The Alpha's Favour

LXVII

(7years ago)

"He's my son. He's the next alpha."

I sat down, my back against the wall, glad that my father had left the study door slightly open. Enough for me to overhear the conversation going on between him and my mother right now.

"Why does he only ever become your son when you need to justify your bad parenting?" My father responded.

I could imagine my mother getting infuriated. Slowly but surely and deeply.

"Do not call me a bad mother." I heard my her hiss.

I tried to stay still and quiet and hence invisible. But even I knew I would be able to bolt the minute I heard their footsteps.

"Fine but how does he only become your son whenever we disagree?"

I heard something scrape against wood.

Probably someone pushing someone aside. "Because he's a Melrose and you aren't. His identity lies in his last name and he will be alpha next. He's my son because being my son is what makes him matter."

I heard my father let out a dry laugh. "Wow. Do you even hear yourself?"

"I don't have time for this, Robert. If you want to argue, let's do so after the meeting. Not now."

I heard footsteps and was about to brace myself to get up and run but then they abruptly stopped.

"You keep avoiding any conversation if it doesn't have something to do with the war."

"I'm sorry, is there anything more important in this moment?"

There was silence for a few seconds.

"This meeting determines how we deal with Ornyx, once and for all." My father spoke. "We need to discuss your decision, Jean."

"There's nothing to discuss. I've made up my mind." My mother spoke stubbornly.

"Jean, the best way to kill a snake is to cut off its head."

"Ornyx isn't a snake," my mother spat, "he's a pest. And so is the rest of the Shadow pack. It's not an attack, it's an infestation. And we need to eradicate him and his ideals before they spread."

"Eradicate? Do you hear yourself?" My father asked. His voice surprisingly still calm even after the escalation. It wasn't so much angry but disappointed.

"I'm the Alpha, I'll do whatever I can to protect my people." She spoke.

"Well make sure not to count my vote. I'm not going to stand with you and commit genocide."

"That's not - that's not what I'm saying. And as my husband, you're supposed to support me. If we can't keep a united front in front of everyone, especially today, we'll be a joke. How are people supposed to trust me to run this pack if I can't even control my family?"

"We're not yours to be controlled!" He let out in frustration. "All this? The brutality and no mercy shows? It's part of an old regime that should have died with your father. It's what's prompting Ornyx."

He was breathing so heavy, I could hear it.

"'Your' son's friend just died. What do you think we're teaching him if we show him that you should always return fire with more fire."