"That's it! You're getting better, Moonie!" Rascal exclaimed as Moondancer balanced on a fallen tree. She was trying to maintain her balance with her three legs.

She placed one careful paw in front of the rest. Sticking her tail out to help.

"W-whoa!" She was flailing as she fell sideways. Rascal rushed up and caught her just in time. He placed her on the ground.

"You okay?" He sniffed her for any scratches.

"Yeah." She grunted while getting to her paws.

Rascal glanced up into the eyes of two Stone Hollow wolves. One was a mother wolf. Her pups scrabbled up and stopped in front of Rascal and the she-pup.

"Wow. She looks funny." A she-pup commented while gazing at Moondancer.

Rascal recognized the pups as Delta and her brother Ghost. Their mother was Mira.

"Yeah, she does." Ghost circled Moondancer.

Moondancer looked hurt. But Rascal didn't want to scare the pups.

"Hey, don't tease her. She's been through a lot." He scolded gently.

Ghost and Delta wrinkled their noses. "It's that Rascal wolf!" Delta whisper-yelled to her brother.

Ghost nodded. "I know." Then he stepped up to Rascal. "You're an outcast! You're not welcome!"

Rascal sighed heavily. "I live in another--"

He was cut off as Mira leaped up and ran to her pups.

"Stay away from him, pups." She ordered with a contempt flick of her eyes in Rascal's direction.

Rascal bit his tongue, wanting to let the she-wolf have it. But he knew they wouldn't get far in the battle if they only argued.

The mother wolf urged her pups away with a menacing glance over her shoulder. Rascal turned back to Moondancer. "Let's continue our exercises."

A red pelt came up beside him. Tyrant. He looked urgent.

"Rascal, I must speak with you for a moment." With a sweep of his tail, he motioned for Rascal to follow him.

Rascal left Moondancer with Blossom, and he bounded to catch up with Tyrant.

The alpha led him in a well-surrounded tree-line with thick piles of sticks and dead trees. It was very secluded, which puzzled Rascal. He looked at Tyrant in confusion.

The red wolf was staring at his paws, he looked uneasy. Anxiety pulsed off him in large waves. He shuffled his paws and took a deep breath, bracing himself.

Tyrant took a steadying breath. "I've got a couple of things to tell you. You won't be glad to hear either."

Why not? Curiosity nagged his thoughts. What's so bad that I won't be able to stand it?

"Before I tell you, I just want to clear something up." Suddenly Tyrant didn't seem like a leader anymore, but a pup that's been naughty.

Rascal nodded. "Go ahead."

There was a long silence. When he spoke, Tyrant's voice was almost a whisper. "How did your father die?"

Rascal jumped in shock. What does my father have to do with it? Plus he didn't really want to discuss this topic at all.

"He...uh...was murdered by a Flame Woods wolf." The words tasted bitter in his mouth. "Why does it matter?"

Tyrant tilted his face up, eyes dim. The words he spoke nearly swept Rascal away in a river's current.

"Copper is my son."

WHAT?!

Rascal stared at Tyrant in confusion. He slowly pieced the puzzle together. It was all making sense.

"Th-then that means...." He trailed off, leaping up in joy. "You're my grandfather! This is great!"

Tyrant nodded numbly. Rascal remembered his words. "But why wouldn't I be glad to hear this?"

Tyrant's eyes brimmed with pain, and regret. "Because I'm the one who killed him..."

It had taken Rascal a minute to process this information. He was surprised Tyrant would try to tell him something as silly as that. H-huh? He denied it. "No, no, you couldn't have. Only a ruthless killer would've killed their own pup."

The old wolf leapt up and his fur bristled, eyes shining with frustration. "I  am that ruthless killer!" His voice rasped.

Rascal understood. Tyrant murdered him those years ago. His scent was left behind. His paw prints were in the mud. He killed my father...

Rascal felt enraged. Anger bubbled up and boiled over. "Monster!" He snarled, taking a threatening step forward. "You gutless mangy old dog! I hate you!" He crouched in a defensive stance and peeled his lips back, revealing his white fangs. "I should kill you for that." He finished a deadly whisper.

