End of the line

Ulric's jaw tightened slightly at the anger he saw in that brief glance his son spared him before his emerald eyes returned to the ground. It would have been easy for him to fall back into the same song and dance of comforting and coddling, but he couldn't keep doing that. He had tried too many times to be soft with his son. He wasn't a pup any more and it was time he started acting like it. When he stammered and questioned what they needed to talk about he frowned and focused on keeping his temper in check. As frustrated as he was with Emile's behavior it wouldn't help either of them if he flew off the handle over this.

"About the fact that you've been avoiding me and your family," he said bluntly. "That is disappointing and painful on its own, but... You haven't been keeping up with work around the pack either and I can't keep letting that slide as your alpha." He sighed softly, his ears flicking back. "I don't ask for much, Emile. Just helping Gwyn in the infirmary or the greenhouse would be enough. All I want is to see that you're trying." He paused, watching his son's face as he tried to decipher his expression. "I want to help you, Emile, but you have to let me. All you've done is push me away and I can't do anything for you if you don't let me in."

Ulric Adravendi