***

This was his opportunity. Rou knew it. If he could get this job, everyone would see he was a good, loyal Clan-wolf again. He had to get this right.

At the meeting three nights ago, Rufus had announced that, with Silkey's absence, he'd be looking for a new second-in-command. This was unheard of so far: for two generations the leadership and deputyship of the Clan had been passed down from parent to offspring. Saedin had been the first Clan leader, and Rufus, as his son, had taken his place a while ago. Silkey had been the daughter of the first deputy of the Clan, Arrow. Now, with her gone, the position was open to anyone who volunteered.

Rou knew that everyone was favoring Walter for the position. The black-and-red wolfdog, Rufus' nephew through his brother Selang, had always wanted a high rank. There had even been rumors that, with Rufus so far being without offspring, Walter had planned to propose himself as heir for the Clan-leader position for a while.

"It's gotta be me," Rou told Taima as he paced his trusty "worrying-field" again. "Rufus surely wouldn't pick his own flesh and blood over a more reasonable candidate?"

Her mate was ripping open a deer carcass beside him. Rou had expected her to want to volunteer as second-in-command as well, but instead she'd backed him up completely. He guessed she didn't really care much for power, just as long as she got to satisfy her need for blood.

"It will be you," she encouraged him.

"But there are so many others who proposed for the position!" Rou hated speaking his worries aloud, but he knew he could trust his mate with them. "What if Rufus choses Wolfie or Ximena or that worm Walter?"

"He won't. You've always been a loyal Clan-wolf and he sees that. He'd be an idiot to pick anyone other than you. Now, stop worrying. You're starting to sound like your sister."

Rou hadn't realized that. "Ugh. You're right. I hate having to wait."

"That's why you need to do less thinking and more disemboweling," Taima grunted, gesturing to her deer.

Rou sighed. "Guess you're right."

***

The day was here. Rou was pretty sure he was shaking with anticipation. Is anyone noticing it? Surely they don't? I can't come off as weak or nervous! I'm Rou. I am Rou and I am going to be the next second-in-command of Rufus' Clan.

Many animals had gathered on the Main Base, much more than usual. The crowd was so thick that Rou and Taima had to roughly shove aside some of them as they made their way to the front of the crowd. As one of the candidates for second-in-command, he had to be in the first row so Rufus could congratulate him.

The crowd constantly talked, and it annoyed Rou to now end. Couldn't they just be quiet for one moment?

"Hey." A voice and a touch on his shoulder from behind him made him look up. He'd expected Taima to be there, but instead faced his sister's head, which was poking out through the crowd. Her gaze was unreadable this time. Was she here to scoff at him for being too power-hungry?

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Just... good luck." He wanted to respond, but before he could, Jewel had vanished into the crowd again.

The familiar howl rang across the clearing and the crowd quieted down. Finally. Rou looked up to see Rufus standing on his rock. Ru sat below the boulder in her usual place, but the space where Silkey always sat was still empty. Rou tried to ignore his nervousness by trying to picture himself sitting there, wearing the deputy's shield and looking over his subjects.

Rufus started. "My Clanmates. Days ago, our previous second-in-command, Silkey, ran away after I temporarily demoted her from her position. I knew she was confused about her past feelings of friendship for the Deformed Demon, and that this has impacted several of her judgements.

"However, I did not expect her to leave the Clan after she lost her rank. It was only a temporary solution, after all.

"Some of our scouts have last reported her scent on the eastern border, but there has been no sign of her since. With this, it is now time to appoint a new deputy. Even if Silkey were to return to the Clan, we cannot allow for her to reclaim her position after abandoning us like this.

"So now we look down at our candidates. All of them I have thought about deeply. I have inquired about information about them from fellow Clan members."

Rou felt his hackles rise. Great, so even Rufus knows I'm related to the Deformed Demon, now. Chances of him picking me are becoming slim.

"I know that many of you favor my spirited nephew Walter." Rufus let his eyes rest on the black-red wolfdog, who proudly puffed out his chest as if he'd already been given the position.

"However, I have chosen not to have one of my own flesh and blood as my new second-in-command." Rufus continued. Rou felt satisfaction wash over him as Walter's confident expression made place for an infuriated one. He looked like he wanted to speak up, but clearly thought better of it.

