Episode 2
1195 Words
A LEADER?
“Really Jack?, You taking the house as collateral?” Dylan stormed into the Alpha house.
“Long time no see brother, how have you been?”
Jack said sarcastically.
“Spare me the insincere casualties, how could you take their house?”
“Dylan, they're dead” Jack said nonchalantly.
“And you sit there and tell me I'm the evil one?” “Why are you being ruthless?” Dylan asked Jack sternly.
“He owed mum and dad a huge amount of money, we were both there when they made the agreement, he failed to pay up and died, what else was I supposed to do Dylan?”
“What you should've done is ask if they had a successor, Jack”
“Oh come on don't be ridiculous” Jack brushed what Dylan said off.
“How do you sleep at night knowing that you've rendered someone homeless?”
“I don't remember throwing anyone out of the house, Dylan”
“You're not as righteous as you think you are Jack”
“Dylan, stop acting like we both didn't know what happened that year”
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“I, Misty, thereby use my house as a collateral, when and if I fail to pay up the debt”
“Jack Pillar and Dylan Pillar, are my witness here today, under no circumstances should you let this man go away with such huge amount of money”
“But dad, what if he doesn't pay up at the given time?” Jack asked, concerned.
“Then he should be aware of the consequences of including a collateral in a deal as severe as this”
Edor, the alpha of the pack.
“What if he has nowhere to go,”
“Listen to me Jack, a leader shouldn't give importance to insignificant details, that's a sign of weakness” Edor said sternly as he stared directly into Jack's eyes. “Understood?”
“Yes sir,”
“Under no event should the money slide, we as a pack are not stable and ready for any loses, if any excuse comes up, take the house and don't look back”
Edor walked out of the room, leaving Jack, Dylan and Misty in the room.
“Your dad is right, Jack, being the next Alpha and at this point of your life, you need to learn to be stern, strict and intentional about the packs welfare”.
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“Of course you wouldn't remember, Dylan, you were the bad egg of the family.” Jack mocked.
“Jack, just because your mother was the first Luna doesn't make me an outsider”
“but that made you crave too much power that got you casted out”
“I'm not here for a past reunion, I'm here to inform you of a girl that you displaced. She has nowhere to go and you're comfortably telling me you are being strict, that's just plain evil, Jack”
Dylan was about to storm out of the house when Jack stopped him.
“I couldn't care less what happens out there, I have gotten the collateral and I'm sure mum and dad are proud that I didn't let the money slide”
Jack defended.
“No, Jack,” Dylan held the door and turned to go. “They're obviously disappointed, and you're just not seeing it.”
They banged the door and disappeared into the night.
Dylan and Jack were step brothers since they were five. Jack's mother died and the moon goddess granted Edor another chance to see a mate, she gave Edor Dylan's mum, she already had Dylan before she mates with Jack's dad, so they didn't see any use in having another child.
Jack and Dylan had always been rivals right from the start and Dylan's jealousy and zeal to overshadow Jack got the better of him when he tried to end Jack's life, he was caught and was casted out of the Alpha's home, even after much pleading from his mother, the former Luna.
Jack was always seen as the potential heir to the Alpha and it sometimes got into his head and made him make rash decisions.
“Cohort!” Jack yelled from his office.
Inside his father's office, Jack always felt like the whole weight of the world was directly on him.
It was never easy for him to sit and stare at the huge mural of a wolf with blood red eyes and the longest fangs he's ever seen on any animal.
It was always staring at him and the thought that this creature could jump out anytime to devour him whenever he does something that his father wouldn't commend or appreciate, always comes to his mind.
“Yes, my lord,” Jack's thought was interrupted by the man he called for.
“Check my list, what do I need to do tomorrow?” Jack asked, hoping for the day to be free.
“You are clear for…”
Jack didn't let him finish before he cut him short, “What's tomorrow?”
“I would have told you now your Lordship, but cutting me off like that needs an apology”
This was Jack's favorite foot man, he knew it and he made sure he took advantage of it.
“Come on, what's tomorrow?”
The cohort smiled at Jack and Jack understood immediately.
“Is it what I think it is?” Jack's eyes lit in excitement as it widened.
The cohort nodded.
“It's the weekend?”
A wide smile suddenly appeared on his face.
“Thank the goddess,” Jack raised his both hands high up in the air, “Ready my boots, and finest arrows, I have hunting to attend to tomorrow morning.”
Jack's weeks were always busy, he lost count of days, but whenever it occurred to him that it was the weekend, joy filled his heart, as it was the only time he had to himself, aside from the full moon day celebration.
The cohort slightly bowed his head and exited his office.
Jack's gaze left the wolf's mural and moved to the swords positioned on the right side of the office, there were two of them and they were positioned in an X shape.
He took one of it and acted like he was slaying a dragon.
When he was being ruthless, Jack was just this little kid who wanted to enjoy life to the fullest, but responsibilities fell on his shoulders too early for him to handle, toughening up was the only choice he had at this point.
“Dylan will probably be at the old house tomorrow, hopefully I get to meet him and we can duel, he also needs to tell me more about this person I displaced” He stared intensely at the sword and raised it to put it back on the shield close to the rack.
Leaving the room, he touched the wolf and muttered.
“I'll make you proud father, I promise I will”
He kissed his fingers, placed it on the mural and closed the door behind him.
- Writer
