emotions I couldn't identify.
"Adder, your behavior has become increasingly erratic. I was willing to pass off many of your escapades as youthful adventures, but you've crossed the line from youthful hijinks to criminal behavior. If you don't reform, I will be forced to take punitive action."
"What do you mean by punitive action?" Father hadn't punished me in years.
"The first thing would be a challenge in front of the pack. If your behavior continued, you would be imprisoned. If you continued to flaunt our rules after those punishments, I would be forced to try you for insubordination and kill you." A single tear slid down father's cheek.
"Why? What have I done to deserve that?" My friend's suggestion came back to me, whispering how one move could end all my problems. I tried to push away the thought, but the words kept coming back.
He leaned forward, his mouth set in a hard line. "You beat two of our women when they declined your advances. You encourage violence, and show a complete disregard for our history and laws. I have more than a few questions about what you're doing when you aren't being a thorn in my side, but those can wait for later."
"Why do you care? I'm not here causing problems for you."
"Yes, son, and that's what scares me. I'm waiting for those other problems to land on my desk."
"Those women deserved what they got. First they were flirty, then they couldn't wait to run away." Even as I said it, I knew it wasn't true, but I'd been so angry, and they were there. "As for these rules, they're nothing more than guidelines set down by a group of old farts trying to make sure none of us can have any fun."
"I'm sorry to hear you say that, son, but you still have to pay for your actions."
"And how will I be paying for them?"
"A challenge at the pack meeting on Friday. After which, you'll spend three days in silver chains."
"I won't be able to heal if I'm in silver."
"I'm aware. That is part of the punishment."
"No. I won't go, I won't do it."
He surged to his feet, leaning over the desk. "You don't have a choice. If you refuse to attend the meeting you will be forcibly retrieved, and you will face a more severe punishment."
"No!" I shouted. He had no right, no right at all. Father, Alpha, neither had the authority to tell me to show up for a pack sanctioned beating.
"One way or another, you'll be facing a punishment. Take the lesser one."
"I'm sorry father, but I can't."
I pulled a knife from the small of my back, and leapt over the desk to plunge it into his chest. He threw up an arm, trying to guard against the attack, but it was too late. The knife slid in. For a moment we stayed upright before he fell back and we ended up in a heap on the floor.
He gasped, choking for air. "This won't kill me."
"Yes, it will. The blade was poisoned." I tightened my grip on the hilt and pulled it out as Father screamed. "Don't worry. I was told it would be a fast death."
As he laid there wheezing and choking, I pulled a cloth out of my pocket and rubbed the blood off the blade. My friend had been right. The small twinge in my heart was nothing. I didn't have to justify my actions, or listen to another lecture about how I was tarnishing the family name.
Once my father was unconscious I used a silver pocket knife to make a shallow cut across both our wrist. Mashing them together, I surged power through the cuts. A burning sensation lanced across my arm. With a hiss, I pulled away to find the cut healed, and I was starting to feel the pack magic settle around me. Father wasn't even cold when I left. I had a friend to see and a pack to order. The rules were about to change.
Elron
I left Michelle with a smile on my face and spring in my step. In the past, even mentioning Sylvia had been enough to send me into hiding, where I tried to believe that she would return. I knew better now. My wife was gone. While I would never forget her, my guilt and grief were dissipating. As
"Adder, your behavior has become increasingly erratic. I was willing to pass off many of your escapades as youthful adventures, but you've crossed the line from youthful hijinks to criminal behavior. If you don't reform, I will be forced to take punitive action."
"What do you mean by punitive action?" Father hadn't punished me in years.
"The first thing would be a challenge in front of the pack. If your behavior continued, you would be imprisoned. If you continued to flaunt our rules after those punishments, I would be forced to try you for insubordination and kill you." A single tear slid down father's cheek.
"Why? What have I done to deserve that?" My friend's suggestion came back to me, whispering how one move could end all my problems. I tried to push away the thought, but the words kept coming back.
He leaned forward, his mouth set in a hard line. "You beat two of our women when they declined your advances. You encourage violence, and show a complete disregard for our history and laws. I have more than a few questions about what you're doing when you aren't being a thorn in my side, but those can wait for later."
"Why do you care? I'm not here causing problems for you."
"Yes, son, and that's what scares me. I'm waiting for those other problems to land on my desk."
"Those women deserved what they got. First they were flirty, then they couldn't wait to run away." Even as I said it, I knew it wasn't true, but I'd been so angry, and they were there. "As for these rules, they're nothing more than guidelines set down by a group of old farts trying to make sure none of us can have any fun."
"I'm sorry to hear you say that, son, but you still have to pay for your actions."
"And how will I be paying for them?"
"A challenge at the pack meeting on Friday. After which, you'll spend three days in silver chains."
"I won't be able to heal if I'm in silver."
"I'm aware. That is part of the punishment."
"No. I won't go, I won't do it."
He surged to his feet, leaning over the desk. "You don't have a choice. If you refuse to attend the meeting you will be forcibly retrieved, and you will face a more severe punishment."
"No!" I shouted. He had no right, no right at all. Father, Alpha, neither had the authority to tell me to show up for a pack sanctioned beating.
"One way or another, you'll be facing a punishment. Take the lesser one."
"I'm sorry father, but I can't."
I pulled a knife from the small of my back, and leapt over the desk to plunge it into his chest. He threw up an arm, trying to guard against the attack, but it was too late. The knife slid in. For a moment we stayed upright before he fell back and we ended up in a heap on the floor.
He gasped, choking for air. "This won't kill me."
"Yes, it will. The blade was poisoned." I tightened my grip on the hilt and pulled it out as Father screamed. "Don't worry. I was told it would be a fast death."
As he laid there wheezing and choking, I pulled a cloth out of my pocket and rubbed the blood off the blade. My friend had been right. The small twinge in my heart was nothing. I didn't have to justify my actions, or listen to another lecture about how I was tarnishing the family name.
Once my father was unconscious I used a silver pocket knife to make a shallow cut across both our wrist. Mashing them together, I surged power through the cuts. A burning sensation lanced across my arm. With a hiss, I pulled away to find the cut healed, and I was starting to feel the pack magic settle around me. Father wasn't even cold when I left. I had a friend to see and a pack to order. The rules were about to change.
Elron
I left Michelle with a smile on my face and spring in my step. In the past, even mentioning Sylvia had been enough to send me into hiding, where I tried to believe that she would return. I knew better now. My wife was gone. While I would never forget her, my guilt and grief were dissipating. As
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