65

Richard

Ten years ago…

The die was cast ten years ago. It was then that I earned the ‘ruthless’ tag and lived by it.

I was born into the Alpha lineage of our pack. My father was the late Alpha, and as he grew old and sick, it became clear that it was only a matter of days before the Alpha ceremony would be held. There, the new Alpha would be crowned, and my father would give his blessings to his successor. The entire pack would swear allegiance to the new Alpha, marking the dawn of a new era.

Now, if there was one thing I hated about being the son of my father, it was that I had eight brothers. I wasn’t even the first son; I was the fourth, so I wasn’t next in line to be the Alpha.

My oldest brother was technically next in line to the Alpha position, followed by his sons, and then his sons’ sons. My descendants and I would never get the chance to become Alpha; we would be as useless as worn-out clothes.

We would be regarded as members of the Alpha lineage, but no respect would be given