Author's note: I have to revise this chapter to take out Toru's interaction with Haru. I did have a plan for him, but after reading my notes and thinking some more about it, I have decided that Toru's subplot was a little overreaching. His interactions with Haru was supposed to lead to that subplot, so I have deleted them. Toru will be relegated to a minor character, not involved in any sub plot. Sorry about that. I am a new writer, so I am allowed stupid mistake like this, right? Thanks for being understanding.

Chapter 25: The Price of Our Happiness

"No more, please..." Mark was sprawled on the bed, on his back. He was breathing rapidly, in short gasps. His skin glistened with sweat. "I am not a wolf man. I don't have your stamina..."

"Happy birthday," Vaughn whispered. He was lying on top of Mark with a smug smirk on his face.

"I know that I am the birthday boy, but why do I have the feeling that you are the one who is getting a present?" Mark asked the bedroom ceiling. By "present", he meant the cat ears he was wearing on his head, and the white ribbon knotted into a bow at his throat.

"Well, you did promise the Witch Princess that you would wear the kitty ears for our birthdays, right?" Vaughn raised his head.

"Hmph..." Mark huffed. He did promise, unfortunately.

"I have something for you," Vaughn said. He rolled off Mark to his side of the bed. His hand went into the drawer of the side table nearby him. "Come on, sit up".

Mark pushed himself up gingerly, to a sitting position. He felt a little weak all over. He and Vaughn had been holing up in their room for the whole afternoon to celebrate his twentieth birthday. Vaughn knelt behind Mark, slowly lowering a necklace in front of the birthday boy. The necklace had a small, rectangular silver pendant, hanging by the short side from a leather string. A six-petal lily flower was embossed on the pendant. Mark held his breath when he saw the necklace. He was actually surprised that Vaughn had gotten him such a nice gift. He took the silver pendant in his hand to inspect it closer, and he thought that it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Vaughn quickly tied the leather string behind Mark's neck.

"Do you like it?" Vaughn wrapped his arms around Mark's waist, his chin resting on his soul keeper's shoulder.

"I...I do. Thank you," Mark said. He was happy, but there was a touch of panic rising in him, as he realized that he would have to come up with a nice gift for Vaughn's birthday as well, which would be coming in a week. He was planning to bake a cake and make some porridge, Vaughn's favorite, as a gift. But now he felt that food, even if it was homemade, might not be special enough.

"You don't need to get me anything for my birthday," Vaughn said, as if he could read Mark's mind. "All I want for my birthday is you, naked, on the bed, wearing your kitty ears, and all tied up with ribbons as my present," he whispered in the blond's ear.

It was fortunate that Mark couldn't turn any redder hearing that, since his face was still flushed from all the sex they had been having that afternoon. "Okay. Fine," he said, trying to sound dignified, frowning a little. Then he was lost in a thought.

"You know, you are a little bit distracted today. Why?" Vaughn turned Mark around.

"Uh...nothing. Sorry, sorry about that..."

Vaughn waited. He had a feeling that Mark was about to spill his guts even without his prodding.

"Oh, okay, okay. It's that dream again. I had that dream with the little girl again last night".

"Why didn't you wake me up? Didn't I tell you to wake me up whenever you had that nightmare?" Vaughn knitted his silvery eyebrows.

"Yes, you did. But you were sleeping so soundly, I didn't want to wake you up. Besides, it's just a dream, right?" Mark threw his arms around Vaughn's neck. He smiled as he brought his face close to the wolf man, his nose brushing Vaughn's nose lightly.

"Damn. You are just too damn cute!" Vaughn said, as he lunged at Mark, pinning him down on the bed once more...

When they finally arrived in the main house's great room for Mark's birthday dinner, they found that everyone else was already there: Shea, Han, Haru, Gareth, and Toru. All were sitting or kneeling on the floor, or on the pillows on the floor, around the low, long wooden table. "Happy birthday, Mark!" everyone was talking at the same time.

