Page 23 of Destined to the Lycan
“But he also disliked my father. You see, it isn’t uncommon for the leadership of the pack to pass from father to son. A competition is held whenever it is time for leadership to change, or if one of the members wants to challenge the Alpha for the position. My father won against Uncle Rolf. He was our pack leader until his untimely death, which allowed my uncle to ascend.”
“Which means you would have been the Alpha had your father lived!” Amara said with sudden understanding.
“I would have been first in line for the role and been raised accordingly,” I gently corrected. “I still would have needed to defeat challengers for it, and I actually did. Except, I didn’twant to be the Alpha because of my sickness. So I forfeited that honor.”
“If not for your illness, would youwantto lead the pack?” my mate asked with genuine curiosity.
I shook my head without hesitation. “Back then, I would have said yes. But not anymore. Too many people would resent following me. And truth be told, I have grown fond of my freedom and of being a lone wolf.”
“So does Ulric resent that you are shunning the role that will likely be his? It must be embarrassing for him to know that a better wolf exists out there?”
I gave her a sad smile. “No. It’s not uncommon for some powerful alphas not to wish to take on that mantle. Not everyone is made to lead people. The problem occurred when we were young pups. After Misty brought me back to the pack, my cousin was my only friend. In fact, he treated me like a blood brother. Unfortunately, pups tend to play rough. People warned him not to play with me, and especially not to bite me. But he did… All pups do.”
“Oh no!” Amara whispered, pressing a palm to her chest. “He got sick?”
I nodded, my chest constricting as the memory of those dark days came flooding back.
“He’d done it countless times before, but he’d broken skin for the first time that day. It was only a couple of drops of my blood, but it was enough that it almost killed him. For years, Ulrich was lame. His lungs were too weak for him to be able to run or perform any type of exertion. He had no balance, suffered from impaired vision, and had a faulty nose. He went from being a promising hunter to a complete burden… or at least so he perceived himself. And he was only eight years old.”
“By the gods… it must have been horrible, especially at such a young age,” Amara said, her voice filled with compassion. “Butthat wasn’t your fault. You didn’t deliberately set out to harm him.”
“I didn’t. But as a pup, Ulric believed that no harm would ever come to him from me because we were brothers. And brothers didn’t hurt each other.”
“But you had no power over your blood sickness!” Amara exclaimed in a self-evident tone.
“I know. But he was just a child. He felt betrayed. And as the adults banned me from seeing him, I never got a chance to explain to him how sorry I was, that I had no control over it, and that I loved him. Instead, he believed that I had poisoned and then abandoned him.”
“No one explained the truth to him!” Amara said, her outrage audible.
I clenched my teeth and shook my head as the old resentment resurfaced. “Not only did they not explain to him, but they also fueled his anger. They never approved of our friendship. This was their opportunity to put an end to it once and for all. The fact that the other pups bullied him over the following years for being weak and useless to the pack only fanned his rage against me. Seeing me thrive and excel in all things physical while he wasted away made him hate me more.”
“But he looks totally fine now and strong,” Amara argued.
I nodded. “He is indeed fine now, the gods be praised. His mother took him to every witch, healer, and shaman she could find. They eventually fixed him, but it was a long and painful journey. He only survived because he had been healthy and just swallowed a couple of drops. Had he received more, he would have perished.”
Amara frowned, seeming to struggle with something.
“I can understand why he might have resented you as a child. But I’m confused as to why he still hates you so much today. Are you sure he doesn’t resent you for being stronger still?”
I pursed my lips and carefully gave the matter a second thought. “Honestly, I don’t know. People have taunted him about the fact that the ‘cursed wolf’ is better than him, and how they will have to settle for the lesser Alpha. But this type of mockery isn’t uncommon. Lycans can be total jerks in the way we jest with each other. He did get mad about it once and challenged me to a duel, which I won.”
“Thus proving the rumors right,” my mate said softly.
I sighed heavily, feeling defeated. “Maybe I should have let him win.”
“No,” Amara said forcefully, taking me aback. “Had you done that, and anyone had noticed, it would have been even more humiliating for him. It’s better that Ulric faces the truth. In the end, he remains stronger than everyone else, including the idiots who try to rile him up. Any way you cut it, there’s always someone better than we are out there. I just find his resentment of you to be petty.”
“Do not think too ill of him,” I said softly, then smiled at her stunned expression. “As aggravated as I am at times by his behavior towards me, I do not hate him. Ulric is a good man in spite of it all. He’s just deeply hurt and feels betrayed because of the poison everyone fed him during the hardest time of his life. He was my friend when I had none. In my heart, he will always be my brother. I still miss him.”
“You have a good heart,” Amara said pensively with an odd glimmer in her eyes. “Do you think your relationship can ever be mended?”
I shrugged while putting away the remaining food. “No clue. But the door remains open as far as I’m concerned. That said, we should probably turn in for the night. I want us to head out at first light.”
My mate nodded. She rose to her feet and headed for one of her bags, which sat on the left platform used as a makeshiftbed. She rummaged through it and retrieved an off-white, thick candle with dark specks. To my surprise, she placed it on the stone table. I eyed her with curiosity, confused by her actions. As we were preparing to sleep, it struck me as strange to add more lighting sources when I’d been about to snuff the torches.
Amara traced the runic pattern carved on the candle with her index finger while whispering an incantation. She then waved her hand above it, the wick instantly catching fire. She uttered another incantation before turning back to me with a satisfied smile.
“You’re a witch?” I asked, surprised.
