sigh no more /open

[Fire]

sigh no more, no more
one foot in sea, one on shore

It was the freedom he liked the most. He'd been a loner most of his life, so he didn't know much else. But if there one reason he couldn't join the Moons, it was because he enjoyed making his own rules far too much. It had been playing on his mind recently, though. He was Duke's grandson. Duke, the alpha of the Falling Moons. Should he join them, was that what he was supposed to do? He didn't believe in fate, or destiny or anything like that, but perhaps he was missing out on something. He'd never spoken to Iris about it before, but he was quite sure she'd never rejoin the pack. After all, she was far too lovely. He couldn't bear the thought of her being picked on, or being taunted just because she had a good heart, but he was arrogant enough to believe that he might fit in. Maybe he was a Falling Moon at heart. It was food for thought, but for the time being he was content living on his own and deciding his own actions. After all, there were probably a lot of wolves in the pack who were a lot bigger and stronger than him and, well...he didn't really feel like showing off and beating them all in a fight, that was all.

It was a fine, fresh day, but he could feel that Spring was coming to an end. Soon all the pups of the valley would be born, if they weren't already, and start exploring and learning and doing all that boring stuff. Learning, pah. Learning was beneath him, in his opinion. Pups were beneath him, too. In fact, strangely enough, most wolves were beneath Taku. His brown paws pressed carefully on the drying dirt, still a little damp from the rain earlier. He'd been asleep, of course. Tucked up in his den, but the morning was wearing on and he'd decided to come for a walk to wake him up properly, and maybe find something to hunt. He sincerely hoped the heavens didn't decide to open again, or else he'd go straight back to his den with a sour face and an empty stomach. The rain was wet. And cold. And it was nearly Summer and he simply shouldn't have to deal with being soaked to the core.

He was being more careful than usual as he picked his way through the trees, probably because he couldn't really care for company. He guessed there would be some enthusiastic, young, annoying wolf out there who would just love to bother him and ruin his day, perhaps tell him stories about things he really didn't give a damn about, because that was the kind of sad, lonely and pathetic wolves that roamed No Mans Land. The thought made him reconsider his previous thoughts about going to Duke and begging for a place in the pack so that he didn't have to waste any more time with chatty loners. On the other hand, at least he could sink his teeth into them to shut them up without being told off. He had a feeling Duke wouldn't appreciate him starting fights because wolves were annoying him. He smirked to himself, but he didn't feel like fighting today. He felt quite lazy today, actually. It was the bloody rain's fault.

my heart was never pure
and you know me, and you know me

[[Midnight]]

Well, it was certainly all and well while it lasted. Now, Rose's mate, Raiden was back and had made a new litter with her. So, she had given birth, and there were two more pups in her life. Also, Justyn had probably blown it with his last living relatives forever. It pained him to think that he was no longer an asset to anyone's life, but he tried not to dwell on the matter. After all, he had gotten along just fine before Rose decided to read his mind and crack his heart. He was alone before he had friendships, and look where he was now; second in command over Falling Moon, not necessarily a popular wolf among the valley, but respected for his strength and determination. He was genetically unable to back down from a good challenge. He had wits, he had courage, and now, he had a denmate.

If all else failed, perhaps Malo would stick with him. If not, well... Perhaps Justyn wasn't so far off from becoming the next Caerwyn. Could an angry, bitter, lonely, reckless heart be just as brutal as the disease that had savaged the Alpha of Dancing Stars?

No way. If anything, it was even more of an asshole than Caer. To hell with that disease! Caer was a vicious murderer, but Justyn was just unpredictable. Caer had control, but Justyn snapped at the slightest emotion.

Justyn felt he was losing control. And this disturbed him greatly. What was making him so unbalanced? Would he someday change, like his father had? Would Justyn someday walk away from his own pups?

As Justyn prowled No-Man's-Land in a wild fashion, his brow furrowed and his hackles twitched every so often. He was lost in thought about himself, as usual. Really, today was a distracting day for him. He couldn't stop thinking about the one memory that was forever burned in his brain, the one that always came back to haunt him when he started to forget: the memory of Caerwyn, his father, walking away from the den. Walking away from his four pups and mate. Justyn remembers the feeling of detachment as he watched his father's receding backside. He remembers looking up at his mothers face and seeing the sorrow in her eyes. Why?

It wasn't until later that he learned why his mother was so sad, and why that day was the last he had seen of his father.

