Chapter 103: Chapter 103

Chapter 103 Pack or brother?

LUCIUS' POV

I spent a whole week thinking about what Maia told me. Something inside me was just eating me up the entire time. It was like there was a voice inside me telling me that I should forgive him. It was messing up my brain.

"Lucius, are you okay? You have been staring at that cup for the past ten minutes," Maia said, pulling me out of my trance.

"Uhm. Yeah. There was just something in my mind," I replied.

"What is it? Maybe I can help," she asked, offering to help.

I let out a sigh as I placed my cup on the table.

"I have been thinking about Uriah. This voice inside me is telling me to forgive him, but then Lucian and my brain are telling me to punish him. I am lost, and I don't know what to do. If I punish him, I might feel regret later on. If I don't punish him, the people will get mad at me and would feel like I betrayed their trust. What do I do, Maia? Do I choose my brother over my people or what?" I explained, exasperated.

"Do you really want to know the answer to that?" She asked.

"Yes," I answered, nodding my head.

"Then go to the pack house. Talk to the people. See with your own eyes. After doing that, go to the dungeons and talk to your brother. Once you have seen and talked to both sides, then you decide," she suggested.

I was quiet for quite some time as I thought about her suggestion. She did have a point.

"You are right. I should definitely do that. How did I manage to have a mate that is so brilliant?" I said, kissing her on the forehead.

"Well, you don't have all day, Mister. Time to get your ass off that chair and start your project," she replied.

"Yes, Ma'am," I said, teasing her.

I got out of the chair and got ready to go to the pack house.

Even though I was already okay and cleared to go back to work, Maia did not allow me to work as I did fully. According to her, I still need rest, and burying myself in work will not do me any good at all.

No matter how hard I tried to argue with her, there was no winning with her.

As I made my way to the pack house, I started feeling anxious. I was not sure how the people were going to react or anything.

"King Alpha, it's good to see you have finally recovered. We have been praying for your quick recovery and thank the Moon Goddess for hearing our prayers," one of the women said.

"Thank you so much for your kind prayers. How are you? How's everybody been?" I asked.

"We are doing good. Queen Luna has literally outdone herself just to take care of all of us. She has amazingly led us, protected us, and taken care of us," she replied.

"I know. We are all lucky to have Maia as the Queen Luna. She is the perfect fit for the title," I added.

"The Moon Goddess has blessed us," another woman commented.

"I actually came here to see how you all are doing and adjusting after the war. Since I have been in a coma after the war, I never really saw the damage that has been done to the pack. Please don't hesitate to tell me," I said.

"To be honest, King Alpha, our houses and the crops have been fixed by Queen Luna. However, I would not lie. We still are traumatized by what happened. We are still thankful because Queen Luna got a psychologist for the pack," she replied.

"How is it going then? Is the doctor helping? Would you mind talking a little about it?" I asked.

I spent the next couple of hours listening to their stories and their pains. It broke my heart as I sat there listening to everything they had been through and still going through.

On my way back to the palace, I couldn't help but think about Uriah.

'Am I such a hypocrite?' I asked Lucian.

'You want my honest opinion or a sugar-coated one?' He asked in return.

'Honest opinion,' I replied.

'To be honest, I don't understand it myself. How are you not mad at your brother after everything he did to you? He almost got you killed. Don't tell me you have forgotten already who killed your unborn child? I know you care for him and all, but is it really worth it? Are you that stupid, or are you that hopeless?' he asked.

'Lucian, he is the only family I have left,' I argued.

'No, Lucius! Maia is your family, Neal is there, and I am here! We are your family. Family does not betray one another. Let that sink in your brain,' he spat before blocking me through the mind link.

I let out a sigh as the car stopped outside the palace.

As I was about to enter the palace, I suddenly changed my plans and went to the dungeons instead. I walked past the number of cells until I reached the one at the very end.

"Lucius? You are already awake! Oh, thank the Moon Goddess!" Uriah exclaimed.

I just stood there looking at the floor. To be honest, I had no idea what to feel.

"I know that you are mad at me for everything that I have done, but I am really sorry. I had no idea. Tatiana took advantage of my weak state and used it against me. I am such an idiot to even believe her." he said, apologizing.

"You hurt my people, Uriah. You killed my unborn child. Do you have any idea how much it hurts?" I spat.

I was surprised by the sudden anger that I felt.

"Your unborn child?" He asked.

"When you kidnapped Maia, she was pregnant," I said through gritted teeth.

"I am so sorry, Lucius. I really am," he said, kneeling on the floor.

"Are you really, or are you just sorry now because you realized that you are not cut out for the dungeons?" I spat.

He looked at me with tears in his eyes.

"No. I regret everything I did, Lucius. I am deeply sorry for all the pain I have caused. I am willing to be punished for all of it. All I wanted was to be able to apologize to you, and hopefully, you can forgive me one day," he replied.

"You are a little too late with your regret, Uriah. A lot of people died because of you and your selfishness," I scoffed before turning my back on him.

I left the dungeons without looking back at him.