"Thank you, thank you..." Mark said, as he knelt down on the floor, beside Toru. "Sorry for being late". His face was burning. Vaughn didn't say anything, and his face was unreadable, as he crossed his legs, sitting between Mark and Gareth.

"Don't worry, you two are not that late," Haru said.

"Mark, we caught a big fish for you today," Han said excitedly. He leaned slightly across the table towards Mark, both of his elbows resting on the table. "We found a very good fishing spot, and caught a really big one. Haru told us to give it to the cook, so we can have it for dinner..."

"Sounds good," Mark responded, gulping his tea. He was very thirsty. "I am starving..."

In the middle of dinner, a servant approached the Great Wolf, and told him that the Iron Wolf and his soul keeper, had requested to see him. Gareth had nodded, and asked the servant to show them in. The servant bowed his head in response, and scooted away. A few minutes later, the Iron Wolf, Alistair, and his soul keeper, Chen, entered the room. They knelt on the floor, by the Great Wolf, who was sitting cross-legged.

"I apologize for interrupting your dinner, Great Wolf," Alistair addressed Gareth. His head was slightly bowed, his hands rested respectfully on his lap, and he kept his eyes on the floor. "But there is something I need to discuss with you".

"Go on..." The Great Wolf sipped his tea.

Alistair kept his eyes on the floor. "I have committed an offense against you, Great Wolf. Without your consent, I have struck down the Golden Wolf's pack". He flicked his eyes towards Haru. "The Golden Wolf was plotting a treason against you, Gareth, and he was trying to kill your son".

Gareth didn't say anything for a few seconds as he processed what Alistair just told him. Then he narrowed his eyes at Alistair. "First of all, Iron Wolf, that is a grave accusation against the Golden Wolf. Secondly, to go behind my back, and attack another wolf in my clan, can be considered a treason..." His voice was cold, and dangerous.

"Great Wolf," Haru said. "It was my idea. I was the one who convinced Alistair to strike the Golden Wolf".

"Why would you do that, Haru?" Gareth looked at his soul keeper with disbelief.

"Because, Gareth. It's true that the Golden Wolf is planning a coup against you. And he did try to hurt your son. I thought we should strike him before he did any harm..."

"You are a soul keeper, and you made a decision to attack my wolf without consulting me?" Gareth frowned. He raised his voice. "Am I not alpha? Why didn't you come to me?"

Haru sighed. "Because I didn't think you would believe me. And if we have waited, it would be too late for Vaughn and Mark".

"It's true, father," Vaughn interceded, with a low voice. "Will did try to kill me. He wanted revenge, he told me so. He said he was going to take over the clan, and wipe out our family".

"Even so!" Gareth spat. "You should have come to me, and asked for my blessing, before you decided to attack my wolves!" His eyes was full of disapproval as he looked from Alistair to Haru.

"Father, please..." Vaughn started.

"Enough, Silver Wolf!" Gareth rebuffed his son. "You should have known better Haru, Al. This is a grave offense against alpha, and I can banish or...sentence you to death for this".

There were gasps and murmurs around the room.

"Please, Gareth..." Haru pleaded. "It was all my idea, my plan. Al and Chen didn't want to do it at first, but I convinced them, and I asked them not to tell you as well. If you want to punish someone, punish me. But leave them alone".

"Is that so?" Gareth frowned at Haru. "Well, then so be it, soul keeper. You will be punished".

"Father, no! You can't do this! I owe Haru, my and Mark's life. You can't...you can't banish Haru or sentence him to death," Vaughn was appalled. My goddess, this is a disaster, he thought. How did it turn out this way?

"I am not blameless, Great Wolf. I did agree with Haru, that Will was trying to harm you and your son, and I convinced Alistair to attack him," Chen said.

"Very well, Chen. You can join Haru in his punishment," Gareth said, without hesitation.

"No, Great Wolf..." Alistair was shocked. "But it's not fair! Chen didn't..."

Gareth shot Alistair a sharp look which shut him up.

"Gareth, please, leave Chen out of this. It was me..." Haru started.

"Enough!" Gareth's voice boomed. Both of his hands slammed the table, hard. His face was turning red, and his body tensed, as he leaned forward, as if he was ready to spring and rip someone's throat out.