It had rained a lot today, but it was starting to clear a bit, it seemed. A ray of sunshine was streaming down on the male's back, making his gray saddle glow ember as he raised his bulky neck to study the shape in front of him.

He had come across a loner, from the smell of him. Justyn stared at him indifferently, with a slight smile of arrogance. He'd never seen this male around these parts before, but Justyn instantly appreciated the look of him. It was also one of arrogance.

"Hello, twinkletoes," he greeted, lifting his tail dominantly but standing in place. His small smile became a toothy one. "You're a funny looking face."
Justyn noted the male's strange eye coloring, and wondered if it was a touchy subject for him. His coat sure was interesting. Actually, he looked familiar somehow, but it couldn't be placed.

[Fire]

Being interrupted was not something Taku enjoyed. Especially when he was in such a brooding mood, he tended to get quite tetchy. His ears pricked up and swiveled suddenly at the sound of the approaching wolf, and immediately he felt a little more grumpy. There really was no rest for the wicked. As he turned his body around to look at the intruder, the wolf began to speak.
Taku stood for a moment, a little too shocked to react right away. He breathed in and instantly the Falling Moon stench filled his nostrils. After looking the male up and down and noticing his annoyingly dominant posture, Taku lifted his head a little and puffed out his chest. This wolf would be no match for him surely, yet he couldn't help but appreciate the size of him and the respect he seemed to command.
"Hello," he muttered, a little cautiously. Twinkle toes? A funny looking face? Who in the world did this wolf think he was?
"Funny looking, hm?" he said with a small laugh, flashing his teeth at Justyn in a falsely pleasant smile. "This is the colouring of royalty that you've just insulted." There was an undoubtable pride in his voice, but also a tone of detachment; a lack of interest. Sure, he was Duke's grandson, but what did he really know about his heritage? Nothing, that's what. He didn't feel like he had the right to brag about it when he hadn't seen any of his family since before the earthquake (not that it stopped him doing so). He wasn't even sure who had survived, and he began to feel a little guilty. His mother must've seen them, though. She would've told him if anything bad had happened? Or maybe she wouldn't, it's not like he'd exhibited any interest in Falling Moon relatives.
In any case, he didn't have a funny looking face. He liked to think he was extremely attractive. The only reason he didn't have a mate was because he couldn't do with the hassle, the same reason he was dissuaded from the idea of rejoining the pack.

The male before him was clearly either nearly as arrogant as himself, or high ranking. Was he the alpha? If that was true, then Duke was probably dead. He couldn't imagine his grandfather not fighting to the death.
"Pardon me, pal," Taku sneered with another cool flash of his canines. "I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?"
If the wolf really was high-ranking, there was no way he'd fail to mention it. He looked like the kind of self important sod Taku had met many times before.
However, it did seem odd that an alpha would be wandering No Man's Land. He was most likely the Beta, which made him feel a little more comfortable.
He studied his face carefully, wondering if he'd seen him before. It was only for a few moments, but he felt like he should know him. He felt as if he should recognise his face, but then it passed. Déjà vu probably. Taku saw so few wolves nowadays that he wouldn't forget a face.

[[Midnight]]

Justyn soaked in all of this stranger's attributes. As they made eye contact, Justyn saw the same attitude reflected in them that he was wearing. The male puffed out his chest in response to Justyn's lack of humility, which Justyn would've challenged, if it were a packmate. But this was a loner, and frankly Justyn had little interest in trying to show him up. What a waste of time and energy that would be.

Then again, Justyn realized the size of this adult male. He was about as big as he was. Probably a good challenge in those muscles underneathe that frightful pelt of his.

Justyn's brow raised as the male spoke of royalty. A mocking smile spread across his maw, but he didn't openly tease the suggestion. Still, Justyn was immediately struck with the idea that this was a pompous brat who didn't like getting his paws grimy. Perhaps it was just a biased presumption when the male said the word "royalty" like he was the daughter of an Alpha.

Justyn remained silent until he was asked his identity. With a toothy grin, he responded in the same fashion, but with a curled tail.
"Royalty," was all he said, his eyes dark. He never brought up his roots willingly, especially in a bragging way since he hated his father's guts; but this strange would probably just assume he was mocking him and not at all serious.

"I'm Justyn, from Falling Moon. Ever heard of them?" he asked, taking a step forward. His tone was unreadable.

