and parted his lips but before even a fraction of a word had the chance to slip out, Zander slammed the door shut in his face. He waited by the door, listening intently to make sure Zephyr left.

Zephyr's footsteps were impossible silent, so Zander failed in hearing anything, but he stood there for so long as heard no sound of the other side, he assumed Zephyr gone. Still raging mentally, Zander sank into the soft refuge of his sheets.

It took him a while to fall asleep that night.

Did Zephyr have trouble sleeping too?

Huh, probably not! The bastard was always FINE.

But unbeknownst to him, Zephyr sat with his back against his little brother's door, knees drawn up to his chest, head in his hands, his inhales and exhales shaky.

To be continued....

A/N: the rest of this is already written, if yall like, i can post that too. Tell me what u think!