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"Ah, my son. My first born. I'm happy to see you alive and well." Makawee's sweet smile felt like a pin in Chaska's heart. "I was so worried when you left so suddenly. And then all your siblings left... it's been hard on me and your father, you know."

Chaska swallowed hard and stared at her. His mother. One of two who raised him into who he was today. "Mother. You..." He inhaled deeply and set his jaw. No room for weakness. That was one thing she taught him. "You brought that hardship on yourself."

She raised a brow at him. "And how is that, Dear? I don't recall telling anyone to leave."

"You left Odakota to die." His words came out sharp, but he did his best to keep his voice level. Calm. She didn't deserve to hear his distress. "You left our little brother to die. Of course everyone left."

She scoffed at him and turned away. "He ran away, and when your father and I found him he was already gone. It was tragic, but that's hardly leaving him to die-"

"Liar!" Briefly his calm left him as he shouted the word, hackles raising. She abruptly turned toward him, eyes wide in shock at him daring to contradict her. But before she could speak and scold him he continued. "Odakota's alive. He didn't die. He survived, somehow, and now he's leading his own fucking pack!"

Makawee blinked. She stared for several long moments, before suddenly clearing her throat. "Well, good for him."

"That's all you have to say?" Chaska stared at her with his jaw dropped. He couldn't believe her. "I just caught you in a lie. You always taught us lying was wrong, didn't you? Fucking hypocrite."

She turned sharply on him, growling. "Watch your mouth. And what was I supposed to do? He was a weak child, and I could only assume he would die. Children die all the time, and I couldn't spend time crying about it. I had to focus on the children that mattered."

Chaska met her snarl, standing at his full height, towering over her. "The children that mattered? Shit, Odakota was annoying and all, but he was still my little brother. He mattered to me." Spirits, it was a struggle to say that. And despite his hatred of his mother, somehow, he felt he could only really say it to her.

"You're young and naive. When you have your own pack, you'll understand." She shook her head dismissively at him then, turning away from his anger.

"I am part of another pack. They actually look out for one another." Morass was strange, sure, but... well, at least it inspired loyalty within him. "I bet if I'd broken a bone or something while living here, you would've left me to die, too."

Makawee narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes. I would." She huffed and turned her back on him and started to walk away. "A shame. I was so glad to see you. But now I realize that my first two litters were a waste. You, Eyan... I was so proud of you both. But you were as weak as Odakota after all, weren't you?" Chaska felt the anger rising. His muscles twitched, and his teeth bared. "All that wasted effort... but I have a new litter now. I will teach them not to be worthless-"

Her words were cut off as the teeth of her son suddenly found their way to the back of her neck. She yelped in pain and twisted, trying to fight him off. But despite her words, she was wrong. Chaska wasn't weak. He was strong. She truly had raised a powerful son.

617 words

Description
"Ah, my son. My first born. I'm happy to see you alive and well." Makawee's sweet smile felt like a pin in Chaska's heart. "I was so worried when you left so suddenly. And then all your siblings left... it's been hard on me and your father, you know."

Chaska swallowed hard and stared at her. His mother. One of two who raised him into who he was today. "Mother. You..." He inhaled deeply and set his jaw. No room for weakness. That was one thing she taught him. "You brought that hardship on yourself."

She raised a brow at him. "And how is that, Dear? I don't recall telling anyone to leave."

"You left Odakota to die." His words came out sharp, but he did his best to keep his voice level. Calm. She didn't deserve to hear his distress. "You left our little brother to die. Of course everyone left."

She scoffed at him and turned away. "He ran away, and when your father and I found him he was already gone. It was tragic, but that's hardly leaving him to die-"

"Liar!" Briefly his calm left him as he shouted the word, hackles raising. She abruptly turned toward him, eyes wide in shock at him daring to contradict her. But before she could speak and scold him he continued. "Odakota's alive. He didn't die. He survived, somehow, and now he's leading his own fucking pack!"

Makawee blinked. She stared for several long moments, before suddenly clearing her throat. "Well, good for him."

"That's all you have to say?" Chaska stared at her with his jaw dropped. He couldn't believe her. "I just caught you in a lie. You always taught us lying was wrong, didn't you? Fucking hypocrite."

She turned sharply on him, growling. "Watch your mouth. And what was I supposed to do? He was a weak child, and I could only assume he would die. Children die all the time, and I couldn't spend time crying about it. I had to focus on the children that mattered."

Chaska met her snarl, standing at his full height, towering over her. "The children that mattered? Shit, Odakota was annoying and all, but he was still my little brother. He mattered to me." Spirits, it was a struggle to say that. And despite his hatred of his mother, somehow, he felt he could only really say it to her.

"You're young and naive. When you have your own pack, you'll understand." She shook her head dismissively at him then, turning away from his anger.

"I am part of another pack. They actually look out for one another." Morass was strange, sure, but... well, at least it inspired loyalty within him. "I bet if I'd broken a bone or something while living here, you would've left me to die, too."

Makawee narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes. I would." She huffed and turned her back on him and started to walk away. "A shame. I was so glad to see you. But now I realize that my first two litters were a waste. You, Eyan... I was so proud of you both. But you were as weak as Odakota after all, weren't you?" Chaska felt the anger rising. His muscles twitched, and his teeth bared. "All that wasted effort... but I have a new litter now. I will teach them not to be worthless-"

Her words were cut off as the teeth of her son suddenly found their way to the back of her neck. She yelped in pain and twisted, trying to fight him off. But despite her words, she was wrong. Chaska wasn't weak. He was strong. She truly had raised a powerful son.

617 words