[Fire]

This male was starting to irk Taku something rotten. Of course he didn't want to seem weak in front of Justyn, but he was in no mood for fighting. The weather was miserable and frankly he wanted to go back to sleep or find something to eat rather than talking to this complete loser.
However, despite not being the politest of wolves, Taku's courtesy did reach far enough to not walk away from a wolf in the middle of the conversation. His ears twitched in annoyance at the stranger's patronising tone, but refused to let it get to him.
"As a matter-of-fact I have! What're the chances, hm?" Taku feigned surprise, eyebrows arching a little but his eyes glimmering with amusement.

A part of him was genuinely a little interested in this wolf. Royalty. Could he possibly be related to Duke, and therefore himself? The idea of having a relative, especially one as strong as Justyn seemed, made Taku feel a little excited. He quickly pushed it away when he studied the male's coat and noted a lack of gold; a telltale sign that you were part of the Falling Moon royal family.
Perhaps he had Dancing Star blood, a thought which automatically made Taku feel a little uneasy. No Dancing Star would be caught dead with the Falling Moons, surely. He could only imagine it would lead to being disowned by his family and distrusted by the Moons.

"Have you been with them long?" he ventured, deciding it might not be a bad idea to find out a little more about him. He wasn't convinced that the male would be of much help but it was worth a shot if he could find out more about his family. It'd been a long time since he'd spoken to them. Too long, in fact. They probably wanted nothing more to do with him after all the time he'd been away. What if they thought he was dead? Or even worse, what if they didn't care?

He breathed a short sigh and although he kept a careful watch on the male's movements, his eyes was sincere and showed no signs of the previous bitterness.

[[Midnight]]

It was obvious that Justyn was disliked in this situation. But it never phased him much, seeing as how he always tried to get under everyone's skin. Even as a pup he could remember himself purposely mocking his younger brother, frightening him with tall tales.

After the brief moment of Falling Moon's introduction, Justyn watched as Taku studied him. He seemed somehow impressed, or perhaps just intrigued. But there was definately a change of attitude in the eyes. Justyn's own hazel orbs narrowed as the memory of making the long journy from Empyrean, to here, following in the pawsteps of the male who killed Xaka. It was a frightening time in his life, but also an xhilarating one.

He didn't know why he felt suddenly so defensive of his position with the Moons, his relationship with them. He had never felt pride as strong as this before, especially not to a stranger. Was he trying to reassure himself that he was where he belonged? That there was no reason to be guilty as a traitor to the Stars?

"They raised me as the asshole I am," he responded, shrugging his shoulders slightly like the situation was humorous but hopeless. "I'm their Beta."

sorry I ended short, I'm suddenly really exhausted!

[Fire]

"Is that so?" It was more an statement than a question; an accusation perhaps. It wasn't that he didn't trust what Justyn had said, but he was curious, and whenever Taku felt anything it usually expressed itself with bitter or angry connotations. Being self conscious wasn't normally something that bothered Taku. His arrogance and stubbornness seemed to deflect all insults that were thrown his way but knowing that Justyn was the Falling Moon Beta made him want to impress him. Impress him or tear him apart for his position, he wasn't sure which. He certainly felt annoyed as well, that somebody like him was a Beta and he wasn't.
Perhaps he ought to go back.

"I don't...remember you. Were you around before the Earthquake?" he asked, not used to the civil tone he heard in his own voice. Taku didn't give most wolves the time of day, but Justyn was important, and powerful.
He grasped for something to talk about. Anything he could find out about his family would be...Well, he didn't exactly know what it would be. Comforting didn't seem like the right word because he knew that information about their lives wouldn't change his current quality of life. Maybe it was relief. He'd spent so long not knowing, even having confirmation that some of them were dead would but him at ease.
But it didn't completely feel like that either. He just wanted to know that they were okay, some of them at least. He wanted to be go back and be able to cling to some remnant of the past if he wanted to do so.
Thoughts that they'd forgotten about him plagued his nightmares. Dreams where he turned up on the border and Duke looked at him with an blank face, no hint of recognition in his eyes. He wouldn't tell anyone though, not even his mother. Especially not his mother.

"Do you know Rose?" he questioned, eager to hear about Iris' sister. She mentioned her sometimes. Not as much now as when they were traveling to Caden valley. Perhaps his mother thought he'd lost interest.

