The Alpha's Progeny [The Alpha's #3]

MALIK VLADIMIR

“What? You’re not going to say hello to your old man?” Orpheus chuckled at the stupefied expression on Malik’s face.

What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you moving? his wolf growled at him. You haven’t seen the man in fifteen years and now you have nothing to say? Despite the prompting from his dad, his wolf and half the pack that was eagerly watching this encounter, Malik couldn’t bring himself to move. If you’re not going to do anything, then give me control.

Sorry, I was just shocked, Malik apologised as he finally took a cautious step toward the aged wolf in front of him.

It’s not like we were expecting him back today or anything, his wolf replied dryly.

He looks so different than how I remember him.

That’s because it’s been fifteen years, his wolf murmured. In your defence, his aura and power seems so much more intense than I remembered?

Intense?

He’s only gotten more powerful in his time away. You’d think it would be the opposite.

He is an Alpha, after all, Malik chuckled.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Malik forced a smile on his face as he approached his dad.

“Sorry dad,” Malik apologised sheepishly. “You caught me off guard there.”

“You looked very on guard there,” Orpheus chuckled as he closed the distance between him and his son, not the least bit hesitant to pull him in for a hug. “It’s been far too long,” he croaked, tightening his arms around his only family.

“That’s because you wouldn’t let me come visit you,” Malik sniffled, squeezing his eyes shut as he suddenly found himself overcome with emotion.

For Malik’s fourth birthday, all he wanted was to celebrate it with his mum and dad. The entire pack, including the acting Alpha, Beta Clayton, had gone out of their way to make it special for him but it just wasn’t enough. All he wanted was his parents but he couldn’t have neither of them.

For a child, it was very difficult to comprehend that even though he had a dad that was still breathing and a pack family, he was an orphan. It got easier over the years to the extent that he believed himself numb to the situation…but with the tingle on the tip of his nose and his wet eyelashes, he now knew better.

“Don’t cry for me. I don’t deserve it,” Orpheus offered a watery smile as they pulled away from the embrace.

Malik returned the smile and glanced over his dad’s shoulder. He was not surprised to see that there was not a dry eye in their immediate vicinity.

“Let’s go inside. The cooks have been working hard for a welcome home lunch all day,” Clayton clapped Orpheus on the back, but neither him nor Malik could bring themselves to move. While Orpheus, the Alpha of the Apo to Chaos pack had finally returned home, more than that, a dad had returned to his son.

“I’m so glad you’re home!” Malik couldn’t control himself as he went in for another hug. When his dad stumbled back a step and laughed, Malik only squeezed him tighter.

“And I’m glad to be home,” Orpheus whispered lowly; for his ears only. “We stopped for a McDonalds on the way back so I’m not really hungry right now. Since you’re already dressed for it, what do you say about going for a run with your old man?”

“I say, what are you waiting for?” he chuckled before transforming into his wolf. Rearing his head back, Malik’s wolf howled loudly before taking off into the forest, sparing a brief, daring glance over his shoulder at his father who had watched the whole act with the utmost mirth and amusement shining in his eyes.

What had started out as a father-son run, very quickly turned into a pack run which then became a hunt. As expected, Orpheus got the first kill, giving up his deer to some pups before going in for several more. Malik, himself, managed to catch a deer and a rabbit, giving away the former while tucking into the latter.

There’s this beautiful lake not far from here that I used to come to all the time, his dad called out to him through mind link.

I know the one you’re talking about, Malik paused to take one last bite from his rabbit. I’ll race you there! he began before he even finished his sentence, unbothered about giving himself an unfair advantage.

He heard his dad’s wolfish chuckle not far behind him so he pushed himself harder. One thing Malik hadn’t mentioned when he had set the challenge was that he knew a shortcut to the lake. However, it appeared that Orpheus knew an even shorter path as one moment he had disappeared from behind Malik only to turn up substantially in front of him several moments later.

