New Blood

He gave a brief nod of understanding as his father mentioned oathing the boy. “At dawn then.” He said adamantly. Blood oaths were yet another aspect of Ruina life he had yet to learn the full gravity of, but the man had pledged his life to Ruina; he would do anything and give anything for the pack, and for the father he had always longed to know. The longer he stayed in Ruina the more the hooks of the pack dug into him, the pack fit him as if he were a missing piece of a much greater puzzle even though he had only joined the pack less than a season ago.

He smiled proudly as he watched the interaction between his father and the young boy, his eyes alight with pride that he had never felt for his naturally born son. He had determined that Aranea’s get was weak of body and spirit and more and more he clung to the memory of his disappointment when he first saw his two abhorrently small cubs after their witch of a mother had pushed them out of her. He remembered clearly how he felt relieved that the future of his pack would fall to a vote rather than his heir, because the two grunting worms had seemed far too weak to carry on his lineage. Now neither of them would have to. Now he had Astraios and the lightning king’s conscience was clear.

speaking Thinking You