[[Midnight]]

Justyn's eyes glazed over with a guardedness as Taku began to pursue the past. He hadn't originally been prepared for Taku to be from Emyprean Valley, nonetheless asking about the earthquake. He was a new face to him - although, he did seem about the same age. Perhaps he was a pup in Falling Moon the same season as Justyn. At the thought of it, Justyn realized something should be clicking in his brain, something obvious about this whole conversation. But he couldn't place it, so he shrugged it off.

He was going to respond to the "royal male" when he spoke of something equally as sensative to Justyn, in a different way. His nostrils flared and his eyes twitched slightly as he looked at Taku in a new light. Just who was this male, and how did he know Rose? He furrowed his brows, his eyes widening a bit. Could this be one of those long lost pups of Rose's? No way.
This was Justyn's first presumption.

"...Rose? Are you her son?" he asked, undisguised surprise in his voice. All traces of standoffish indifference were gone, now he was genuinely curious to know this male. He took a tentative step forward, ready to talk about her.

"I was from Empyrean Valley. I know Rose very well," he explained willingly. He still couldn't bring himself to admit they were best friends - he never wanted that information to be widely known, in case something were to happen.

[Fire]

Evidently Taku had hit a chord. A smug sense of achievement swelled inside him and made him feel more at ease. Now he wasn't the only one interested in what the other had to say. He wondered why Justyn was suddenly so interested, but it was answered as soon as he spoke.
Ah. So this male was familiar with Rose. Taku studied his expression carefully when he spoke about his aunt, trying to figure out how close they were. Justyn seemed guarded, clearly an expert at not expressing any emotions he didn’t want disclosed to everyone. Were they mates? The thought unsettled him a little. He certainly didn’t want this guy as an uncle, no sir-y.
“Nephew,” he corrected, settling his rump on the floor as if he were about to tell a long story, though he had no intention of doing so. It was a gesture that suggested openness; a lack of fear or reticence. He tilted his head ever so slightly. It wasn’t an entirely stupid conclusion to arrive at, but Taku thought that any conclusion that was wrong was idiotic by default. As the male stepped forward, Taku’s eyes narrowed slightly. Despite his cool exterior, he didn’t fully trust this male.
“Is Raiden still…around?” He wondered if he was; if they’d have more pups this spring that his mother didn’t know about. He was going to tell her all about this, so he wanted to be able to tell her as much as possible. On the other hand, Raiden might not have survived the Earthquake and this male may indeed be her new mate, or just a friend. Or perhaps a friend who wants more than friendship.

Taku was still struggling to remember Justyn from puphood. Surely they’d have met each other, even just once. Then again, the Earthquake had hit shortly after spring. Maybe they would’ve met and become friends if fate had dealt different cards to them.

[[Midnight]]

Taku seemed pleased at Justyn's leak of information, though Justyn didn't mind his smug expressions. His thoughts were elsewhere, with Raiden being brought into the conversation. So, this was Rose's nephew. Raiden was dead now - would this male be upset to hear this?

Actually, Justyn hadn't known the news for very long. Hours, maybe. In the back of his mind Justyn knew that he was temporarily avoiding the Moon's land. He had to prepare himself to meet Rose face-to-face. A numb feeling buried whatever it was his heart was trying to tell him at the moment. He figured it was a bad idea to lose his cool in front of this fellow, so he gladly kept emotions buried.

Still, his eyes darkened. He couldn't help but hide his frustrations and some of his fear. Big changes seemed to be happening every season, and Justyn was never one to cope with changes.

"Raiden is dead. Hasn't been for long."

He never did like Raiden. Arrogant old man. But it never mattered to him. He was her source of happiness.

"Damn, he wasn't supposed to die yet," he mumbled, lifting a lip in a small snarl. "I'm not sure what to do about your aunt."

He took a deep breath and exhaled, studying Taku again in a different light. Everything seemed to be weighing on his mind now - it took the fight right from him for the time being.

"So," he said, hoping to change the subject, "you're Duke's grandson?"

If so, Justyn would understand why he didn't like the looks of him upon first sighting. Taku just...reminded him of unpleasant things.