"This choice has been difficult. Even with Walter out of the picture, there are many candidates left." He looked at the seventeen remaining volunteers below. Rufus saw that one of them, a non-binary cougar, was lashing their tail impatiently.

"The new deputy of the Clan is..."

Come on... Come on...

"Rou Hinkle!"

Rou couldn't believe it. He had been so certain someone else had been chosen. Yet, here it was.

"WOHOO! Go, Rou!" Taima shouted from the crowd.

Rufus shot her a warning glance, indicating he wasn't done yet. "I know that there are rumors regarding the heritage of my new deputy, but I know very well that Rou is nothing like his uncle. He has always been a loyal and confident Clan-member, and I trust that he will work hard to uphold that reputation. Rou, do you promise to pledge yourself—your life—to me and the Clan? To do what is right and to uphold our rules?"

Rou felt all the faces on him now. Okay, act confident. Hackles, stay down. He raised his head and met his leader's clear-blue eyes. "I swear."

Rufus nodded. "Good. Follow me to my den."

The crowd started to move apart again, and Rou could hear them murmur about him.

"...made the right choice."

"He's a bit of a hothead, though, isn't he?"

"Are you implying Silkey wasn't one?"

"That's him. The Demon's kin."

Rou briefly made eye contact with a tail-wagging Taima before entering Rufus' den. His two advisors, Jade and Swift, entered behind them.

Rufus and his advisors took their positions, and the leader nodded towards an empty spot that looked like it'd been sat on many times before. Silkey's previous spot. Rou tried not to let excitement overwhelm him when he took his place.

After he did so, he bowed his head. "My leader, you won't regret your choice! I'll work hard to serve the Clan."

"And I expect nothing less," Rufus said with a smile.

***

Rou knew it was what had to be done. It was two years after Silkey had left the Clan, and things weren't looking too good for them.

Rufus had stopped expanding the Clan's territory for a long while now, yet the number of members continued to increase. There was simply too little space to go around.

At least, that was what he told himself as he had started to plot. Getting his followers had been easier than he'd expected. Taima had supported his idea to take over the Clan from Rufus from day one, of course, but Walter had been the simplest to sway over. His sister Saedira had also joined in, as had Sai and a couple of other loyalists.

Rou's plan was simple: bring Rufus and his family members down, take over the Clan and start expanding the territory again. With this plan, the Clan could be the most powerful group of animals to have ever existed! No Lone One or pack wolf or any other animal would run in their way! They'd take over the entire mountain, maybe multiple mountains even. There would be no stopping them.

It was time. Rou hated that it was already. He nodded to his loyalists as he stalked away from their secret meeting in the dark, Taima on his heels. The meeting with Rufus was about to begin.

***

Rou walked onto the Main Base of the Clan. His Main Base now. All that was left was to claim his property.

He raised his head and let his booming voice echo across the Main Base. "Everyone, gather around!"

"What's going on?" asked Zaria, a particularly nervous wolf. More and more subjects started to group around Rou.

Taima slowly stalked from the bushes onto the clearing, carrying Rufus' decapitated head by the mane.

Rou felt a twinge of satisfaction as he saw the shocked faces of the Clan members. Yes, that's right, you'd better not mess with me.

"It is time for a change in management!" he announced proudly. "Rufus and his kin are dead! The Clan now belongs to me and my followers! This is a new age; the age of Rou's Clan!"

***

"TAIMA!" She was dead. Rou couldn't believe it as his heart broke. His one true love, Taima, just lay there in the night, the wind gently tugging on her fur. A wooden stake was embedded into her stomach, which had been the thing to finish her off.

Rou was so confused. Taima is the strongest wolf I know? What could possibly have killed her? Who or what would be so foolish to dare and try to kill us in our sleep? It had been Taima's gasping and choking that had woken him up.

Suddenly, footsteps announced the arrival of someone else. Rou couldn't believe it. There, with another stake in her mouth, ready to use it, was his sister.

"Jewel? What's going on?" Rou knew what his sister was intending, but why was beyond him.

There was no explanation. She didn't even meet his eyes. In a rapid movement she simply lunged forward and stabbed the stake into his throat. Rou didn't have time to react. He made a disgusting gurgling noise as he felt blood bubble in his throat. He landed with a loud thud as everything faded around him. He didn't even hear whatever Jewel was saying to him now. He embraced the darkness, wherever it would take him next.