Tyrant flinched back as if Rascal had struck him. "You have a right to be angry. But don't--"

"What? Resist the urge to leap on you and kill you? Keep myself from feeling the satisfaction of your blood beneath my paws? Be unable to trust you anymore?" He flared his nostrils, challenging Tyrant. His voice cracked as he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Well, I don't! And if you expect me to forgive you, you're dead wrong!" Rascal's eyes filled with angry tears. In a whisper, he added. "Why? Why did you do it?"

Tyrant's amber eyes glowed with regret. For a heartbeat, Rascal felt sorry for the way he yelled at his kin. But it quickly faded away. Tyrant was a murderer, that's all he could process.

"Because he wouldn't live up to my expectations. Instead, he ran off to live with your mother. Maple was her name, right?"

Rascal nodded. The urge to shred Tyrant was so strong. He feared he wouldn't be able to hold himself back. All kinds of emotions were running through him. Rage, anger, fury, sadness, disappointment. 

"They met on the border. And started seeing each other. I begged Copper to become the next leader. He got tired of my pleading, and ran off to live in Stone Hollow with Maple."

"You mean he didn't want to be leader?" His anger was nearly forgotten. Who wouldn't want to be leader?

"Yes. I wanted to continue my bloodline as leader, wanting to pass it on to my son, and his pups after that. We met again one day months later. He said Maple was expecting pups, and that he wouldn't leave her for the world. I was mad. We met up once more after you were born. I gave him a choice: come back with me and become leader, or live with Maple, and give up his pride. He decided to stay with your mother. Then, out of anger, confusion, and frustration, I killed him."

Rascal glared at his grandfather. "So you killed him for falling in love? Why?"

"His mother left me after he was born. I raised him alone, and refused to love again." Tyrant admitted.

"You couldn't have love, and because of that, you wouldn't allow him to love?" Rascal breathed. He shook his head. "That's a low thing to do. You were jealous!"

"I was. And I regret it with all of my heart. I wish I could've been a better father to him."

"But---but who was the assumed murderer of my father?" Rascal realized that another wolf was framed for the crime.

Tyrant tensed, keeping his eyes downcast. "My brother...."

How many secrets does this wolf have?!

"You had a---"

"Yes, yes I did. I framed him for Copper's death. He was mad at me. Out of blind anger and sense of betrayal, he ran straight into a bear's cave. His name was Flame. We were so close." Tyrant exhaled and shook his head. "I have made many mistakes in my lifetime. I don't deserve to live after tonight." He glanced up at Rascal with genuine curiosity. "Rascal, if you had known what I did to your father, would you have stayed in Flame Woods Pack?"

Rascal opened his mouth to speak. He was about to yell, but instead closed his eyes and sighed. "No."

"That's what I thought." He replied softly. "I never had a real father-son relationship with Copper. And because of that, I wanted to have one with you. That's why I didn't tell you sooner." He admitted. "Please, don't tell anyone of this."

Rascal snorted and bared his teeth. "Why not? You don't wanna lose your position as leader?"

"They need me." Tyrant straightened up, looking like an alpha once more. "Besides, it's none of their business. It's not them I'm apologizing to. It's you, Rascal, and I could never forgive myself. I'm so sorry."

Rascal's green eyes flared. He seethed. "How do you expect me to forgive you for that?"

"I was going to make you leader after me. But if you--" Tyrant was cut off.

"I have no intention of becoming the leader!" Rascal growled. "After the battle, I just want to live a normal life."

Tyrant stiffened but nodded. "Fine, do as you please. You may go."

Rascal didn't waste a second. He spun around and sped out as fast as he could. Tears were brimming in his dark eyes, he could feel his heart breaking. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to make Tyrant feel pain. He wanted to have his father back...

OKAY OKAY OKAY!!!!!!!!! TYRANT IS A KILLER!!! SO MANY LIES!!!! SO MANY SECRETS!!!!!!!! THEY ARE ALL REVEALED!!!!!!

What do you guys think of Tyrant's wrongdoings? Should Rascal forgive him? Will he forgive him? Was Rascal's reaction appropriate in this scene? Lemme know!

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,

15thSoccerGirl