Chapter 163 " Of course , " I say, the part of me that is still raw from last week make my words sound more sullen than they should. Ezra leans forward, his eyes intense. "I'm not coming at you, Christina. I want to help you," he says. I feel my throat tighten but I nod. He sits back a little, watching me. "I've been doing my own thinking about your situation," he says, taking a different approach to engage me. Damn he's good. When I don't respond, he continues.

"I've been wondering how your brother would feel if you beat him on the leaderboard. Have you considered that?" I nod. "Yes," I say quietly. "And how do you think he would respond if you bumped him down on the leaderboard?" I feel my eyes burning and I choke on a laugh to cover the sob that wants to come out. "He would celebrate my achievement. He would proudly tell everyone in our pack that I had beat him and he would throw me a fucking party," I say, my voice quivering. Ezra nods.

"That's what I was thinking too. You said before that he has been encouraging you to take the classes for a while now, right?" he asks me. "Yes. Pretty much since I started working the Train," I tell him. 0.00% ||| < O 18:14 So, two years ? " he asks . I nod . "Why do you think that is, Christina?" My lips quiver and I have to fight the tears that are threatening to spill over.

"Do you think that maybe he sees the same thing in you that the rest of us see?" he asks me, and I shrug, fighting hard to keep my tears from falling. "He's like a hero to you, isn't he?" his voice remaining gentle. "He is my hero," I say, swiping at the tears that escape from my eyes. Alpha James hands me a tissue and Ezra waits while I dry my eyes. "He is my hero. He raised me after our parents died. He made sure I never wanted for anything.

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He held me every night when I' d cry for my parents. He helped me with my homework even though he had his own to do. He made sure I ate, made sure I had clean clothes, made sure that the school called him if I had any problems at all. He did all of that while still making sure our pack not only survived but worked through their grief at the loss of their Alpha and Luna and he did it all when he was younger than you.

Can you imagine the pressure that he was under, the strength it took for him to do that? So yeah, you're fucking right he's my hero." The tears are coming unchecked now, but I don't bother wiping them away. 29.18% ။ O 18:14 "I can't imagine that kind of pressure . I can't imagine having to be so responsible while dealing with my own grief. " He looks at me a moment, giving me a minute to collect myself .

"You do realize, Christina, that if you rise to the level of his expectation , if you achieve what he knows you can, if you achieve more than he did, it doesn't mean he can't still be your hero . You can be better than him and he can still be your hero." I shake my head. "You can, Christina. That's the shadow you're living in. Your brother has already proven himself.

You being better than he is, achieving more than what he did is no different than Alpha James and Alpha Sebastian getting their names knocked down on the leaderboard by their sons. It's a testament to your brother, of how well he has raised and supported you, that you do surpass him. He can be your hero while you show the world what a great man he is by becoming better than he was," he says to me. I look past Ezra to Sebastian. His eyes on mine are as intense as Ezra's.

He nods his head, agreeing with what Ezra has said. "I hope someday I get to meet your brother. Any man that you think so highly of, who is your hero, must be quite an incredible man." "He is," I say tearfully. Ezra stands and holds out a hand to me. My lips tremble, but I take his hand, and he pulls me into a hug. "Thanks, Ezra," I whisper. 60.15% O 18:140 His arms wrap around me. "You can do this, Christina. He would want you to. Well done , Ezra . Christina , any feedback? " Alpha James asks I stand back , taking the fresh tissue that James is holding out for me .