Sequoia Coast To drag the past out

His mouth felt dry when she took a step towards him. He took a tentative one towards her, a step that was about half in size as hers, tentative, afraid to break the moment. He had always liked to believe that what had grown between them wasn't something that could be broken, that they would always be able to go on adventures, despite Dante, despite whatever other shit-faced wolves she hung out with. And this moment was proof — at first. He felt innerly conflicted because he did not understand whether he needed her as a mother (for growing up, she had partially taken up that role, and from everyone's descriptions, Osprey was most like his own mother had been described as; and a mother would always love their child, would they not?) or something more than that, so overwhelmed was he by the myriad of emotions that tortured him now.

Charon inhaled, smelling her scent, but she took no more steps towards him. He remained there, staring at her and searching for her eyes pleadingly for what seemed like forever.

Suddenly another wolf breached their moment, teeth snapping and fur bristling. Charon immediately assumed his dominant position again and warned, "Piss off, shitface!" — unbeknowst proving Osprey's growing distaste for him over again. He had become what they had moulded him into, because there had always been someone's hand above his head to ward off others speaking poorly of him. He had been Alpha's son (adoptive or not), he had been the sad kid that lost his parents, he had been brave, proud, imaginative, good at everything — and so that was what he had come to believe. He was fantastic, because that was what he'd been taught. Because that was what everyone had confirmed all his life. Because nobody had ever, ever told him off for doing something shitty. Even taking over the pack had come easy. Not until now, anyway, until he was an adult, until he was freed from both the shackles and the perks of childhood.

The stone cold rejection rose the fire in his chest and he snapped his teeth in the air with a click sound when Osprey told the other wolf to back off. "You don't just abandon someone you love," he said, his face wrought into an ugly mixture between a frown and a snarl, and then he turned around, breaking into a trot that soon turned into a gallop, and he ran until he could run no more.

Home, because upon his throne, the Emperor would see clear again and realise that one wolf did not matter in the grand scheme of things. Where he would be with his beloved followers once more.

Website