When his uncle said he was taking him to dinner, he’d expected to be taken to a place with tasteful decorations and soft ambient music. As he stared at the various animal heads hanging from the naked, wooden walls, he knew he’d been slightly off the mark. Trent looked out of place in the rustic setting, his expensive looking suit standing out among the polished wood, hunting trophies, and the various other customers in their jeans and casual shirts. He looked perfectly comfortable however, so either his uncle didn’t notice how out of place he was, or he simply didn’t mind.

Derek breathed in the scent of cooking meat, sighing. “I think this is the first time I’ve smelled somewhere around here that made me happy.”

Trent smiled. “It does take some getting used to. I remember the first time I came to the city, I hated it. The whole place smelled of gas and human sweat. You have to work hard to find somewhere quiet, and even their parks feel artificial.”

Derek nodded at the sentiment. “That is…exactly how it’s been for me. It’s strange. I’ve felt trapped in the building, with nowhere but a maze of buildings and streets to navigate outside. It’s confusing, and like you said, noisy. Ah, I don’t mean to insult your or Sean’s hospitality, of course.”

His uncle snickered. “Are you trying to tell me Sean has actually been hospitable?”

Derek hesitated. “I…believe he’s been giving me all the attention and resources he can at the moment. He’s dealing with a great deal currently.”

“Which is just a polite way of saying that he treats you like shit and is doing absolutely nothing to make your stay here any easier,” Trent said with a sigh.

Derek winced. “He hasn’t been particularly happy I’m here.”

“I see my brother instilled that strong sense of politeness into your head, as our father once did with us. I was a lot like that when I was sent out into the city for the first time as well. It’s a difficult habit to shake. It took me years and I still find myself tolerating more than I should simply because the first couple of decades of my life were spent being taught to accept terrible treatment with a smile,” Trent said.

Derek cocked his head. “You were sent to the city?”

Trent nodded. “I’m beginning to see striking similarities between you and I, at least in terms of the course of our lives. It might just explain why my brother has decided to go silent with me for the first time in years. He, too, must see the similarity. The eldest son who only partially fits the expectations of the father. That same son is sent to the city to aid the werewolves there, and the father worries about what the son might discover there without ‘proper’ supervision. The only difference I can see is that I didn’t have a family member to meet me and explain things.”

“What makes you think I don’t fit his expectations?” Derek asked, mildly taking offense.

“Oh Derek, because you’re nothing like your father, and you’re nothing like your grandfather either. I was there long enough to get a glimpse of the kind of heart you would have when you became a man. You were never a dumb child, but you always seemed to somehow miss the point of your father’s lessons. You have always lacked the sharp and hard ways our family has always regarded as the traits a future Alpha should possess,” Trent said.

Derek had privately always thought the very same thing, but it didn’t make it any better to hear it said aloud. “If not me, then who?”

Trent snorted. “In another example of synchronicity, your younger brother. Even as a small child, Aron reminded me so much of your father I found it unnerving. You may possess much of the man’s physical features, but he passed his heart onto Aron. Erin would perhaps have been a possible choice, if it weren’t for the fact that our family has never placed a female into the position of Alpha before. That, and I always got the impression she didn’t particularly care too much for power and control. She seemed far more content quietly learning.”

“She’s uh, still the same, but she’s learned how to use that knowledge to her advantage,” Derek told him with a smile.

Trent smiled. “Good girl. If she can keep a grip on the traits that come from her mother enough to wield those that come from her father, she’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”

“She’s the only one, besides Mother, who can speak out against Father without fear of any sort of retribution,” Derek said.

“A pity he didn’t have someone like that when he was growing up; it might have changed a lot of things. He always wanted what our father planned to be mine, and that hunger made him all the more determined to be better than I was. He saw his chance when I was sent to the city and my path began to…split from the one my father had planned for me,” Trent admitted.

“What did you get sent here for in the first place?” Derek asked.

