run, run. /open

[[Midnight]]

Take my time today
It's not an easy game
Many sights to be seen if you say so
It's not easy baby

After so much time, the scenery finally felt familiar to him. With the snow melted and his winter coat thinning out, the ex-Beta of Falling Moon felt lighter on his feet as he patrolled the territory he'd lived in for many months now.

Justyn felt as restless as ever before. He had always been a burning ball of fire, constantly raging through every day with an onslaught of different ideals. Every season seemed to refine him, change his interior, but the last slow and dismal Winter seemed to shape him most of all the others. He felt a different being. But, as was his usual way, he felt incapable of pinpointing the details.

What about him had changed? He felt both stronger and weaker than ever before. He'd been through some trials as of late but he'd grown up a lot more, too. His shell had grown thicker. He'd grown better at keeping secrets.

Life was far different for him these days. He'd finally settled down with a mate, and was an extremely short time away from becoming a father. He'd felt a twinge of that proud excitement once before, so he could almost say he was familiar with all of it. However, thinking about it brought back extremely unpleasant memories and a heavy weight on his heart, and in a way, it was affecting his current feelings. The happiness was also mixed with dread and disappointment.

He'd never admit it, and out of fear that Fallon would see of glimpse of his distress, he'd kept himself busy with fatherly duties; catching her meals, keeping her warm in the coldest nights, making sure she was healthy. Letting his past mistakes weigh him down was the last thing either of them needed. So, Justyn had been the most doting partner he felt he could be. He was sure he felt happy and complete! How could he ask for anything more? Not even Duke was breathing over his shoulder any longer, threatening to harm everything Justyn loved. The Alpha was so old now, Justyn wondered how he'd even survived the winter.

The sturdy wolf was standing tall and still, eyes shifting through the dark shadows of the forest as he silently sniffed at the faint breeze. He came here often, because this was where he could be the most successful at hunting. There may not be much open space for him to run in pursuit, but his dark pelt was what allowed him to sneak up as close as he wanted in order to target the largest of prey the forest had to offer. Right now, he wasn't really interested in a real hunt, but sometimes he felt that burning flame of distress in the pit of his stomach, creeping up on him, and the taste of blood and the rush of adrenaline helped him forget about his troubles.

Fatherhood was certainly making him aggressive as it was. He was confident that he could keep his family well-fed and safe from others, but did he have the personality for it? Would Duke ever consider sending his offspring in to wipe out Justyn's pups, for fear of positional threats? The idea was always lingering. Sometimes it kept the wolf awake at night. He thought he'd come to trust Duke to a reasonable extent, and that was when Justyn's closest friend and almost-lover had betrayed him. It was the last thing he'd ever expected to happen, and it hurt more than anything in the world to learn that her loyalties lay deeper with a cold-blooded murderer than with him. Not only had she considered the idea of seducing him, but she'd also made it clear that being by his side was the last thing she wanted.

Well, the joke was on her now. While she slept alone in her den, perhaps next to her dying father, Justyn was happy and with the love of his life. He'd even given up his position of Beta to her pathetic son. He'd never last as a true Moons wolf! Justyn wasn't sure, but he felt he could have won that fight if he'd really wanted to - he was a seasoned fighter, having done so all his life, while little Bion had been pampered in naivety over with Dancing Stars. Bion was big and burly, but that didn't make him Beta material. Justyn hoped he would fail miserably. He told himself he'd given it up out of spite for Duke, but now he wondered if there was another name attached to that bitterness he felt. His lips lifted into a scowl and the sudden growl from deep within his throat frightened off a flock of birds in the tree atop of him.

He turned his thoughts over to Fallon. Her scent...her swaying belly...the growling stopped, though the angry was still there. Perhaps it always would be.

Crossing lines
Don't let me feel this way
Rage in my eyes
I'm so so sorry

[Paint]

Hearing a growl erupt amongst the depths of this dark forest may have been spooky to a wolf who didn't know this place. And who better to know it than the one who had built it? Duke remembered the day that he had wrenched leadership of the Moons wolves from Shaye's pathetic teeth. Duke remembered it as if it were yesterday, although it was a lifetime ago now.

The bear-like Alpha was striding through his territory, head held high, enjoying the darkness and solitude of this mighty expanse of forest. When he had first arrived here, he had been determined to take Caden's lands from him and call the whole valley his own. Perhaps his younger self would have done just that, but Duke knew better now. Nothing bred the violent and self-involved wolves that served him so well as these dark, crippled lands. So the growl that echoed through the trees and stirred the birds made Duke's dark smile appear. Justyn sounded ever so happy.

