Redtail Rise and what if I told you you could kill your imperfect self?

The chasm between Aventus and @Atreus yawned ever wider.

After the hunt, he should have throttled his son for his disobedience and disrespect, but Arielle had announced her decision to take a personal trip to search for her sister. Aventus could not find it in him then to punish his son, who would likely be reeling from his mother's departure. Yet he made no effort to connect, either.

He saw so much of Merrick in Atreus, and so much of his sister when she was younger, that simply being near the boy made his skin prickle. The disdain for authority meant Atreus would one day be cast out. Perhaps Aventus would be the one to chase him from the pack's borders. He wanted to distance himself from the boy so when the day came, he would not feel a thing.

Yet he had a responsibility to try to set Atreus on the correct path, too. He was the boy's father, whether he liked it or not. So when the sun was crawling into the chilly autumn sky, Aventus found his red-furred offspring and quietly commanded him to, come. He left no room for argument, turning to thread down through the trees, leading his son to where the pack's border markings were strongest.