Inferno (MxM)

Prologue

Felix sighs, his honey blonde hair draping over his face as he leans forward in his chair, resting his elbows against the wooden desk. He'd been listening to his father talk for hours now, droning on and on about alpha and pack matters. 

It was imperative that Felix understood everything his father was lecturing about, as he would someday become the next alpha to lead the Northridge Pack. He couldn't find it in himself to focus on what his father was saying though, his mind elsewhere. 

He wanted to go play outside, make friends and participate in all the activities normal nine-year-olds got to do. Instead, he was stuck sitting in a makeshift classroom as his father lectured him on subject matters that he could care less to know about.

The classroom had a single desk in the middle of the room. That's where Felix sat. There was a large dark brown 'teachers desk' of sorts towards the front of the room where his father would sit. Though he rarely sat down in the black rolling chair, opting for pacing throughout the room during their sessions. 

There was a large whiteboard that his father had installed so he would be able to write as much as he wanted without wasting a single scrap of paper. He stood at the whiteboard now, lecturing about... something. 

Felix was too busy stealing glances out the window to the far side of the room. The sun was setting, making his hope that he would be able to go outside slip further and further away. 

Felix watches as a few wolf pups stumble into the view of the window, bounding through the snow as they playfully nip at each other. The sound of the pups' boisterous yips and yelps further distracted Felix from the lesson.  

Even if Felix was allowed a break from his lessons, he was not permitted to roughhouse with the other pups. 

'It is because you are a deer shifter,' his father had said when Felix had questioned why he could not play with the others. 'Wolf pups are not as calm and aware as fawns tend to be. You cannot fight back against an 'attack' like a wolf pup can. They do not yet comprehend their strength which can lead to injuries. They don't know when enough is enough.  Therefore I will not permit you to play with the pups. And besides, why would you want to spend your time fooling around when you can be learning useful information that will help you grow our pack in the future?' 

Felix sighs once more, turning his attention back to his father, who was busy writing on the whiteboard. He was drawing out some bullshit triangle hierarchy chart to show the rankings of each pack member and their significance. 

And there, at the tip of that cursed triangle, he had written Felix's name. 

Felix had no desire whatsoever to become Alpha. He often pleaded with his father to allow his younger cousin Miche to take over as Alpha. Miche was his uncle Shiloh and Rue's son, only a year younger than him. But Miche was not born an Alpha, therefore he was not eligible to become Alpha. 

It wasn't fair, Felix thought. Why did he have to be born first? Why was he the one who had to shoulder the burden of running a pack while others his age were enjoying their carefree lives? 

Felix's grandfather Sage had once sat him down to explain how important he was to this pack. 

'It is an honor to be born an Alpha,' He'd said, looking out onto the pack lands. 'I couldn't wait to be Alpha when I was of age. Of course, I wasn't able to become Alpha in the end, but I still remember how much I longed for the title. And even if you still aren't keen on becoming Alpha, remember how all these countless hours of studying and learning made you feel. You are shouldering the burden, taking charge so the other children don't have to. You know how it makes you feel, you wouldn't want anyone else to have to become Alpha for you.'