Honestly, Duke cared very little that Bion had won the fight and assumed the role of Beta. He had never really felt the need for a Beta wolf, but he recognised that another Alpha might. Maybe it would be good to keep it in the family, as such. He had a creak in his bones as he rounded the trees and faced his previous Beta, assuming a dominant stance, although he knew it was just a formality. He did not know, or care, whether Justyn liked him or hated him. The big black wolf had no time for such fancies- he only demanded respect, whether it was given between clenched jaws or not. And he did not fear Justyn, not now, not ever.

"Trouble in paradise?" he asked. It may have been a joke, but Duke had never been one for delivery. His voice would always be low, gnarled. Intense. He looked the other male over, well aware that he was soon to be a father. Duke wondered how Justyn would fare. Would he grow up, or would he be just as tortured as ever? The thought of little versions of Justyn running around made Duke feel ill. And yet he couldn't bring himself to die. He simply refused to believe there was anyone who could fill his role, and do his legacy justice.

[[Midnight]]

It never failed that, when Justyn was trying to recover from his poisoned thoughts of Duke, the old nightmare himself seemed to appear right before him. It was if he knew that it was the perfect moment to sneak up and pour salt in some very sore wounds. It only made it harder for Justyn to stand his ground, direct his attention on his Alpha, and keep himself from attacking him right there. At least, if one thing about Justyn had improved, it was his level of self-control. Maybe a year ago, Justyn would have given himself up to his blind hatred. For now, he was able to stifle any of his growling and swallow it as he gave Duke a cold but rather meaningless look.

He stood there and stared, as if seeing Duke for the first time. He was still as intimidating as ever, especially for one who'd never seen him before. Justyn remembered what it was like to look up at his towering stature, as he himself was a small, trembling pup. It was still a mystery why Duke hadn't just showed him his fangs back then instead of taking him in. He never enjoyed thinking of the possibilities, and the most logical explanations were already drenched in the flavor of corrupt unpleasantness. Still, it was because of Duke that he was alive today; even he couldn't deny that. As he was, he'd never have survived the journey here. It was irony for him.

Seeing Duke now also brought back fresh memories of Rose, which heightened his discomfort. It made him curl his lip slightly. To think, that in a moment of passion and confusion, Justyn had promised Rose that he'd give his life to protect Duke if that was her wish.

How disgusting, he thought. Surely his own life was worth more than that. What a shame that he'd loved Rose enough to have his own ideals blinded for so long. She was truly a manipulative curse. Of course, in reality he was at the beginning stages of true grief, though he didn't realize it and was hiding his hurt behind the idea that she'd truly betrayed him and could no longer be trusted with his feelings.

"No," he grunted back, his tail twitching as he had to fight the instinct to regain his Beta-like posture. It had come to him naturally that now he had to force himself down a few notches. It didn't work so well for him and maybe it never would; onlookers would probably still see some of his old proud dominance and confuse him as Duke's second hand. Justyn never had been a stickler for true tradition...not that it was valued in this pack anyway. He wondered what Duke had thought when he'd heard news of Bion's claimed rank, and pictured the laughing or maybe the disinterested grunt.

"I've never been more free of trouble than ever," he added, with a guarded tone mixed with surety. He shifted his weight. All he could do now was wait with great patience until Duke grew bored of him and took off again. If he never had to see the old snake again, Justyn felt he might live in a better state of mind. It's a shame he still clung to life. How many more winters would he live through? Meanwhile how many of his pups would he continue to use for his own games?
Was he still hoping for Rose to snuggle up to Justyn and seduce him for whatever reasons he'd had in mind?

Justyn wanted to keep up his carefree attitude, but there were the thoughts of his pups in the back of his mind, that struck icy fear inside of him. His eyes flickered for a brief moment. And, in that moment he understood how powerful Duke really was. His pups weren't even born yet, and Justyn already feared for their lives.

The dark shadow that Caer had once cast over Justyn's heart had been replaced by the wolf standing before him. As long as Duke lived, Justyn could never be free.

[Paint]

It wasn't important to Duke what Justyn felt. He saw the forced submission in Justyn's posture, and decided to take it no further. It was of no consequence to Duke how tall Justyn stood, as long as it was not as tall as him. Bion would have to hold his own as Beta. Grandson or not, Duke was not interested in mollycoddling anyone. He would treat him with the same expectant indifference as he had Justyn. And look how well that had turned out. Look at him, Duke thought, engulfed in a dark, smug state of mind. He's perfect Moons material.

