Crimson Moon

Ten

They were simply waiting at this point. The kids were in the living room watching A Bug's Life with little Henry to keep him distracted while the rest of the pack stood in the kitchen. Cain and his wolf were both extremely on edge. It had been four hours since Darryl, Paul, and Lou had left. They had cleaned the entire house, top to bottom, and any trace of Lou was gone. They'd spread elk blood across the snow where she had walked to disguise any scent she might have left outside. It looked like a murder scene out there, the scarlet standing out brightly against the snow, but that was easy enough to explain should Xander asked. They'd gone hunting this morning and the elk had made a mess when they'd pulled it off the sled.

Cain paced in the kitchen, well aware that he needed to relax, but the thought of seeing his older brother again was enough to send his mind reeling. He'd held deep resentment for Xander through most of their childhood, and that hadn't changed in the slightest in the near decade since he had last seen him. Xander had been threatened by Cain, who was six years younger. Despite being the younger of the two, Cain had always been just as dominant. The difference was that he could connect with people, he could empathize with his pack. Xander struggled with earning respect the way Cain did. Instead, he demanded it and wolves didn't respond well to that until Xander began to get violent. His violent streak didn't begin until Cain hit a growth spurt, suddenly rising up past Xander. Sure Cain was only fifteen and Xander was nineteen, and Cain was skinny as a bean pole while Xander was muscular and strong, but he didn't like having to look up at his younger brother, even if it was only a few inches difference. If anyone made so much as a comment about Cain's height compared to Xander's, Xander beat the absolute shit out of them. That shut the pack up quickly. Upon realizing that the pack fearing him meant they didn't dare cross him, Xander beat anyone who so much as disagreed with him. It wasn't long before the pack cowered in his presence. Everyone except for Cain. Cain had never feared his brother, and that had set Xander off more than anything.

That was why Xander had done what he did, the thing that finally caused Cain to decide enough was enough and to leave with the pack members who were in danger. Well, he snuck away more than he just left. His father never would have let him just walk away, as he was second in line for Alpha. Xander wasn't on the High Council then, that had only happened a couple of years ago, but if he had been Cain would never have been granted permission to start a new pack.

A heavy hand landed on his shoulder, pulling him from his thoughts. He turned to look at Ryland, whose face held very little amusement. He was no more looking forward to Xander's arrival than he was. It was hard to forget the man who tormented you so throughout your entire childhood and into the teen years before Ryland went to college just to escape for a while.

"It'll be all right," Ryland told him. "He hasn't seen you since you were twenty-one. If I recall, you were kind of scrawny." Though he was somber, Ryland was always good to try and cheer others up.

Cain scoffed and shook his head. He wouldn't have considered himself scrawny as a young man, but he certainly wasn't the imposing figure he was now. Back then he'd had the height, but not nearly the muscle mass he had now. He had known that one day he would have to protect his pack, so he'd made sure he was a strong Alpha for them. He hoped he wouldn't have to use that strength today, but he didn't mind utilizing it as an intimidation factor.

"I doubt Xander will even recognize you," Will added. "You don't look anything like what you did last time he saw you."

"You mean on the ground with my guts hanging out?" Cain snarled bitterly.

Will growled in return. "You know that's not what I meant. You should've kicked his ass that day, everyone knows it. Your head wasn't in the right place, not after what he did to Gr-"