Life in the Shadowfang pack was anything but boring at least, not for Ronan. Sure, his father was obsessed with discipline, training, and making sure the pack remained strong, but Ronan? He had other priorities.
Like winning last night's football game, sleeping in past sunrise, and sneaking away from training whenever he could.
The village buzzed with its usual morning routine warriors sparring, hunters heading out, and elders gathering to discuss the "future of the pack," whatever that meant. Ronan jogged across the main clearing, wolfing down a stolen piece of bread from the kitchens, his boots kicking up dust as he dodged pack members who were actually busy doing important things.
"Ronan!"
ugh. Busted.
Rook, his best friend and future Beta, jogged up beside him. "You do realize your father expects you at training? Like, now?"
Ronan grinned. "I was just on my way."
Rook snorted. "Right. And I'm the Moon Goddess."
Before Ronan could throw back a sarcastic reply, a deep voice cut through the clearing. "Ronan."
Oh, fantastic.
Alpha Rael stood with arms crossed, his silver eyes locked onto his son with all the warmth of an ice storm. "Late. Again."
Ronan swallowed his bite of bread. "Fashionably late."
His father's scowl deepened. "You think this is a joke? While you're running around, the pack is working. Training. Preparing for the future."
"I train."
"Not enough."
Ronan sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Look, I'll do the drills, I'll fight Garrick, I'll even sit through another one of Jarek's 'leadership' lectures just, can we not do this whole disappointed-father thing before breakfast?"
Rael's jaw tightened, but before he could reply, a small voice piped up. "Ronan's always late."
Ronan turned to see his little sister, Elara, watching with an innocent smirk. She was ten, but somehow, she always seemed to have a sixth sense for when to appear and make his life more difficult.
"Traitor," Ronan muttered, flicking her forehead.
Elara giggled and dodged away as their mother, Lyria, appeared behind her. "Leave your brother alone," she said lightly, though the look she gave Ronan clearly meant, Listen to your father.
Rael exhaled. "Get to training."
Ronan gave a mock salute before jogging off with Rook, barely holding back a grin. "That went well."
Rook shot him a look. "You really have a death wish, don't you?"
.
When Ronan wasn't being nagged about training, he was at Blackthorn High the other place he ruled.
Here, he wasn't "Future Alpha Ronan" or "Stop-Disappointing-Your-Father Ronan." Here, he was just Ronan Grey, star athlete, class flirt, and the guy everyone wanted to be around.
The moment he walked in, heads turned. Girls whispered, guys tried to act cool, and the teachers just sighed, already anticipating whatever trouble he was about to start.
"Ronan!"
A group of cheerleaders waved from across the hallway. He shot them his signature grin, winking at one of them just to hear her giggle.
Rook groaned. "You do realize you can't date half the school, right?"
"Why not?" Ronan asked innocently. "I'm very efficient."
Before Rook could respond, a teacher called from down the hall. "Mr. Grey! Where should you be right now?"
Ronan plastered on his most charming smile. "Ms. Kelly, I was just about to head to class. You read my mind."
Ms. Kelly crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Then move. Now."
Rook snickered as they hurried to class. "One day, that smile's not gonna save you."
Ronan smirked. "Maybe. But today is not that day."
.
.
Alpha Rael stood alone in his study holding a letter scanning the contents of it. No one knew who sent it, and no one but him would know what it said. After reading it he raised his head expression grave and walked towards the fire place, burning the paper.
By nightfall, he had summoned the entire pack to the central meeting hall.
The Shadowfang wolves gathered, their murmurs filling the hall. It was rare for the Alpha to call such an urgent meeting without warning, and tension hung thick in the air.
Ronan stood near the front with Rook at his side, watching his father step onto the raised platform. Rael's expression was unreadable. The moment he raised his hand, silence fell.
"Effective immediately, border security will be reinforced. Patrols will be doubled, and no one enters or leaves the territory without clearance from me or Jarek," Rael announced. "Training intensity will increase for all warriors. Those attending human school are to return directly to the village after classes no detours. No exceptions."
A ripple of confusion spread through the crowd. Even the council members exchanged uncertain glances.
Ronan frowned. What the hell was going on?
One of the older warriors, Garrick, stepped forward. "Alpha, is there a threat we should be aware of?"
Rael's gaze was ice cold. "You have your orders. Prepare accordingly."
And just like that, the meeting was over.
As the pack dispersed, Ronan pushed through the crowd toward his father,
"Father, wait." He caught up to Rael just outside the hall. "What was that all about?"
Rael barely glanced at him. "Focus on your training, Ronan. That is what matters."
Ronan scowled. "Come on, you can't just drop something like that and expect me not to ask questions. What's going on?"
His father stopped walking then, turning to face him fully. For a second, Ronan thought he'd finally get an answer. Instead, Rael sighed, his expression colder than usual. "Not now."
"Not now?" Ronan repeated, adding bitterly. "Or not ever?"
Rael's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. After a long pause, he walked away, leaving Ronan standing in the corridor, fists clenched where Ronan couldn't see.
When he got home, as always Ronan found his mother in the kitchen, brewing tea.
Lyria looked up as he entered, immediately sensing the frustration in her son's face. "Something on your mind?"
Ronan sat down at the table, exhaling sharply. "You already know. The meeting, dad acting like I don't exist what's going on?"
Lyria stirred her tea, choosing her words carefully. "Your father carries burdens that are not easy to share. Sometimes, the weight of leadership means making difficult decisions alone."
"Yeah, well, I'm his son," Ronan muttered. "His heir. If something's happening to the pack, I deserve to know."
She reached over, resting a hand on his. "And you will. But not yet."
Ronan searched her face for something, anything, that would give him more than that vague reassurance. But her soft, understanding gaze told him nothing more.
He pulled his hand away, frustration bubbling up. "Right. Of course. Another thing I don't get to know."
Lyria sighed as he stood, but she didn't stop him as he walked out the door