Duke was not one to care for body language, nor was he a wolf of great brains, but he was instinctive. Even the stupidest of wolves would have been able to see the waves of hostility rolling off the angry male. It confused Duke slightly. He couldn't think of why Justyn would resent him. They had never been great friends, of course, but he couldn't recall doing anything to the opposing male that would warrant this level of hostility. Duke felt like snarling just to put him in his place.

"Very convincing," Duke replied drily. He narrowed his dark eyes at the wolf in front of him, remembering the scared little pup after the earthquake. Even then, shaken himself, and in the throes of grief at losing most of his family, Duke had seen how he could use this wolf. How Caerwyn, and Xaka, and all of them... how they would all turn in their graves to see a Stars Prince grow up to be so full of hate and anger. It warmed Duke right to his bored, evil core. Were Justyn's daddy issues really so ingrown that they had transferred onto Duke himself? Pathetic.

"What're you stalking around the trees snarling for? What's wrong with you, boy?" Duke's low voice rumbled, but he wasn't taking it too seriously. Not yet. He couldn't help but ask. Duke may not care about his pack members individually, but as a whole they mattered greatly to him. Disruption was common in this pack, he knew that and encouraged it, but the vague notion that Justyn had a problem with him made Duke curious. He wasn't even sure what it was about the wolf that he was picking up on, but it was something. And Duke was not in the mood to be checking over his shoulder. It did not occur to him that Justyn had a lot more to lose than Duke did. Duke was a wolf of the moment. Duke knew that he was growing old, and may only have a few fights left in him.

[[Midnight]]

Why did Duke have to pry? They both knew he could care less what Justyn was up to - unless it was related to the Alpha position, of course. He wanted to roll his eyes.

Still it was hard for him to decide if he'd expected not to get away from Duke so easily, or rather, if it was more unexpected to be questioned by Duke - and in a manner that implied curiosity. He couldn't help but think of all the possible thoughts the other was thinking.

The idea that Duke was mutually afraid of him had always lingered in the back of his mind, and even now he still flirted with the notion. Justyn was part of a lineage that had a long history with the Falling Moon royalty. It was sometimes pleasant to tell himself he had a measure of power, no matter how tiny, over Duke, but the reality was now that his fantasies actually made him nervous. When one was frightened, one would do anything, wouldn't they? He had no idea if it was true or not, but he wasn't ready to find out.

To feign ease, Justyn skirted closer to a nearby tree and rubbed his musk against the rough bark. Perhaps he wasn't good at hiding vibes, but his façade should work fine. He realized he was probably wearing everything blatantly on his expression, so he let himself relax. Normal Justyn was simply indifferent Justyn. As a chunk of his winter coat shed and floated through the shadows, he mulled over the words that were grumbled at him and the tone of voice used. He'd never had a way with words and talking to Duke was like walking through a clearing of eggshells.

"Do I really have to answer that?" he asked snidely, with a raised brow. "You were young once. Sometimes a guy is just itching to claw at something. Or someone."

His gaze was steady, but guarded. Now that he'd forced himself into calmness, he felt like his old, confident self for a few moments. It made him want to reminisce. The days when all he had to obsess about was his dead father were almost a more preferable state of being. At least back then he didn't have as many physical insecurities.

[Paint]

Duke watched the younger wolf out of dark eyes, narrowed on him as he nonchalantly rubbed his scent around. Had he forgotten that he wasn't a Beta wolf anymore? Still, the pack lands did require a collective scent. Duke decided not to read into it. Justyn seemed relaxed (well, sort of...) and besides, Duke had nothing to worry about. If Justyn had wanted to attack Duke and vie for his position, he wouldn't have gone down in the Beta fight. He was unable to hold onto his Beta position. There was no way he would be able to be an Alpha if that were the case. Duke relaxed too, as it dawned on him exactly why Justyn had walked away.

"You don't have to be young to want to claw someone," he reminded Justyn as the cogs in his mind began to really turn.

Justyn had something to lose now. Duke suddenly realised that this was the main difference between himself and the wolf standing in front of him. No matter how obsessively Duke had loved and protected his family, if anyone had challenged him and not walked away he would have fought them to the death. Hell, he'd ripped his own son Onisim up in battle and sent him running. Somehow, Duke could not imagine Justyn doing the same to his future pups. A dark smile spread over Duke's features as he felt his untouchable dominance return. No matter how old he was, he would always be the big bad wolf.

So his mind wandered. What could be Justyn's problem, really, if he wasn't vying for leadership... if he had a loyal mate and pups on the way? What could still be getting under his skin?