"Great Wolf, let's not be too hasty," Toru said. He raised both of his hands in a calming gesture. "We need to discuss this. As we can see, there is a good reason for..."

"Don't defend them, Copper Wolf!" Gareth snapped at him. As he spoke, you could see that his fangs had grown a little larger, a little sharper. "Especially you Toru, you know the rules of our clan better than anyone else!" He took a deep breath, and try to relax his muscle. "I suppose it's partly my fault. I have been very lenient to soul keepers. Too lenient..." He said with a calmer voice. Then an idea formed in his head. He looked at Vaughn pointedly. "If you do want to save Haru, son, if you do owe him, then there is something you can do".

"What is it?" Vaughn said. "I'll do anything".

"I would like to engage a matchmaker for you, to help you find a wife. If you are willing to meet with the candidates that the matchmaker presents you, and choose a girl to be your wife, then I will reduce Haru's and Chen's sentence from death to….twenty lashes instead".

"What? No!" Vaughn barked. "Ask me for anything else but that! I will not agree to that!"

"Yes, you will," Mark said. His voice was shaking. He was kneeling on the floor, with his eyes cast down, and both of his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. "You heard what your father said. Haru and Chen will die, if you don't do it". He rose abruptly, and bowed towards Haru. "I am sorry! I am so sorry, to cause you so much trouble!" He cried out. Then he sprinted out of the room.

"Mark! Wait!" Vaughn jumped up, and ran to catch up with Mark. After a moment of hesitation, both Shea and Han followed suit, and rushed after Vaughn.

Haru stared at Gareth with wide eyes. "How could you do this? To your own son! Punish me if you want, but don't drag your son into this!" His face was pale.

"It will be Vaughn's decision, and not yours, Haru," Gareth refused to meet Haru's eyes. "You and Chen will be made an example for other soul keepers who think that they can make decisions for the clan," Finally he raised his eyes to meet Haru's. "In the meanwhile, you will be confined to your living quarter, soul keeper, until your fate is decided".

Haru rose, and left the room quickly without saying anything.

"Mark!" Vaughn burst into the bedroom. He slammed the door shut and locked it, locking out Shea and Han. "Listen to me. There must be another way".

"No, you heard your father..." Mark was sitting on the bed. His shoulders slumped. "We...we...can't let them die". He raised his face. He looked as if he was going to cry. "They saved you! If the Iron Wolf wasn't there, who knew what Will would do to you!"

"Why...why are you saying this?" Vaughn felt as if the floor moved under him. He couldn't believe what he had heard. "You...you want me to marry someone else?" He approached the bed, and sat beside Mark. "But I thought you love me!"

"I do! But we can't...Haru..." Mark sighed as he covered his eyes with his hands. "I don't know what to do..."

Rage was rising in Vaughn's chest. "You said you love me! We love each other, remember?" He was seeing red, and before he realized what he was doing, he pushed Mark on the bed, and tried to tear his shirt off.

"Wait! What are you doing?" Mark struggled. "Stop...! Not now!"

"I don't want anyone else, but you!" Vaughn ripped Mark's shirt opened, and moved to undo his belt. "You said you love me! Now you are trying to push me away! Again!" You are mine, furry screamed in his mind. I won't let you run away from me like this!

"Vaughn, no! I am serious! Stop!" Mark screamed. "STOP!"

Vaughn jerked his head backward. It was as if someone had doused him with a bucket of cold water. "What...what am I...?" Sickening bile churned in his stomach, as he realized what he was about to do. He got off Mark. "So...sorry..." He stammered. He didn't know what else to do, so he bolted out of the bedroom as fast as he could.

Shea and Han burst into the room finding Mark lying on the bed with his knees drawn to his chest, crying.

"Master, master..." Han said as he rushed towards the bed. "Please don't cry..." His lips trembled. He looked as if he was about to cry as well. He caressed Mark's hair. "Please don't cry..."

"I don't know what to do..." Mark sobbed, still curled in the fetal position, covering his face with his hands. "I love him, but I can't let them die..."

Without any warning, a shining portal opened in the middle of the bedroom. A beautiful woman with a blonde hair, followed by a girl around Mark's age, stepped out of the portal. The girl had a short, pixie-cut, fiery hair, and slanted green eyes.

"Hi, Mark! Are you surprised...?" The Witch Princess stopped. The expression on her face changed, as she saw that the blond was crying on the bed. "What...what happened?" She approached Mark quickly.

"Prin...Princess?" Mark sat up. "Hanna?" The red-haired girl smiled at him. Hanna was a ghost, whom Mark had met through Denny, his friend back on the island.

"What happened?" The Witch sat beside Mark on the bed, staring at his wet face.

"It's...it's Vaughn. He is angry at me," Mark said, rubbing his eyes and face fiercely. "I asked him to do something he didn't want to do. But..but, two people will die if he doesn't do it..." His chest was hurting, and his head was aching from the crying fit. Why did I let myself believe, for a brief moment, that our happiness is possible? He wondered. That it has no price? That I deserve it? Haru and Chen don't deserve this, after all that they had done, Mark told himself. They shouldn't pay for our happiness with their lives...

For a moment, the Witch Princess didn't say anything. She let Mark gathered himself in silence. Then she said, "I am so sorry to hear that, Mark". Her voice was gentle. She patted his arm briefly. "But brace yourself. You are not a child anymore. You are a grown man. No more crying. The Goddess needs you".

"What?" Mark was still in the daze. He didn't quite catch what the Witch Princess had said.

"The Goddess needs you. You need to go to her. Now". She eyed Mark's torn clothing. "Actually, you need to change your shirt first, and then go to the Goddess". She stood, and rummaged in the dresser until she found a shirt that looked like it would fit. "Here," she handed the shirt to Mark. While Mark was changing his shirt, the Witch Princess grabbed a backpack which was lying on the floor nearby the dresser, and started to fill it with random clothing items. Then she went to the bathroom to snatch a toothbrush, and stuffed it in the bag. "Here, you will need this too," she placed the backpack by Mark.

Mark looked at the pack with a sinking heart, and said, "How...how long am I going to be gone?"

The Witch Princess shrugged. "I am not quite sure. Where are your kitty ears?"

"It's...it's in the drawer...over there".

The Witch Princess fetched the kitty ears that she had given Mark as a farewell gift. "Come on, off you go," she steered Mark towards the portal. "Be careful, Mark. Remember what I told you". She looked at the boy in the eyes, as she pressed the kitty ears hairband into Mark's hand, and handed him the backpack. "Please, be careful".

"Come, Mark," Hanna beckoned with her finger. "Follow me," she said, as she stepped through the portal. Mark nodded numbly. He slung the pack over one shoulder, and tailed after the ghost.

"Wait, I am coming with you!" Han said. He was about to rush towards the portal, when the Witch Princess put her hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Only Mark has the Goddess' mark. He is the only one who can enter The Other while still alive. Besides, this is his fight, not yours. And I don't want any of you to get in trouble for breaking the rules. So this time, you will stay here, kiddo," the Witch said.

"No," Han said stubbornly. He started towards the portal. Shea followed closely behind.

The Witch Princess frowned, and raised her hand. "I said, stay". With that, Han and Shea found that suddenly, they were unable to move. They could only watch helplessly, as the portal shrunk to close, and the Witch Princess melted into thin air.

Haru was in deep thought, sitting down with his head in his hands, when he heard someone knocked at the door of his living quarter. He looked up, breaking his own train of thoughts. "Come in. The door is unlocked," he said with a tired voice.

Vaughn opened the door, entered the room, and closed the door behind him softly. "I was told I will find you here..." He said.

"Have a seat, Vaughn," Haru said, gesturing at a chair, across the small table from him. He shook his head sadly. "I am sorry. I didn't think it will turn out this way. I have miscalculated. This is all my fault".