[Fire]

The news of Raiden's death didn't feel like as much of a shock as it probably should have. Taku nodded carefully, muddling through various thoughts and emotions. Surely he should be upset that his uncle had died? He hadn't seen Raiden since before the Earthquake and...well, that was a very long time ago. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Rose recently either.
Yet again, he felt guilt knawing away at his insides. How had he managed to stay away from his family for so long? And more importantly, why?
"I don't know what you can do about Rose," he said with a small shrug. "I don't know her all that well."
Contrary to popular belief, Taku was not typically an unintelligent wolf, but words of advice failed him. His gaze shifted to the the side of Justyn, unsure of what to say.

The change of subject came as a relief, and his sharp eyes snapped back to the Beta.
"I am. Iris is my mother. I don't know if you've met her, or..." His head dropped a little and he looked up at Justyn expectantly, waiting for an answer of some kind. Taku didn't suppose they'd have met, but he didn't know how long Justyn had been around for. Perhaps he'd been around a while, in which case it was a possibility, but he seemed about the same age as Taku.

"Have you been with them for long?" Taku was positive that he wouldn't forget a face and this one seemed unfamiliar, but the longer he looked the more he felt as though he was missing something glaringly obvious.

[[Midnight]]

Justyn was also noting the lack of general empathy that Taku was displaying for his family He wasn't at all surprised by it. If anything, Justyn had come to understand that feeling. Sometimes when he thought about his old family, there was nothing but numbness. Still, Justyn considered that Taku didn't know yet that his family was breaking apart at the seams. He hadn't seen Duke in a while, probably; he wasn't the same wolf as before, now that he was old and his mate was dead. Falling Moon was changing along with him.

He mulled over the name Iris. It didn't have any signifigance for him. He'd never heard of her before, nonetheless knew that Duke had a loner daughter. Or, was she a Dancing Star, and Taku simply boycotted them, much like Justyn had? Justyn would find it far more fascinating if it was the latter.
"Never heard of her."

He took a moment to shake his massive bulk, sending fur flying in every direction. He had yet to shed off his winter undercoat, and was getting to be a bother. He wondered if he looked unkempt, and then realized he really didn't care if that was the case.

"I may as well have been since birth," was his unclear response, letting his tongue loll out of his mouth with summer sweat. "I willingly joined Falling Moon before I even hit my first year."

His hazel eyes were awfully curious now as he looked at Taku a bit more closely.
"Why aren't you with the Moons?" he asked pointedly. "I've never heard of Duke's family leaving him willingly."

[Fire]

Taku nodded a little and grunted in response. He'd expected as much. To his knowledge his mother very rarely visited the Moon lands and he had every faith that if she did, she would tell him. Sometimes he wondered how she did it though; stayed away from her family for so long. Even he didn't see her very often anymore, but perhaps that was his own fault.
Justyn's first answer was a little vague but Taku didn't feel the need to press the matter any furthur. He sensed that he didn't want to talk about it, but that wasn't something he normally took much notice of. It was more likely due to a lack of interest than sympathy. What did he care whether this brute was a Moon wolf born and bred?
"Well, as long as you're not from the Stars," he said with a snort of amusement and an almost unnoticeable elevation of his maw. As soon as the words fell from his tongue, he realised how ridiculous it sounded. One look at this wolf up and down and anybody'd be mad to think Justyn was one of them.

Taku considered Justyn's next question carefully. Willingly. Taku had never considered the reasons he'd left the Falling Moons, but he wondered now why it was. In any case, Justyn was wrong. He wasn't the first of Duke's family to leave him. Iris had told him a little about Anevay, his grandmother, and so far as he knew, she'd also left Duke willingly.
"I don't suppose it's something Duke would boast about, " Taku said gruffly, though not unkindly. He had nothing against his grandfather and if anything he feared him. At least, he feared the wolf that others made him out to be. "I left because my mother left, that's all there is to it. I felt more allegiance to her than I did to Duke..." Taku frowned a little at Justyn, feeling as though he was being scutinised, and wondered how much he should disclose to this stanger. "At the time, anyway."

Relaxing a little, Taku lowered his head and slackened his posture slightly. "What attracted you to the prospect of being Duke's subordinate, anyway?"

[[Midnight]]

And suddenly, with just a few more sentences from the stranger, Justyn suddenly liked him. He liked his tone of voice and his perspective, as if he disliked Duke, and Justyn hadn't met very many who openly said so. His eyes seemed to glow as he let out a genuine, hearty laugh in response to everything he had just said.

"Oh no, you're right. Duke would never boast about a prodigal child. His style is more...suffocate his children. Give them no choice but to die with him."

