Prompt 070

Title:Lycan Tales
Genre:fantasy, romance, drama
Characters:Caine, Bernard
Prompt:70
Word Count:920
Rating:PG-13
Type: series
Summary:Prologue, A power struggle finally comes to a head.
Warnings:Violence


“I like coming here with you Dad.” Duncaine kicked up some leaves then inhaled deeply as he looked around the forest. He grinned when his dad reached over and ruffled his hair.
“You’re just saying that because you got out of Ms. Fiona harassing you about your homework.” Bernard winked down at his son. “It’s okay. It’ll be our little secret.”
“Cool! Hey dad, why are we here? Usually you meet everyone at the house.”
“Your Uncle Ethan requested a private meeting.” Bernard hesitated. “Things are complicated Caine. There are things that I need to tell you, but I want you to just enjoy being a kid.”
Caine puffed out his chest. “I’m not a kid! I’m almost ten.”
Bernard barked out a laugh. “Yeah, you’re getting up there in age.”

Looking around Bernard took note of how quiet the woods were. Wiping a hand over his sweaty forehead he blinked rapidly to clear his blurry vision. He had been feeling a little off this afternoon but he couldn’t postpone this meeting. Ethan would take it as a sign of weakness and try to press whatever advantage he could. Bernard couldn’t allow that to happen. A Lancaster had been alpha of the pack since the 1800s…and if he had his way a Lancaster would always be alpha. He looked down at Duncaine.
“Alright, I want you to go over there and stay out of sight. Do you understand? I don’t care what you hear or think you see don’t come and investigate. And if I tell you to run do exactly that! Don’t look back. Go to our secret place and wait for me there.”
Caine stared up at his dad as a shiver went through him. “Dad, I can’t leave you. I-”
His father straightened to his full height and glared down at him. “Do as I say,” he growled then his postured relaxed as he patted his shoulder. “Please Duncaine, it’s important that nothing happens to you.”
“Okay.” Caine looked over his shoulder as he turned to walk away. “Hey dad?”
“Yeah kiddo?”
His father had already started to head deeper into the woods. “When we get home you have to help me with my math homework. Stupid Ms. Ruston gave us a ton of word problems. I hate math!”
“I’ll help you son. Now go play.”

Caine heaved a sigh as he agilely jumped from rock to rock. Sure, he liked coming with his dad but usually they did stuff together. His dad had been gone for awhile now. It was dark and he was starting to get cold. He might be young but he knew that dad and Uncle Ethan didn’t get along. And for whatever reason Uncle Ethan didn’t like him much either.
“Well, I don’t like Uncle Ethan either,” he mumbled aloud. “He’s always staring at me.” Caine started to jump to the next rock when a howl ripped through the air. He whipped around but branches were blocking his view. Jumping down from the rock he headed toward the sound. As he drew neared he could hear a steady growling and what sounded like bones being ripped into. He froze.

“RUN CAINE!”
Bernard hoped Caine could understand him. Ethan and his pack had snuck up on him. They had bribed one of the cooks to slip something into his food, dulling his senses and disabling his shifting abilities. Something he found out a little too late. After they had finished toying with him Ethan had come in for the kill only to scent Caine.
“Get the boy,” he had snarled loosening his hold on Bernard enabling him to lift up his head and call out the warning to his son. The boy he would never get to see grow into a man…
“Now, I will be alpha! With you and your whelp out of the way I will command this pack. It should have always been me!”
“You’ll never be the true alpha Ethan. Someone will figure out what you’ve done.” It was getting harder for him to breath and his wounds had went numb.
“And I will deal with those that usurp me in the same manner I have dealt with you!” Ethan snarled before clamping down on Bernardes neck. His teeth sank through skin and muscle and ground against the bone as a he gave a vicious shake of his head. He looked up to watch Bernard take his final breath but his feeling of satisfaction waned when he realized that even breathing his last Bernard was staring him down. With a snarl he snapped his neck.

It was his dad’s voice but it sounded weak and garbled. Spinning on his heel he ducked his head and started to run. His breath caught in his throat when he heard the sound of something crashing through the bushes after him. There was a growl and then a snap and Duncaine could have sworn he felt the hot breath of an animal behind him. Sucking in air he put all he had into trying to reach the tree line. As long as he reached the tree line everything would be okay. It HAD to be okay.

A small smile formed on his lips as he broke through the trees but it quickly disappeared when he realized that he had been herded toward the main highway. There was a blinding light, a blinding pain and then he was flying through the air.

His head cracked against the pavement and the last thing he remembered seeing was the seemingly satisfied look of a wolf as it turned and run back into the woods.