Vaughn slumped into the chair. "What am I going to do, Haru? I want to help you, I really do. I owe you for saving Mark. Will would have done terrible things to him, if the Iron Wolf didn't show up. I am truly grateful. But...but I can't..." He sighed. He kneaded his forehead. "And...and then...I, I was so angry. I...I tried to assault him". He got up, and started to pace around the room.

Haru's eyes widened. "You did what?" There was fear in his voice.

Vaughn glanced at Haru. "I stopped. I stopped in time". His voice shook a little. "Thank goddess".

"Good, good. I was afraid for a second..." Haru breathed a sigh of relief. He trained his eyes at Vaughn. His face was serious. "Never cross that line, Vaughn. Did you hear me? There is no going back if you do. You will lose him forever if you do that, do you understand?"

Vaughn raked his fingers through his hair, "I know...I know". He stopped pacing around the room, and sat back on the chair. "But it doesn't matter, I don't think he loves me...Well, not as much as I love him. I thought he did. He told me he did".

"Mark loves you," Haru said. "I can tell. From the way he looked at you, or talked about you..." He added, softly.

Vaughn's crimson eyes flashed. "If he loves me, then he wouldn't tell me to marry someone else," he growled. "I could never tell someone I love to get married to someone else!" Then he realized something. "Of course, Haru. I didn't mean that I will let you, or Chen, suffer. I will help you. I just...I...I just...I feel like by telling me this, he is trying to run away from me, that he is...rejecting me". His voice trailed into a whisper.

Haru sighed. "I understand your feelings, Vaughn. I really do. But, please understand Mark's point of view as well. I believe he thinks he is doing the right thing. It doesn't mean that he doesn't love you, or is rejecting you. He just doesn't want anything to happen to us. Believe me".

Vaughn didn't say anything. He simply stared at his hands, which were resting on a small, round table, positioned between him and Haru.

"You know how Mark is. You know how impulsive he can be. He wouldn't stand around, and do nothing, if he thinks someone is getting hurt because of him. He would rush to help that person, and probably end up doing, or saying, something harsh, or unwise," Haru continued.

"What should I do?" Vaughn raised his face. Haru thought that the Silver Wolfe's heir looked forlorn, and lost.

"Don't do anything rush. We need to think this through..." Haru was cut short by frantic knocks at the door. "Come in," he said.

Han and Shea burst into the room. "Vaughn, Mark is gone!" Han was hysterical. "Mark went away!" He flailed his arms around.

"What? Where did he go?" Vaughn got up from his seat instantly.

"He went to The Other. Princess said that the Harvest Goddess called him," Han exploded into tears. "I tried...I tried to follow him, but she...she wouldn't let me..." He rubbed his eyes, breaking into a wail. Shea tried to console him by taking the cat boy in his arms, and shushed him.

Vaughn fell back into the chair. He had totally forgotten about the Goddess. Months ago, Will had tried to send him to The Other, trying to destroy his soul, and Mark had followed him, in order to save him. Because of that, Mark had owed the Goddess of The Other a favor, and now it was apparently payback time. This is all my fault, Vaughn thought. This is all because I am not strong enough. Time to grow up, he thought. Time to pay for all the stupid mistakes I made. Time to face my responsibility, as Mark would have said.

"I need to grow up, don't I? I need to do what is right," Vaughn said, with a small voice, almost inaudible. He rose slowly. "I am going to tell my father that I will meet with his matchmaker, if he would spare your life, Haru..."

"Silver Wolf, wait!" Haru said, rising. "Don't be hasty..." But Vaughn had walked out of the room, and didn't hear him.

Vaughn stormed into his father's office. "I'll do it!" He barked. "I'll meet with your damn matchmaker! Just don't kill them..." He was breathing hard, and glaring at his father, who was at the moment trying to dictate a letter to Toru.

"Toru, please excuse us," Gareth spoke calmly. Toru nodded and departed.

"Watch your language, son," Gareth scolded Vaughn. Then his eyes softened a little. "I am glad you have decided to see the matchmaker".

Vaughn let out a sharp breath. "I...I'll meet with your matchmaker, but...but I can't promise...that I will find someone I like...I..." His voice was trailing. He felt his resolve ebbing away. What am I doing, he thought with panic. I don't want this!