Taku probably didn't understand at all what he was trying to say. Justyn wasn't exactly good with poetic words, but he was just thinking of Rose, and how, when they had first spoken, she told him how Duke was dragging his daughters down with him. He let the subject go, still wearing an ironic smile. His whole demeanor had changed. He stood tall and proud, but detached and yet more friendly and familiar. For the first time in his life, Justyn was ready to reveal his history with a complete stranger. He was watching Taku's face intensely, and took a moment to respond to his previous 'Star's' statement.

"I'm gonna be honest with you, because we seem to be getting along. I came from the Dancing Stars. From the Alpha wolves, actually. You might've heard of my crazed father. He wasn't a lunatic like some wolves would say. He was worse than a lunatic. He was a demon who killed his family in brutal ways."

He sat back on his rump, interrupting his story to give himself a quick scratch behind the ear with a back leg. When he looked back at Taku, he was still smiling, but his eyes were hard and cold.

"I joined Duke for survival. I met him in the old valley, heading out after the earthquake. He didn't kill me, and I didn't run away, and that's how it worked out. I bit a few wolves here and there, and he made be Beta wolf. Maybe it was just to keep a closer eye on me. I've been a bit of a lunatic myself, getting hotheaded over silly things."

He ended his case there, having summed it up rather quickly, and stared at Taku, feigning boredness.

[Fire]

In truth, Justyn's first statement both intrigued and confused him. He'd already mentioned how close he was to Rose, perhaps this was the first example. It worried Taku that his statement probably didn't apply solely to Rose. Sure, this wolf didn't know Iris, but he knew Duke, and he knew Duke a heck of a lot more than Taku did. As his right-hand-man, he probably knew the alpha a lot better than the majority of the pack.
Doubt began to creep toward the thoughts he'd had of joining the Moons again.

However, he was heartened by the seemingly genuine, friendly gesture of the laugh Justyn let out. Taku rarely made others laugh and it felt good. Normally his pessimistic and selfish attitudes drove others to roll their eyes at him, or just walk away. He'd never felt like he'd needed anyone else before. He was a loner and that was it, but maybe he was wrong.

He listened curiously to Justyn as he went on to tell him, much to Taku's surprise, about his Dancing Stars heritage, and then his joining Duke and rise to Beta-dom. Despite himself, Taku felt a lot of respect for this wolf swell inside him. It sounded as though he'd been through a lot more than Taku had, and had managed to fight his way to the top, past the wolves who had been with Duke since birth. It was his turn to laugh this time. It was nothing more than a chuckle, but it showed both admiration and surprise. Other than that, Taku kept his mouth shut whilst Justyn spoke. The knowledge of his father being a psychopath was a little disturbing but he knew better than to judge others on the actions on their parents.

Taku sensed the hurriedness of the last sentence and the ending of his tale and felt as though he should try to remedy his apparent unease at having a crazy father.
"I doubt it's hereditary, Justyn. That kind of thing isn't passed through genetics or diseases, some wolves are just born rotten. And I don't mean Duke-kind-of-rotten, either. Sure, he can be vicious, but he's no monster. He's just what circumstance made him, and the same goes for the majority of us, but occasionally it's different. I doubt that your father was a bad wolf to start with him, he was just taken over by a monster. A monster greater than Duke, or you, or me, or any of us. And that kind of thing you can't pass on, it's just part of you from the start," he said with a small shrug and a slight frown. Taku tried to gage whether or not this had had a positive effect on Justyn, and then wondered whether or not it had sounded ridiculous. It wasn't often that he had lengthy conversation, and even less frequent was the sudden thoughtfulness that had overcome him. Most of the time he didn't mind whether or not others suffered, but he wouldn't be able to leave knowing that Justyn thought he was anything like his father.

"That's a heck of a story, anyway. Very impressive," he said with a nod, attempting to move the conversation away from the negativity it was currently experiencing. "Making your way to the top, that is. I don't reckon Duke lets just anyone waltz in and become his Beta. I'm sure he has better ways to deal with those he doesn't trust." He half wanted to add 'like kill them' to the end of his sentence, but he thought better of it.

Taku examined Justyn's bored gaze, wondering if it was just a front to keep him from showing too much emotion, like a default setting. Taku had one of those, too, except he wore his bored expression most of the time because there were few other emotions he felt.