“Ah, well, back then, it was customary to send at least one representative of the sept, to check in with the City Wolves. Your father ended that practice shortly after he took over. See, I came here with a group of werewolves that the Council and my father decided should go. My father thought it would be a good learning experience for me, thought it would teach me just how valuable the teachings of the sept were once I saw how the City Wolves lived. If I had been here for only a few days, it probably would have worked too,” Trent said, watching the restaurant around him as he spoke.

“Did something happen?” Derek asked, leaning forward onto the table.

“The fighting between the werewolves in the city and the vampires became a full-time job. Honor and duty dictated that myself and the other werewolves from the sept would have to stay to try and help our city cousins. My short stay in the city ended up becoming weeks of fighting beside the very same people I was supposed to dislike. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can’t fight, kill, and nearly die with people and not grow attached to them. As time went on, I began to see just what sort of lives these werewolves lived. They might not have the tradition and sense of honor our family and sept does, but they fight with everything they have. They know damn well they’re fighting a battle that could turn against them at any moment. The vampires may be fewer than the werewolves, but they know how to use humanity and the city to their advantage. A werewolf living here is constantly on the lookout for treachery and trickery, and they lack the support of neighboring septs. Yet despite that, they fight. They could rest on their laurels, get power, money, anything, if they just did as the vampires did. They may be crude at times, dismissive of the old ways, and downright insulting toward anyone who isn’t a part of their pack, but they will fight to the bitter end,” Trent explained, turning his attention back to Derek as his speech became quicker.

Derek had seen enough of Sean’s pack to have a good idea of just how accurate a description his uncle was giving him. Even if Sean was abrasive and rude, he took care of his pack and watched over them with a ferocity that Derek couldn’t help but respect. The Alpha was always keeping tabs on his pack, and making sure he was on top of new information about vampire activity in his territory. Sean seemed to be a strange but effective mixture of a father figure and war leader, playing the balancing act with a sneer on his face.

“Nothing has quite been the way I expected it to be,” Derek admitted quietly.

Trent nodded. “That’s the problem with life. It never quite conforms to our expectations. After I realized the truth, I knew I couldn’t return to the place I called home. The sept never felt like home to me, but the city did. And that realization is what led to everything else: the history that you already know about.”

Derek did the math in his head quickly. “You were about my age when your father sent you out, weren’t you?”

“I was a couple of years older than you; your father was about your age, though. As I said, there are strong similarities,” Trent said.

Derek remembered how furious his father had been when it happened. All Derek had known at the time was that his uncle had gone away, and despite being told he would be back soon, he never reappeared. His father had left after a while, and when he returned, he told everyone his brother was dead and that he would be taking his place. Derek’s grandfather, who was as stern and gruff as Derek’s father, had said nothing on the subject. He’d died before Derek’s first change at the age of twelve, never having spoken of his eldest son again. Even after Derek’s father had taken over as Alpha and sept leader, he never spoke of his brother again.

Derek blinked as realization hit him. “Is that why you’re here, talking to me? Because you want to convince me to do what you did?”

Trent shook his head. “I’m not going to try and force you to do anything you don’t want to do Derek. Nor do I intend to try to convince you, trick you, or anything like that. Just because there are similarities between your situation and the one I once lived, doesn’t mean it’s exactly the same. You are not me, and you have to follow your own path, one of your own choosing.”

Derek sighed, almost slumping onto the table. “My life was decided for me from the moment I was born.”

Trent leaned back when the server arrived with their food. “It doesn’t have to be set in stone. You can choose what happens to you, even if you don’t believe so.”

Derek thanked the server for the food, eyeing the steak hungrily. “Like I had a choice of what pack I was assigned to help? It was you who decided, wasn’t it?”

Trent began cutting into his steak with a smile on his face. “That was indeed me. These alphas might lead their packs, but I still get to make decisions for them now and again. Sean wasn’t happy when he found out just how much help the sept was sending, and was even less happy when he found out he was the one who was going to be playing host to you. I was witness to one hell of an angry tirade over it; went on for over an hour. That alpha might not seem like much, but boy does that little wolf have a temper.”

Derek snorted, the taste of well-cooked steak relaxing him. “And a mouth.”