"I understand," Gareth finished Vaughn's sentence. "You'll do your best, as you always do. You'll make an effort. It may take a while, but you will find someone". He eyed his son's face, the one which resembled so much of his own: the same silver hair, the same blood-red eyes darkened by the storm of emotions, which he himself, had felt twenty-five years ago. "I met your mother through a matchmaking service too, you know," he added, thinking that would make his son feel a little better.

Vaughn looked down. Calm down, he told himself. Calm. Down. He tried his best to put on his stoic mask. "What are you going to do to them?" He asked, fighting to keep his voice even.

"Twenty lashes. Public flogging. Two days from now," Gareth said. His hands collected the papers on his desk, and tapped them together.

"Public flogging?" Vaughn whipped his head up. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. "That's barbaric, father!"

"They are to be made an example, for other soul keepers," Gareth said, coldly. "You will understand one day, when you are alpha. Sometimes you have to make a difficult decision".

There were millions of things that Vaughn had wanted to say. But the arguments, and the questions, lodged themselves firmly in his throat, refusing to come out, suffocating him. "I need some air," finally he said, before he left his father's office...

Two days later, early in the morning, a few dozens wolf men and their soul keepers gathered in the front yard of the Silver Wolfe's main house. Haru and Chen were strapped between two poles, shirtless. Their smooth, slender backs were exposed to the world. A couple of wolf men stood ready; each had a cat o' nine tails whip with him.

"I am sorry, Chen," Haru spoke to the man bound beside him with a quiet voice. "I have never wanted you to be punished for this".

"Don't worry, Haru," Chen answered. "We, soul keepers, should stick together, right?" His eyes scanned the spectators until he found Alistair's anxious, conflicting eyes. He nodded at the wolf man, silently mouthing: it's okay. It is okay.

Haru opened his mouth, and was about to answer, but his voice was drowned by the loud, cracking noises coming out the whips, and he heard a muffled scream coming out of Chen's mouth. Haru clenched his own teeth as he felt the whip licked his skin, refusing to scream at first. But by the second time the whip hit him, he felt as if his back was on fire. Finally, by the third lash, a scream escaped his lips.

Vaughn flinched every time he heard Haru or Chen screamed. "This...this..." His voice shook. "I can't watch this..." He had never witnessed a public flogging before, and it had bothered him. He wasn't sure why. He had seen blood before, bones and flesh being torn or broken, as the aftermath of wolves fight, but it didn't bother him this much before. It might be because he knew the people who were being flogged, and they were people whom he had cared about. Not being able to stomach the sight and the scream any longer, he turned on his heels, and nearly ran out of the front yard, towards the guest house where he had been living. In front of the house he stopped, and leaned against a tree, retching. But nothing came up, except for a dry, raspy breath, as he didn't even have breakfast that morning. He was glad that he had forbidden Shea and Han to attend the public flogging.

Despicable, Vaughn thought furiously, we are despicable. His vision darkened for a second, as he felt as if the world around him was closing in on him, forcing him to his knees. Now he understood why Mark didn't love him as much he loved Mark. Because Mark must have somehow known, what a wolf man is capable of, Vaughn thought. That we are animals in human skins...

Gareth forced himself to watch the flogging, even as his stomach folded inside him. But after a while, he too, was at his limit. He had never heard Haru and Chen screamed like that before. "Stop! That's enough!" His voice sliced through the cracking noise.

The wolf men with the whips stopped, and looked at Gareth quizzically, "It has only been ten lashes, Great Wolf," one of them said.

"I said, that's enough!" Gareth glared. "Cut them down!" He looked at his servants. "Go to them. Get them a doctor," he gestured with his head.

The servants hurried towards Haru and Chen to cut down their restraints. They laid the wounded soul keepers down on a couple of stretchers, each on his stomach. Chen was carried towards his own home, while Haru was carried inside the Silver Wolfe's main house. The servants took Haru to his living quarter, to attend to his wound, and dispatched one of them to fetch a doctor.

