Porcupine Ridge the devil and his sons

He sensed Romulus' discomfort more than he saw it, but of course, he didn't pay much mind to it. Some wolves were uncomfortable with the notion of submitting to others; it was those wolves who often found themselves bereft of companionship amongst their peers, too consumed with their own self-worth to make meaningful connections. Romulus was an immature male, as well, not yet the ripe age of two years, so his pride was the misplaced foolishness of youth. Farstep had made such mistakes when he was so young, but time as a lone wolf with nothing to lose had stripped him of his youthful pride. Now, he carried with him a confidence borne of finding life with a pack, but knew there were times when pushing the envelope was inappropriate, and he knew the sorts of wolves he would instantly lower his head to. Taggarik was one such wolf, a man who knew the subtle language of the body and agreed with Farstep's principles regarding when and where it was appropriate, and presumably, a man who would not take offense to an appropriate display of dominance. With an Alpha to follow, Farstep was more likely to test others and attempt to gain an advantage over them—it was the natural way of things—but he knew well when to submit, and knew it was not a sign of weakness to do so.

He gloved the young wolf's muzzle momentarily, then let go and stepped away from the encounter. He was free to go anywhere now; it was Taggarik's situation to control. Yet he remained, hovering nearby in the event that further, more severe domination was required with the yearling before them. Taggarik was more than capable of it on his own, but Farstep could intervene to enhance the display if so needed. It wasn't unusual to gang up on a subordinate that way. Besides, as a subordinate of Taggarik's, it was his duty to ensure the Alpha male reigned supreme, until such a time as a better wolf deposed him, if ever that should occur.