Chapter 9: Heart of an Heir
The summer morning was already a scorching one as Mark led his cow, Betsy, to the small patch of pasture nearby the farm house. Then as Betsy grazed calmly, he started to brush her.
Han was watering the crops when he heard someone called his name. He turned around just in time to see a large fish thrust in his face.
"Fish for panther. Tasty," Shea held the fish up, smiling at the cat boy. "Sorry for yesterday", he added.
"Er...thanks...I'll...I'll put it in the fridge", Han took the fish cautiously. His eyes darted around to make sure that there was no trap or cage sprung on him.
"Fridge? What is fridge?" Shea looked at Han questioningly.
"What? Don't tell me you have never seen a fridge?" Han looked at Shea with disbelief, forgetting that he himself had never seen a fridge until he started to live with Mark and Vaughn. "Come on. I show you", he gestured at Shea to follow him, into the farmhouse.
"Morning, Mark," a feminine voice greeted Mark.
"Oh hey, Julia, Chelsea. How are you girls doing?" Mark stopped brushing Betsy, and turned around. The cow mooed in protest.
"Great, we are fine. How are you doing?" Julia answered.
"Oh you know, the usual. Cows, crops, chickens...this is the life, right?" Mark grinned. "So, what bring you girls here?"
Vaughn walked out of the farmhouse at that very moment, and Chelsea went to him to greet him. Mark watched the two of them. Chelsea was blushing a little, as she said something to stoic-looking Vaughn.
"They are cute together, aren't they?" Julia spoke to Mark with a low voice. Mark had stiffened, but Julia didn't notice. "We are here because I was hoping that you can convince Vaughn to take Chelsea out on a date. She likes him, you know, but she was too shy to ask him out"
"Is that so?" Mark said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. I don't want them to go on a date. A thought slipped into his mind, and caught him by surprise. Stop it, he admonished himself silently. What are you thinking? He fumed to himself. You don't want to fool around with boys anymore, remember? You want to find a girlfriend, remember? Besides, if Vaughn has a girlfriend, maybe he will stop being so...so...loving. No, no, stop that! This time Mark slapped his forehead. He winced. He had forgotten of the still healing wound on his forehead from the harvest sprite attack. He gingerly touched the small bandage that covered his wound, recalling how yesterday, Vaughn had gently cleansed, and dressed the wound for him.
Julia frowned as she looked at Mark, who was hesitating, slapping himself, and muttering in low voice, and had misunderstood him. She thought that maybe, Mark was feeling left behind, that he was envious because he himself didn't have any date. She rolled her eyes. Mark wasn't really her type. She preferred someone calmer, more subdued, more mature, and definitely not as weird. Things that I do for my friend, she thought. That Chelsea owes me one. Big time.
"You know..." Julia smiled at Mark. "Maybe we can go on a double date tomorrow? There is a concert in the mainland that I have been wanting to go to. What do you say? You and me, Chelsea and Vaughn".
"Sorry, Julia. But Mark had promised that he will go with me to visit my father tomorrow", Vaughn said. Somehow, he managed to stand behind Julia and Mark without any of them noticing. He put one arm around Mark's shoulder.
"What? Now you want to go?" Mark raised his eyebrows. He looked at Vaughn suspiciously.
"Yup", Vaughn responded.
"Does it have to be tomorrow?" Mark protested. "Can't we do it on some other days?"
"Nope".
Mark sighed. Vaughn could be very stubborn when he had made up his mind. He turned to Julia, "Sorry, Julia. But I can't go. As you can see, this grumpy man suddenly decided that he wants to go somewhere else tomorrow. Sorry. Maybe some other time".
Julia wrinkled her forehead, but she didn't say anything. She and Chelsea then bid the men goodbye, and retraced their steps out of the farms.
