Defying the pack

Chapter Six

"You disobeyed me! Betrayed all this family stands for!" the harsh slap echoed the elegant hall. It left an angry mark so deep and red it almost looked like burnt flesh "useless just like your father!" Conri Gallen continued his rant. For a man in his older years, he still radiated power, a cruel man but handsome just like his sons and grandsons. His strides were heavy as he paced in front of his whimpering teenage grandson that sat slumped on the floor. While the other cowered behind the open doorway. He had raised them for the last seven years and expected so much more, Conri thought he could train them, make them strong as they should be instead of like the disappointment that was his son but at that moment it was clear he had failed with Kingsly who faced his grandfather with wide eyes of terror. "I will not tell you again, Kingsly. Kill her!" he ordered of his grandson a harsh finger pointed at the terrified teenage girl who stood beside them she was visibly shaking.

"I can't... Grandfather... I can't" Sly sobbed from the marble floor his elbows the only thing keeping him from crumbling.

"Enough! I don't want to hear any more" Conri roughly grasped the back of the girl's neck dragging her closer "You have disappointed me, Kingsly" without a second thought his grandfather squeezed, squeezed until the sounds of the bone snapping was heard and the struggling cries stopped.
.
"No!" Sly screamed the scene in front of him more than he could bear.

For a mere second longer, he held the girl before carelessly releasing her to drop to the floor as though throwing down garbage. Her eyes seemed vacant but even in death, they held the fear of her last moments. Sly howled and writhed on the floor the pain unbearable his mate, his heart, his soul was now half of what it was. Ripped from his being in a harsh and cruel manner that left the teen in tears and gasping for breath "Kingsly..." Conri's voice was soft now as he knelt down in front of his grandson who was struggling to even concentrate on his grandfather's words "what a shame you are on this family. From this day forth you have no claim to the Alpha title on this pack, someone so weak could never lead what our family has spent generations to build and for your betrayal of our family" he watched as his grandson cowered clearly expecting a final blow "don't worry I will not kill you, Kingsly instead I will leave you with a reminder. A reminder that you are and always will be a mere unwanted mark on this family" Conri held up the silver clawed glove, raising his hand once again to his grandson then casting another severe blow leaving large gashes down the side of Sly's face. Sly let out another painful howl his pain so loud it felt like the house would shake any minute before he finally gave up and fell back onto the floor. Conri sighed and shook his head in disappointment before letting his dark gaze turn to his youngest grandson who hadn't budged from the doorway "let this be a lesson for you Alcaeus, you're now the future of this family..." Conri got himself back up to his feet straightening out his suit jacket as though none of this chaos hadn't at all ensued "make sure you do not disappoint me" was the final words from the powerful wolf before he turned and walked away.

--

Perhaps his parent's death should have been the most traumatic memory but Alcaeus was merely a boy and could barely remember that day but he was fourteen when he watched what happened to his brother as that was what remained in his mind keeping him inline, sticking to the family rules. He remembered crying to Sly begging him why he wouldn't just follow the rules and all he had said was that one day he would understand and that day had come in a rush of disobedience to the Gallen family ways and desperation to escape the rules laid out to live by.

"Cae?" the knock at his bedroom door finally brought him back from remaining a prisoner in his mind.

"Come in" he called even Alcaeus could hear the exhaustion in his own voice.

"I have an idea" was the first thing Sly announced once he had stepped into his younger brothers bedroom.

"I thought I told you not to get involved" Alcaeus snapped but remained leaning against the French doors that led to his balcony.

"I know what you said but this is your life we are talking about, little brother I am not risking it because you lost your temper" Sly waved him off as he walked closer to his younger brother "like I said I have an idea. I think we should send Helena away" the words caused an automatic growl from Alcaeus "listen to me, we will put her in a loyal pack, it isn't too far and we know they will protect her if requested. We will call her under a different name and make sure no one is the wiser" he reached out placing his hand on Alcaeus's shoulder "I do think you should tell her everything that is going on."

"I will but not now.." he let out a heavy sigh "alright if we send her away we need to keep up pretence anyway. I will keep things going with the Carion girl, seems we at least have some things in common about wanting to keep Hele safe plus she wants to escape her pack--"

"Why?" Sly questioned.

"I don't know and I don't particularly care. She is a means to an end and at least she won't do anything stupid because she gets something out of it as well" Alcaeus grumbled over the matter. He didn't care about Deiha and he meant what he had said she was a means to an end for him she always had been.

"Quite harsh, Cae but we just need to see this through I suppose and if this girl is willing to agree then I suppose we can't complain. On the matter of Helena--" Sly spoke but it was Alcaeus's turn to interrupt.

"As long as she is safe... Her being here I can't even deny her for our family code. I almost took her then and there in the woods when we met" Alcaeus groaned rubbing a hand roughly at his face in frustration "you're right she will be safe there and there will be no temptation however this only solves the matter for the moment, not for the future."

"I have a plan for the future too" Sly spoke but his voice was barely a whisper and he struggled to face his brother.

"And what is that?" Alcaeus questioned as he dropped his hand from covering his face.

With a heavy breath Sly finally turned to face his younger brother "we do what we should have done years ago, Cae... We take down grandfather. Once and for all" with the heavy words in the air leaving the young men to fall into silence. This was going to be a long battle ahead for the pair.