The Alpha's Progeny [The Alpha's #3]

MALIK VLADIMIR

Malik went to bed shortly after Anastasia did, but he couldn’t have slept for more than a few hours. He was certainly the first person up the next morning. As it had only turned seven in the morning, he made pancakes for himself and his second family as a thanks for being so welcoming of him as they always were before heading out for a run.

There was no better feeling than the wind against your skin and the crunch of twigs under your feet on an early morning run. Although he was sure that by werewolf’s standards, half seven in the morning wasn’t exactly early.

I have a few corrections, his wolf called out. I can think of at least to better feelings than an early morning run.

Like what? Malik asked, more so to entertain his wolf than anything else as he already knew what those two answers would be.

Two better feelings than this would be meeting our mate and taking over the pack as Alpha, his wolf spoke matter-of-factly as he often did; a very serious creature.

And which one of those comes first? Our mate or the pack?

I don’t know, his wolf answered honestly. I’ll have to experience both before I can give you an answer.

I have no doubt it’ll be meeting our mate, Malik answered with the utmost confidence.

As breath taking as that will be, I am sure, I’m currently not certain that that encounter will surpass that which is our birth right of becoming Alpha of the Apo to Chaos pack. But I guess only time will tell.

That it shall, he hummed, allowing his wolf to continue the back and forth as he focused on his running.

At the very least, I’m sure it will bring us closer to the great man that is our father, his wolf concluded as he neared the end of his run, panting lightly. After all, other than sharing his blood and last name, we know very little about him.

And whose fault is that? Malik continued to pant as he questioned his wolf. He’s the one that refuses to let us visit him. He won’t even speak on the phone or allow me to send him a letter.

I’m sure he has good reason for it, his wolf insisted but even he didn’t sound all that convinced.

I’ll be sure to ask him about it once he’s back, whenever that is, Malik snorted, only half cross with his father.

Don’t be so hard on him, his wolf insisted but Malik refused to hear any of it. After all, how could he be mad at a man he could hardly even remember? The one solid memory he had was his father making him pancakes and then eating them with him in the kitchen. After that, the rest of his childhood was a blur. His next memory was that of his aunt and uncle. To say that they were there from the beginning would not be doing them justice.

Like he always did, Malik ended his morning run on his knees in the forest, his head bowed and his hands clasped together. Malik prayed to Lord Erebus for everyone that was near and dear to him – unfortunately, that was very few. He sent a quick prayer for his father to return to the pack soon but the lengthiest portion of his prayer was in regards to his mum. The most beautiful, loving and caring person that he would ever have the pleasure of knowing.

“What are you doing?” a familiar voice sounded out from beside him but Malik didn’t look up until he had finished praying, ending as he always did: blowing a kiss up to the sky for his mum.

“I was praying,” Malik told Clyde as he rose up to his feet, brushing the grass stains from his knees.

“To Erebus?” Clyde asked curiously as they began walking to the packhouse where they all usually met up before training.

“Lord Erebus,” Malik corrected with a small smile. “Just how you pray to the Moon Goddess, I pray to the Moon Goddess.”

“I pray to the Moon Goddess but never like that,” Clyde hummed, not meaning anything by his words.

“I guess we all have different ways of praying,” he shrugged, only a few minutes away from the packhouse. “Why? Do you look at me differently because I pray to a different God than you?”

“That’s stupid!” Clyde scoffed. “You haven’t changed just because you pray differently than me.”

“I’m glad to here that, bud,” he playfully punched his cousin on the shoulder. “I don’t think everyone here follows the same thinking as you.”

“That’s because they choose to believe in the rumours instead of getting to know you,” Clyde pointed out, once again reminding Malik that this was Anastasia’s son that he was talking to. Emotion-driven like his father, smart like his mother and strong-willed like the both of them. “They don’t know you like I do. To me, you’ll always be my big brother because that’s how mum and dad raised me. You may live hours away and we only see each other two weekends every month, but I still view you as my big brother.”

“That’s really sweet, bud, thank you,” Malik grinned down at Clyde, throwing his arm over his shoulder and pulling him in for a sideways hug.

“I can only hope and try to be a good enough Alpha as you one day,” Clyde returned the hug.

“I’m not Alpha quite yet.”

“No, but you will be soon.”

“Probably in a few years, or when I meet my mate.”

“Really?” Clyde cocked his head slightly to the side, the question evident in both his tone and face. “I thought it would be much sooner than that. Maybe in a couple of months or something.”

“No,” Malik hummed, a thoughtful, slightly confused expression on his face. “Not as far as I know, anyway. What made you think that I’ll be taking over the Alpha position in a couple of months?”

“I heard mum and dad talking last night,” Clyde told him, the mischief of a teenager but still the innocence of a child.

