*****CHAPTER 23

DRAVEN'S POV

I set my jaw and turned my head to look at Calvin. His countenance was serious, and he looked like he was so sure of everything he had said. Like I was the clueless one amongst us.
 
"What do you mean?" I asked him, but he only smiled and kept his arrogant gaze on me. Just then, a knock came upon my door, and it was gently pushed open to reveal our father. He walked into the room with a small smile pasted on his face.
 
Sometimes, I felt like my father smiled at me too much. It's almost too much that it could pass for a fake one.
 
Calvin and I bowed to him before straightening our posture again.
 
"How is it going, boys?" He asked us as he stood before us, his hands folded behind his back.
 
"Very well, father." Calvin replied, reciprocating his father's smile. They had identical smiles. Straight and thin smiles that didn't quite reach their eyes
 
"How are you preparing for the assembly meeting?" Father directed his question to me this time.
 
"Always be prepared and ready for any situation that may emerge." I replied, and my father nodded impressively.
 
"Remember, this is a rare opportunity in our hands to strike the Black Wolf pack in the area where it would hurt them." "I shall trust you to make the most of today's gathering."
 
I nodded obediently at his instructions.
 
"Yes, father."
 
"Come on.  "It's about time." He turned his back on us and began to walk away again.
 
Before I followed my father, I eyed Calvin, who still had his eyes on me and the weird smile planted on his face.
 
"Stay safe…brother."  He bowed slightly to me again, but I ignored him and promptly followed my father behind.
 
When we walked out of the castle, we were joined by a few guards and my beta, Kai, who was also my best friend. But lately, he had been too busy courting a girl in the village to remember that I existed.
 
"Hey."  He whispered beside me as we walked towards the convoy parked a few meters away.
 
"What do you want, Kai?" I feigned nonchalance and looked ahead. "Why are you here instead of being around the love of your life?"
 
"Woah!  Someone's jealous."  He laughed lightly at me so that my father wouldn't hear him. The last thing my father would be able to tolerate was someone acting playful in a serious situation.
 
"You know, it is not my fault that you refuse to get a girlfriend." He whispered at me again, and I scoffed sarcastically at his words.
 
"I am not interested in stuff like that, Kai." "You of all people should know that."
 
We were standing before the convoy now, and I turned to give my father one final bow.
 
"Victory shall be ours, father." I promised, giving him my words, and my father smiled again with an air of full confidence and assurance.
 
"I trust you will bring victory to our pack, my son." "Do not forget to send a message when things go awry."
 
"Yes father."  I nodded and turned to get into the limousine but stopped as soon as Kendall's voice cried out to me.
 
"Stop! Brother!  Hold up!"
 
I turned my head to see Kendall running towards us. For a moment, I feared that she might trip and fall on her face. Fortunately, she did not fall and reached my spot successfully. She takes a few seconds to catch her breath.
 
"I hope you have a good explanation for this, Kendall." Father's gaze was stern on her, but she cared less. She outstretched her hand to me, and I stared at her grip to see a small, well-wrapped paper bag hanging from her hand. Curiously, I collected the paper bag from her, and the sweet scents of cookies wafted into my nose. The paper bag felt warm too.
 
"There."  She was still panting from running so much to get to me. "I packed some ginger biscuits for you just in case you get hungry on your trip."
 
My father's lips lifted in a snarl, but my own face lifted in a small, grateful smile. It was so funny how the littlest things Kendall did always made me feel special and valued. Maybe it was because there was no one else who treated me this way aside from her.
 
"Thank you for the nice gesture, Kendall." "I shall make sure to fill my stomach with them before I return home."
 
"Bye."  She ignored my gratitude and ran away again, clearly to escape her father's lashing words.
 
I smiled to myself again as I watched her run off. I would never trade Kendall for all the riches and powers in the world.
 
I would even single-handedly take down the Lycan king for her.

.............

DRAVEN'S POV

At the assembly gathering, while the elders delegated on the issues at hand, I kept my gaze fixated on the Alpha of the Black Wolf pack. Alpha Alcot Elord The most stubborn, irrational, and hard-headed Alpha in the history of the Black Wolf Pack and Wolfville Last I heard about his irrational act, he beheaded an elder of his council whom he had found guilty of a crime right before the entire gathering.
 
Just like his late father, he refused to hand over his lycanthrone to another Alpha. And with the way he was looking uninteresting and bored in the meeting, I was sure he wasn't paying attention to the discussions, and he would rather be anywhere else but here. Seeing that his face was masked like the way I had seen him a few other times in the past, I figured that the rumors about him were true and that no one had ever seen what he looked like.
 
His arrogance, mystique, stubbornness, and insolence made me find him interesting in a way. Maybe it was because I wished deep down that I could be that way and not give a fuck about what anyone had to say about me. most especially my family.
 
My head snapped back to reality as I heard the word "treaty" being repeated by an elder in the gathering. I took notice of how Alpha Alcot's attention returned back to the gathering too.
 
"Why should we accept a treaty?" Alpha Alcot shot at the men in the gathering. It turned out he had been listening to the discussions all along while he looked nonchalant, while I was the one lost in my thoughts.
 
Shame on you, Draven.
 
"According to Section C, Part Eleven of the Wolfville Book of Interpack Law, two enemy packs must propose and agree to go on a treaty for thirty days each to resolve their enmity. Such a treaty must include each Alpha of the affected packs to live with each other for two complete circles of the full moon.
 
I raised a brow as the judiciary read from the large scroll before his high table.
 
A treaty?  This was not part of the plan.
 
"I don't care what the law says." I am not letting a Redwolf set foot in my pack. "Those betraying, sly swine." Alpha Alcot stared daggers at me and maintained I stared back at him, unshakable by his harsh words.
 
The second I opened my mouth to disagree with the ruling of the assembly, a thought crossed my mind, and my father's words played in my head.
 
"Remember, this is a rare opportunity in our hands to strike the Black Wolf pack in the area where it would hurt them." "I shall trust you to make the most of today's gathering."
 
Yes.  A treaty would be the perfect opportunity to keep a close tab on the pack and strike when they least expect it.
 
Alpha Alcot was harsh, yes. but not foolish. He was right. We were indeed betraying sly swine. But I did not care. I would do anything to please my father and not disappoint him.
 
"I agree with the ruling, my Lord." I turned my head in the direction of the judiciary and planted a small smile on my face. "Unlike the Alpha of the Black Wolf Pack, who thinks so ill of me and my people, I do not think that way about the Alpha and his kinds." "I believe that the treaty would be a smart approach to curbing this enmity once and for all."
 
"What do you think you are playing at?" Alcot stared at me even harder. I was sure that if we were left alone, he would have tried to attack me by now.
 
"Alpha Alcot."  I broadened my smile in a way I intended to cause a hateful burn in his heart. "It is about time our people live together in peace and harmony, don't you think?" If you are still skeptical about the proposed treaty, then I would be honored to take the first step into living with your people until the next full moon.
 
Alcot's hateful stares on me intensified as the men murmured in agreement.
 
"Let us have a vote, then." The judiciary suggested "Those in support of a treaty, please raise your hand to the air, and those who are against a treaty, keep your hands on your desks."
 
A large multitude of men had their hands shot up midair the next second, and a sinister smile crossed my lips.
 
Right.  We won.
 
It was time to bring the Black Wolf pack down and overthrow the Lycan king.