The Hunted (LGBT+)

Chapter 5: Who's Afraid of the big, bad Rogue?

Parker

I've come to the decision that the pack lands are huge.

I'm surprised to find that life in the pack is like any other town. There are children running about everywhere and the parents don't seem to chastise them too much. I've seen quite a few wolf puppies running about and I'm sure that there are no pets here. They seem at home and there doesn't seem to be much fear of anything.

I realize that seeing how free the pack is here is refreshing.

After showing me around and giving me the rundown, Kohl seems distracted. I take time to enjoy the silence. I can't deny that I wish he'd speak. I haven't been as gracious as I should be but he makes it incredibly hard to be anything but sarcastic to him, much like his little outburst in front of his Father.

I can't be certain but he seems intense. I can understand his fight for dominance. He wants to be the next Alpha. I'm not well-versed in werewolf politics or lore but I am sure that he should be the Alpha by now. I can see the frustration in him.

I feel bad for him.

As we walk down the main street of the pack lands with Kohl, I decide I can't take the silence anymore. I decide that I need to speak with him and get to know him. I ask myself why I should care. I promised Jasar. I honestly can't understand my need to understand him but I do have this need to understand him.

It seems I have a general lack of understanding about actually understanding.

And now my head hurts.

"So, when does one become an Alpha...or how?" I ask, "Is there a fight to the death?"

Kohl smiles, "Like an old western? Not quite." He laughs.

"I mean, you're my age. You seem ready."

"How would you know?" Kohl asks causing me to look forward. I don't want to pry. He clears his throat before speaking again, "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that we don't know anything about each other."

"Hence the questions."

"A werewolf either has to step down, be challenged or die to relinquish his title." Kohl explains, "In most werewolf societies, the Alpha is challenged to a death match."

"And no one has?"

"Eight since I've been able to remember." Kohl says with a nod, "He's beat every single one of them."

"So, if you want to be the Alpha..."

"He can relinquish it to me or I can take it." Kohl explains. He sighs, "People love my Father. He's a great Alpha and it's a lot to live up to."

"So, you're a scaredy wolf?" I ask with a smirk.

Kohl stops walking and I turn to him. He's glaring at me now. I can tell I've overstepped but I feel like anger motivates him. Why I want to push him towards being an Alpha is beyond me. Kohl is a mystery to me and he creates more questions than answers.

"You have no clue what you're talking about."

"No?" I ask, "What I got from that is that you are afraid that you can't move out of his shadow. Well, suck it up. You can't move out of his shadows when you're actually still standing in them."

"You're way off base and out of line." He says as his voice dives in octaves.

"Maybe. Or maybe I'm hitting the nail on the head and you can't take it. Maybe you're right. Maybe you'll always be in his shadow."