It took Vaughn and Mark two days of travel to reach the Silver Wolfe's main house. Han had begged to come, but Mark had told the cat boy that he needed to stay in the farm to keep an eye on things, feed the animals, water the crops, and so on. Han had pouted, sulked and protested out loud. But then Vaughn had promised him with a low voice, that he would bring back souvenirs and trinkets, if Han promised to behave. That seemed to cheer Han somewhat, and he finally agreed to stay behind. Shea had told Mark and Vaughn not to worry, for he was going to come to the farmhouse everyday, to make sure that nothing would happen to Han while they were gone.
"Young master! I haven't seen you in ages! Please, please come in" An old maidservant had greeted Vaughn and Mark at the front door of the clan's main house. "Why don't you tell me you are coming today? I could have made you some porridge!" She glared at him. She had watched Vaughn growing up as his nanny, ever since Vaughn's mother passed away. She had loved him, as if he was her own.
The corner of Vaughn's mouth curved into a small smile. "Don't fuss nanny. You always fuss too much".
Hearing that, the old nanny had squirmed with delight. But then she huffed, and told Vaughn that she wasn't fussing. As a matter of fact, she told him, she wouldn't fuss over a brat like him, who had decided to leave her, and never once inclined to visit her. Then she led Mark and Vaughn to the main house's sitting room to see the Great Wolf.
"How is work?" The Great Wolf addressed his son solemnly. They were facing each other, sitting across a table, on flat pillows on the floor. There were steaming cups of tea on the table. On another short table at the corner of the room, Mark sat with the Great Wolf's soul keeper, a graceful, older man, chatting. Vaughn watched them as Mark said something to the older man, which made the older soul keeper chuckled.
"It's fine", Vaughn said, turning his attention back to his father. He did not know what else to say. After a few moments of silence, he finally asked, "How is your health father?"
"I am not getting younger", The Great Wolf sighed. Then he glanced at Vaughn, "Why don't you move back here, son? It's about time you helped me with the clan's affairs. One day, they will be your responsibility, you know".
"You are strong and healthy, father. You will live a very long life..." Vaughn didn't look at his father. "You don't need my help".
The Great Wolf sighed again. His temper rose. What a stubborn boy, he thought. "If you insist", he said sharply. Then, he said, "Have you met any suitable prospect? Soon, you will be at a proper age to marry. I hope you will introduce me to a nice girl on your next visit".
The Great Wolf might be older, but his sharp eyes still didn't miss much. He saw how Vaughn surreptitiously glanced at Mark at the mention of finding a bride.
Although it was not openly acknowledged, it was not uncommon for the wolf men and their soul keepers to develop emotional and sexual bonds, and ended up in bed together. The Great Wolf himself, after his wife had passed away, had taken his own soul keeper into his bed. So personally, he didn't care whether or not Mark and Vaughn were sleeping together. He didn't care, as long as Vaughn understood, that as a sole heir to the Silver Wolfe clan, it was his duty to marry, and bear children to continue the bloodline. He had mentioned this to Vaughn many times before.
"I don't know what is going on between you and Mark. But you will find a nice girl to marry!" the Great Wolf said, a little more heated than he had intended.
"No, I can't. I lo..." Vaughn stopped himself. Then he straightened his spine, looked at his father in the eye, and said, "...I don't need anyone else. I have Mark".
The Great Wolf's eyes narrowed. "Vaughn, you are nineteen years old! You don't know anything about love. Besides, nothing is more important than the clan. Not even love!"
Vaughn's blood boiled. Not to me. Nothing is more important to me than Mark, he thought stubbornly. I would give up the clan, and the whole world if I have to, but I would never belong to anyone but him. That was what Vaughn had wanted to say. But he didn't think his father would understand. So he just sat there quietly, betraying the turbulence in his heart, keeping his face as expressionless as possible.
So the two wolves sat, across each other, in stubborn silence. Thousands of miles might as well separated the father and son, instead of inches of wooden table, for none of them was going to compromise, none of them was going to reach out to the other. Then Vaughn told his father that he would like to take his leave, as he needed to get back to work.
As they parted, the Great Wolf pulled Mark aside. "Thank you for taking care of my son, Mark. I hope he doesn't cause you any trouble", he said.
"Ah, no, no. Vaughn is a good friend. He is no trouble whatsoever", Mark grinned.
The Great Wolf nodded. "Tell me, is there any girl that Vaughn like in the island?"
"Ah...well...", Mark thought of Chelsea. His grin disappeared.
"Because you know, as the only heir of the clan, it is very important for Vaughn to find someone to marry, and have children with. It's the only way for the bloodline to survive. Vaughn knows this. I hope you understand", the Great Wolf peered at Mark closely, watching for his reaction.
Mark looked away, hoping that the struggle in his heart didn't reach his face. "Of course, Great Wolf. I understand", he said, as evenly as he could. Then he said his goodbye, and quickened his pace to catch up with Vaughn.
"You are too hard on them. They are young, let them be", said the Great Wolf's soul keeper, from across the room.
"He needs to learn about his responsibility sooner than later, Haru", the Great Wolf sighed. "Sometimes I wish that Vaughn is more like the Golden Wolf. Now that is a young man who knows his duty to the clan!"
After a moment of silence, Haru responded, "You know Great Wolf, you can still re-marry and father more children".
"I am too old for that", the Great Wolf snapped, not looking at Haru.
Haru tilted his head towards the Great Wolf, and smiled. Nonsense, he thought. You just don't want to. He sighed, and shook his head. Like father, like son, how could they not see how much alike they were.
Then his thought turned to Will, the Golden Wolf, and he frowned. He himself didn't like Will as much as the Great Wolf did. Will might seem like a perfect alpha candidate: bright, charismatic, and ambitious. But there was something about Will that didn't sit well with Haru. He had thought that he caught a calculating coldness in Will's eyes more than once. He didn't like the way Will would use any means possible, to climb ranks in the pack. Then there was his family history...
Yes, there was something about that young man that really bothered Haru. He himself preferred Vaughn. But then again, Haru thought, he had watched Vaughn growing up so he was biased. He believed that although Vaughn might not be as charismatic as Will, he had a gentle heart. A true heart. But is that enough? Haru asked himself. We, nevertheless, are among wolves...
Speaking of the devil, Haru thought. A servant had shown Will and Elliot in. Will bowed at the Great Wolf to greet him, and sat with him, while Elliot came and sat with Haru. Not once did Will glance at Haru, or acknowledge him.
"How are you dear?" Haru addressed Elliot, as he watched Will and the Great Wolf conversing.
"Fi..fine", Elliot said with a small voice.
Something in Elliot's voice caused Haru to glance at him. Haru frowned. No, you are not, he thought, as he eyed Elliot more closely. The boy seemed nervous, and although it was a hot summer day, he was wearing a long sleeve turtle neck top.
"How is your family? I heard you and Will visited them in the island?"
"They are fine", Elliot answered.
"How is everything with Will? Are you guys getting along?" Haru glanced sideways at Elliot.
Poor Elliot. He squirmed at the question. He cast his eyes towards the floor, and mumbled, "..uh...fi...fine".
Haru waited for Elliot to continue. When he didn't, Haru had felt sorry for the boy. Elliot had seemed so sad and lost, Haru thought. He reached over the table, and gave the boy's arm a little squeeze. Elliot flinched.
"My dear, you can always come to me, and tell me anything okay?" Haru said to the boy gently. "Anything at all".
Elliot looked up. He seemed as if he wanted to say something, but then he wavered for a moment or two.
"What...what would you do if...if say, your sister is doing something that you know will ruin her, and yet she had determined to do it? Because it was what she had wanted to do all her life?" Finally, Elliot asked, whispering.
Is it really your sister or is it Will, Haru pondered. Something told him that it wasn't Elliot's sister that the boy was concerned about. Watch your words carefully, he told himself silently. They could be the most important words this boy needed to hear.
"Sometimes, intervention is the hardest and most loving thing you can do", Haru said, watching Elliot's face carefully. Elliot was silent. He kept his head down.
Haru sighed. There was a wind of change sweeping across the clan. Unfortunately, he couldn't determine which way it was going to go.
End of Chapter 9
