Word count: 513 // +5 points
It was a rare thing when Alduin felt superior to anyone. He never thought any one wolf was better than the next, but when Jaden’s words met his ears he found himself wanting to beat respect into the man’s head. To say he might have the right to hate him was incorrect in so many ways, and his disgust for the male was plainly marked on his face. He resisted violence, however, and instead straightened his body to reach its full potential in height. His ears and tail snapped toward the sky as he let a vicious roar erupt past his teeth.
“Despite what you think, I have every right in this world to hate you, demon,” he snapped. “My mother was taken from me and shown no mercy under your worthless hand. I am finding it difficult to give you what she was denied.”
He growled threateningly, but he knew it was an empty shell of a promise at this point. With each second that passed in this foul beast’s presence, he died a little more inside because he knew he stood no chance against him—for now, anyway. He sheathed his teeth, but kept a wary eye on the thief before him as he continued.
“My desires for revenge are, as you say, wishful thoughts,” he admitted reluctantly. “The day will come when you know the unjustifiable pain you wrought upon my mother; and when the sun rises on that fateful day, you will curse the woman that gave you your life.”
He snarled once more in the other’s direction, his hate for him burning brightly in his eyes. Perhaps Jaden would shrug him off as someone who spat empty threats, but at least Alduin would know he would make good on his promise one day—no matter how long it took him to exact his revenge. So for now, he remained where he was and kept his defenses up and at the ready. The last thing he could do was trust that Jaden would leave peacefully.
“What happens now, Jaden, is simple,” he declared. “You explain to me why my mother was taken from me. Then, you turn ‘round to leave and pray to whatever god you want that I don’t catch wind of you lurking about my family’s borders. That day will be your last.”
As much as he wanted to leave and return home, he knew he couldn’t do it until he heard Jaden’s reason for kidnapping his beloved mother. He’d spent countless nights tossing and turning in his room, unable to sleep; and if he could, he woke not long after drenched in sweat. He had tried hard to believe that he had done nothing wrong; that he had simply been a victim of some pack’s disgusting outdoor activity. It was difficult, though, and nothing he told himself convinced him of his innocence. He knew closure wasn’t what awaited him by the end of their meeting, but he felt certain he could at least get a small answer to the memory that plagued him for so long.
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