Rose hadn't spoken to Duke in weeks, so the Alpha did not know that his suggestion had broken her friendship with Justyn. It had made perfect sense to him at the time. Rose was clever, and vicious, but she needed some brute force behind her if she was going to lead. So Duke had suggested that she make Justyn her mate. He'd recognised that their loyalties ran deep, and to be powerful Alphas together only made sense to him. He didn't think it would take much to turn their relationship romantic, if that's what Rose wanted. He did not realise that he had confused the matter entirely with his pragmatism. Duke had not seen them together recently, but as news of his and Fallon's expected family reached him, and Rose's absence... Duke slowly pieced it together. He did not know his part in it, but his blood fired up suddenly.

"How's Rose?" he asked, to test the waters. He thought that the fiery upstart in front of him had turned his daughter down. And it was not sitting well with him.

[[Midnight]]

Heart pounding, Justyn met eyes with Duke. The words were a fresh sting and still he didn't know why he had to be this stuck on his hurt feelings. He struggled with his natural instinct to react offensively. Trust Duke to know his weakness. He always knew. The thought made him fearful again, which made him angrier. He thought he'd left all of his fear behind him.

Maybe you should be grateful that Duke put an end to it, he reasoned to himself. He swallowed and clenched his teeth, bumping his hip against the tree he'd just been using as an itching post as a way to distract himself momentarily.

With eyes full of disdain, he growled, "I imagine she's reflecting on her loneliness. She's probably gone back to her old ways; bowing down to you with all she has while hiding her brokenness in her shell."

Justyn knew Rose and Duke had always been the closest pair of the entire Duke clan, but he didn't think his words would cause any sort of emotional reaction with the Alpha. Remembering the conversation he and Rose had ages back, when they first met, had always given him the pretense that Duke used Rose as a crutch, and that was about as deep as the relationship truly went. He wondered if Rose was sad at all right now without their friendship, and then pondered whether or not it would cause Duke any pain to know that his scheming had hurt her in the end.

He was struck with a sudden memory; a few words in particular that Rose had said before.
"As soon as he dies, or the pack falls apart- that's when I'll fall apart."

He looked at Duke and took in the sight of him, old and something like bedraggled, and wondered how long he really had left.

"You need to live as long as you can, or Rose might not make it much longer, either. I don't know why, but she loves you, no matter how little you might care for her."

The words were out before he could stop himself.

[Paint]

Duke's entire body tensed as Justyn spoke. His hackles raised out of pure, unadulterated rage. Duke had never expected to hear Justyn speak so low of Rose, and a bloodcurdling snarl escaped from his chest out of instinct. Pathetic, ungrateful, dirt-blooded pup, he thought viciously, staring across at him.

"Bowing down to me? Stop speaking such nonsense," he snapped. "She is not my keeper. We are separate beings."

Duke was tired, and he knew that he was old. He felt it every day. But right now, he felt vividly alive, staring over at the smug wolf. He had no idea what had gone on between the two, and it frustrated him. He wasn't clever enough to work out that they had fallen out because of what he said. The cogs span in his brain, but he couldn't understand that he could have had any part in it. He hadn't read into Rose's absence. Now that he knew she was alone, he figured he should probably seek her out and ask her what had happened.

"I don't know what's causing your bad mood, but I won't have you bad-mouthing my offspring. Not if they're undeserving," he said. He was well aware of the flaws that he and his mates might have passed on to their pups, but he was far too arrogant to expect them to be anything too debilitating. He shook his mighty head and contemplated walking away. He was bored of these dramatics.

[[Midnight]]

He felt his adrenaline flushing through him as he watched Duke's expression grow from passive to enraged. He felt pleasure in knowing that, for once, Justyn found a tender spot that seemed to evoke an emotional response. He imagined if, many summers ago, Duke would have gotten far more violent thanks to Justyn's freeness of speech, as opposed to his now relatively subdued- though certainly angry- response. His fear was swallowed and a genuine smirk threatened to break across his face. He stopped it and decided to let his eyes do the talking instead, glimmering with smugness as Duke rambled on about how Justyn shouldn't mistreat his biological minions.

"No, she certainly is not," he responded, his eyes narrowing in response to the 'keeper' comment.

The more he thought about Rose and Duke possibly having a relationship deeper than the one he'd ever experienced with her, the sicker it made him. He'd wanted to think he was something more than Duke was. Well, at least now he could rest assured knowing that Duke had some sort of feeling for his daughter. Justyn had always wondered and never really known. Even now, it was all he could do not to convince himself that it was pride that made Duke defend Rose, and not love.

Actually, Duke's words sparked something else in Justyn, a nagging thought that he hadn't even realized was there.

