The Wolves Of Boston

A Truant Son

The hour was late, the air cold and thin on the mountain, the cars winding their way to the top somber and slow, unwilling to move any faster than they had to, the summoned son was finally making his way home. Regni crushed a glass in his palm, the hardening skin quickly covering itself with bristly fur, the broken bits of glass forgotten as his control began to slip. Hours he had been waiting for the pup, stronger than all the others he had fathered, still too hot-headed, still no match for his brother in leadership abilities. His brawn would have been useful, were he not intent on bringing drama and foolishness to such a noble house. Regni sneered as he watched the door open, his son bounding out of the car like an over-eager puppy, his valet left without anything to do.

"Father!" His voice carried across the courtyard, his steps quick and joyous. An impudent pup in need of taming if there ever was one.

"Rugal. I see you still have not learned to heed my summons in a timely manner." Regni did not soften his voice, his servants running quickly from the room, their desire to be near a mad alpha next to none.

"I came when I was free father, you have tasked me with training the new pups, making sure they do not disappoint when they enter the training grounds this coming year. I do not coddle them, we are not near the lodge to receive messages outside of sleep and the evening meal." Rugal's own voice was suddenly more measured, his own muscles starting to bulge slightly at the seams of the simple buttonup and heavy work pants he was wearing.

"I have a more important assignment for you. The family has need of a representative, your brother is needed here, learning to take over the business, his own personal failings something we can overcome." Regni sniffed delicately, the mention of his eldest son still smarting. Deals made with previous packs required that his firstborn from his true mate be his heir, alpha blood or not. No-one expected him to sire anything but Alphas anyways, but instead, he had created a Beta, smart and cunning, nearly as strong as the others, his noble blood keeping him confident well above his designation. Regni believed that he could be simply trained to overcome the deficits he had, his body simply less suited for the work, a sentiment shared only by a few.

"Ah, so you do have use for a mongrel spare then father." Rugal's eyes flashed dangerously as he started at his father, willing him to say something about his language, to argue back with him about the way he had responded. Their last meeting had seen Rugal banished, sent down the mountains to a small mining town, the woods at the bottom his home. That was years before, the anger that ran within his veins getting deeper with time.

"That I do. I suppose it's a good thing I kept you around. Against my best interest, of course." Regni started to walk towards the new parlor, sure that his son would follow.

"You'll have to clean up and dress like you aren't a filthy animal. Shave yourself up a bit as well. I need a member of my family, not one of our pets." He continued his speech as Rugal growled under his breath, his Beta brother laughing openly as he saw the younger man following their lecturing father.

"Not so impressive are you now, alpha?" Roland's voice carried across the entryway, his fathers own snort of laughter making it clear Rugal would get no help.

"I don't need to be impressive my lord, only strong, and I am plenty strong." He flashed his teeth at his brother, flexing one of his overly large muscles, his arms bulging as he pulled himself up to full height. It was moments like this that Roland remembered why his father was so concerned about his designation.

"There is to be a wedding in Boston, and you are going. You will stay the entire preparation time, taking with you a few of our more promising pups to help them find their mates. It is time for us to forge new bonds, time for you to step into the position you were born for - guarding your brother's future." When Rugal started to growl again his father growled louder. "Do not disobey me, you will serve this pack as we always have, when you are older you will thank me. Now get out, I will have the butler give you the information on the way to your rooms. You leave the day after tomorrow."

Rugal stalked away, the butler running after him in a flurry, trying to ensure that he wouldn't get in trouble for his charge's behavior. "Sir, sir, sir!" Regni barely kept himself from laughing at the silly little man's futile attempts.

Halfway down the hallway to his room, Rugal finally stopped and snatched the papers from the butler's hand. "Hamish, go away." He sounded very tired and worn down, ready to just give up and sleep.

"I could do that, or I could come back with enough whiskey to get even your wolf drunk and some of the news from when you've been gone." Hamish had known Rugal since he was a boy, had watched him struggle against his family over the years, his simple ways and wishes for equality at war with the heavily political existence his father had backed himself into. Power for their pack came not from physical strength, but from a complex web of marriage and mating alliances, bonds forged in blood themselves. Regni the weakest Alpha the pack had seen in generations had been unwilling to give up power to his own brother, setting the stage for his own son's disappointing performance.

"That sounds wonderful, Hamish, I've been in the human towns for so long I forgot what whiskey tastes like." Rugal resigned himself to another night of drinking and coming to terms with his place in the world, his desire to lead and help others at war with his position in life. Biology and politics intersecting in the most brutal of ways.