Acasa-Peeraga Lands.
In the midst of a dark room, the sun light had already been blocked by the heavy blinds on the windows, not that the sun hadn't dipped down the horizon already. The dark mahogany door vibrated with a knock, as the sound travelled through the walls and to his ear.
"We are ready."
"Alpha?" Came a firm voice inside the door as it was peeked open. An arrow tipped with guilt pierced right through his heart at the firm voice he now always heard. He didn't like it. When there once was a time the same voice was laced with laughter and affection, and an innumerous amount of playfulness, when addressed to him. He looked up at the exhausted face stood at the door of the dark room, "Yes," He answered and looked at the boy before him. He was fair, with his face framed with a dark shade of brown hair. His hazel eyes, once pooling out of happiness, looked hollow and lifeless. Another arrow laced with guilt pierced through his heart knowing that he was the reason. He had wronged him and now he was paying for it with the loss of family.
"Vincent," He called, the name hadn't escaped his lips in so long. He could see the way Vincent's body tensed, as he stood stiff at the threshold of the door of the room. Vincent's eyes darkened, "Don't do this," He said, his posture still stiff. He hated being addressed by his title. Where in the Lykan world, it meant a great deal of respect to be addressed by the title, there was one particular man who despised it.
His eyes softened despite the frustration that blazed beneath his cool demeanor. "You don't have to address by the title, Vincent," He said. Vincent shook his head curtly, his eyes holding abhorrence that couldn't be fathomed. He met his brother's eyes, "No, you deserve my respect. You have done everything that was necessary for the welfare of the pack. You deserve the respect, Alpha."
His eyes narrowed, "I do not want this...this respect from you Vincent. Not just you, from anyone. I don't like it. And you are family." He said, his voice clipped. "Would you respect this wish of mine?" Vincent erected his spine, his mouth was left vacant of words. Allister sighed, "You can always say no to me Vincent. I will never force your hand at anything."
Vincent held his head up, for a moment a flash of an unknown feeling passed through his eyes, but it was gone just as it had come. "No, I will not respect your wish then, Alpha. I am sorry." Allister hated it. Coming from his brother, it was not respect, it was a mock that lit a fire of guilt inside Allister. Vincent turned around, his back facing him, "We are ready to leave. Noah is waiting for you downstairs."
A SUV stood waiting as the Allister walked out of the house. Noah greeted him and quickly opened the door to the car. Throughout the route to the annual crowning ceremony, Allister had managed to keep a stoic face, not letting his emotions get the best of him. Inside was a turmoil, the hatred his own brother honed for him never sit well with Allister. He had always wanted a family and his only living family whetted his loathsome thoughts over the years. Vincent calling him by his title and not his own name, has always been a disturbing moment for him. Before things changed, Vincent calling him by his title was nothing more than a playful act. But now, the way Vincent stiffened at the sight and voice of his own brother sent a pang of pain straight to his heart. Sadly, that happened very frequently.
Reaching the crowning ceremony of the third-in-command's of all the packs as the new rank, Quanta, taking the place of the Gammas, Allister stepped out of the SUV, with his head held high, and face just as stoic His demeanor intimidating, he oozed power. And regardless, the emotional turmoil inside his mind, no shame and worry showcased on his face.
It was an art though and he had perfected it. Allister had always been excellent at hiding himself away. Always had been closed off with his feelings. A leader is always said to be an extrovert, as leading a pack needs that kind of an ability in the person. But Allister was different. An introvert, hid his feelings away. And very well, might it be added. He'd perfected the art with so much practice, he doubted he could ever fail. Suffering was nonexistent on his face when suffering was all he was doing inside. He was one of a kind.
"Ah, here you are!" Exclaimed a fellow pack's Alpha, "Darren, this is the Alpha of the Acasa-Peeraga lands," The introduced. Allister said a stern professional greeting, shaking Darren's hand with matching stiffness. "Nice to meet you Al—"
"Please, Allister will do fine."
The evening went by uneventful, and Allister turned his ear down to the rest of the conversations occurring around him, his mind turning wheels and his ice-cold heart, having a jumpy feeling. His animalistic side was agitated, giving him a headache to deal with. Being a lykan, it was in Allister's nature to be set free to enjoy the woods and the winds but Allister hadn't made contact with his animalistic side after the fateful day when he lost his brother to cruelty. Never had he let his animal out of the cage he had imprisoned it in the back of his mind. And he vowed that he never would. He rubbed his temples to lessen the ache, not that it was too much of avail.
An all too familiar scent invaded his olfactory senses, making his blood turn hot. Allister was angry, his eyes darkened, he whipped his head around, frisking for the source of the scent. "Allister, " Noah called suddenly appearing by his side, his voice urgent, and ears and eyes alert, "Do you smell that?"
Allister nodded, not liking what it meant and told Noah to inquest the scent, while he would do the same. Abandoning his glass of champagne, he took off, combing through every corner of the massive ballroom, seeking the familiar scent. The scent was suddenly strong for his inhuman nostrils. At the same time the annual greeting was made, "Hello, the Alphas and Betas of the esteemed packs of North Carolina to the dawn and crowning of the newest rank amongst us, Quanta! Thank-you all for being here, it is a great pleasure. The crowning will initiate in a few."
The strong scene had led the Allister to the darkest and loneliest corner of the room. The scent here was undeniable. Now, his ears were alert and as were his eyes.
"Hello Allister," The voice spat, as though the words were poison. "Have you missed me?" Allister looked to the source of the voice, to find the man he once trusted with his life. "Dean," He said, his face stoic as ever, "You shouldn't be here. What a disgrace to be at your own dethroning ceremony, isn't that right?"
Dean snarled at the words, "I was expecting a greeting at least. I see you haven't missed me at all." Allister trotted towards him, his sharp jaw clenching and stopped right in front of Dean, "You will walk the hell out of here on your two legs or I will drag you out by your hair, after I break your legs. You have ten seconds."
"See? This is what we're talking about. You have no respect for us what so ever!" Dean exclaimed. "Dean," Allister called lowly, his teeth gritting. Dean clicked his tongue, "It's about time you start paying me some respect."
Allister was seething with anger, he wanted the blood of this man on his bare hands. He wanted his throat ripped after squeezing the air out of him, the blood to cover his extremely razor-sharp teeth. Such bloodlust would be the end of him. "You were given the respect you deserved. As you may have come to realize, that was apparently much more than you ever worked for."
Dean growled at Allister's words, his chest rumbled, "I worked. I worked my ass off. When people were supposed to respect me, they threw orders at me! They bowed down to you, they bowed down to your beta. Fuck, they bowed down to Vincent, who doesn't even have a damn title! And me? I was handed down orders." Dean shrieked in anger. "If you call that respect? Then you have a very different definition of it," Dean sneered. A sickly-sweet smile came up is lips abruptly, "But hey, it was nice seeing you again Allister. Now that my work here is done, I shall take my leave," He said, as he mockingly bowed down to him and turned away. "Oh, I almost forgot, you must choose another Quanta for your pack, seeming as the one you have, won't be eligible enough by now," Dean said, as he raised his index and middle finger to his temple, "I wish i could say it was nice seeing you but I'd be lying."
A pain tore through the Allister's chest, as his heart beat rapidly in panic. He took a good breath, taking in all the scents around, trying to catch the one he knew was at the brink of death. He dashed to the source as soon as he knew where he was. He stopped mid race when Noah's voice drifted into his head, Allister, he's torn open in the back yard… He's dead.