SilentCreekPack {Origins}

Chapter 5

Epsilon flicked an ear at the mention of his oldest son's name. "What about him?" He said blankly shifting his haunches on the grass.

"I.. I think Keruri has something against me. We were so close as pups but.." The sadness swelled in Kai's voice as he paused. "When you introduced me to the pack as the prince, and future alpha, he just.. drifted away." He sniffled, Epsilon watching his son closely. "I don't have to be prince anymore, if that will fix it. I just want my brother back." Epsilon's face softened at his son's remark.

"You're very humble, Kai. You constantly think of the needs of others before your own." He stood up. "I noticed early on that Keruri didn't possess the humility that you do." Kai cocked his head to the side in slight confusion. "Father, if I may ask, why does one need humility to lead a pack?" Epsilon offered a gentle smile at Kai. "Come, my son. Walk with me." He said striding out into the moonlight meadow. Kai soon followed and caught up with Epsilon. "While Keruri's pride would make him a strong and confident warrior, it would also cause his downfall as a leader. Not only would he fall, but whoever he leads would go with him." He said continuing to walk.

"What do you mean?" Kai said struggling to keep up with his father's long strides.

"Keruri thinks about his own ego before the needs of others. Thus in pursuit of his own selfish gain, he'd end up dividing the pack at best, destroying the balance of our territory's ecosystem which for centuries we've maintained and at worst, every wolf living in it. Noticed how he turns up his snout at you instead of confronting you about the issue?"

Kai paused for a moment. "A result of his pride, maybe?"

"Exactly." Epsilon replied. "When you reached out to him, I could see that he wanted badly to restore his bond with you, but his ego wouldn't let him. That's why I made you the prince." Kai paused for a moment, then returned to his sullen state.

"I understand but... I just wish I didn't feel so terrible about it." Kai curled his tail between his legs. "Well, if it's emotional help you're looking for, I suggest you find your mother." Epsilon huffed, nudging his son to his paws with his snout. "She'd be more suited to this than I would." He touched his nose to Kai's forehead. "Goodnight son." "Goodnight father." Kai said with a smile, before darting away to find Tzuma.

The calico she-wolf had just re-entered the packs headquarters with a freshly killed hare hanging limp in her jaws. "Mother?" Kai called pawing up to Tzuma as she placed the rabbit in the pack's storage den. "Mother may I speak to you for a moment? Please?" He whined, his ears held low so that he held a soft pup-like appearance. "Of course sweetheart.." She said placing a paw around her son's shoulders, licking at a few misplaced strands of fur on his head. "What's the matter?" She said sitting near him.

"Father said Keruri had too much pride  to be a good alpha and would lead to pack to destruction so he made me prince because I wasn't as proud and even though I thoroughly understand this I still feel like it's my fault." Kai blurted out all at once, plopping down at his mother's paws. Tzuma gazed at her son with open jaws as he lied sprawled out on the floor. Slowly closing then for a moment she spoke again.

"Now there.. Keruri's just feels betrayed in a way. "

"But.. Why?"

"It has nothing to do with you personally." She said resting her tail on his back. "He thought that as the oldest male, he would automatically be chosen as Epsilon's Successor. But he was wrong... and he didn't find out that he was wrong until quite a few years after you were born." She held a forlorn expression.

"But before that, Keruri loved you with a passion."

"He did?"

"Oh yes. More than himself I believe. You were his perfect baby brother and he took you everywhere with him. He'd make up great stories about how you and he would fight great battles for the Silver legion's honour when he became alpha, claim vast territories for the pack, win all the girls and make it so that all creatures would raise our name to the heavens... him and his little brother, together." Tsuma sighed. "We didn't have the heart tell him you'd be the future alpha in his place."