Strange Love

Current day

Poseidon pushed up from the desk opposite his son and the shocked silent man-boy beside him. The last of Joslyn's trials had just played out before them all in full HD. "It could have gone worse..." He shrugged. "Could have gone better as well, but we'll take what we can. I'll do what I can for her when we review sentencing here in an hour or so. As for you," He held Russ's dazed stare. "Just be glad she didn't decide to press charges on your punk ass for all the hell you've put her through. I have half a mind to leave you the Pomeranian form for a few hundred years." He shook his head in disappointment. "You know, as a god, I went through my own phase of entitlement; but the best thing you'll ever learn as a ruler is this: The people around you don't owe you shit... It is you that owe them." He pointed his finger at Russ causing the kid to swallow hard. "You need to respect them to gain respect, you need to protect them to gain their protection, you need to support them if you want their support." When Russ only nodded, his face still pale from the trials that had just ended, Poseidon clamped a hand over his shoulder. "You have some growing to do, kid, but I believe in the end you'll be worth the investment." He moved his gaze over to Ry. "I'm off to the Embassy. See that he stays occupied and away from the office. If you head up to the fourth floor toward the back there is a sizeable selection on the history of Skinwalkers, lycanthropes, werewolves, and a few on the associated gods. As soon as everything is final, I'll find you and we'll head to the boy's island." With that said, Poseidon disappeared in a snap.

Ry let out a groan as he looked away from the spot his father had been standing, to the monitor that showed the courtroom with people filing out now. "The worst part's over, it's time to get to the shit we need to get done." He stood and walked toward the door leading out of the office. Turning at the door, he arched a brow. "You heard him, come on kid. You gotta get your ass out of this room before they return. Jos doesn't need your horse shit right now, get your ass moving."

Russ met Ry's glare; a confused, shocked expression still spread across his face. He shook his head. "I don't get it... so many years! Even after everything Shelly said... everything she went through? How could they not see it was all justified? Humans wouldn't have gotten such a long sentence for killing sc.u.m of the earth. Hell, most of the ones she killed were doing the world a favor! But no... they gave her nearly 400 years!!! That's nearly my entire lifespan!" His troubled eyes held Ry's begging for an explanation. "Why?!"

Ry let out a long sigh. "Follow me to the library. You don't want to make things harder for her, do you?"

Russ finally pushed up from the chair he was sitting in and ambled toward the door still shaking his head. "I just don't understand..."

Ry frowned as he studied the boy's expression. "Our world isn't fair. No matter how hard you fight against it that fact never changes. All you can do is choose a side and hope it's the right one. Dad will do all he can for Jos... just as he will for you if you cooperate."

Russ frowned as he walked through the heavy wooden door. "How am I supposed to cooperate if I don't even know what he wants yet? He hasn't said shit past 'You and your people will have my protection and finance as well your sister'. What does his protection and finance actually entail? What does he want out of me in return?" He followed Ry through the doors of the second-story level of the library. "And why the hell does he want me to read books during a time like this? Shouldn't I be practicing my physical skills or something?"

Ry shook his head as he led Russ toward the stairs leading to the upper floors. "What do you know of wolf hierarchy?"

Russ shrugged. "I know I'm alpha so that automatically makes me the leader of my pack."

Ry sent Russ a questioning look over his shoulder. "And that's all you know?" He chuckled in disbelief as he rounded the final corner of the fourth floor. Stepping into an out cove he pointed around. "The things you don't know could literally fill a small library. Have a seat we have a lot to cover before we leave here today." He didn't wait for Russ as he began reading over the spines of the books lining the many shelves. Pulling several out and tossing them onto the table center the seating area, he began the lesson. "It doesn't matter if we're talking about your ordinary run of the mill grey wolf or some version of lycanthrope the hierarchies are all the same. All large wolf packs consist of two alphas, a beta, senior warrior, warriors, guardians, signals, and Omega. All of these positions can be found... well as of fifty years ago could be found within your palace walls."

Russ's brows furrowed in confusion. "Wait, what do you mean TWO alphas?"

Finally finding the book he was looking for, he set in one of the chairs surrounding the table. Flipping through the book, he finally stopped on a page and pushed the book across the table to Russ. He tapped his finger against the page. "Yes, two alphas... a male and a female. Typically chosen by an alpha that has already fully come into his power, the female alpha will have superior genetics which the alpha will be able to detect. In most cases, a.d.u.l.t alphas will choose these females from their own packs or from packs they are trying to work out alliances with and have that female betrothed to their own firstborn sons... or in your father and mother's case whichever son presents the alpha traits. In addition to superior traits, she alone carries the DNA to pass on male alpha genes. She can shift at will into the wolf form but cannot take on a mutant form like the males. If something happens to the male alpha and their son is not of age or they didn't have an alpha son, she can rule the pack as alpha." He moved his attention from the book up to meet Russ's gaze. "This is why the council will not accept a relationship between you and anyone who isn't capable of being an alpha female... and why your pack will not want to accept Shelly and her mixed child. As a potential alpha female, her genes have been tainted."

