The Union I: Decline
#1 of The Union
The Imperial Canidae Union, the universe this series takes place in and all its characters are copyrighted by Balto123. Nothing may be used without permission from said author. If you are offended reading about M/M action or are unable to due to religious or age constraints, be forewarned. You continue reading at your own risk.
Note: For all those who have enjoyed my "Under Lock and Key" series, I am pleased to announce that the events of "The Union" and "Lock" all exist in the same universe, though the events in "Union" take place some time earlier. Look out for cameo's from some of the characters from "Lock" in the next few installments.
So sit back, relax and enjoy..."The Union"!
It was luck and pure fate that had put him in the position he was in. A cruel twist of fate that had thrust him into the spotlight, with no consideration for whether he was up to, or indeed wanted the position. It didn't matter what he wanted. Fate had decided for him.
Not for the first time in his life, Dimitri Sarkov looked back at the set of circumstances that had led him to where he was today. Sat in the hard backed leather chair that dominated the half-lit room that he inevitably came to mull over the thoughts milling through his head, eyes closed and brow furrowed. The glass tumbler of brandy on his desk long ago drained and forgotten about.
It wasn't fair, he thought for what must have been the millionth time. It just wasn't fair.
The wolf's eyes opened slowly, and they immediately focussed on the far wall that he sat facing. Not once in his innumerable visits to this room did his eyes not wander towards it at least once. The giant portrait that dominated the wall stared back at him, almost daring him not to look upon it. It depicted a single figure, dressed in full military regalia amidst a sea of adoring subjects, all staring in rapture and adoration at the uniformed figure. Two golden eyes stared back at Dimitri, eyes that were full of simmering power and benevolence.
His father. The man who had made it all possible. Tito.
Dimitri felt a shiver run up his spine at the thought of the name. It still amazed him even after all these years how much it affected him. And how could it not? After all, if it weren't for his father he would not be sitting in that very room in the very clothes he wore. Even in death, his father continued to hold all the power.
It was a story cemented into legend, one that every child learnt almost from the first day of school. The Great Tito. The man who had led his people to independence and had created the peace that he said would last forever. The lone wolf who had united all the peoples under one rule, one way of life. Regardless of race or creed, all had followed Tito in the knowledge that he and he alone would lead them to greatness. And he had.
Dimitri allowed himself a thin smile as his eyes continues to flicker across the grand portrait of his father, depicting the great day when the victory had been secured and the Great Union of The Imperial Canidae had been forged. That was over forty years ago to the day, but it seemed to Dimitri much longer. Forty years of independence, security and peace, all made possible by the great leadership his father had instigated. It was the belief that they had believed then, and continued to believe now.
And least, Dimitri thought with a frown, before he had come along.
Fate had dealt Dimitri harshly. The youngest of three sons sired by Tito, he and everyone in his fathers court had dismissed the possibility of him becoming President. And if Dimitri had had his way, it would have remained so. As a child he had always been far weaker than his elder brothers, the runt of the litter as they had always ceaselessly dubbed him. Dimitri had never shown any signs of aspiring to be a great leader, to follow in his fathers glorious footsteps. Instead, throughout his youth Dimitri had focussed on the more finer and enjoyable things in life away from the stuffiness and responsibility of leadership. Writing and painting had always been his passions in life, and he was not modest in admitting that he was quite exceptional at both. If he had had it his way, he would have continued painting at his easel into his golden years.
But then that terrible day had come. The death of his father, and the day when everything for Dimitri changed forever.
Whilst the nation mourned for its fallen messiah, the battle for power had begun behind closed doors. Dimitri's elder brother Conrad had been named as his father's successor, but not everyone was pleased with this. Many in the party wanted Alexis, his second bother, to succeed his father as they believed in him lay their best interests. Dimitri had always feared Alexis the most, and whilst his relationship with Conrad was hardly much better, at least with him he could be safe in the knowledge that he wouldn't be murdered in his sleep. They had gotten their way in the end. Conrad was given a vote of no confidence by the delegates of the party and shipped off to diplomatic duties overseas, and Alexis had come to power. Dimitri remembered how much he feared for his life in that short period when his brother was the alpha, and how he had made doubly sure his rooms were well guarded just in case Alexis ever got he whim to do away with the last remaining threat to his position.