As soon as the water came into view, both Malik and Orpheus transformed back into their human selves, much to his wolf’s dismay.

“I’ve still got it in me!” Orpheus cheered as he reached the water first, but only by a millisecond.

“That’s because I let you win,” Malik scoffed but struggled to keep his lips from curling into a smile.

“So, why were you fighting with that warrior?” Orpheus asked, dropping himself into the water for a drink.

“It wasn’t a real fight,” Malik lied smoothly. “We were just training.”

“Didn’t look like training to me.”

“He was just saying some stupid stuff,” he sighed. “But I dealt with it so don’t worry about it.”

“What kind of stupid stuff?”

“Just stupid stuff,” Malik continued to insist, this being the last thing that he wanted to talk about right now. “If I tell you what he said, then you’ll have to tell me why I couldn’t come visit you wherever the council had you locked away.”

“Another time?” Orpheus asked, clearly not onboard with the deal set in front of him.

Malik smiled triumphantly before a comfortable silence encompassed them. There were so many and so little things he had to say to his dad, barely able to register that he was actually sitting next to the man right now! Growing up, he had wanted nothing more than for his dad to come home and now that he had, Malik had no idea what to say or do. Typical!

When they heard some of the pack wolves howl in the distance, Orpheus and Malik took that as their cue to head back. After all, what was a party without the guest of honour?

It was unfortunate that their party had come to an end before it had even become.

“Clayton, what’s going on?” Orpheus asked curiously, him and Malik being the last ones to emerge from the forest. When the Beta wolf didn’t answer, Malik frowned.

The pack wolves were dispersed all around but at the entrance of the forest stood Beta Clayton with a small group of wolves behind them. They all had the same look of determination on their faces but it was the stance of the Beta wolf that really caught his eye. It was the stance of a challenger.

“Are you really going to do this, Clayton?” Orpheus asked lowly, standing tall. “After everything we’ve been through?”

“Yes Alpha,” Clayton sneered, oblivious to what he was getting himself into.

He was challenging an Alpha wolf, after all.

“You’re making a big mistake, Clayton!” Malik spat at the wolf, moving to stand tall and proud next to his dad; getting himself ready to battle. When he felt a firm hand drop on his shoulder, he knew that he would not be fighting today. At least not in the centre of it all.

“You’ve been gone for fifteen long years, Orpheus,” gasps rang all throughout the field at the use of the Alpha’s name; nothing more disrespectful than that. Especially in a context as serious as this one. “A lot has changed these past fifteen years.”

“I’m very aware of that,” Orpheus replied, far too calm and collected for someone that had just had their birth right challenged. “I’m not the same soft Alpha I used to be.”

“You were never soft,” Clayton scoffed.

“Well, that’s one thing you’ve got right,” the Alpha wolf chuckled. “Because it’s you, I’m going to give you this one chance to step down and take back your challenge.”

What are you doing? Malik called out to him through the mind link. You can’t turn down a challenge! And even if he does retract it, you’ll never be able to trust him again.

I know, but it’ll be easier to dispose of him if he steps down.

“I’ve been running the pack for the past fifteen years while you’ve been away,” Clayton boomed, puffing out his chest. “I’ve made all the decisions. I’ve been there for the pack when times were tough. I was there for each and every one of these wolves these past fifteen years! Where have you been, Orpheus?”

“I’m back now and that’s all that matters,” Orpheus gritted his teeth, forcing the words out.

“Well, quite a few of us don’t believe that to be enough,” Clayton quirked a daring brow, referring to about one-fifth of the pack that were standing behind him in support.

“Well, the outcome of this challenge should put things in perspective. As you’re the one that called the challenge, you set the terms.”

“One hour. In wolf form, in front of the whole pack,” the Beta wolf replied; quickly and in great confidence. Almost rehearsed.

“I accept.”

-

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Layla Knight

04.08.2021