"If I may be so honest, I believe Rose is as deserving of anything as you are. I wasn't trying to insult her, but I figured I may as well point out how apples never fall far from their trees. I imagine if she didn't love your thick hide as much as she did, I could see her following in your pawsteps and executing you in front of the pack, to take her place as Alpha - the same way you killed my grandfather. She is truly a devious little thing. I thought you might be proud to hear that."

He kept his tone of voice as neutral as possible, forgetting all of his previous fears and reservations and just going with the flow of things, as he always did. His anger was smoldering but so was his curiosity; had Rose not gone straight to Duke to tell him how things had gone? Justyn had first thought that Duke's question about Rose was purposely pointed to cause pain, but the way things were going, Justyn was starting to get the feel that Duke was being blindsided.

"I think she will turn into something even scarier than you. At least with you, I can know exactly where things are going to go. You and I, we are just straight-up kind of guys. We don't beat around the bush. But Rose - Rose knows exactly how to bury herself deep into your soul and rip you apart from the seams. Everything with her is an act. I've been wondering if she planned this all along; to get make angry at you so we'd fight, maybe kill each other."

He shuddered suddenly, ears flattening as his fur rose along his spine, as though he was only just now realizing some important truth.

"She can't fool me. I won't let her manipulate my ideals anymore. If she wants me to target you, then I'll do the exact opposite!"

The implications were clear; Justyn was suggesting that Rose wanted them both dead. Perhaps he'd truly gone mad, but he felt it made sense, if it was looked at a certain way. She'd forced her way into his heart, softened him up a bit so she could turn him whichever way she wanted. She'd given a sob story about how much of a hold Duke has on her, how he suffocates her and how she has no way of getting out. And then, she continues to feed Justyn's hatred for Duke, and tells him to start sharpening his leadership qualities. And once she's sure she's gotten him wrapped around her tail, she sets him off by cutting ties with him...and framing her father for their breakup.

[Paint]

Duke was utterly perplexed at Justyn's rant. He tried, rather boredly, to keep up with what he was saying. He chuckled a little at the idea of Rose trying to 'execute' him in front of the pack. She was a vicious little vixen, and undoubtably faster than her old man, but Duke knew that he would kill her in a fight. No questions. So the rest of Justyn's speech was tainted by Duke's amusement. He almost wanted to fight her now, just to send Justyn reeling in confusion.

It seemed odd to the Alpha that Justyn was pouring out, almost obsessively, all of these revelations and fears. Duke had absolutely no idea what had taken place between the two, but clearly she'd screwed him up for life. He was almost proud, for a minute, but couldn't understand how Justyn could now be useful to his daughter. Justyn was right; she was devious, and they were 'straight-up guys'. She evidently took after her mother a little more than he'd thought. Duke casually wondered about these things as Justyn spoke. He waited a moment after Justyn's final exclamation, to check if he wanted to go on any longer. Then he realised that he should probably reply.

"So you've fallen out," he eventually settled on, quite drily. He really didn't have much else to say. He'd thought of going to Rose to ask her what had happened, but the way Justyn was going on, he thought he might get a more truthful (if not volatile) response from the male. From his tone, it didn't exactly sound as if he had rejected Rose. Perhaps it was the other way around? "What happened?"

Like Justyn said, a straight-up guy. Duke wanted to know, so he'd asked. And he expected an answer from his subordinate. It was as simple as that to him.

[[Midnight]]

Duke would always infuriate Justyn, but even as he spoke he could feel himself regretting his words, knowing that it was less hatred of Duke and more hatred of himself that made him so insecure. Really, he should know better than to reveal weaknesses, and to offer a life story so boldly, as if Duke wouldn't use it to his advantage. He tried to control his tempest of emotions and give in to logic. He'd still not come anywhere near to mastering the skill of suppression. Madness continued kissing at his ear-tips, threatening to consume him. How could one not go mad when conspiracy tore apart your most inborn belief?

He shut his mouth and swallowed. Duke was asking for details, and it made him want to start spilling the hatred and accusation he felt towards this old fool. The root of the problem was him. Always him.

Duke was making it clear that Justyn had to speak, and the younger wolf felt happy to oblige. Filtered, of course; this time he made sure of it.

"I waited a long time to hear her talk about being my mate. When she finally brought it up, she told me it was because you had a scheming plan to set us up, for business purposes. And she decided your plan was nullified."

His eyes bore into Duke's trying to find something, but knew all that would be offered was sarcasm, laughter, perhaps even a smile.

"One can only wonder how long such silly scheming had been going on. Form the very beginning, maybe? I guess meeting her in the swamp that day was no accident."