Russ's brain raced to put all the information together. "So... then Gigi is..."

"An alpha female that your father and mother had chosen for you before they died. It was never made official however because you were both only three at the time of your parent's death." Ry shook his head when Russ's ears perked up. "Don't get too excited, the council will push for the match as will her family. It's probably one of the reasons they followed you to the U.S." He pulled the book back and began flipping through the pages again. "You should know, if the alpha male does not have a queen or she too dies like what happened to your parents, the beta as second can step in and lead the pack... that would be your uncle... Fern." Russ's brows furrowed more. Reading the question, Ry continued. "It wasn't uncommon in the old days and even in normal animal wolves, the beta will frequently challenge the alpha and typically either lose or leave the pack. They have the drive to be a leader... just not the balls... or power." He narrowed his eyes and tapped the book with his index finger to emphasize his point. "Your uncle is a beta living as stand-in alpha and has been since your parent's death. The other wolves of your pack will see his age and current status as outweighing yours currently even with you having the ability to take alpha form." He turned another page and tapped the picture there. "If you want to be recognized as their king and leader, we have to get through to the senior warrior and the omega first. Aside from Fern, they have the most pull within the palace."

Russ nodded only barely keeping up with all that Ry had said. His brows scrunched together as he read over the text in front of him. "Hold up, isn't the omega the bottom of the pack?" He pointed to the page he had scanned over.

Ry nodded. "Yes, but it's still an important role. They are the peacemakers of the pack, the delegation if you must... the bread to your PB&J. It may not be in the name but it's equally important. If you win them over, they can help you get in with the rest of the community."

Russ nodded. "Alright, I get it... I think... So, what exactly is our plan going to be? Obviously, you're not trusting my uncle to train me, and I obviously am a dumbass when it comes to my own species..."

Ry lifted questioning eyes to Russ, "About that, why haven't you been taught more?"

Russ sighed. "Raven really didn't know much, Jos tried to recall all the information she'd learned during her friendship with my mom... but to be honest I couldn't stand hearing about it from her..." He shrugged in defeat. "Every time she began talking about it, it just reminded me of just how different we were... and I'll admit it was weird hearing her talk about how close her and my mother were... I wanted to be with Jos from a fairly young age, and the more she talked about my people the less I wanted to hear. To be honest, I was ready to walk away from them all until going there and seeing what has become of them... until hearing all that happened to Shelly at the hands of those vampire bastards..." Russ held Ry's gaze. "I want to get them back! I want to bring down their entire operation, and if Fernando is involved, I'll gladly bring that bastard down with them!"

Ry nodded as he leaned back in the chair crossing his arms over his chest. "That's great to hear, and I'm here to bring those plans to reality."

Russ crossed his arms over the table. "I get why you want to help. You seem like you've been tied up in this for some time now... but why does your dad want to?"

Ry thought it over for a few minutes. "I'm not fully sure, to be honest. I'd guess partially to keep you away from Jos so that he can finally push her and Arei together, partially because he wants the potential power that comes with your claim, and partially as a slap in the face to Zeus. Your father's father was a direct descendent of the king Zeus had turned lycanthrope."

Russ's eyes widened. "I feel like there's a story there I'm missing." He looked around the table. "Where's the book on that? Better yet is there a video I can find online about it..." He pulled his phone from his pocket and began pressing words into the search.

Ry rolled his eyes as he reached for one of the books. "Kids nowadays... Y'all just don't know what you're missing." He lifted the book to his nose and sucked in a long breath. "Ah... That phone will never give you the satisfaction the smell of an old book can bring you."

Russ arched a brow in Ry's direction. "Maybe so, but the satisfaction of learning everything in that book in a well summarized four-minute video with pictures will always win my favor... Should yours too if you expect me to learn all this shit in one afternoon..." Russ pushed play and the video began, and within a few seconds Ry was scooting his chair over to watch as well.

When the video was over and all the important information was shared, Ry nodded. "Well shit, youtubes for the win... Alright, my technically savvy friend now that we know never to try feeding your kid to a god, search Celtic Skinwalkers and Norse mythology. Those are the two factions of wolves your mother was from."