“Ah, now I remember! I had a conversation with Clayton about this last week,” Malik lied so as to not raise further suspicions when he was even more confused now than before. “It’s been such a busy week that it totally slipped my mind.”

“Or maybe you’re just getting old,” his cousin teased him; the signature smirk on his face.

“I’ll have you know that eighteen is far from old,” Malik scoffed, only partially offended. “I’m not even in my prime yet.”

“Now, that’s something worth arguing,” Clyde snickered and ran ahead before Malik could swing at him. Before he could take off after his cousin for some sweet revenge, he felt his Beta – the acting Alpha – chipping away at the barrier he almost always had up when he travelled to the Lupum Griseo pack.

Clayton? he addressed his Beta. You know better than to disturb me during my weekends away with my uncle and aunt so I’m assuming this is nothing short of urgent?

It’s very urgent, the Beta wolf told him. I’ve got some very joyous news to share with you, Alpha.

What is it? Malik asked, not sure if he were to be excited or anxious over this impending news.

It’s your father.

What about him? he was quick to ask, subconsciously holding his breath as he awaited an answer.

He has finally been released, Clayton continued talking but Malik couldn’t register anything he was saying! How could he when the bombshell of the century had just been dropped on him?

His father had been locked away for reasons far too weak and unfair, his freedom withheld from him by the wicked council that appeared to govern more power than all the Alpha’s combined. He had been locked away when Malik was just a child, and not soon after the passing of his mother.

When he had become a teenager and understood the reasons as to why his father had been locked away, he had tried to appeal in front of the council several times. After the third, they had refused to see his case any longer. That was several years ago and never once had he received a solid answer as to when he would be reunited with his father.

Until now, that is. His lips curled up into a smile just at the thought of it.

When we were discussing the most memorably moment of our life earlier, we should have considered the moment father would return back to the pack.

We had believed it impossible then.

How wrong we were, his wolf laughed. Just as elated as him.

Alpha, you must come home at once! Clayton managed to get the demand through the mind link before Malik closed it off and rushed over to the pack house. It appeared that his time at the Lupum Griseo pack this weekend would be coming to an end but he was sure his aunt and uncle wouldn’t mind. After all, it wasn’t every day that his father was released from prison!

“Stassie!” Malik cheered as he rushed into the office. He was able to kill two birds with one stone as he spied Marcellus to be sat in his usual position behind his desk.

“This is a first,” Marcellus chuckled, turning his attention away from his laptop. “I’ve never seen you get so excited over training before.”

“As if I would ever be this excited over training,” Malik scoffed. “I just got some fantastic news!”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Anastasia prompted him, a confused, slightly gassy expression on her face. “Tell us what’s got you so excited.”

“Clayton just told me that dad’s going to finally be released!” his grin stretched wide enough to take up his entire face. “I got so excited I didn’t listen to anything else that he had to say, but I’m going to have to cut this weekend short.”

“Wait, hold up there!” Marcellus frowned, closing his laptop. “What did you just say?”

“The council are finally releasing dad!”

“From prison?” his uncle blinked in confusion, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing right now. If Malik didn’t have his head up in the clouds, perhaps he would have caught onto the sudden tension in the room.

“Yes!” Malik grinned and nodded. “Isn’t that great news?”

“It’s the best news!” Anastasia cheered but her grin didn’t quite reach her ears.

“What’s wrong?” he frowned in question. “I thought you two would be more excited than this.”

“We are excited,” Anastasia tried to insist but there was no use.

“Speak for yourself,” Marcellus snorted, not bothering to hide the distaste and disapproval on his face. In fact, his whole demeanour seemed to have taken a turn.

“What are you trying to say?”

“All I’m going to say is that there’s so much about your dad that you don’t know, Malik,” Marcellus sighed, ignoring the death glares that his mate was sending his way. “He’s not as good as a man as you’ve been led to believe over the years so don’t let him fool you, okay?”

“What are you talking about?” Malik frowned before turning his attention to Anastasia. “What is Mars talking about?”

“Nothing,” she was quick to answer before her mate could get another word in. Marcellus looked like he wanted to say something more but another sharp glare from Anastasia and his lips were permanently sealed. At least for today. “We’re so happy for you, Malik. This is so exciting!”

“I think it’s exciting,” Malik hummed and pursed his lips, cautiously glancing between his aunt and uncle. When neither of them said anything further, he knew it was time for him to leave. “Like I said before, I’m going to have to cut this weekend short.”

“That’s very understandable,” Anastasia smiled at him but this time, Malik could see right through it.

Malik didn’t stick around much longer. He grabbed his belongings for the weekend and sought out his warriors – or rather, they sought out him, clearly sensing the influx of emotions that he was experiencing right now.

Despite all what his uncle had said, Malik left the pack with his head held high and an insatiable eagerness of seeing his father once again. After all, it had been more than fifteen years since he had been in the same room as the man.

-

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Layla Knight

02.08.2021