CHAPTER 179 - FATHER AND SON OUTING
POV: HARVEY
Conan accompanied me in human form to the edge of the forest; his hostility was palpable, and my inner wolf growled in defiance of his. I was not willing to accept the manipulation and disruption of the connection that the shadows had established between the pup and me!
“I hated my father too...” I spoke, grabbing his attention.
“Hmph, then we're more alike than I'd like!” He shrugged brusquely. I smiled at his rebellious posture, which reminded me of myself.
“When you were just a little pup, we had a strong connection. A single glance was enough to understand your emotions.” I stopped talking, stared at him, and transformed into a wolf. “Transform; I hope you can keep up with me!”
“Where are we going?” Conan raised an eyebrow, suspicious.
“Don't worry, pup, I won't harm you... I don't want to incur your aunt's wrath!” I laughed, ironically.
Rolling his eyes, he transformed into his lupine form. His fur was as white as snow, similar to Sophia's, with subtle golden streaks and black paws, completely different from anything I had ever seen.
“Are you just going to stare at me or show the way, old man?” He taunted, brusque, making me growl, subtly shaking him.
“They taught you to shift, but they didn't teach you about hierarchy.” I roared irritably, pointing with my snout. “Let's go!”
I started running, watching him struggle to keep up with me. It was surprising; Conan had more speed than the hybrid aunt. I made a point to go through challenging obstacles to assess his adaptation to the terrain; he handled them with mastery, strangely as if he had been trained before. I saw him catch up, staying by my side, smiling arrogantly between his fangs. Furthermore, I reciprocated the moment, increasing the speed because, until that point, I had been playing with him!
Growling irritably, the white wolf with golden streaks exerted more effort to catch up with me. We stopped at the edge of the waterfall. He was panting, halting just behind. I lowered my head to drink water, waiting for him to do the same.
“For an old alpha, you're pretty fast!” Conan exclaimed, looking at me sideways.
“You have a very sharp tongue for such a slow pup.” I teased back. “Who trained you?”
I noticed he became uncomfortable with the simple question.
“Aunt Victoria, a black wolf also assisted... He said he was my grandfather; he seemed more like an enemy!” Conan growled, reliving his memories. His fur bristled. “And the shadows...”
“Walker, so that bastard was there too?” I exclaimed irritably, analyzing the pup. “What shadows exactly?”
He shifted once again, putting his ears back, crouching to drink more water, and ignoring me.
“Where are we going now?” Conan asked, shrugging.
“Do you know how to climb?” I smiled, looking up at the top of the waterfall. “Try not to fall and die; it would be a hassle to explain that to your aunt.”
“You're arrogant!” He growled, passing by me, and staring at the wet and slippery rocks. “Want to make a bet?”
“Interesting, what do you suggest?” I approached, facing him.
“Whoever reaches first gets two questions with honest answers...” Conan eyed me with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
“Agreed.” I tilted my head, analyzing him.
“Deal!” He rushed ahead of me, starting the climb.
I smiled at his dirty game. What questions did he want to ask me so badly? Despite my curiosity, I needed to uncover some things, and he held the answers. I saw him halfway up the climb, looking victorious in sarcasm. I growled, was intrigued, and was amused. Furthermore, I leaped onto the rocks, moving back and forth with wide strides and jumps, easily surpassing Conan and reaching the top. I rested my face on my paws, looking down at him.
“How boring! I thought the challenge would last longer.” I growled, teasing him.
He finished the climb, infuriated.
“You cheated; you already knew a faster route!” Conan exclaimed.
“That's called skill, kid...” I growled ironically. “Don't be a sore loser; by the way, never lose, if you ever want to be an alpha!”
“I will be one!” He roared threateningly. “I'll defeat you and take my pack by right; I'll free my aunt and our people from your cursed claws.”
“So much bravery for a pup who can barely climb a simple rock.” I laughed at his posture. “You need to get stronger if you want to defeat me and to protect the weaker ones. That's the Alpha's role... All pain is ours, and all struggles, problems, and responsibilities fall on our shoulders. I hope you have the guts to handle all of that!”
“Aren't you going to try to stop me? Make me change my mind about wanting to face you?” Conan asked, confused.
“Are those your choices?” I looked at him over my shoulders, seeing him nod. “Then, it's my job to accept them. If you're choosing your path, as your king and father, all that remains is to train you to achieve your goals. It would be a disgrace to have a weak pup as an Alpha!”
“Aren't you afraid of death?” Conan asked with shining eyes.
“There are things worse than dying; you've been through some... Which brings me to the first question.” I sat on my paws, assessing him; he did the same, stopping in front. “What have they done to you?”
Turning his head to the side, his discomfort was noticeable.
“An alpha keeps his word; if you intend to be one, start now,” I growled brusquely. “And then?”
“They did everything, not just memory manipulation... I was hunted, tortured, trained until near death, tampered with my soul and the core of my essence, the pains.” He swallowed hard. “Can you imagine feeling such pain and fear at the age of 2? And no one is coming to protect you or wipe away your tears?”
I sighed, feeling anger consume me for what they did to my pup. I nodded, letting him continue.
“The worst was the alteration of the core of the soul and magic... Something changed; something whispers inside me.” Growling, Conan shook his head. “I feel like I won't be able to contain it for much longer; I feel the urge to lead the shadows, the lands, and all creatures... And you, father... You're my damn obstacle!”
I nodded.
“Don't you know what whispers within you?” I stared at him, glad to hear him call me father for the first time in years.
“No, I tried to connect to my core without success... Even my wolf can't accurately detect what inhabits it; something inside me was sealed, incubated, just waiting for the right moment to break free and resurface.” Conan paced back and forth, agitated; his scent was one of fear, anguish, and frustration.
“Pup, let us help with this!” I finally spoke, approaching and running my fur against him. “There's no reason for us to be enemies.”
“You don't understand, do you?” Growling, Conan tried to bite me; his eyes were ablaze. “Because of you, all of that happened to me. Because of you, my mother and Aunt Sophie suffered. You will pay for it, and the world will be freed from your evil and your beast!”
I tilted my head, analyzing him.
“The second question: if you become the greater evil, putting your aunt and all species at risk, what will you do about it?” I kept my sharp gaze on him; he widened his eyes, surprised by the question.