It didn't last long. The party had wanted Alexis in power, but the people did not. And one night, under the cover of darkness, an assassin had crept into the presidential chamber and strangled Alexis in his sleep. The news had reached Dimitri early the morning after, and he remembered that he had had to force back a grin when an orderly had stuck his head into his room to relate the 'tragic' news.
For Dimitri, the relief was short lived when further news from abroad came to his ears. Whilst on his way back to the country, Conrad's helicopter had crashed in heavy snow. There were no survivors. In desperation, the members of the party were forced to do what they had long ago dismissed.
Within less than a week, Dimitri had been crowned President Alpha of the Imperial Canidae Union. Something he had never wanted and still did not want even after five long years.
Live wasn't fair. And now he was stuck with it.
With a shallow sigh, Dimitri got up from his chair, his eyes never leaving the face of his father that continued to stare at him, almost mocking him.
"Why did you have to die?" Dimitri muttered, mostly to himself but in a small way almost wishing the painting to give him an answer. "You would have saved me a whole lot of aggro".
With one last fleeting stare, President Dimitri walked out, plunging the room into complete darkness.
"Alpha Sarkov, are you listening to me?"
Dimitri's ears failed to register the oily tones of the person sat before him, his attention miles away. His thoughts were on something, or rather someone, far more important.
"Alpha!"
"Hmm?" Dimitri looked up with a slight start, crashing back to earth. His eyes readjusted to the sour faced expression of Nicholas Radjek sat before him on the other side of the oak wood desk.
"As I was saying before you...drifted off," the jet black wolf continued with a scornful sneer. "The situation is becoming more desperate than we had first estimated. We've had to extend further security sanctions".
"And this is all over the failure to agree to the terms we previously laid out?" Dimitri sighed, once more drawn back to the never ending life of the politician he was forced live.
"Yes. As Colonel Saxon described, the people's reaction has stemmed from the fact that we have not as yet delivered what we promised" Radjek continued, his voice polite though his eyes gave away completely the contempt he was feeling towards the white wolf sat before him.
"As yet, Nicholas? From what I understand, the board has never been committed to fully delivering on the terms they said they would last year. We're talking about people's way of life Nicholas, we can't expect them to not be angry over this".
"With respect, Alpha, the original terms were of such an extreme nature, that we could not justify agreeing to put them into operation. We must be reasonable in this".
"So instead you told them that we had agreed to their demands and hoped they would just forget about it?" the frown on Dimitri's face deepened as he stood from his desk, eyes firmly on Radjek's unflinching expression.
"We made arrangements to cooperate reasonably with the people over this unfortunate incident"
"You mean, their way of life?" Dimitri scoffed. Radjek's eyes narrowed.
"An out of date institution that the party feels is no longer economically viable. We believe that we have been fair in coordinating this situation, but the reactions of these... political instigators cannot be tolerated, sir. I therefore ask for a further concession to send in more troops to quell the situation before it gets out of hand".
Dimitri sighed softly and turned away from Radjek, staring through the pane glass window out into the grey landscape that spread out before him.
"In other words, you want me to agree to send in troops to violently put down these people whose lives we're taking away from them".
"I hardly believe that is a fair assessment Alpha, but to answer your question we have to ensure that this situation does not get out of hand any further than it already has. Fifteen people have died already, we don't want that number to increase".
Dimitri's brow furrowed. "All of them civilians I seem to recall".
Radjek flicked his paw dismissively. "Unfortunate, but necessary to prevent further violence. I must have an answer now, Alpha".
Closing his eyes for a second, Dimitri turned back round and slumped heavily into his chair. "Do what you have to do, Nicholas" he finally replied, defeatedly.
Radjek got up from his chair, and bowed his head slightly. But his eyes remained narrowed as he turned to leave the room.
"If I might say sir, your father would not have been this hesitant in such a situation. He would have ensured measures were taken before any life was loss".
That did it. Hackles raised, Dimitri snapped to his feet and stormed until he was almost nose to nose with the black wolf.
"Is that a challenge, Radjeck?" he growled, teeth bared.
Radjek didn't even flinch. Instead, his lips twitched almost in a grin as he leaned his muzzle down, nose touching slightly with Dimitri's.
"Hardly. But you must admit, your failure to deal with this situation without embarrassment has not done you justice...sir" the last word came after a pause, mockingly.
"Perhaps, but don't forget Nicholas," Dimitri raised his finger and jabbed the black wolf. "I am in charge! I am the Alpha! And as long as that is the case, you will do as I say! Now get out!"
