1st Person POV
We were finalizing our plans regarding what we were going to do once we got into the academy when we heard a large amount of commotion. I looked at Laura, who just shrugged. I was about to go check it out when the door burst open and a panicked Raphael entered the room.
His panic latched onto me when I didn't see Cassius behind him.
"What's going on? Where's Cassius," I asked urgently.
"He's, he's, I can't believe he just did that," Raphael muttered.
Laura rushed over to him, rubbing a hand down his back to calm him down. I just waited in tense silence. If it had Raphael looking so shaken up, I was definitely not going to handle this well.
"Raphael what happened," Laura pressed.
"He challenged our dad for Alpha and my dad accepted the challenge," Raphael choked out.
My mind tried and failed at processing his words. Challenging an Alpha for his position was usually a fight to the death and the Cassius I knew wouldn't kill his father. I didn't think I had it in me to stick around and find out if it that would hold true the other way around.
What had he been thinking?
Azriel rushed into the room with Desmond on his heels, practically tripping over each other as they came to an abrupt stop.
"We need to stop him," I said.
I was on my feet, rushing to stop this before it was too late with Desmond and Azriel at my side.
3rd Person POV
Cassius could see the shock on Michel's face as he drew the circle in the ground for the challenge. Everyone was waiting for him to withdraw, claim he'd just been acting out and walk away. Even his father was decidedly relaxed as he glanced between his son and the circle.
But Cassius had made his decision and he was determined to see it through.
Cassius was forced out of his thoughts when a hand landed on his shoulder and spun him around. Desmond's livid face appeared before him. Before Cassius could say a word, Desmond shoved him back aggressively.
Cassius fell on his butt in shock.
"What the actual hell were you thinking," Desmond lashed out.
He moved, presumably to do more damage but abruptly stopped. His hand was curled into a fist and had frozen midair. Cassius looked past Desmond to see Azriel's hands glowing with the dark purple magic, holding Desmond's fist in place.
Azriel swept his hand downwards and Desmond went flying back.
Desmond got up quickly, turning to Azriel with anger he'd never expressed towards any of them before, except perhaps Catherine. Azriel didn't back down, the lethal calm before the swirling storm that Desmond was before him. Even Michel had stopped drawing the circle to watch.
"He's made his decision Desmond," Azriel said firmly.
"Yeah. A foolish one," Desmond retorted angrily.
"The right decisions are often foolish," Azriel said softly.
"You know what, screw you. Screw all three of you. I'm not sticking around for this bullshit," Desmond spat out.
Desmond stormed away from them. Catherine attempted to stop him but Azriel just shook his head. He turned to Cassius, who'd clambered off the ground, still stunned at Desmond's reaction.
It had been extreme, even for Desmond, but he'd have to deal with it later.
"I honestly thought all three of you would try to stop me," Cassius admitted.
Catherine didn't meet his eyes and it was Azriel that spoke.
"You didn't stop me from trying to find Catherine. You respected my wishes. I'd be a fool not to do the same, even if it scares me," Azriel admitted.
Cassius closed the short distance between them and cradled Azriel's face in his hands. The warlock was clearly distressed as he looked up at Cassius with baleful violet eyes. He still stood there though, supporting his decision despite how much it would hurt him if things went wrong.
Cassius had never been more grateful for anything.
"I just want to clarify. This isn't an impulsive decision is it," Azriel asked unsurely.
"No, it's the right decision," Cassius affirmed.
Azriel considered his words carefully, eyes glancing between Cassius and the circle as if he were searching for something before speaking softly.
"You're going to be a great Alpha," Azriel whispered.
Cassius hadn't known how much he'd needed to hear those words until Azriel uttered them. There was so much unconditional faith that those words promised, and it only strengthened Cassius' self-belief. Azriel hugged him briefly before releasing him.
Cassius turned uncertainly towards Catherine, who seemed frozen about two feet away.
"I came here to stop you," she admitted.
"I know," he replied.
Cassius didn't know what to say to past that.
"It wasn't because I didn't think you'd be a good Alpha. I just, that's your dad Cassius," she said.
Her voice broke mid-sentence, revealing just how terrified she was. But she was still standing there for him. Cassius understood how hard it was for her to not stop him from doing this.
He crossed the distance between them in two long strides and pulled her into his arms.
"I'm sorry I'm scaring you but I have to do this," he said.
"I know," she choked out.
He gave her hand one last squeeze before releasing her to face the finished circle. Once he entered, there really was no going back. He scanned the crowd, most people's looks ranging from utter disbelief to uncontrolled shock.
Cassius' eyes landed on Raphael, who gave him a subtle nod.
Cassius took a deep breath before stepping into the circle.
"Shift!"
Cassius didn't look to see who'd issued the command before shifting into his midnight black wolf. His father's wolf was larger and light grey in color. Their eyes however were almost the exact shade of green.
Staring into those eyes that were narrowed at him with barely repressed fury, he couldn't help but hate the fates for bringing him to this point.
"Begin!"
Cassius didn't pounce, instead taking a moment to assess his father's strategy. The Alpha however had no such qualms and pounced the moment the call to begin had been issued. Cassius barely rolled out of the way before his father was onto him again.
