As soon as he could open his eyes, Strong Boulder felt he owned the den that he and the other pups played in. Nestled up against his mother's fur, he would hear stories of how great her lineage was, of how great he could become, and how he was already such a large and strong pup for his age. His sister, Tall Willow, was also praised by their mother, but Strong Boulder knew for a fact that he was special. He knew it in the way his mother would often take him aside from his sister sometimes and sing him praises, or the way his grandmother would visit and state how the future alpha was aging well.

That was Strong Boulder's strongest wish. His grandmother, Silver Snowflake, was the beta of the pack, and it seemed like now the family was just waiting for the current alphas to pass so that his family could come back into power again. Silver Snowflake always seemed to assure Strong Boulder's mother, Shining River, that she would be the next beta, and Shining River seemed to promise Strong Boulder the same.

"I gave you your name for a reason," Shining River would tell her son. "You will be one of the strongest wolves in this pack. I have no doubt about it." She would stare over at Small Fox's pups and lower her voice as she said, "You see those pups over there? They do not come from the same lineage as you, and they will never live up to you. Which is why it's best you don't interact with them."

Strong Boulder had heeded those words as soon as he was big enough to play. He had no desire to interact with the lowly other three pups of the den. Though sometimes Tall Willow wasn't always in the mood to play or wasn't as skilled as him, and that often made Strong Boulder wish for another playmate. The only games his mother played with him were integral to his training. In fact, sometimes she'd take him out in the woods to show him a few hunting poses, though it was far below his level.

No, Strong Boulder felt no desire to be like Quiet Ocean, Snow Fall, and Daffodil Bloom. Yet something stirred up inside him, something that rattled his core and made him almost seethe with anger, when their father, Golden Sun would enter the den, play with them, and lovingly talk to them as a father would.

"Why does Dad not visit more often?" Strong Boulder would ask his mother.

"He's a busy wolf," was all she would answer.

"But your father played with you, didn't he?" Strong Boulder asked.

"Yes. But Feather Wings is busy. He comes from an old alpha lineage as well, you know. It's a shame that lightning mark could not be yours," Shining River would murmur.

Yes, the lightning mark. When Feather Wings would briefly visit, it was the first thing that Strong Boulder would notice. There was a pale, white-furred lightning strike on his father's thigh. Strong Boulder had heard the stories, how the mark would pass down only on to one offspring, yet he nor his sister had been lucky enough to receive it. And Strong Boulder was still struggling to understand why he didn't.

If he was all the things his mother said--strong, brave, skilled--then why had he not been gifted with the mark? The last thing he wanted was for his mother to have another litter so that a sibling could get the mark. Strong Boulder was to be alpha some day, and it seemed unfortunate that he would be the one to not receive the mark.

The days in the den would pass by slowly sometimes for Strong Boulder. He and his sister would play for a little while, and his mother would share a few stories, but sometimes she would go out and hunt, and with the two of them banned from interacting with Small Fox's pups (though Strong Boulder had no desire to anyway), the days often grew long. He couldn't nap long, since Shining River would often wake him to tell him to practice some moves with his sister if he was going to lay around.

On this day though, the sun was hot, and many of the wolves were lounging around regardless. Strong Boulder was curled up in the den, trying his best to nap, when pawsteps grabbed his attention.

He looked up excitedly, only to see it was Golden Sun coming to visit his pups once more. Strong Boulder growled quietly. Their father seemed to be over every day, though Strong Boulder figured this wasn't a good thing. If the pups grew too attached to their father, it would be difficult for them to move on from the den and grow into full members of the pack.

Yet there was a sadness in Strong Boulder's heart that he could not quite figure out the source of.

It was as Golden Sun was making his exit that Strong Boulder heard another voice at the door. He suddenly stood, his eyes lighting up, as Feather Wings entered. Immediately, Strong Boulder ran to his father.

"Hi, Dad! Guess what? Mom says I'm really improving on my hunting skills," Strong Boulder said.

"Only on some of them," Tall Willow teased beside them.

"You two are two young to be worrying about skills like that," Feather Wings murmured before walking past them to Shining River. 

Strong Boulder glanced as his mother and father briefly nuzzled each other and then took a seat. His father looked tired, and sometimes, quite older than he actually was. He never seemed to enter the den with a smile, and he carried himself like an injured wolf would at times. How his mother had fallen in love with him, Strong Boulder was not quite sure.

His parents were conversing with each other, so Strong Boulder took the opportunity to practice some skills. He cautiously approached his father, crouched, and leapt, biting down on his father's tail.

Immediately, Feather Wings moved his tail out of the way. "I'm not in the mood today, Strong Boulder," he said.

"Leave your father alone and practice with your sister. Your father is busy enough as it is," Shining River growled.

Strong Boulder could feel tears coming to his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away. That was only a weakness. Instead, he turned, walking back over to his sister. He had no intention of practicing his moves with her, and she seemed to understand that.

"Don't get upset. Dad looks tired. Maybe we shouldn't bother him," Tall Willow murmured.

"I'm not upset!" Strong Boulder growled. 

He lied down with his back facing her and curled up, using his tail to hide any tears rolling down his cheeks. In the spare moments his father visited, like today, Feather Wings never seemed to care for his pups, and Strong Boulder could not figure out why. All he knew was that he was going to become the strongest wolf he could to please his father, and maybe then, Feather Wings would show him the same affection as Small Fox did to his pups.