The black wolf's eyes glared at Dimitri as the younger wolf pulled back, before he turned heel and left the room without another word. After he could no longer hear the wolf's footsteps down the corridor, Dimitri let out a breath that he realized he had been holding in his chest.
This had never happened before. Nicholas had provoked him right to his face, something that was unheard of. The Alpha's position was absolute, and no one questioned that. But Nicholas's reaction had proved to Dimitri what he had always suspected. He was losing faith within the party.
This was nothing new. Even when he had first come to power he had had to fight to prove himself, despite the false smiles they had all worn on their faces that patronized him, just waiting for him to slip up and prove what they had always said. He wasn't fit to be Alpha. But they had never said it to his face until now, and that was dangerous new territory. He may have had the people's support, after all he was the son of Tito. But Dimitri knew the real power lay in the party, and if they suddenly decided he was no longer needed...well, it didn't bear thinking about.
Shaken, Dimitri sat back down and lay in head in his paws. What was he doing? Why was he pretending to be something he wasn't? He was no leader, he never had been, and he was only fooling himself in believing that he was capable of the job. His father had been the perfect leader, his brothers had been groomed from birth to succeed him, and it was only through accident that the 'runt' was now sat in the presidential office. How was he expected to rule over a country that nearly spanned an entire continent, with canids from every race just waiting for the opportunity to rise up and claim their independence. The whole system was completely outdated, and the situation in Kosov just went to prove it. The people may love him, but that didn't mean they wouldn't tear him down given the chance.
Dmitri felt a sob rise up in his chest, but he quickly forced it down. Now was not the time for crying. With a deep breath, he lifted his head back up...and nearly collapsed when he was confronted with the grinning face of the most handsome wolf in the world.
"Hey there handsome. Rough day?"
Dimitri didn't care if anyone were to walk in, as he wrapped his arms round the wolf in front of him and nuzzled into the warm furry chest of his lover.
"Hunter" he sighed as he felt a soft paw run through his head fur and up one of his ears teasingly.
"I'll take that as a yes then" Hunter chuckled as he planted a soft kiss on Dimitri's forehead, before pulling back until he was staring into the younger wolf's deep blue eyes. Eyes that were full of love for the chiseled grey wolf in combat fatigues.
"That is an understatement." Dimitri's smile faded with a sigh. "I've just had Nicholas in here".
Hunter felt a pang of sorrow at the expression on Dimitri's face, and lay a soft paw on his head. "What did he say?"
"Nothing much, but I'm beinning to sense my days in this office are numbered".
Hunter shook his head firmly. "Don't say that Dimitri. Your the Alpha, not him. He's a hyena in wolfs clothing and you can't let anything he says get to you".
"But it's not just him, it everything." Dimitri frowned, clenching his paws tightly. "It's like, everything around me is coming apart at the seams, and everyone turns to me expecting me to know how to fix it. But I can't! Don't you see? I can't do it!"
"Yes you can. You are your fathers son, it is your blood right to lead, and besides I know you have it in you Dimitri. I know you do".
Dimitri allowed a smile to creep across his muzzle. "But you would say that, would you?"
"And why is that?" the bigger wolf asked, folding his arms in front of him.
"Because you know I love you".
For a moment, Hunter was lost for words at the adorable smile on Dimitri's face. Without another word, Hunter moved forward and pressed his muzzle firmly against Dimtri's lips, one soft lick enough to part his lips and aloowing his tongue to press into his lovers mouth.
Dimitri was in heaven. In that moment all his cares and problems were blown away in an explosion of passion as Hunter's tongue continued to explore his muzzle, tasting his saliva and feeling that soft tongue lick each tooth at a time. He couldn't help a soft murr of pleasure escaping his chest as he caressed Hunter's soft furred chest eagerly.
The kiss ended too soon for Dimitri as Hunter stood back up and smoothed down his fur. He didn't say a word as the bigger wolf fixed him with a stare that melted his heart.
"Don't be up late tonight Dim. I have a surprise for my little pup". The big wolf winked impishly at the mute Dimitri before turning on his heel and leaving the room without another word, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred.
After a few moments to allow his heartbeat to slow back down, Dimitri got up and poured himself a drink. Glancing down at the tumbler of amber liquid, he raised it into the air.
"To you father. Hope you were watching".
Next installment: "Tension"
Hope you all enjoyed it! Comments and criticisms are all welcome!
Balto123