The Alpha family sat stiffly around their large, mahogany dining table. The table, polished to a mirror shine, could easily seat ten, but only the three of them were present. A silent row of maids in crisp black and white uniforms stood with their hands clasped behind their backs, lining the far wall of the expansive dining room. They were a collective statue of stillness, their gazes fixed on some distant point, ready to spring to action at a moment's notice. The alpha family never served themselves; a maid would step forward to place food on their plates, and another would discreetly refill their glasses.
The air was thick with a tense and oppressive silence, broken only by the faint clink of silverware against porcelain. It was a stillness that felt less like peace and more like a held breath, an uneasy calm before a storm.
Harlow delicately brought her wine glass to her lips, her eyes, ever so often, drifting to the two empty chairs where her daughters would have sat. She wondered if they had found their mates, or if they would return to the pack, ready to be mated for the betterment of their family line and their people. A flicker of hope and anxiety crossed her face before settling back into a serene mask.
Across from her, Luca could barely stand the suffocating quiet. He pushed the food around his plate with his fork, arranging the roast and vegetables into neat little piles. The meal was uninteresting to him, and the presence of his father made every bite feel like a chore. No matter what he did, Luca felt like a disappointment. His recent performance had been flawless, yet it was as if nothing had changed. His father's words echoed in his mind: Why did it take so long? Why weren't you the best? How could you be outpaced?
At the head of the table, Alpha Adrian sat ramrod straight, his posture a testament to his rigid control. He ate his meal with a slow, deliberate grace, his attention on the daily updates he received from Boris. The reports were interesting but ultimately unfruitful. They still hadn't found the new Queen. He thought about the latest message—Boris would be leaving the Shadowfang village soon. He raised his wine glass, the liquid a deep ruby in the ambient light, and took a slow sip.
"May I be excused?" Luca asked, his voice low and tight. He desperately wanted to escape the suffocating room and the weight of his father's gaze.
Alpha Adrian didn't even look at him. With a finger, he pointed at his son's untouched plate. "Eat your food." He noticed the full plate, the mess Luca had made of it—pushing the food around like a peasant. The boy's ability to find a new way to embarrass him every day was a talent, Adrian thought with a curl of his lip.
"I'm not hungry," Luca responded, the words forced out through clenched teeth.
"Then become hungry," Adrian said, his lazy, unimpressed stare meeting Luca's defiant, steely eyes. As their gazes locked, a slow, condescending smirk spread across Adrian's face, a silent victory as he watched his son's face flush with frustration.
"You must miss your sisters," Harlow interjected, her voice soft but strained, trying to keep the frantic edge from her tone. She feared what her husband might do if Luca dared challenge him further. "They would want you to eat. So eat." Her warm, unassuming smile was a silent plea, urging her son to back down.
Luca broke eye contact, looking down at his plate. He didn't do it for her sake. He just couldn't stand to hear her voice when it was like this—this fanatical reverence she had for her Alpha, as if she had no opinion of her own. It drove him crazy. He wondered if her inner thoughts were narrated in his father's voice or her own. It felt like every word she spoke was Adrian's. It was the poison of his father's very being, a toxicity that seemed to infect everything it touched. He didn't know when he started to notice it, or when it started to bother him, but other families weren't like his. Boris wasn't like his father. He couldn't help the small smile that touched his lips as he thought of it. All his life, he never thought he would be jealous of a defective. The irony was insane.
Just then, a guard entered the dining room, his boots making a soft thud on the hardwood floor as he bowed respectfully. He stood with his head down, his eyes darting quickly to the tense scene before him.
"What?" Adrian's voice was sharp, cutting through the silence.
"We've caught a defective—a wolf. I mean, one of the defectives has shifted into a wolf—"
Luca didn't even remember when he got up from his seat, but he moved swiftly, a blur of motion as he stood before the guard. "Which one?"
The guard looked up, startled by the sudden intrusion. "I don't know!"
Alpha Adrian moved in a sluggish, aristocratic way that appeared completely unbothered by the situation. He reached for the linen napkin resting on his lap and dabbed his lips, his movements slow and deliberate. He then placed the napkin on the table before rising to his feet, his posture still straight and unyielding.
"Have you captured it?"
"Yes, Alpha. The wolf has been put in the dungeon. They don't seem able to shift back. All this wolf does is attack anyone who comes near."
Adrian sat back down, a wave of his hand dismissing the guard. "Then there was no reason to interrupt my meal." He lifted his wine glass to his lips, a look of contemplation on his face. A defective shifting into a wolf was odd. He knew it couldn't be Trinity. If it had been her, he would have received a mental message from Boris. And these buffoons wouldn't have just come in here about a defective they weren't sure of. They would have called her by name.
"Alpha, that could be Trinity." Luca's panic began to rise. Trinity had been showing signs of shifting. If it was her, he didn't want her to spend the night in the dungeons, being burned by silver. They needed to help. The Alpha could order members of his pack to shift back into their human form. He could bring her back now.
"So." Adrian's voice was flat, devoid of emotion.
Luca had to physically control himself to keep from yelling into his arrogant father's face. "It's the Beta's daughter. We should help." Even though it was a lost cause, he looked at his mother, hoping that she would offer her opinion.
Her smile was so well-practiced, she didn't even remember how to frown. "One night will not harm anyone."
Turning away, Luca didn't wait to be dismissed from dinner. It was obviously over. He walked with long, purposeful strides toward the entrance of the dining room. Just before he left, his father's voice made him pause.
"You like her."
Luca considered lying, but what was the point? Adrian could always get into his head whenever he wanted, scoop out the truth, or demand it with an Alpha's order. Luca was at his father's mercy, and lying was a waste of time. But he refused to give him the satisfaction of the truth.
"I thought you knew! That a weak defective has become the most eligible she-wolf in the pack. Everyone wants Trinity. So why wouldn't I?" A smug grin spread across his face, and he walked out of the dining room without another word.
With a barely audible snap, the stem of Adrian's wine glass broke in his hand as his son left the room. The maids, a collective blur of motion, were quick to take away the broken glass and replace it with a fresh one filled to the exact same level of wine. It was as if nothing had happened.
As much as her son liked to believe he was nothing like his father, Harlow knew they were just the same. The older Luca got, the more defiant he became. It was in the genes. The longer he went without a position of power, the more rebellious and defiant he would become—especially when he felt he was the one who should hold it. Every single word between them was a battle of wills. And she knew that when her son began to win, that's when the real trouble would start. She loved her mate, but she wasn't sure how much he loved his children—or if it was enough to let go of power earlier than he expected to.
"It's so late, Alpha, should we head to bed?" Harlow reached across the table, resting her hand on her mate's. She felt his restless mind settle under her touch.
Author's note:
I like the idea of alphas and their sons being unable to get along, as they battle for power. And how that can be combated.