Dean looked straight into his brother’s eyes when those words were spoken. It was the look that Dean had been afraid of, the look he had been worried about for a long time.
“I’m not,” Dean answered almost immediately. “I have spoken just as I have always spoken. I am just passing on what our father would have wished.”
“Our father?” Lupus replied. “Whenever we speak, you always go back to him. It’s almost as if you're trying to pull on my heartstrings to convince me. Just answer me, why does everything I say need to be adjusted? Is it because you don’t think I’m a good enough leader?”
“If you have so much to say, then why don’t you become the leader?”
The tone of Lupus's voice was getting more aggressive. Of course, growing up, Dean and Lupus had their arguments. There were many, and at times the two of them would fight it out, even in their full Werewolf forms.
The thing was, before now, neither of them were Alphas. If the two of them clashed, it felt like it was a declaration that a fight between two Alphas would begin.
Dean, trying to keep a calm head and seeing this aggressiveness, had two words.
“Look, just calm down for a moment.”
“Calm down? Who are you to tell me to calm down? Just answer the freaking question!” Lupus said as he got up from his seat. He was already transforming, and it looked like he was about to take a swing at Dean.
In response to this, Dean himself also partly transformed. The two of them took this as a sign of one being aggressive to the other, and that was when Lupus went ahead and took the first strike.
Dean blocked the hit and struck back, kicking him in the chest.
“I told you to calm down, not to attack. What do you think you’re doing?”
Lupus looked up and immediately pounced on his brother. The sheer weight from him launching from the stage had knocked Dean onto the ground. Now above and pinning him down, Lupus started to strike with both of his hands, hitting Dean across the face.
The hits were heavy, and the only thing Dean could think of to stop the hits was to transform his face, and then with his sharp teeth, he bit down on Lupus's arm. With him fully transforming, he managed to push Lupus off and let out an almighty howl, bearing his teeth with saliva hitting the floor.
“ARGHHH!” Dean shouted.
“Stop being a fool!” Dean shouted.
His brother, getting back up, then went in. When Dean went to strike, he hit nothing but air because Lupus was on the ground and had swung his foot, hitting Dean right across the face. The blow was so hard that his head banged into the wall, and he was now next to Galark.
Galark, seeing this, transformed his hand, and his nails grew extra long.
“How dare you attack the Alpha? We have kept you by his side despite everything you have become. You deserve death!” Galark went to strike right behind Dean’s neck.
Just before the nails reached or pierced his skin, a hand grabbed onto him, stopping him on the spot.
“What are you doing?” Lupus asked. “Were you just trying to kill my brother?”
Holding onto Galark’s hand, Lupus then flung his entire body off the stage and into the crowd of people.
The other Werewolves were quite shocked by this. Just a moment ago, the two were fighting, and now Lupus was hurting an ally who was just trying to help.
“This is family business, a family fight, and at the same time, I won’t forgive anyone who touches my family!” Lupus claimed, looking at them all.
The anger and seriousness in his voice caused the others to cower away, and whatever they were going to say, they knew they were going to keep their mouths shut about it.
Dean was fine as he turned around, canceling his transformation. All of the heat that was felt before seemed to disappear between the two of them, but Dean knew. After what had just happened, things between them could never be the same again.
Lupus looked over his shoulder at his brother and then back at the Werewolves on the floor.
“This meeting is dismissed. All of you, leave the room.”
The Werewolves decided to follow the orders, not that they had a choice anyway, and left the room. Now the only ones left were Dean and Lupus.
“I’m sorry, Dean. I didn’t want to fight; you know that’s the truth, right?” Lupus replied.
“I know,” Dean replied. “It’s the same for me, but ever since I changed, ever since I was different, I can’t help but get these thoughts out of my head. It’s as if I’m not in control of my own thoughts and actions anymore.”
Lupus let out a big sigh because he felt the same way. This entire time, he was trying his best to suppress his feelings.
“I guess we were both foolish, thinking that we could overcome things that our ancestors, over 1,000 years, were unable to overcome. I thought maybe we were a bit different, but it seems it’s the same,” Lupus said as he went back to his throne and slouched in his seat. It was taking a large toll on him.
Seeing this, Dean decided to speak.
“I’ll leave the pack,” Dean said. “And I’ll stop this destiny from happening no matter what. I won’t create a pack of my own, and I won’t appear in front of you again. We still haven’t tried everything to stop this.”
After saying those words, Dean walked toward the door, and Lupus didn’t try to stop him. As he said, he didn’t want to fight, so he was holding onto this hope.
“The only thing I will say is that the two of us might never meet again, but I promise you one thing: no matter what, you and I will not fight. Goodbye, Lupus,” Dean stated.
“Goodbye, brother,” Lupus said back.
Exiting the room, Dean did have an idea in mind. He hadn’t just said those words half-heartedly.
‘There is one place that might be able to help me, NIRV,’ Dean thought.