His father relied on his brute strength knowing Cassius would win if it became a contest of skill. Cassius was neither the largest, nor the smartest wolf at the academy, but fighting came to him naturally. His father was giving him no time to assess his strengths and weaknesses.
Cassius would have to make time.
The next time his father pounced, he slid beneath his underbelly and pressed down hard on the grey wolf's hind leg. It didn't snap under pressure but he now had a noticeable limp as he circled his son. It gave Cassius enough time to plan.
He didn't want to kill his father, not that it would be easy even if he wanted to. Killing his father was going to be borderline impossible. It didn't help that his father didn't seem to have any inhibitions regarding killing him.
The odds weren't in Cassius' favor but he could make this work.
The grey wolf pounced and Cassius swiped out faster than his father had predicted, drawing first blood. The crowd of werewolves outside the circle cheered. The grey wolf didn't retreat however and Cassius whined as his father swiped at his neck.
It wasn't deep enough to even draw blood but it showed murderous intent Cassius hadn't really believed in until now.
It was time for him go on the offensive. He pounced, knocking the grey wolf onto his side before sinking his teeth into the wolf's side. His father howled but didn't release his grip on Cassius' foreleg. He tried to get it free but he'd known from the beginning that his father was physically stronger.
A snap echoed through the air and Cassius' howl was echoed by Catherine's scream and Azriel's distressed cry.
His father didn't retreat then. Cassius fell back and his father moved towards his neck for the killing blow. Cassius moved his hind legs then and used it pull the man's injured hind leg out of its socket.
The man was stronger but Cassius had gained a better tolerance to pain.
The grey wolf stumbled back and Cassius swiped at his father's chest, pressed down hard on the man's other leg until it too broke. Still the man didn't yield. He could read his father's eyes as he towered over him.
They taunted him to make the kill.
Catherine's earlier words came echoing back to him. She'd been afraid he wouldn't be able to bring himself to do this. Her concerns were justified.
Cassius shifted back into his human form and there was a collective gasp.
His father's grey wolf, once a symbol of strength and power, looked almost pitiful to him now. He'd won this fight in every way but the one that counted. The grey wolf's green eyes were triumphant despite the pain that must be going through him in that moment.
All he felt for his father in that moment was pity.
Cassius turned his attention away from the wolf to address the crowd. Catherine tossed him a pair of shorts from outside the circle, which he quickly put on. The words he was about to say would have been easier to say to her or Azriel but it was meant for the pack.
His pack.
"I'm not going to kill my father because I don't think it's something that would make me worthy of being your Alpha, your leader. A leader is supposed to have a heart and lead with it. A leader is more than just a show of physical strength. A leader represents bravery, honor, intelligence, and loyalty. Me committing patricide displays none of those qualities," Cassius started.
He took a deep breath and looked at Azriel and Catherine then. Azriel gave him a gentle nod to urge him on. Catherine had the proudest smile on her face.
He turned back to the crowd and his words were louder, thoughts clearer.
"I haven't been around this pack long enough to show you that I have the qualities of a leader. My father however has been around long enough to show you that he no longer has the qualities of one. I'm not asking you to pick between the two of us. I'm only asking you to overturn these outdated methods, these barbaric fights, that prevent you from choosing the leader you want in power," Cassius finished.
There was dead silence. Cassius scanned the crowd until he found Raphael. His brother had tears in his eyes as he smiled at him.
That wasn't all Cassius had wanted his speech to inspire but it was a start.
He shifted back into his wolf and the crowd parted ways for him to race back to the packhouse. He'd barely entered his room and shifted back when Catherine burst in. She had tears glistening in her eyes as she hurled herself at him.
"That was amazing," she whispered.
"Couldn't have done it without you there," he replied honestly.
She drew back in surprise and something infinitely serious settled over both of them. Catherine couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes and Cassius understood why. It was hard, acknowledging the strength of this bond that had almost secretly crept up on them over the admittedly short time they'd spent together.
Her eyes were decidedly fixed on his chest when she spoke.
"I didn't know you were so eloquent," Catherine teased.
Cassius pulled her in and ruffled her hair playfully. She squirmed out of his grip with a laugh and it was finally easier to breath again. Neither of them had been good with seriousness.
"Where's Azriel," Cassius asked.
"Healing your dad," Catherine replied.
Of course he was.
The door opened again and Raphael walked in. He was breathing heavily like he'd run the whole way. His cheeks were still stained with tears.
"What you said out there, " Raphael started.
"Was all true. I would have vouched for you, you know if the situation called for it. You'd make a great Alpha and you've proven yourself to the pack, my friends and me on multiple occasions," Cassius said.
Raphael crossed the room and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. Cassius hugged him back fiercely, feeling tears burn in the back of his throat as well. He hadn't known his opinion had meant that much to his brother, to anyone for that matter, and it was heartwarming to say the least.
Raphael drew back, wiping tears off his face with the back of his hand. That's when Desmond entered the room. Cassius didn't know what to say, how to react to seeing him there.
He wasn't exactly angry with him. He had no right to be considering Desmond had acted just as Cassius had expected him to and he'd acted that way because he cared. Still, Cassius couldn't quite muster a smile and neither did Desmond.
"I know you're probably mad or whatever but you should go back outside. Your dad's going to talk, " Desmond said.
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