“Mm, that too. But, he’s a damn good leader, and he’s one hell of a fighter too. Even if he’s not friends with many of the other alphas in the city, they all respect the hell out of him,” Trent told him.

“I don’t deny that he’s a capable leader, and that he has the love and respect of his pack. He takes care of them, and he’s exceptionally skilled in both battle and in managing his soldiers on the battlefield. However, you can’t tell me no other alpha in this city fits that criteria as well,” Derek said, raising a brow.

Trent smiled. “You would be absolutely correct. There is no pack in this city who would allow an alpha to take charge if they weren’t capable of leading both in and out of battle.”

“Which means you had a very specific reason or reasons for choosing Sean to be my host over any of the others,” Derek said.

“The latter, and I take it from this conversation that you haven’t been making any progress with him?” Trent asked.

Derek scoffed. “I wasn’t aware I was meant to be making progress of any sort with him. If you had something planned for me, it would have served us both better if you’d told me beforehand. All I’ve managed so far is that he doesn’t sneer every time he sees me, and that’s only because I was injured during a battle.”

Trent perked up at that. “Really? He’s stopped giving you dirty looks? That’s certainly more progress than I thought he would make in a few days. Every time I’ve spoken to him, he’s made it blatantly obvious he doesn’t like your presence here and he’s made me believe he would do whatever he could to make sure you knew that too.”

Derek paused mid-way through cutting his steak. “His no longer sneering at me is barely an improvement from before. It’s not as if we’re friendly. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he’s trying to drive me crazy. That, or he’s trying to get me to hit him.”

“Now there’s an idea. Have you considered punching him and calling him an asshole?” Trent asked with a grin.

“Uncle, I’m not going to hit the Alpha of a pack I’m a guest of,” Derek said.

“You might have to, if you want any measure of peace while you’re staying there,” Trent told him.

“There has to be a better way than hitting him,” Derek complained.

“If there is, you’ll have to be the one to figure that out,” Trent said.

Derek frowned, trying to figure out what his uncle was up to. Trent had already admitted he’d placed Derek with Sean on purpose. He had also avoided mentioning precisely why he’d chosen Sean as Derek’s host. He was confident his uncle wouldn’t tell him the exact reason, no matter how much he asked. Trent was interested in just how well the two of them were getting along, however, so Derek wondered if that was one of the reasons. He couldn’t see either him or Sean becoming friends with one another, since their relationship had seemed to even out at cool dislike on Derek’s end, and poorly restrained hatred on Sean’s.

“Do you just dislike him, or are you trying to torment me?” Derek asked.

Trent laughed. “I love you. I always have, and it brings me joy to see you grown-up and here, in my city. And I love Sean. he’s been like a son to me. He’s always been a bit on the grumpy side, and isn’t always the friendliest of people. He lost his parents when he was young, and ended up packless for years before I found him. That man is a survivor and understands the value of a pack, of a family, more than any werewolf living in the sept. He’s proud of his pack, and he’s proud of what the City Wolves do. He dislikes outsiders, especially rural wolves such as yourself, and he hates how arrogant and condescending they can be. It’s why he hates your presence so much. It’s a reminder of how little we mean to the sept, despite how much we do.”

“And how is that my fault? I came here in good faith, with the intention of helping to the best of my ability and I’ve received little more than constant scorn and dislike from the man. I have done nothing to deserve his treatment, but he continues to treat me as if I’ve personally wronged him,” Derek vented, feeling his previously restrained annoyance flaring into anger.

Trent pointed at him with his fork. “Perhaps he’s the one you should be saying this to, not I.”

Derek gestured helplessly. “Is that what you’re after? Getting me to blow up on him and completely lose my cool?”

“What was your first impression of him?” Trent asked suddenly.

Derek blinked, not willing to admit he’d been initially attracted to the man. “He was immediately abrasive and rude. He insulted me and made it obvious I wasn’t wanted around here.”

Trent nodded. “Sounds about right. And have you seen anything from him that would make you believe he is anything but a rude dick?”

Derek laughed at the description, unable to help himself. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh at that. I think being here is beginning to rub off on me.”

Trent grinned. “Which means you don’t need to apologize. Sean can be an asshole, and he knows it. The point is, he thinks he’s justified in being an asshole. He’s wrong, of course, especially when it comes to you.”

Derek frowned at him. “Is this your way of saying you think I should change his mind about that?”

“Do you think you can?” Trent asked innocently.

Derek’s forehead creased further. “Uncle, why do I get the feeling you’re playing a game here?”

“It’s not a game, at least not in the way your forehead wrinkles are telling me. If I tell you exactly why I chose Sean to be your host, it would affect matters in a way I don’t want to risk. However, I will tell you this: there are reasons, and I feel they’re very good reasons, for the two of you to be stuck with one another. I believe the both of you can learn and grow from one another in ways you might not be able to with others. I’ve based this on what I knew of you when you were young, while believing that not much has changed from those days, at least not in who you are essentially. It’s also based on the fact that I know Sean very well, and I know just what that stubborn brat needs to do, even if he wants to fight me tooth and nail on it,” Trent said with an amused chuckle.

“So, he has no idea why you’re doing this?” Derek asked.

“I believe he thinks I’m doing it just to screw with him, which suits me just fine. Trust me on this: I would never place either of you in a situation that was uncomfortable simply because it was uncomfortable. I have good reason, and I hope it leads to the best for both of you in the end,” Trent assured him.

Derek grumbled. “This is feeling more like a matchmaking attempt than character growth.”

Trent considered that for a moment. “Well, there is the time you were found kissing one of the neighboring pack boys.”

Derek’s eyes widened. “That was years ago! I was a kid!”

Trent laughed. “True, but I remember how annoyed my brother was when he was told.”

Derek sighed, resting his face in his hands. “I don’t know why, it’s not as if I wasn’t already aware of what was expected of me. He knows full well that even if it had…meant what he thought it meant, I would still be expected to have children. It was all dictated to me for as long as I can remember.”

“True, the sept wouldn’t have minded one bit, but your father, my dear brother, can be a stickler for details. Now hold on, a thought just occurred to me. Are you…attracted to Sean?” Trent asked.

Derek straightened in horror. “Uncle! I am not attracted to him! I might be able to appreciate a good-looking alpha, but it doesn’t make his personality attractive in the slightest.”

Trent smirked. “So, you’re saying that incident from your childhood wasn’t just a one-time thing?”

Derek sputtered. “That…that still doesn’t mean anything when it comes to whatever is going on between Sean and me!”

Trent raised a brow. “There’s something going on between you?”

Derek deflated, realizing he was losing. “There’s no way I can say anything that you’re not going to turn back around on me, is there?”

Trent looked triumphant. “Not a chance; you’re hopelessly outmatched. Maybe you’ve got the right idea though Have you tried kissing him?”

“I’m not attracted to him, and he’s not interested in me,” Derek groaned, slumping onto the table and ignoring his half-eaten steak.

“Now, now, you don’t know that. I know for a fact he at least likes both genders, if not only men,” Trent told him.

Derek sighed. “And how do you know that?”

“Because even here, werewolves love their gossip, and he’s neither one to settle down, keep his business private, or go long stretches without getting laid,” Trent said.

“I really don’t need to know this,” Derek grunted.

“Sure you do. It might come in handy,” Trent told him.

Derek sat up, shaking his head. “Can we talk about anything but this theory of yours? I’m not attracted to Sean. Sean hates me, and you…can we talk about my siblings? What you’ve done for the past several years? Anything?”

Trent examined Derek’s face before nodding. “As you wish. How is Erin doing?”

Derek breathed a sigh of relief. “She’s, like I said before, doing well. Smartest person I know, and is quickly making herself indispensable to different people. I’m not sure what she’ll do with that mind of hers, but I know when she does make up her mind, it will be impressive.”

Trent nodded thoughtfully. “And what do you think she would tell you: that you should hit him, or kiss him? Or one and then the other?”

“Uncle!”