Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Cheers and bright toned music floated up through the sky. Packmates both young and old held smiles and positivity. Some even shed tears for the success of their pack.
Tonight was special for them all. The glimmering crown of a thriving pack was being passed down from father to son. Both father and son beamed their flawless teeth toward their eager people. In the clear night one could have mistaken them for newly formed lunar satellites.
They stood upon a stage set up in their own backyard. The father, and alpha of old, stood alongside his beta, a large stern looking African American who acted as the second-in-command, and his delta, a man hit hard with age who seemed more than happy to be relieved of his duties.
"I trust that this pack will be in great hands and will continue to thrive for a long time to come." The father finished his grandiose speech. His love for his child soared up from his heart and out through his mouth. His son stood beside him, relishing every word his role model spoke. "And now, I'll let you speak, Alik" He stepped back and let his young blood begin his own part of the ceremony.
Among the crowd, standing tall in support, was the fresh Alphas younger brother. Eyes filled with admiration, he let out his excitement by rocking back and forth on his heels and toes. With his cinnamon brown hair shimmering in the golden lantern light that surrounded the party and the mashup of colors that amounted to green in his irises being his most predominant features, he'd never stick out in a crowd. None of that mattered though because tonight everything would change.
Alongside him in the crowd, his mother watched his overeager behavior with amusement. Her once long wavy bronze hair had been diluted with gray into a thin light chocolate color, but her beauty remained.
"Hushhh." She pinched his arm and giggled at him.
Alik took a step forward and cleared his throat. The same radiant smile lit up his face and refused to let go. The entire crowd silenced in anticipation for the coming words.
"Just as it is my fathers time to retire, it is time for the positions of beta and delta to again renewed for the sake of the pack." He stood with his hands on his hips showing off the immense pride in every second of leadership. "You know them well," He related to his people, "So it should come of no surprise that I choose my loyal friends Samuel Reiner and Kyle Whiterun for the positions of beta and delta respectively."
The pack erupted into a frenzy of joy. They hooted. They hollered. They screamed their approval as the new beta and delta rose to the stage. The mass surged forward like a horde of zombies. The perfect fang in each grin turned to gape up at their new superiors.
The only survivor of the gleeful virus was the younger brother with his broken expression and feeling of betrayal. No one noticed him leave.
--
"Cooper...?" The voice of his older brother came sheepishly from his door. Cooper didn't want to answer. For just a moment he thought of simply continuing to ignore his new alpha. The thought fell apart as he remembered his family still all lived together and despite his lack of appetite he'd have to eat eventually.
Alik, along with their father, had been making far more noise then necessary while moving about the house that morning. It came about as their usual attempt to get their other family members up and around. This was their usual behavior when they wanted to have any conversation more emotional than what physical aspects they admire most in a woman.
Cooper didn't really mind his dad and brother's conservative form of masculinity. He often behaved in a similar manner. On a scale of such "toxic masculinity" he'd certainly rank himself far below his male family members but he was definitely on a similar spectrum. He supposed that shared behavior was what caused all the butting of heads among the men he knew.
He rose up from his bed where he had fallen asleep fully clothed the night before. Flicking the lock open and gripping the knob with ferocity, Cooper swung the door up to see his brother go for his face.
To be specific, Alik slapped his palm over his brother's mouth, shoved him further in his room and turned and closed the door. Right hand still occupied, he twisted the lock with his left.
"Okay listen up first and you can gripe later" The elder said before releasing his grip. Cooper immediately spat and made faces due to tasting his brother's hand. Who knows where that's been? Bleckk.
"I know that we talked about you having the beta position..." Alik began.
"Talked about?! That was the plan. That was what you said would happen from age 9 to last week!" Cooper whisper-yelled back. His brother gave out a long sigh and rubbed the back of his neck.
It was at times like this that Cooper felt so much younger than him. He was only 3 and a half years younger than his 21 year old brother. Despite that, Alik stood at a sturdy 6'1 while Cooper was bitterly left behind at 5'6. Alik had a curly brown mop on his head with the sides shaved close. He wore stylish workman's clothes and was never seen without a chain around his neck. Over the years his muscles had filled out his once lanky body. Just like every alpha, he never needed to exercise to gain a body always ready to fight.
"I didn't lie when I said I wanted you to be my beta, but things aren't so simple. Yeah, I want you by my side, but that doesn't mean you should be my beta. I mean betas gotta do so much. It's not I don't want you, it's just I know Samuel and Kyle will do so well." It was plain that Alik just wanted to explain and have this be over with. He cared about his brothers feelings, but there wasn't much he could do.
"It's....it's okay." Samuel and Kyle will do well? Don't you mean they'd do better than me? That they are better than me?
"And," Alik continued, voice lowering further, "It wasn't just my decision. Dad had been talking to me for months about the choice. He made it pretty clear that I should choose Samuel as beta." He admitted. Dad, too?
"It's alright, bro. Really. My fault for getting my hopes up. Go. I'll be down in a minute." Cooper gave a nod towards the door, indicating he should leave. His brother looked him the eyes for a moment longer before nodding and heading to leave.
"I'll tell Dad to lay off you today." The elder pursed his lips and left.
Alone in his room, Cooper's self value felt deteriorated. He had been stepped over. He had not been demoted to the second-in-command position and instead had been booted from the leadership of the pack entirely. It had been his only real opportunity in the pack. The warriors troop were far fiercer than him, and he feared them. He'd have no place among them.
In the end, the only real way his way to help his pack now would be to get a job and support them financially. He had dreams of negotiating treaties between packs but perhaps now it was better to drum up a business plan. What would do well in this area? A flower shop?
He scoffed at the thought. That slight bit of conservative masculinity he had within hissed in disagreement. Had he no pride?
Unhappy and undecided, he decided to just wait things out. He lived with the support of his pack so there was no need to worry about deciding what he was going to do with his life while he was still only 17. For now, he'd let the opportunities come to him.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone