"Yet," Richard replied dryly.
The younger Alpha glanced between father and son before asking with surprising honesty,
"I should be worried, shouldn't I?"
"You probably should," Thomas answered immediately.
Laughter followed at once.
Richard pinched the bridge of his nose.
His children seemed determined to test the limits of his patience today.
Outside the hall, faint footsteps echoed along the upper corridor.
Inside, the conversation returned briefly to safer subjects.
"How long have you been Alpha?" Richard asked.
"Seven years."
Long enough to prove himself.
Young enough to still be rising.
"And your territory? How is it currently?"
"It's stable."
The answer was simple.
No boasting.
No false modesty.
Richard appreciated that.
Too many Alphas treated every conversation as though it were a contest.
This one allowed his actions to speak for themselves.
The elder Alpha leaned back in his chair as he spoke up, "My son isn't very good at speaking about himself."