Gareth was pacing outside Haru's room, when the doctor finally emerged from the bedroom. "How is he?" Gareth asked,

"He is fine. The wounds will take a while to heal, but otherwise he will be fine. I have left some healing salve and medications with your servants".

"Thanks, doctor," Gareth dismissed the doctor. He entered the bedroom, and saw Haru lying on the bed, on his stomach, with his eyes closed. His wounds had been cleansed, medicated and dressed. Gareth thought that he had never seen his soul keeper looking so pale before. "Haru..." He said softly, as he approached the bed.

"Yes, Great Wolf?" Haru opened his eyes. Slowly he pushed himself up to a sitting position, wincing all the way.

"I am sorry," Gareth said, keeping his eyes to the floor. "But I have to do it. You understand, don't you?"

Haru didn't say anything. Gareth reached his hand out towards Haru's face.

"Don't touch me, Gareth," Haru said. His voice was even, but inside his blood was boiling.

"I understand if you are angry at me, Haru. I have hurt you, but please understand, I have to..."

"I am not angry at you because you hurt me," Haru cut Gareth short. "I stepped on your toes, so I deserved those lashes. I will gladly take them again if I have to. I am angry at you because you are using me as a pawn, to force your son to do something he doesn't want to do". He tried to catch Gareth's eyes, but the Great Wolf avoided him. "Don't you want your son to be happy? He is your only son, for goddess' sake!"

Gareth's chest rose and fell. "I did what I have to do! Did you think that I wanted to marry someone else, when I am in love with you? Did you think that I wanted to hurt you, or Vaughn, this way? I had to do it because I am alpha! When you are alpha, you have to make sacrifices for the good of the clan! I have made mine, now it's Vaughn's turn to make his!" He spat. His breathing was short and ragged. "And you! You have never told me how you felt about my marriage! You didn't care back then, why do you care now?"

"Yes, it's true, that I didn't say anything about your marriage. Whether or not it was right for me not to tell you how I felt, I don't know. But it was my decision! No one forced me". Haru shot Gareth a look of defiance. "And whether or not you wanted it, you made those decisions. No one forced you! Vaughn should be allowed to live his life, his way. No one should force him to do anything he doesn't want to do!" Haru took a couple of deep breaths, willing himself to calm down. He had always believed that nothing good would come out of raising one's voice. "It doesn't have to be this way, Gareth," he continued with a calmer voice. "Remember we talk about this, a long time ago, about how the alpha position should be given to the most able wolf, instead of being passed on through bloodlines?"

"Yeah, I remember. But it was just a naive, idealistic talk! We were young then. We didn't understand the way the world works!" Gareth countered.

"Well, I am not young anymore". Haru straightened his spine as much as possible. He grimaced a little as he felt pain burning across his back. "But I still believe that's the way it should be. Who decides how the world is supposed to work?" He challenged Gareth with his eyes. "Besides, don't tell me that you didn't think about it. Why else did you pay so much attention to Will? You were grooming him to become your successor, weren't you?"

Gareth glowered at Haru. "Yes, I was. But that was for the worst case scenario! I would prefer Vaughn to take over from me. I would prefer my bloodline to continue to lead this clan..."

"Gareth, listen..."

"It's true that no one forced me!" Gareth continued to rant. His face was red, as he paced around the room. Then he stopped, saying, "But it was expected of me, as an heir, to continue my family's bloodline! If I didn't do it willingly, my father would surely force me to do it!"

"Then you can become the first father who would let his son to choose his own life, dearest. You can become that one visionary wolf. Be the trailblazer," Haru said. His dark eyes held Gareth's crimson ones. "Become greater than your father, and his father before him. Be the one who changes everything..."

Gareth glared at Haru silently for a moment. Then he said, with a cold voice, "I am here to see if you are fine, and obviously you are. Have a lot of rest, you need it. I'll ask the doctor to check on you every day". He turned and walked out of the room.

Haru sighed. Dear goddess, help me, he thought. I don't know what to do.

End of Chapter 25